Racing History Minute, March 1, 1959
Stock Car Racing History
AP wire race report from The Dispatch .
Forum Activity for @tmc-chase
Stock Car Racing History
Is 50 Cent the next brand ambassador for NASCAR?
Current NASCAR
Didn't watch clip yet - but thinking Jerry Glanville?
Is 50 Cent the next brand ambassador for NASCAR?
Current NASCAR
Dan Marino
Troy Aikman
Roger Staubach
Gene Simmons (Indy Car)
Kevin Costner
Randy Moss
If I sat here long enough, I could probably think of more non-racing athletes / celebrities who wanted to hitch their wagon to NASCAR. Believed in it, said their involvement "aligned with common business objectives", etc. Yet over time, pffft they disappeared. Only ones I suppose I'll credit for hanging in there were Hal Needham and Joe Gibbs.
I suppose 50 Cent is good for Swan Racing if the team is getting PAID and can stay on the track week to week. But to be face of NASCAR itself? Um, no.
Doctors claim seven-time F1 champion unlikely to fully recover
Stock Car Racing History
This story gets sadder by the day. And the irony is just awful this non-racing accident to a former racing driver has happened around the same time of the year as a couple of racing accidents to a couple of racing drivers at Daytona in February - Don Williams (who lingered 10 years after his accident) and Bruce Jacobi (4 years).
Racing History Minute - Daytona 500 - 1983
Stock Car Racing History
As I mentioned in the post about the 1982 500, I really liked the look of Kyle's 42 car. Richard's also - but liked the 42 better. And the 1984 scheme the 43 sported to win #200 is among my favorites. But I simply didn't like the 1983 look for the 43. Can't quite put my finger on it - I think its the black rims.
Yet I can't reject it completely because I was able to get right up to it at Nashville later that spring. So I have to retain SOME level of favorable bias towards the 83 scheme. - TMC
Racing History Minute - Daytona 500 - 1983
Stock Car Racing History
As many drivers of that era did, Joe Ruttman had a busy Speedweeks in 1983. His performance in the 500 with most laps led and a 4th place finish was a bit of an overachievement for the young Ron Benfield team. But I'm sure all drivers pretty well reject 'moral victories' if they don't get to kiss the pretty and take home the hardware.
Joe started 2nd and finished 5th in his twin as Tim referenced.He also qualified 2nd and finished 8th in the Goody's 300 Budweiser Late Model Sportsman Division race. (Sam Ard was on the pole.)
But he also raced in the 24 Hours of Daytona driving a #28 Avanti. -
One of the stories Joe told me during a lunch last year was about one of the car's sponsors - Platinum Magazine. It was apparently one of those mags sold behind the counter at local convenience stores. On race day, as drivers were headed for their cars, Ruttman said he passed by one that had a number of drop dead gorgeous ladies standing by it. He said he chuckled and asked "Lucky guy, whose car is this?" and someone said "Yours."
Racing History Minute - Daytona 500 - 1983
Stock Car Racing History
The unique trophy awarded for the winner of the 25th 500.
And Cale holding it in victory lane.
Racing History Minute - Daytona 500 - 1983
Stock Car Racing History
The 1983 Daytona 500 was the 25th edition of the Great American Race. Its still hard to believe Petty teams had won one-third of the 500s held over those 25 years.
Interesting how that Pontiac LeMans returned with more success. Funny too, if I understand it correctly, that the car had been turned into a show car. Today, sponsors and teams want the show cars to look identical to what's on the track. But back then, Ranier was running a Monte on the track and using leftovers to take to fast food restaurants.
Rahmoc brought a LeMans to Daytona in 1982 - a year after Bobby Allison drove Ranier's LeMans to a win in the 500 in 1981.
And though Ranier was forced to run the LeMans for Cale in 1983 as a backup, Raymond Beadle's Blue Max team brought a LeMans as the primary car for Tim Richmond. - Keith Koether
Richmond's LeMans behind Tom Sneva. - Jerry Bushmire
Keith Koether also got a photo of Cale's Monte Carlo during practice BEFORE he flipped it on his 2nd qualifying lap.
As Dave Fulton continued with Wrangler, his future employer made its Daytona debut with Kyle Petty. While Dave doesn't care for the orange-green-white 7-Eleven scheme, I personally really liked it - especially when Petty Enterprises mounted chrome or white wheels on it. Kyle finished a strong 3rd in his twin behind Earnhardt and Baker, but his 500 was forgettable. A blown engine built by Chief sent Kyle home with a disappointing 33rd place finish. - Ray Lamm
After Benny Parsons parted ways with Ranier's team mid-way through 1982, he joined a new team formed by Johnny Hayes and Skoal. Hal Needham's team with Harry Gant continued with Skoal sponsorship, but Hayes put more dollars into the sport with Benny and Skoal. The team's Daytona debut was in the 1983 500. I really like the look of this Buick - moreso than the dark green colors for Phil Parsons and the dark brown Copenhagen colors for Benny. - Craig Bontrager
Speaking of Phil Parsons, he made his Cup debut in the 1983 500 driving a 2nd Hayes car with Skoal sponsorship.
Terry Labonte raced with Budweiser as a sponsor for the first of two times. His Billy Hagan owned team had them on the car for a single season in 1983, and he raced for Bud again when he joined Junior Johnson's team. I'd have to do some thinking about drivers who raced for the same sponsor but with different teams - and with more than a one-season gap between sponsorships. Terry was building momentum in 1983 that resulted in his having a championship year in 1984. His new crew chief in 1983? NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Inman. - Thomas Craig
Waltrip's car after taking a hard, hard lick into the non-SAFER barrier wall with eventual winner Cale missing of him and Joe Ruttman in the #98 Levi Garrett Chevy trailing behind him. - J.C. Hayes
