Forum Activity for @tmc-chase

Racing History Minute - 1960 Daytona 500

Stock Car Racing History

Program from Motor Racing Programme Covers

Also, 1960 was the hear Tommy Irwin spun off the track in his qualifying race and ended up in Lake Lloyd.

Though he escaped, the car sunk into the lake where it remained until Speedweeks concluded. His racing affected at least one driver: Tiger Tom Pistone. Pistone - admittedly not a great swimmer - rigged up an oxygen mask for the 500 in the event he should wind up in the same situation as Irwin.

Racing History Minute - 1960 Daytona 500

Stock Car Racing History

The starting line-up for the 1st 100-mile qualifying twin with Cotton Owens on the pole and Fireball alongside him. From Ron Wetzler collection.

Banjo Matthews fielded two Fords in the 500. A #93 T-bird for himself and a #94 Ford for Speedy Thompson. From Danny Quick collection.

To say the Petty bunch took to Daytona like a duck to water is about as obvious as saying the sky is (Petty) blue. Richard and Lee drove those long, winged Plymouths.

From Ray Lamm collection

From Ray Lamm again

AmeriCARna - Evernham - Marty Robbins

Stock Car Racing History

OK - so my review? Show was better than I truthfully expected it to me. Was great seeing RR members Russ Thompson and Dave Marcis in the show. I don't really understand why Brad Paisley was in it since he was too young to be a music contemporary of Marty.

Another person I spotted in the episode was Harry Dugan. I spotted him on the segment of the car's unveil on lower Broadway. Harry crewed some for Marty back in the day, and I learned from his son tonight that Harry was a pall bearer at Marty's funeral. More recently, Harry was a huge assist to my son in helping him complete his Eagle Scout project. A really nice guy - who also spun 180 MPH in a stock car on Bonneville's Salt Flats at the age of 70.

Catch it on re-run if you didn't see the original airing tonight.

AmeriCARna - Evernham - Marty Robbins

Stock Car Racing History

You may recall last summer Ray Evernham and Ronnie Robbins unveiled a restored version of Marty Robbins' late model #777 Plymouth. The restoration was done as part of a new series Evernham was filming called AmeriCARna.

The episode about the Robbins car airs Tuesday night February 4 on Velocity channel if you have it.

8PM ET / 7PM CT

I'm sure it'll be re-run a number of times as well.

http://www.velocity.com/tv-shows/americarna

Having said that, I wouldn't expect too much. I watched one of the first 2 episodes of AmeriCARna. It was the one about the 1939 Ford. The episode did feature Bill Elliott, Bud Moore, Junior Johnson, a guy Cody likely knows from the Georgia Racing HOF, and Rick Hendrick. Some fun anecdotes - but likely none that you don't already know. Plus, the scenes between Ray and Bill and between Ray and Hendrick were downright dumb with all of them feigning ignorance about moonshine, who Junior Johnson was, etc. There was no focus on the restoration of the Ford - just talk about it being the preferred car for hauling shine.

I'm hoping they'll show some footage of the restoration process, video of Marty's racing, interviews with some of Nashville's local racers, etc. But we'll see.

updated by @tmc-chase: 03/12/17 10:37:41AM

Racing History Minute - 1959 Daytona 500 (The First)

Stock Car Racing History

I emailed Godwin Kelly of the Daytona News Journal, Buz McKim at the NASCAR Hall of Fame, and Eddie Roche manager of images for ISC about the mystery photo taken by Bob Torbol. All 3 of them replied to me - but none of them knew anything about Torbol or his photo.

So looks like the original Daytona newspaper article and now this RR post may be the only places you'll read a discussion about him. Sure would be nice to track down some of Torbol's family members to see if they still have a connection to that photo.

Racing History Minute - 1959 Daytona 500 (The First)

Stock Car Racing History

As Speedweeks proceeded for the first time at DIS, all sorts of activities were happening. Testing, multiple time trial sessions, qualifying races for GN, the modified race, the fuel economy race, the 500 itself, etc. On top of all that were various speed runs - sanctioned by USAC vs. NASCAR. As the teams prepared for the inaugural Daytona 500, racing legend Marshall Teague was killed during a speed run when his car twitched, went in a power slide and then came apart.

Perhaps not surprisingly, crewmen who worked with Teague did what racers generally do in these situations - they raced. They wanted to proceed with working on Teague's Chevrolet to field it for driver Dick Foley. Foley did race in the first 500 in a Chevrolet; however, I'm uncertain if he did end up racing Teague's entry.

From Daytona Beach Morning Journal

And the day after Teague's death, the speed runs resumed because that's what they do. One of the drivers who went back to conquer the track was Bob Said, father of Boris Said.

From Daytona Beach News Journal

updated by @tmc-chase: 02/20/17 12:35:34PM

Racing History Minute - 1959 Daytona 500 (The First)

Stock Car Racing History

The King's 'domination' of Daytona didn't begin until 50 years ago - 1964 - the year of the hemi. But even in his full rookie season at the 'rookie' event of the new Daytona track, he still made the front page of the local paper.

From Daytona Beach Morning Journal

Racing History Minute - 1959 Daytona 500 (The First)

Stock Car Racing History

Before the 500... and the Saturday modified race... and the qualifying twins scored as official NASCAR races, another official race was held on the new speedway. In crawling through RR's wonderful photo archives and subsequently some newspaper archives, I learned the first official race on the new high-banked Daytona International Speedway was won by ... Gene Stokes ... in an intentional fuel mileage race.

From Dargan Watts collection

From  Dargan Watts collection

From Daytona Beach Morning Journal

updated by @tmc-chase: 02/20/17 12:35:04PM

Racing History Minute - 1959 Daytona 500 (The First)

Stock Car Racing History

Dargan Watts has images of icket stubs from those 1959 races - the 100 mile qualifying twins, modified race and 500 - in his collection.

Qualifying twins

Modified and Daytona 500

Racing History Minute - 1959 Daytona 500 (The First)

Stock Car Racing History

Along with Mr. Schaefer! It all comes full circle. Haha