Racing History Minute - 1973 Winston-Western 500
Stock Car Racing History
Race program from Motor Racing Programme Covers
Race report from Gadsden Times
updated by @tmc-chase: 01/21/17 01:04:43PM
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Stock Car Racing History
updated by @tmc-chase: 01/21/17 01:04:43PM
Racing History Minute - 1973 Winston-Western 500
Stock Car Racing History
Its clear the caption writer for the Reading Eagle didn't know his race personalities. I find it funny Linda Vaughn is referred to as "unidentified young girl".
At least the Gadsden Times knew who she was.
Here is clearer pic of the 2 of them in victory lane.
Racing History Minute -1972 Winston Western 500
Stock Car Racing History
Updated link to view photos from The Henry Ford Art House
http://thehenryford.artehouse.com/perl/collection.pl?productTypeID=62&collectionID=2906&pgNumber=1&seeAllImages=1&sortBy=createdDate
Racing History Minute -1972 Winston Western 500
Stock Car Racing History
Though David Pearson raced Bud Moore's 15 Ford, Bud wasn't there to see it happen. He had to make a stop in Amarillo Texas on the way to California to undergo an emergency appendectomy. From Spartanburg Herald
Race report for Permatex 200 won by McGriff. From Spartanburg Herald
updated by @tmc-chase: 01/23/17 09:45:33AM
Racing History Minute -1972 Winston Western 500
Stock Car Racing History
The Henry Ford Arte House has a collection of 73 photos from the 72 WW500 and its preliminary race, the Permatex 200 late model sportsman race.
http://thehenryford.artehouse.com/perl/collection.pl?collectionID=2906&productTypeID=62
A few choice ones.
Hershel McGriff celebrates his 2nd Permatex win at Riverside in 4 years.
A.J. Foyt perhaps asking Granatelli "Why didn't you call me? I would have painted my cars all red."
Mark Donohue strapped in and ready for his first NASCAR Cup race.
The 1971 Motor Trend 500 winner Ray Elder returned in 1972 to defend the win. He started and finished 4th.
The King and Andy in victory lane for the first time. With no time for embroidered patches, STP decals were slapped everywhere.
updated by @tmc-chase: 01/23/17 09:45:14AM
Racing History Minute -1972 Winston Western 500
Stock Car Racing History
The cover of the April 1972 issue of Stock Car Racing magazine featured the debut of Donohue and Penske as well as the STP sponsorship deal with the Pettys. I've found it interesting the more I find out about the sponsorship how it was spun that STP 'bought' Petty Enterprises. From Russ Thompson's SCR cover collection .
The King's win also made the cover of the February 12, 1972 edition of Autoweek.
updated by @tmc-chase: 01/23/17 09:44:43AM
Racing History Minute -1972 Winston Western 500
Stock Car Racing History
With the pullout of the factories in the early 70s, teams were left to fend for themselves. I'm not sure its ever been proven if STP contacted the Pettys - or if PE reached out to them. Either way, with days remaining before the start of the 72 season a meeting was scheduled at STP's HQ in Chicago. The team and crew headed to California as scheduled with a Petty Blue Plymouth Road Runner. Richard, Maurice, probably Lee, and I'm guessing some business and legal folks went to meet Andy Granatelli.
The landmark deal was just about settled until the wheels nearly fell off when the issue of the 43 car's paint scheme was raised. Granatelli wanted an all-dayglo-red STP car like he'd had on his Indy cars with drivers such as Mario Andretti, Parnelli Jones, Bobby Unser and Jim Hurtubise.
Richard, however, was insistent on staying with tradition and keeping Petty Blue cars on the track. I'll let Richard himself take it from there.
In the end, both sides agreed on money and car design. Richard, Maurice and Andy head out to LA for the press conference.
Meanwhile, the STP marketing folks hastily applied STP decals on the 43 Plymouth to give it a unique look in its debut.
I've read too that Maurice had other concerns beyond the car design. He wasn't altogether happy with the STP deal even though racing economics had pretty much taken them in that direction. I understand he was concerned whether Granatelli would insist the Petty crew wear uniforms similar to the "pajamas" style his teams wore at Indy.
To hear Richard tell it, he was willing to give up between $50,000 and $100,000 (depends on which version of the story you hear from him) to maintain the tradition of running at least a partially Petty Blue car vs. all red one. In the end though, I have a feeling a Level Cross bank processed a check for that extra money. Because when the teams moved from Riverside to Daytona's Speedweeks, the Pettys brought a second car for Buddy Baker. And yep, it was 100% day-glo STP red.
updated by @tmc-chase: 01/23/17 09:44:20AM
Racing History Minute -1972 Winston Western 500
Stock Car Racing History
I blogged about this race a couple of years ago as part of my 200 Wins series. I focused more on Petty and STP than I did the race itself.
http://bench-racing.blogspot.com/2012/01/january-23-this-day-in-petty-history.html
Tim, you referenced Donohue in the Penske Matador. This race was the debut for both in GN/Cup racing.
Chuck Binder has a neat poster from that race. A pic of it is shared in his RR collection .
David Pearson raced a butterscotch colored 15 Ford for Bud Moore. (From Matt's collection )
updated by @tmc-chase: 01/23/17 09:43:37AM
Racing History Minute - 1971 Motor Trend 500 - Riverside Raceway
Stock Car Racing History
Sunday's pre-race entertainment was a break-taking aeronautical stunt show by Art Scholl and Skip Volk.
This video will give you an idea of the kind of stunts the duo may have performed that day. Unless I'm mistaken, I'm pretty sure the video's narrator is Bud Lindemann who also narrated the Car and Track syndicated series about NASCAR.
Sadly, Scholl was killed in 1985 while capturing some footage during filming of the movie Top Gun. His plane hit the ocean, and neither it or his body was ever recovered.
updated by @tmc-chase: 01/10/17 02:27:41PM