DRIVING - not DIVING - team. No Olympics here. Just auto racing. Announced December 29, 1970.
From Daytona Beach Morning Journal .
Al Unser, Sr.
Richard Petty
Mario Andretti
Mark Donohue
Parnelli Jones
Dan Gurney
Don Prudhomme
Don Garlits
Gary Gabelich
Ronnie Sox
Perhaps in an attempt to persuade Yarbrough to sign with Junior, FoMoCo told the media Lee Roy was soon to be theirs. They got him eventually - but not as soon as they'd hoped.
Eulenfeld didn't have the most remarkable set of finishes in his limited GN career. But he had some of the most spectacular I suppose. In addition to his crash and burn in the 1965 Daytona qualifying twin, he also exited the 1970 Georgia 500 at Middle Georgia Raceway (coincidentally ALSO win by King Richard) because of "fire".
He also could have earned NASCAR's "most dapper" award if one existed - perhaps 2nd only to Fonty Flock.
With mention of Lee Roy Yarbrough starting in the top 5 at Savannah, he also was in racing news on December 29th. He announced on December 29, 1966, that he planned to stay with Dodge in 1967 rather than change to Junior Johnson's Ford team. From Spartanburg Herald .
After only a handful of starts, however, Yarbrough left the Dodge team. He made a few starts in Bud Moore's Mercury before reconsidering Junior Johnson's offer. He eventually joined the Ford team and had a great 2 year run in 1968-69.
In the fourth race of the 1964 season, Richard Petty notched his 28th career victory by winning the Sunshine 200 at Savannah Speedway in Georgia on December 29, 1963. Richard's brother and Petty Enterprises teammate, Maurice Petty, finished 4th.
I originally blogged about this race in 2011 here:
http://bench-racing.blogspot.com/2011/12/december-29-this-day-in-petty-history.html
As noted in the article below, the race was originally scheduled for November 28th. The race was rained out on its originally scheduled date plus two make-up dates before finally being run on December 29. Only a December 30, 1956 race at Titusville, FL has eclipsed the 1963 Sunshine 200 for a NASCAR GN/Cup race run latest in a calendar year.
Ned Jarrett won the pole in his #11 Ford with Jack Smith starting alongside him on the front row. Maurice made his best qualifying effort of his limited GN driving career with the third quickest start. LeeRoy Yarbrough and Richard rounded out the top 5.
Fans who came to the track looking for drivers to dice for the lead may have gone home disappointed. Jarrett led the first 67 laps from his pole start. But while leading, he lost an engine and was doomed to a 19th place finish. With Ned's exit, Richard took over and never looked back. The 43 led the final 133 laps en route to a 1 lap victory over Smith. Tiny Lund finished third three more laps back, and Maurice took the checkers in fourth.
Rod Eulenfeld started six GN races between 1963 and 1971. The Savannah race was his debut - but it didn't go too well for him. He qualified 19th, lasted only 1 lap in the race, and finished 22nd - dead last.
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| Article courtesy of Jerry Bushmire |
| Fin | Driver | Car |
| 1 | Richard Petty | '63 Plymouth |
| 2 | Jack Smith | '63 Plymouth |
| 3 | Tiny Lund | '63 Ford |
| 4 | Maurice Petty | '63 Plymouth |
| 5 | Curtis Crider | '63 Ford |
| 6 | Larry Thomas | '62 Dodge |
| 7 | Neil Castles | '62 Chrysler |
| 8 | John Sears | '63 Dodge |
| 9 | Roy Tyner | '62 Chevrolet |
| 10 | Joe Weatherly | '63 Ford |
| 11 | Mitch Walker | '61 Ford |
| 12 | David Pearson | '63 Dodge |
| 13 | Frank Warren | '61 Pontiac |
| 14 | Leland Colvin, Jr. | '62 Plymouth |
| 15 | Wendell Scott | '62 Chevrolet |
| 16 | Buck Baker | '63 Pontiac |
| 17 | LeeRoy Yarbrough | '63 Plymouth |
| 18 | Jack Anderson | '63 Ford |
| 19 | Buddy Baker | '62 Chevrolet |
| 20 | Ned Jarrett | '63 Ford |
| 21 | Doug Cooper | '62 Pontiac |
| 22 | Rod Eulenfeld | '62 Chevrolet |
1961 - Back in late September 1961, Fred Lorenzen won the pole for the Old Dominion 500 at Martinsville. He led 57 laps but lost an engine and fell out of the race after 300 laps. Apparently he didn't stick around to receive his trophy for winning the pole. The trophy was belatedly awarded to him during some Daytona speed tests on December 28th. From Daytona Beach Morning Journal .
1961 - NASCAR announced Johnny Roberts had filed an entry to race in the 1962 Daytona modified race to be run the day before the Daytona 500. From Spartanburg Herald .
He was to race in a car field by Mel Joseph - who later built Dover Downs International Speedway and fielded cars in two races for Bobby Allison, including his disputed win at Bowman-Gray in 1971.
From Kevin Andrews collection .
Roberts most spectacular trip to Daytona was in 1967 for the ARCA race. He flipped wildly but escaped without the car catching fire because of the new fuel bladders developed for stock car racing.
From J.C. Hayes collection .
From Jerry Bushmire collection .
1965 - Dan Gurney and the Wood Brothers file the first entry blank for the 1966 Motor Trend 500 at Riverside. The filing was notable because it signaled Ford Motor Company planned to race in NASCAR in 1966 after all ... at least initially. From Spartanburg Herald .
Gurney and the Woods did race at Riverside - Gurney's only GN race of the 1966 season.
From Matt's collection
From Ray Lamm collection
1966 - Nord Krauskopf announced Bobby Isaac would drive his K&K Dodge in 1967. From Spartanburg Herald .
From Ray Lamm collection .
Even a quick scan of the schemes detailed in that case would make an auditor, lawyer and forensics guy salivate with excitement. Desperate financial moves made to keep a business afloat are often head-shakers in their own right. But mix in an "I'll show that battle-ax. Just watch me." attitude, and you can bet the scam is over before it really gets going.
I've often said if folks could put their deviant creativity to positive use, this nation could cure just about any woe it faces.
All in all Tim, my BIL isn't too bad either. After all, he did hook me up for the 2nd race at the Brickyard and the inaugural race at Texas. Can't be too bad, huh? But the good ones don't make for as funny a song. Ha.
My sister and brother-in-law gave me this twosome as gifts this year - plus some Amazon extra.
Well, let's face it. My sister got them. My brother-in-law just gets to claim credit for them - gifting by association. And you know how some of those brothers-in-law can be.
On December 23, 1962, the Spartanburg Herald featured a distributed article about NASCAR Hall of Famer Cotton Owens.
The article was accompanied by a few pictures - none of which scanned particularly well to microfilm. BUT one includes what is likely a rarity - a pic of Cotton with his father and son in the same photo.
