Forum Activity for @tmc-chase

October 25, 1992: Kyle's Rockingham Romp

Stock Car Racing History

A year ago, I posted this blog entry to commemorate the birthday of one of our Schaefer Hall of Famers by featuring the 1992 AC Delco 500 at Rockingham. In looking back through my RacersReunion posts, I'm not sure I ever made it available here. So while this is a blog re-run for me, its perhaps a first visit here.

Original blog post:

http://bench-racing.blogspot.com/2012/10/october-25-kyles-rockingham-romp.html

October 25 - Happy Birthday to 2012 Schaefer Hall of Fame inductee, Bruton! (Also known in some web circles as GaPettyFan.)

October 25 is also the anniversary of Kyle Petty's dominant win in the 1992 AC Delco 500 at Rockingham. For younger readers and/or novice NASCAR fans, the pony-tailed, goatee-sporting, hat-wearing, talking head you see on Speed's Trackside, Raceday, and Victory Lane shows was once a pretty good driver. Though he had only eight career Cup wins, Kyle had a lengthy career and was in the points hunt a couple of years in the early 1990s. Driving for SABCO Racing and sponsored by Peak Antifreeze and Mello Yello, the 42 Pontiac was almost unstoppable at Rockingham from the late 1980s through the early 1990s.

In the 1992 fall Rockingham race, Kyle's father - Richard Petty - made his final start at the track. The King started every race at Rockingham from its inaugural event in 1965 through his 1992 retirement season, and had eleven wins in his 54 starts.

Fittingly, Kyle won the pole for his father's final Rockingham start, and he then led all but eight of the 492 laps en route to victory.

Perhaps because I remember Kyle's win, 1992 doesn't seem that long ago. Yet its been 20 years - 2 decades - since his win. The passage of time and advances in technology, however, can perhaps best be illustrated by looking at the cell phone Kyle used to call car owner Felix Sabates from victory lane. An iBrick ?

Before NASCAR's premier series was sponsored by Sprint (and Nextel before that), R.J. Reynolds' Winston cigarettes brand was synonymous with the sport for more than twenty-five years. I'm reminded in the following photo of the cute and classy Miss Winston ladies. No knock on today's Miss Sprint Cup girls but having them dressed in firesuits is just dumb.

The Petty family and racing are inseparable. For many of Richard's wins - especially those at tracks in North Carolina - his family was able to join him in victory lane. For Kyle's Rockingham victory, he continued the tradition. Interestingly, the one person noticeably absent from the group is the King himself.

Source: Portsmouth Daily Times via Google News Archive

So as we reflect upon Kyle's dominating day at The Rock in 1992, the Schaefer Hall of Fame and Ring of Honor wish Bruton a Schaeferiffic birthday. Just don't live too large Bruton - we'd hate to see you fade early.

Fin	Driver	Car
1	Kyle Petty	Pontiac
2	Ernie Irvan	Chevrolet
3	Ricky Rudd	Chevrolet
4	Bill Elliott	Ford
5	Sterling Marlin	Ford
6	Harry Gant	Oldsmobile
7	Brett Bodine	Ford
8	Dale Earnhardt	Chevrolet
9	Terry Labonte	Oldsmobile
10	Davey Allison	Ford
11	Jimmy Spencer	Ford
12	Alan Kulwicki	Ford
13	Morgan Shepherd	Ford
14	Derrike Cope	Chevrolet
15	Dale Jarrett	Chevrolet
16	Dick Trickle	Ford
17	Rick Mast	Oldsmobile
18	Jimmy Hensley	Ford
19	Bobby Hamilton	Ford
20	Michael Waltrip	Pontiac
21	Rusty Wallace	Pontiac
22	Darrell Waltrip	Chevrolet
23	Wally Dallenbach, Jr.	Ford
24	Chad Little	Ford
25	Richard Petty	Pontiac
26	Jimmy Means	Pontiac
27	Mike Wallace	Ford
28	Mike Skinner	Chevrolet
29	Ted Musgrave	Ford
30	Mark Martin	Ford
31	Dave Blaney	Pontiac
32	Ken Schrader	Chevrolet
33	Greg Sacks	Chevrolet
34	Jimmy Horton	Chevrolet
35	Geoffrey Bodine	Ford
36	Lake Speed	Ford
37	Jerry O'Neil	Oldsmobile
38	Dave Marcis	Chevrolet
39	Mike Potter	Pontiac
40	John McFadden	Pontiac

TMC

updated by @tmc-chase: 10/25/18 12:03:44PM

Racing History Minute - October 25, 1959 - Lee Kirby Memorial

Stock Car Racing History

As of November 1951, Lee Kirby appears to have been alive. Looks like he was a long-time broadcaster for a NC vs. SC high school all-star Shrine Bowl football game. For his commitment, an award was to be given in his honor.

Source: Hendersonville NC Times-News

He apparently passed away sometime in late 1953 or early 1954. An award was then referenced as the Lee Kirby MEMORIAL award.

Source: Times-News

The 1959 race wasn't the first time an event at Concord Speedway was titled in Kirby's memory. I found this article from 1955 referencing a Fireball Roberts victory in a modified race titled the Lee Kirby Memorial.

Source: Spartanburg Herald

updated by @tmc-chase: 10/25/17 04:49:54PM

Racing History Minute - October 25, 1959 - Lee Kirby Memorial

Stock Car Racing History

Many have been critical of Cup regulars dropping back to the truck and the Nationwide err Busch ... I mean Grand National ...um the LMS divisions to pick up a quick win and easy check. But the poaching by drivers such as Kyle Busch, Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano, Carl Edwards, etc. is certainly nothing really all that new.

The night before the October 1959 GN race at Charlotte some of the GN regulars made the run down to Piedmont Interstate Fairgrounds Speedway in Spartanburg SC. GN regulars such as 2x GN champion Buck Baker and the Sunday GN race winner Jack Smith ran some local races with many of the up-and-comer good ol' boys such as David Pearson, "Bob Isaacs", and Ralph Earnhardt.

Hats off to Ozark Ike Williams for (1) having the best name in the field and (2) exhibiting what it means to "play hurt".

Source: Spartanburg Herald

Racing History Minute - October 25, 1959 - Lee Kirby Memorial

Stock Car Racing History

The race was originally scheduled for Saturday, October 24th but was rained out.

Source: Spartanburg Herald

But the weather cleared, and the race was run on Sunday.

Source: Spartanburg Herald

updated by @tmc-chase: 10/25/17 04:49:34PM

8 Va. Weekly Racers, 1 Canadian Thrilled Martinsville Cup Crowd in 1974; Hutchins Led, Hensley Frammed Him & Earl Ross Won on September 29

Stock Car Racing History

Looks like the race was featured in the February 1975 issue of Stock Car Racing magazine. Anyone have it to scan an article and related photos?

8 Va. Weekly Racers, 1 Canadian Thrilled Martinsville Cup Crowd in 1974; Hutchins Led, Hensley Frammed Him & Earl Ross Won on September 29

Stock Car Racing History

Race program from Motor Racing Programme Covers .

And a few more photos from the race from Getty Images who handles NASCAR's official images.

Cale Yarborough leads teammate Ross and #98 Richie Panch.

Junior Johnson crew services the #52.

The winning car at speed.

A red letter day for Black Label.

updated by @tmc-chase: 09/18/18 09:00:17PM

8 Va. Weekly Racers, 1 Canadian Thrilled Martinsville Cup Crowd in 1974; Hutchins Led, Hensley Frammed Him & Earl Ross Won on September 29

Stock Car Racing History

Two more photos from Butch Zervakis' collection ...

October 24, 1954: A tragic day in Wilkesboro

Stock Car Racing History

October 24, 1954: A tragic day in Wilkesboro

Stock Car Racing History

The final race of the long 37-race, 1954 season was the Wilkes 160 at North Wilkesboro. Lee Petty had already clinched the 1st of his 3 career NASCAR Grand National championships. And Hershel McGriff was on a bit of a roll. In a season in which he raced in 24 of the season's 37 races - the most in any year of his GN/Cup career - he'd already picked up 3 victories, 12 top 5s, and 16 top 10s.

Race preview - Spartanburg Herald .

The full starting order isn't known. But it seems McGriff won the pole with Dick Rathman (3) alongside him. Lee Petty timed 3rd, Gober Sosebee (51) started fourth and Herb Thomas supposedly qualified 5th though not shown in this photo.

Hershel McGriff (14) shown before the race begins.

The race is about to get underway! The Getty Images caption for this photo says its a pace lap for the 1956 Wilkes 160. I'm confused about it though. Rathman is shown in 2nd, Lee in 3rd, and Gober in 4th. But that is Herb Thomas' 92 alongside Rathman vs. McGriff. Starting directly behind Sosebee is the #7 of Gwyn Staley.

The race was dominated by 2 drivers: Rathman and McGriff. Rathman led 83 laps of the race's scheduled 160 laps, and McGriff led 74 circuits. The season's champion was of no threat as Lee Petty exited the race with a failed wheel hub after only 12 laps. Herb Thomas who was 2nd in points finished 3rd in the race, but the points differential was too great to pass Petty for the title.

But with just a handful of laps to go, Lou Figaro had a terrible wreck and suffered grave injuries. The race was flagged as complete with 3 laps to go, and McGriff who had led the previous 73 laps was declared the winner after 157 laps.

McGriff did keep his hot streak going as he won 4 of the last 9 races of the season. And he'd won the pole and the race in his only race at North Wilkesboro. His focus turned immediately, however, to his injured friend. The two of them had enjoyed dinner just the night before the race.

Figaro was transported to the hospital. His injuries were too much to overcome, however, and he died the next day.

Source: Spartanburg Herald

Figaro was from the west coast and raced only occasionally in the Grand National series. He made 13 starts in 1951, and the 1954 Wilkesboro race was his 3rd and final start of the season - and of his life. He also raced (and crashed badly) in the 1950 Mexican road race - a race coincidentally won by McGriff.

Figaro's death deeply affected McGriff. Rather than see if his late season momentum would carry over to 1955, McGriff stepped back - way back. He returned to Oregon and continued to race for decades. He never returned to NASCAR GN / Cup racing full-time, and he never raced more than 5 GN/Cup events a year the rest of his career.

Cup rookie and predicted superstar Rob Moroso was foolishly killed while driving drunk following a race at North Wilkesboro in September 1990. But I believe Figaro's death is the only on-track, racing-related one at Wilkesboro.

Fin	Driver	Car
1	Hershel McGriff	'54 Oldsmobile
2	Buck Baker	'54 Oldsmobile
3	Herb Thomas	'54 Hudson
4	Slick Smith	'51 Oldsmobile
5	Dick Rathman	'54 Hudson
6	Marvin Panch	'54 Oldsmobile
7	Ralph Liguori	'54 Dodge
8	Bill Blair	'53 Hudson
9	Clyde Minter	'50 Mercury
10	Joe Eubanks	'51 Hudson
11	Arden Mounts	'54 Hudson
12	Jim Paschal	'54 Oldsmobile
13	Lou Figaro	'54 Hudson
14	Hooker Hood	'54 Oldsmobile
15	Elton Hildreth	'53 Nash
16	Joel Million	'53 Oldsmobile
17	Donald Thomas	'53 Hudson
18	Dave Terrell	'54 Dodge
19	Billy Minter	'54 Chevrolet
20	Ken Pace	'49 Hudson
21	Ned Jarrett	'53 Oldsmobile
22	Jimmie Lewallen	'54 Mercury
23	Cotton Owens	'51 Hudson
24	Fred Dove	'51 Hudson
25	Jim Frey	'52 Hudson
26	Bud Harless	'53 Hudson
27	Gober Sosebee	'54 Oldsmobile
28	Blackie Pitt	'54 Oldsmobile
29	Eddie Skinner	'53 Oldsmobile
30	Dink Widenhouse	'53 Oldsmobile
31	Gwyn Staley	'54 Cadillac
32	Lee Petty	'54 Chrysler

updated by @tmc-chase: 10/24/17 09:53:13AM

Racing History Minute - October 24, 1965

Stock Car Racing History