Well, since Dave Fulton has been posting a lot of archival footage I suppose I need to post about some contemporary footage. Late last week, I got a message on a Petty board that the Schaefer Hall of Fame may have been spotted on a FOX Sports South showed called Spotlight . After hearing from a couple of others, the wondering turned out to be true. The show is a preview of the upcoming Bank of America 500 at Charlotte.
The NASCAR Media Group filmed some footage of us during the 2012 Coke 600 weekend. We had a good time with the film crew but wondered if it would ever see the light of day.
I've been gone all week and still haven't seen it. But a few screen captures have already been sent my way. I'm not sure yet what all they included - but I was told "some guy" in a yellow Schaefer shirt said he was from Nashville.
I checked TV listings, and here are some upcoming dates/times for a re-run of the show.
10/04 6:00 PM ET
10/07 6:00 PM ET
10/11 6:00 PM ET
10/12 9:30 AM ET
Set those DVRs - and please, be kind with your critique.
In the seventh race of NASCAR's first season for its Strictly Stock series, Lee Petty wins career race number one. The race was a 200-lap, 100-mile event on the half-mile, dirt Heidelberg Speedway near Pittsburgh, PA. Petty won 53 more Grand National races over the remainder of his career.
Al Bonnell won the pole but finished last in the 23-car field. The rest of the starting line-up and the race's lap leaders have been lost to history.
Dick Linder had a five-lap lead on the field with five laps to go in the race. But he lost a wheel and was apparently done for the day. Petty made up the five-lap difference and completed the full 200 laps. Linder was awarded second place based on his 195 laps completed. The third place finisher, Bill Rexford, was seven laps down to Petty and two behind Linder.
Petty's winning trophy is on display at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte.
Read on for more:
http://bench-racing.blogspot.com/2013/10/october-2-1949-petty-legacy-kicks-off.html
Anniversary of this race was April 28. Looks like copy and video was released a day later.
Race program from Motor Racing Programme Covers
David Pearson going after Paul Goldsmith in Tom Friedkin's Plymouth before Goldsmith's 14 lost a wheel as shown in the video clip. - Getty
Jim Paschal experienced one of those "What in the world??" moments during practice and before a rain-delayed qualifying session.
Source: Spartanburg Herald
Race program from Motor Racing Programme Covers
Race report from Spartanburg Herald
Race program and ticket stub.
Qualifying report from Spartanburg Herald-Journal . I still remember 1st and 2nd day qualifying sessions. But I guess I'd forgotten about a 2-day average speed qualifying format.
Miss Winston, Cale, Betty Jo and Junior in victory lane. - Getty Images
Race report from Spartanburg Herald-Journal . Click to view larger article in new tab.
On September 30, 1956, NASCAR's purchased convertible series raced at Asheville-Weaverville Speedway in NC. While the race included some hot shoes that also raced frequently in the Grand National series, the field didn't include all the drivers who often dabbled in both. The Grand National cars were racing the same day at Orange Speedway in Hillsboro NC - better known to many as Occoneechee. Yet, the promoter did manage to field 24 cars at A-W which was a good car count.
Curtis Turner won the pole for the 200-lap, 100-mile race. Though the race was slated for 200 laps - the officials declared it over with 19 laps to go. Yet rain had nothing to do with it. Nor potholes, exploding jet dryers, a funeral procession, a deer crossing the track, etc. that has caused pauses to other races.
As the field completed the 181st lap, Jimmy Massey in Hubert Westmoreland's Chevy broke a wheel hub going down the backstretch. Massey's car veered into Bob Welborn's car that had Possum Jones behind the wheel as a relief driver.
The two cars seemingly became one - until they hit a dirt embankment. The cars then separated, flipped and landed on their sides. I did mention this was a CONVERTIBLE race, right?
Because of heavy dust, other drivers couldn't tell what had happened and barreled into turn 3. Art Binkley got there and BOOM. And then in piled Joe Weatherly ... and Gwyn Staley... and Larry Frank... and then another and another. Every car on the track ran into the entanglement - except for one.
Turner had been ahead of Massey and Jones. He circled the track again, navigated his way through the slog, and found himself as the ONLY CAR remaining on the track.
NASCAR officials apparently scratched their heads, shrugged their shoulders and realized they didn't have much choice. With Curtis as the only remaining car on the track, they declared the race complete and Pops as its winner.
Between the final wreck that involved 14 cars and earlier accidents, 16 of the 24 starters were wiped out in wrecks.
Massey was transported to the hospital with some cuts and bruises, and Glen Wood suffered a broken nose. Otherwise, everyone fortunately escaped serious injury.
I've been unable to find a news clipping for the race. Most of the info here was excerpted from Greg Fielden's book, Rumbling Ragtops, and racing-reference.info. I'd love to read how it was reported. Perhaps someone has a news clipping, National Speed Sport News article, etc. they could add.
| Fin | Driver | Car | Status |
| 1 | Curtis Turner | '56 Ford | running |
| 2 | Joe Weatherly | '56 Ford | crash |
| 3 | Glen Wood | '56 Ford | crash |
| 4 | Gwyn Staley | '56 Chevrolet | crash |
| 5 | Jimmie Lewallen | '56 Chevrolet | crash |
| 6 | Larry Odo | '56 Chevrolet | crash |
| 7 | Bob Welborn | '56 Chevrolet | crash |
| 8 | Bill Poor | '56 Chevrolet | crash |
| 9 | Art Binkley | '56 Plymouth | crash |
| 10 | Bob Beck | '56 Chevrolet | crash |
| 11 | Don Oldenberg | '55 Buick | oil line |
| 12 | Billy Carden | '56 Ford | crash |
| 13 | Jim Donovan | '56 Ford | crash |
| 14 | Larry Frank | '56 Chevrolet | crash |
| 15 | Billy Rafter | '56 Dodge | crash |
| 16 | Tom Pistone | '56 Chevrolet | gas line |
| 17 | Cannonball Brown | '56 Chrysler | axle |
| 18 | Bun Emery | '56 Mercury | crash |
| 19 | Jimmy Massey | '56 Chevrolet | crash |
| 20 | Bill Lutz | '56 Ford | engine |
| 21 | Don Corley | '56 Ford | crash |
| 22 | Whitey Gerken | '56 Dodge | clutch |
| 23 | Norman Schihl | '56 Ford | radiator |
| 24 | Mel Larson | '56 Ford | gas tank |
A ticket stub from that day. - nascarticketstubs.com
Qualifying report from Spartanburg Herald .
Pole winner Lorenzen collecting his trophy. - Getty Images
Race report from Spartanburg Herald .
