Forum Activity for @tmc-chase

49 Years Ago - September 26, 1964 - Richard Petty Wins QUALIFYING Race to Make Martinsville Old Dominion 500

Stock Car Racing History

No encroachment. Good trivia and story. Didn't know about it.

Today is also the anniversary of another problematic day for the Petty team at Martinsville. On September 26, 1993, Petty Enterprises regular driver - Rick Wilson - couldn't start the Goody's 500 because of injuries he received in the race at Dover a week earlier. Virginian Jimmy Hensley was given the keys to the 44. Unfortunately, his day ended after 292 laps with a crash. He finished 34th and dead last. (Interesting though that no other cars had fallen by the wayside more than half-way through the race.

From RANDALL's collection (Its definitely Martinsville 1993 - just not completely sure if its the spring race with Rick Wilson or fall race with Hensley.)

Racing History Minute - September 26, 1954

Stock Car Racing History

Local Pennsylvania native Dave Terrel qualified 7th. He made 68 GN starts from 1952-1958 plus 17 convertible starts. Unfortunately for him, he finished 44th in the 64-car field.

The crowd cheers the start with Herb and Lee Petty leading the field to turn 1.

Herb in victory lane with his trophies and a case of serious mis-identification by a newspaper photographer and/or his editor. One, Bill France's last name wasn't spelled "Frantz". Two, Frantz was mistaken for a car owner and mechanic who was generally a thorn in France's side: Smokey Yunick.

Race report

Racing History Minute - September 26, 1954

Stock Car Racing History

Struggling to find meaningful news clippings. But here are a couple about Thomas' pole winning effort and his race win.

Looks like race was originally scheduled for September 19. Qualifying was held as scheduled on September 18. Source: Palm Beach Post

Race program from Motor Racing Programme Covers

On race day, however, rains moved in and caused the race to be postponed. It was then run a week later on September 26.

Source: Reading Eagle

updated by @tmc-chase: 09/25/17 11:48:46AM

Racing History Minute - September 26, 1954

Stock Car Racing History

Didn't realize it until late last night, but yesterday - September 25 - was the anniversary of the 1st GN race at Martinsville. The inaugural event at the track was the 6th overall race of the young NASCAR Strictly Stock series. Curtis Turner won the pole for the 15-car field. Red Byron won the 200-lap, 100-mile race on September 25, 1949 with Lee Petty finishing 2nd.

Put Richard Petty in Charge of a Mandatory Meeting with Whining Drivers Says Tom Higgins

Current NASCAR

RP is THE reason I latched onto Cup racing. The local guys at Nashville really caught my interest. But over time and moving away from the area, most of my interest transferred to Cup. Had RP not been the fan-friendly man that he is, its likely I would've found some other sport or activity to follow.

I once thought NASCAR guys - led by the King - were so much approachable and genuine than that open wheel crowd. Maybe so, maybe not. But fast forward several decades. Now I think we have a "garage" of many prima donnas and the "paddock" has the guys who are more approachable.

Taken as a whole, I still enjoy stock car racing over Indy cars, F1, NHRA, or other forms of motorsports. But more and more I find myself disenchanted with NASCAR's personalities and laughing along with Indy drivers such as Tony Kanaan, Helio Castroneves, James Hinchcliffe, etc.

Racing History Minute - September 25, 1966

Stock Car Racing History

Lorenzen would win only two more GN races after this one - at Rockingham 3 races later and a Daytona 500 qualifying race in February 1967.

Race program

Junior Johnson and Richard Petty

And Fast Freddy at high speed from  Ray Lamm collection

updated by @tmc-chase: 09/24/17 11:35:43PM

COULD THIS BE TRUE ?? or not

Current NASCAR

RCR disclaimed it. Said it was a concept scheme developed last winter as they considered the future with Dillon, 3, possible sponsors, etc. But said not to put any stock in it for a true 2014 scheme.

September 24, 1978: Cale wins Old Dominion 500

Stock Car Racing History

Lennie Pond won the 5th of his 5 poles in 1978 in Harry Ranier's W-I-N Chevy Monte Carlo for the Old Dominion 500. 14-time Martinsville winner Richard Petty put his Monte on the front row alongside Pond. The King would pick up his 15th and final Martinsville victory the following spring in the 1979 Virginia 500. But after a frustrating season with the Dodge Magnum, it probably felt good to have a solid run in a 43 car - especially at a place he knew so well like Martinsville.

Pond had a solid day and picked up a 5th place finish. Petty who started one spot behind Lennie FINISHED one spot behind him in 6th. Young Terry Labonte finished 9th in only his third career Cup start.

(Source: Motor Racing Programme Covers )

But the battle up front was between Cale Yarborough and Darrell Waltrip. Cale dominated the race and had a commanding lead. With about 30 laps to go, however, he cut a right front and had to pit. The unplanned stop put him a half-lap behind Waltrip. A Dick Brooks caution with a handful of laps to go helped him close the gap. And when the checkers fell, the current driver of the 11 Junior Johnson Chevy nipped the driver who would take over the seat 3 seasons later.

[ Dennis Beck ] has shared a series of great photos from this race. Here are a few of them:

Green, green, green! Pond and Petty lead the field at the start with Waltrip and Benny Parsons on the 2nd row.

Pole winner Pond leads the field through turn 4

The Petty Enterprises crew - including 18 year-old Kyle - relax a bit in their pits awaiting the King's next stop.

And then Richard makes his stop

Petty racing Neil Bonnett who was driving a #5 Chevy fielded by Rod Osterland - NOT Jim Stacy.

Winner: Cale Yarborough

Ed Negre's Dodge Magnum loaded on the trailer after his 18th place finish. Note the fan sporting the always easy to see orange-and-blue Petty hat. Man oh man, I wish I'd held onto mine from that era.

Race report from  Spartanburg Herald

Thought it was interesting the writer noted Petty's most recent win prior to this race as the 1977 Rebel 400 vs. the Firecracker 400. I'm not sure if he had a DOH! moment after the article went to press.

Fin	Driver	Car
1	Cale Yarborough	Oldsmobile
2	Darrell Waltrip	Chevrolet
3	Benny Parsons	Chevrolet
4	Neil Bonnett	Chevrolet
5	Lennie Pond	Chevrolet
6	Richard Petty	Chevrolet
7	Bobby Allison	Ford
8	Dave Marcis	Chevrolet
9	Terry Labonte	Chevrolet
10	Buddy Arrington	Dodge
11	James Hylton	Chevrolet
12	Richard Childress	Oldsmobile
13	Dick Brooks	Ford
14	Satch Worley	Oldsmobile
15	Gary Myers	Chevrolet
16	Ronnie Thomas	Chevrolet
17	Dick May	Buick
18	Ed Negre	Dodge
19	Baxter Price	Chevrolet
20	Ferrel Harris	Chevrolet
21	Frank Warren	Dodge
22	J.D. McDuffie	Chevrolet
23	Jimmy Means	Chevrolet
24	Roger Hamby	Chevrolet
25	David Pearson	Mercury
26	Buddy Baker	Chevrolet
27	Tommy Gale	Ford
28	Harry Gant	Chevrolet
29	Tighe Scott	Chevrolet
30	Cecil Gordon	Chevrolet

updated by @tmc-chase: 09/24/17 11:27:39PM

Racing History Minute - September 24, 1950

Stock Car Racing History

Racing History Minute - September 24, 1950

Stock Car Racing History

Lee Petty stayed away from this event for some reason. He and Byron both had their NASCAR GN points wiped out earlier in the 1950 season as a penalty for racing in non-NASCAR events. Byron, the 49 champ, didn't care. He kept racing where he wanted, and France popped him again at the end of the season. So the defending series champ raced all year in 1950 and finished with zero points. Though I'm not sure I'll be able to document it, my hunch is Lee was off racing elsewhere again that day - perhaps somewhere that paid a few dollars more for a top finish plus a bit of show money from a promoter.

Leon Sales won in Hubert Westmoreland's #98 Plymouth - the same team and perhaps the same car that Johnny Mantz drove to victory in the inaugural Southern 500 a few weeks and two races earlier. The following April, Bill Holland raced the 98 Plymouth at the old Charlotte Speedway and wrecked the car that won the 2 races in September 1950.

Poor ol' Holland didn't really set the woods on fire in his 8-race GN career (7 in 1951 and 1 race in 1952). He failed to finish in 6 of his 8 starts, wrecked Westmoreland's winning Southern 500 and Wilkesboro car, and wrecked a Cadillac in Detroit.

updated by @tmc-chase: 09/24/17 11:22:09PM