Racing History Minute - September 10, 1978
Stock Car Racing History
Program cover from Mike Ettinger
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Stock Car Racing History
Racing History Minute - September 10, 1978
Stock Car Racing History
Neat shot of front few cars on the starting grid. Bobby Allison starting 2nd, Neil 3rd, Dion 4th and King 5th.
Photo credit with permission: John Evanich
Interesting that Neil Bonnett was racing a #5 Osterlund Chevy. Jim Stacy and Harry Hyde parted ways before that summer's Firecracker 400 race. Stacy had the doors to his shop padlocked. And he had to rent a ride for Bonnett for all but one of the remaining races. Included in this string of races was the Dixie 500 at Atlanta when Osterlund fielded three cars for Dave Marcis, Dale Earnhardt and Bonnett. How ironic then that Stacy somehow got more money within a couple of years and bought that same Osterlund team in 1981.
Source: Spartanburg Herald Journal
updated by @tmc-chase: 09/10/20 08:21:00AM
Racing History Minute - September 10, 1978
Stock Car Racing History
September 10, 1978 was also the date of the tragic accident that claimed the life of F1 driver Ronnie Peterson. He was caught in a wreck at the start of the Italian Grand Prix and caught fire. He was dragged from the car with minimal burns but with multiple fractures of his legs. However, he remained conscious throughout the ordeal. But some questionable calls by race stewards and attending physicians delayed the right treatment he needed. Overnight, his systems shut down and he passed away the next day.
Racing History Minute - September 10, 1978
Stock Car Racing History
DW boastfully told about his rough and tumble days at Nashville - and made no apologies for doing what it took to when the race.
Racing History Minute - September 10, 1978
Stock Car Racing History
Seems like multiple times each season in recent years one or more drivers are put on "probation" for some event. Based on this news clipping, DW's and Bonnett's probation were the first instances of it since 1966. How in the world the writer (or NASCAR) would even know that info is beyond me.
Racing History Minute - September 10, 1978
Stock Car Racing History
Coincidentally, David Allio's picture of the day was from this race. He shared this shot of Cale Yarborough's battle scarred Oldsmobile on pit road.
updated by @tmc-chase: 09/10/17 10:15:22AM
Racing History Minute - September 9, 1962
Stock Car Racing History
Thanks. I'm often quite skilled at ciphering thru gibberish. Or using Google Translate.
Racing History Minute - September 9, 1962
Stock Car Racing History
You may ask , what does the Beatles song and Richmond International Raceway. Nothing really , except for the fact that the racing oval , which will go on Saturday night local time IndyCar series this year his ninth race began its existence for more than sixty years ago as Strawberry Hill Speedway. And even after those long sixty years, this oval primarily home to NASCAR races , the American fans of the series admit that the first ever race at Strawberry Hill Speedway departed seaters .
The first ever race at the then unpaved runway surface plmlov won one of the legends of American formula scene forties , Ted Horn . If you get his name sounds familiar today , then probably because it was his record for consecutive victories in the championships series , to which today reported both IndyCar and Champ Cars former series , surpassing last year's Sebastien Bourdais . Ted was able to win national championships in 1946 , 1947 and 1948. His big dream to win the " Old Brickworks ' , however, never failed . He died of injuries from the race on the track at DuQuoin 10th jna 1948.
In 1953 the circuit was renamed for the first time , then the Atlantic Rural Exposition Fairgrounds , and was first introduced him to the then top NASCAR championship series . Another turning point came in 1955 , when the circuit Paul Sawyer bought a racing star Joe Weatherly . Sawyer then owned the track after a long 45 years , he has helped many modifications and improvements that keep the oval on Strawberry Hill on the radar NASCAR .
In 1967 the circuit was again renamed , this time to Virginia State Fairgrounds Raceway. Far more important , however, was that in the following year was paved oval . The last winner of the dirt has become legendary David Pearson , first on asphalt then less known Richard Petty .
The last major change then took place in 1988 , when it was launched a complete reconstruction of the area and the oval was extended to 0.75 miles . Start of work took place in a typical American-style immediately after finishing the race Pontiac Excitement 400, whose winner was Neil Bonnet . The great " King " Richard Petty changed the wheel of his Pontiac for Rajk bulldozer and frenetic applause of their fans go disposing of an old oval. Whether he had his bulldozer start number 43 has history says . Is it not written that the work was completed in March next year. Two years later he was installed permanent lighting and from then on Strawberry Hill runs mainly in the evening.
Buddy Lazier at Strawberry Hill has different memories . While in 2001 there with the car Hemelgarn team won. . . A year later, the actor dreadful fire of his car in the pit lane . No one was fortunately not injured.
Series IRL visited for the first time at Strawberry Hill in 2001 and the first ever winner was Buddy Lazier with Hemelgarn Racing car team . A year later, he won one of the best races of his career, Sam Hornish , beating the car Panther Racing Stables Penske pilots favored .
Panthers at Strawberry Hill fared even later. In 2005, he finished fourth Tomas Scheckter and Tomas Enge our seventh. Beautiful times it was that ?
All three pilots , who are the top three ongoing evaluation of the championship , that Scott Dixon , Helio Castroneves and Dan Wheldon already at Richmond International Raceway Vahr proven winners of the last two years , that Sam Hornish and Dario Franchitti already left the series and so their achievements fails to defend .
Therefore shall be credited with one of the leading trio in Richmond, his second victory? Or beat Marco Andretti and Tony Kanaan ? How will the continued success desiring Danica Patrick ? Or maybe Richmond will be the first point of the success of one of the pilots last year's CCWS ? To answer these questions we have to get up early on Sunday . But I think it will be worth it .
Racing History Minute - September 9, 1962
Stock Car Racing History
Joe: Normally I just ride one of these things - not have one as my scorer.
Joe: Why do I wear a Rolex? 'cause it dang sure doesn't do any good for my scorer to have one.
Wonder if Joe pulled a Richard Childress and said "hold my watch" as he whupped the tar out of his scorer?
updated by @tmc-chase: 09/08/17 11:45:06PM