Other September 5 Southern 500 winners
Stock Car Racing History
Video clips that I could find:
1955
1966
Earl Balmer's wild ride and slide
1977
Awful wreck by Rookie Ralph Jones and Lennie Pond
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Stock Car Racing History
Other September 5 Southern 500 winners
Stock Car Racing History
The numerology is neat with Southern 500s on September 5 th with races held in:
- 1955
- 1966
- 1977
Unfortunately, the trend did not continue. The 1988 edition was run on September 4 th instead. Why? The move from Labor Day to Sunday.
1955 - Herb Thomas Herb won back-to-back races over a 2-1/2 week span after being critically injured in a terrible wreck at Charlotte on May 1. Tim Leeming posted [ here ] about Herb's first comeback win at Raleigh.
Joe Weatherly led the most laps (140), and Fonty Flock led 84. But both crashed out of the race and finished deep in the field. The race was the final GN start for Lloyd Moore. Also, Marvin Panch finished 13th in a #44 Chevrolet for Julian Petty.
Pole-winner Fireball Roberts led 4 laps. But then he crashed around lap 30 and finished 66th in the 69-car field.
Arden Mounts had an awful wreck as shown in this photo.
Herb takes the checkers.
1966 -Darel Dieringer
Earl Balmers wild ride that Im sure soiled some shorts in the pitiful little press box.
From Harvey Tollison's collection
Legendary motorsports writer Tom Higgins was in the press box that day and wrote these memories:
http://www.thatsracin.com/2013/05/10/105583/higgins-scuffs-old-darlington.html
Press box needed a catchfence
In 1966 I was covering the garage area and pits for The Observer during the Southern 500 while new motorsports beat writer Bob Moore reported from the press box, an open facility that hung over the first turn.
Members of the media had feared the place for years, and on the 185th of the races 364 laps it appeared the worst had happened. A Dodge driven by Earl Balmer of the K&K team suddenly swept atop the guard rail and seemed headed straight into the press box, which had only chicken wire for protection. I was horrified.
Balmers car, taking down railing, threw some small parts into the box, along with gasoline from a ruptured fuel tank. Thank God no one was smoking at the time, or the facility possibly would have erupted into flame.
The crashing car angled back toward the track just after passing the press box, hurling bigger parts over the rail.
In his great series of books, Forty Years of Stock Car Racing, author Greg Fielden quotes a shaken Balmer: I thought sure as hell I was going into the press box. All I think was, Oh, those poor people up there!
I wrote, Sports writers dived for cover like soldiers seeking the sanctuary of a fox hole.
An outraged Bob Hoffman, a journalist from High Point, immediately started drawing up a petition. It read, in part: We hereby notify Darlington Raceway that we will not endanger our lives in the future by covering Darlington events from the present location.
By the next race, the Rebel 400 in May of 1967 a new, enclosed press box had been built, situated much higher above the track.
For years that petition has been displayed prominently at Darlington. And the press facility was given a nickname that endured: Balmers Box.
Another Harvey Tollison pic of Dieringer
Note Dixie Cup winner's trophy in foreground.
1977 - David Pearson
Photographer Brian Cleary has several pictures from this race at his website. Unfortunately he doesn't have one of the winning 21 Mercury of The Silver Fox. Haven't landed on one elsewhere yet either.
http://briancleary-bcpix.photoshelter.com/gallery/1977-Darlington-Sept/G0000XOxufxkGQto/C0000ssG1Lv6ZWGQ
1983 - Bobby Allison
Race program source: Motor Racing Programme Covers
Pace car
The King taking Morgan Shepherd (middle) and Buddy Baker (outside) 3 wide on a re-start with DW and Terry Labonte in pursuit.
The winner takes the checkers.
Source: BobbyAllison.com
updated by @tmc-chase: 02/21/17 07:30:15PM
Racing History Minute, September 5, 1960
Stock Car Racing History
Working up some material for 66 500 too Dave. May be tonight before I get it posted though.
Racing History Minute, September 5, 1960
Stock Car Racing History
Solid coverage from Charleston's News and Courier .
updated by @tmc-chase: 09/05/17 10:34:53AM
Racing History Minute, September 5, 1960
Stock Car Racing History
A few others.
King Richard
Alternate look at front row. Interesting contrast on Paschal's Petty 44 of Petty blue on sides and white on front fenders, grill and hood.
The winning crew chief for the Jack Smith-owned, Buck Baker-driven Pontiac: Bud Moore.
Victory lane
updated by @tmc-chase: 09/05/17 10:34:17AM
Racing History Minute, September 5, 1960
Stock Car Racing History
Jeff Gilder's collection includes this great shot of the front row: Fireball, Buck and Jim Paschal.
And three before and after shots of Bobby Johns' car.
From Bill Rankin collection
From David Hawkins collection
From Andy Towler collection
updated by @tmc-chase: 09/05/17 10:33:52AM
Racing History Minute, September 5, 1960
Stock Car Racing History
10 minutes of really old footage. Not the greatest video quality. No sound either. So need to adjust your monitor or speakers. Nonetheless, some cool scenes from the 1960 500.
And a short video of Bobby Johns' wreck narrated by Howard Cosell. Despite the video title, there really isn't anything graphic about this coverage of a very sad racing accident.
Other September 4 Southern 500 winners
Stock Car Racing History
The King had to surrender his ride to Dave Marcis a couple of times during the 1978 race because he was still nursing rib injuries suffered in a wreck 2 races earlier when he wrecked his Monte Carlo in its debut at Michigan.
Coincidentally, Marcis spelled Petty a year earlier in the 1977 Southern 500 after Petty also raced with injured ribs. He suffered the injury that year in a wreck a week earlier at Bristol. Marcis was available because car owner Roger Penske had withdrawn Marcis' regular CAM2 ride from several races. - Gadsen Times
updated by @tmc-chase: 09/04/17 01:12:10PM
Other September 4 Southern 500 winners
Stock Car Racing History
Remember earlier this year at the (World) 600 when a TV camera cable fell and was snagged by several cars? Well, it wasn't the first time. In the 78 500, Neil Bonnett snagged a TV cable along pit road after contact with DW. (begin at 5:30 of the video if it doesn't start there automatically.)
Also in the 1978 Southern 500, RR's D.K. Ulrich was involved in an accident with David Pearson and Grant Adcox. The car was towed to the garage, and the crew tried to cover it. Not so fast said NASCAR. They found a nitrous system on board hidden where sheet metal once was. D.K. was bounced for the remainder of the 1978 season. Annnnd his appeal was unsuccessful. Source: Spartanburg Herald Journal
As a follow-up, I guess D.K. let the whole deal roll off his back and waited for another day. But he got busted yet again at North Wilkesboro in September 1986. And yep, he lost the rest of THAT season too.
updated by @tmc-chase: 09/04/17 01:11:53PM