Racing History Minute - September 1, 1975 - Southern 500
Stock Car Racing History
Forum Activity for @tmc-chase
Racing History Minute - September 1, 1975 - Southern 500
Stock Car Racing History
A couple of photos from Woody Delbridge's collection.
Hi y'all says Miss Southern 500
It was a rare occasion to see the 43 out front when the checkers fell at Darlington. But he did lead a lot of laps DURING the races.
The winner
updated by @tmc-chase: 08/31/17 12:39:40PM
August 31, 1956: A busy SC day for Curtis Turner
Stock Car Racing History
For decades, the Southern 500 was run on Labor Day - the 1st Monday of September. Eventually it was moved back to the Sunday of Labor Day weekend - but the race generally fell in early September on the NASCAR calendar.
Though the race was in September, prelim events such as practice and qualifying sometimes took place in late August.
1956 was one such year. Curtis Turner was at Darlington on August 31 doing speed runs in preparation for the Southern 500 GN race. Then that evening, he slipped over to Greenville and picked up a win in the NASCAR convertible series race at Greenville Pickens Speedway.
Finishing order
| Fin | Driver | Car |
| 1 | Curtis Turner | Ford |
| 2 | Joe Weatherly | Ford |
| 3 | Glen Wood | Ford |
| 4 | Tom Pistone | Chevrolet |
| 5 | Bob Welborn | Chevrolet |
| 6 | Don Oldenberg | Buick |
| 7 | Jimmy Massey | Chevrolet |
| 8 | Bun Emery | Mercury |
| 9 | Jimmie Lewallen | Chevrolet |
| 10 | Gwyn Staley | Chevrolet |
| 11 | Dick Joslin | Dodge |
| 12 | Dick Beaty | Oldsmobile |
| 13 | Norman Schihl | Ford |
| 14 | Bill Poor | Chevrolet |
| 15 | Cannonball Brown | Chrysler |
| 16 | Allen Adkins | Dodge |
| 17 | Larry Frank | Chevrolet |
| 18 | Bill Lutz | Ford |
| 19 | Possum Jones | Ford |
| 20 | Mel Larson | Ford |
| 21 | Larry Odo | Chevrolet |
| 22 | Art Binkley | Plymouth |
| 23 | Bob Beck | Chevrolet |
Three days later, Curtis grabbed another Carolina trophy - the coveted Southern 500 one. A solid weekend for the Virginian.
updated by @tmc-chase: 12/05/16 04:00:58PM
Racing History Minute - Darlington continued
Stock Car Racing History
Elly May was probably a Petty fan. I was and I DANG sure wouldn't give Allison a victory lane kiss. Haha
Racing History Minute - Darlington continued
Stock Car Racing History
The one Southern 500 celeb pic I'm trying to find - and have for many years - is of Donna Douglas who played Elly May on The Beverly Hillbillies. She was the grand marshal or whatever for the race in the early 70s. She was referenced in Jerry Bledsoe's classic book The World's Number 1, Flat Out, All Time Great, Stock Car Racing Book . And I've seen articles about her being there. But thus far, I've not found a photo. Anyway, a couple more...
1963 - Clint Eastwood
1967
Racing History Minute - Darlington continued
Stock Car Racing History
1968
1982 - Hmm, wonder if she is related to Chad.
1987 - selection involved an auditing snafu. Whoops
1990
updated by @tmc-chase: 09/02/17 10:05:34PM
Racing History Minute - Darlington continued
Stock Car Racing History
Even George "Goober" Lindsey got in on the parade action in 1969.
Racing History Minute - Darlington continued
Stock Car Racing History
Regarding the parade and Miss Southern 500 pageant, I kind of hoped earlier in the year you might eventually bring them up in some way. I've found newspaper photos along the way from some of them. Not the best resolution obviously, but maybe it'll still help tell the story. Plus, I bet folks here have plenty of their own to add. Let's see how many years we can cover...
1957 - Bobby Johns with Miss Southern 500 ( Jack Walker collection)
1960
1963 with Clint Eastwood
1967
1968
1969
1971
1974 (from Woody Delbridge 's gaggle of parade photos)
updated by @tmc-chase: 09/02/17 10:10:40PM
Racing History Minute - Darlington continued
Stock Car Racing History
I've only been to Darlington once. At the time, it was thought to be the last Southern 500. It had already been decided California Speedway would get the Darlington's traditional Labor Day weekend, and Darlington would be reduced to a single spring event. So the Southern 500 I attended was actually the Mountain Dew Southern 500 held in November 2004. I've got the ticket stub and hat pin from the race, but I knew it wasn't REALLY a genuine Southern 500.
They could have called it just the Mountain Dew 500. Instead of steamy PeeDee heat and the 500 Parade, we arrived on a foggy, misting, overcast late autumn day. Perhaps it was fitting to have that type of weather for the end of an era. The "Southern 500" in the spring now? Please.