Racing History Minute - June 24, 1961
Stock Car Racing History
Race report from Spartanburg Herald Journal
updated by @tmc-chase: 06/23/17 03:09:44PM
Forum Activity for @tmc-chase
Stock Car Racing History
updated by @tmc-chase: 06/23/17 03:09:44PM
Racing History Minute - June 23, 1961
Stock Car Racing History
On the same day Baker won at Hartsville, NASCAR ruled against Rex White and in favor of Emanuel Zervakis. White had protested EZ's win in the Yankee 500 at Norwood Arena in Boston, MA a week earlier. It was the only GN race ever held at that venue.
Racing History Minute - June 22, 1957
Stock Car Racing History
Good question re: the chosen vowel. I found this 1962 program on ebay noting the spelling as Capitol. I believe the word "capitol" with an O refers to a building such as our U.S. Capitol in DC. "Capital" refers to the center of government in a location such as Sacramento or Washington DC. If so, perhaps folks chose to go with the city reference when the track was renamed.
Racing History Minute - June 22, 1957
Stock Car Racing History
An historical marker was placed to remember the location of Capital Speedway - later known apparently as West Capital Raceway.
Source: http://west-sacramento.blogspot.com/2007/10/west-capital-raceway-monument.html
Racing History Minute - June 22, 1957
Stock Car Racing History
G'head. The NSA may be listening, but NASCAR certainly isn't. Ha.
Racing History Minute - June 22, 1957
Stock Car Racing History
I found this to be interesting. NASCAR.com's 'home track's page has Amick's win classified as a K&N Pro Series West victory. We used to know it as the Winston West series during much of the 70s thru 90s. I'm not sure if NASCAR had a formal western series back then or not. Racing Reference and Fielden's book refers to it as a regular Grand National win. Revisionist history perhaps? Or inaccurate info by the folks maintaining content for NASCAR's website?
http://hometracks.nascar.com/records/NKNPSW_Race_Results_1954_1959
Racing History Minute - June 22, 1957
Stock Car Racing History
Plenty of racing going on that weekend. NASCAR sanctioned one GN race at Sacramento on June 22 - and scheduled another to run at Memphis-Arkansas Speedway in LeHi, Arkansas on June 24 (with qualifying on June 22 for some reason). Qualifying was rained out as was the race, and the race was re-scheduled for July 14.
NASCAR also scheduled a convertible series race at Bowman Gray Stadium on June 22. Bob Welborn won it in his own Chevy with Papa Lee coming home 2nd. Guess LP figured he'd net more money by racing close to home vs. burning expenses to travel to Arkansas or California. I'd say he was correct. (As it turns out, Lee and many others went to LeHi after all for the make-up date - a likely win for the fans in attendance who might otherwise have missed them on the original race date.)
updated by @tmc-chase: 03/24/17 09:48:15AM
June 21, 1987: End of an era
Stock Car Racing History
Today is the anniversary of Tim Richmond's final Cup win. Fittingly, he won a track on which he excelled and others struggled mightily - Riverside.
And as I always strive to do, I'll fit in a Petty angle to the story. While still recovering from rib injuries suffered at Dover a couple of weeks earlier, the King turned his car over on lap 1 to Joe Ruttman. Joe did a fantastic job racing the car through the field to get the 43 a 6th place finish.
In meeting with Joe earlier this year, he said one of the thrills he expected was to wear a sho-nuff Richard Petty STP uniform. Instead, his practice and race uniforms were hand-me-downs from a few years earlier when Kyle still raced for PE / STP. The story got a big laugh from me.
updated by @tmc-chase: 12/05/16 04:00:58PM
Racing History Minute - June 21, 1959
Stock Car Racing History
Richmond's race report in the Spartanburg Herald Journal
