Racing History Minute - May 11, 1963
Stock Car Racing History
Race Program (from Thomas K. Craig collection)
Forum Activity for @tmc-chase
Stock Car Racing History
Re-purposed Kyle Petty show car - maybe a third life?
Stock Car Racing History
Found another connection between the KP and Scott Lagasse cars today. In looking for a photo of Rob Moroso at Wilkesboro, I found 2 from his first Cup start at Charlotte in the October 1988 Oakwood Homes 500. Sure enough, a Hendrick Motorsports, white, Peak-sponsored, #47 Monte Carlo. He qualified 34th and finished 14th.
I emphasize finish because I now wonder if the car was wiped down, re-decaled with 42, and rolled out the next morning for the press conference to announce the SABCO - Kyle - Gary Nelson - Peak deal for 1989. What if Moroso had wrecked? If this indeed was the same car used by SABCO at the presser, what was their fall back plan?
From Craig Bontrager collection.
From Brian Yezierski collection
updated by @tmc-chase: 08/01/17 12:32:03PM
Re-purposed Kyle Petty show car - maybe a third life?
Stock Car Racing History
Some days, I just love being on Twitter. Had this exchange with Gary Nelson tonight - almost 3 months after I originally raised this question here.
Re-purposed Kyle Petty show car - maybe a third life?
Stock Car Racing History
In recent days, I stumbled across a series of photos on ebay from 1989 Speedweeks. My eyes did a double-take on a particular one from the ARCA event: #42 of Scott Lagasse.
In studying it closer, there was something familiar with the style of the 42 on the Monte Carlo. I then remembered the show car the newly-formed SABCO Racing put on display at Charlotte in the fall of 1988. Felix Sabates introduced his new driver Kyle Petty, crew chief Gary Nelson, and sponsor Peak Anti-freeze.
Some Peak decals were slapped on a white Monte Carlo for the unveiling. But by the time the team got to Speedweeks in 1989, the paint scheme was fancier and applied to a Pontiac Grand Prix. (The team missed the D500 as its debut, and Felix arranged for Kyle to drive Eddie Bierschwale's #23 instead.)
Source: Thomas K. Craig collection
So I'm wondering if the SABCO show car ended up being raced by Lagasse as an ARCA car. Furthermore, Felix had ties to Rick Hendrick and likely got plenty of advice from him about how to get into NASCAR. My bet is that show car Monte Carlo may have originally been raced by Geoff Bodine, Tim Richmond, Benny Parsons, Ken Schrader or Darrell Waltrip.
updated by @tmc-chase: 08/01/17 12:31:11PM
Racing History Minute - May 10, 1966
Stock Car Racing History
Some background info on Speedy Morelock for whom the race was named. From Kingsport Times-News. Click article to open larger version in separate tab.
Racing History Minute - May 10, 1966
Stock Car Racing History
Here is a link to the blog entry I posted about this race a year ago today:
https://bench-racing.blogspot.com/2012/05/may-10-this-day-in-petty-history-part-1.html
Its been many years - and I suppose most drivers remember just their wins or near misses vs. just being in top 5 - but it would be cool to get some feedback from Tiger Tom about any memories he may have from Middle Georgia in general or this race specifically.
updated by @tmc-chase: 12/31/19 02:59:48PM
1990 Southern 500 ... on TWITTER??
Stock Car Racing History
Motor Racing Network has begun what I think is a creative use for Twitter. They've set up a separate account named @MRNClassics and on "Throw Back Thursdays" (#TBT for short on Twitter), they are streaming the MRN audio from an historical race and tweeting "live updates". A week or two ago, they tweeted updates of the 1970 Alabama 500 from Talladega and won by Pete Hamilton. Today, they are streaming and updating the 1990 Southern 500.
So what if you already know the outcome. Perhaps you've forgotten it, want to re-live it, or think its interesting concept to get short snippets of info to your phone, iPad, PC, etc. like is done today.
If you've been wondering whether to experiment with Twitter, this might be a neat place to start.
I'm on Twitter with the name @toomuchcountry.
updated by @tmc-chase: 12/05/16 04:00:58PM
Racing History Minute - May 9, 1964
Stock Car Racing History
From Florence Morning News
updated by @tmc-chase: 05/09/17 10:27:46AM
Racing History Minute - May 9, 1964
Stock Car Racing History
Fast Freddy taking the checkers
And the H&M Ford in victory lane bearing the mark of the Darlington Stripe
Racing History Minute - May 9, 1964
Stock Car Racing History
You are right about that. But think about how differently things looked by June, by the end of 1965, and by the end of the 1960s.
1. Fred Lorenzen - He won a few more races from 64-67, but then walked away seemingly in his prime. His attempt to return to Cup in the early 70s just never really panned out.
2. Fireball Roberts - The next race, the World 600, would be last. Roughly 2 months after his 2nd place finish, Roberts was gone.
3. Junior Johnson - Tangled with Roberts at Charlotte, and his driving career pretty well ended after the 1965 season. He did run a handful of races in 1966, but he was pretty much a full-time car owner by then.
4. Ned Jarrett - Also tangled with Roberts, stayed with driving and won his 2nd GN title in 1965. But he then retired from driving after about a 1/2 season in 1966. How interesting the 3 individuals from the W600 crash finished 2-3-4 just a couple of weeks earlier at Darlington.
5. Jimmy Pardue - Died in a tire test September 1964.
6. David Pearson - His career took off, he picked up 3 titles in the next 5 seasons from 65-69, and just killed the competition on superspeedways with the Wood Brothers in the mid 70s.
7. Billy Wade - Died in a tire test January 1965.
8. LeeRoy Yarbrough - Phenomenal season in 1969. But suffered head injuries - including one in a tire test. Was gone from racing by early the next decade after moving from Junior Johnson's team to many uncompetitive rides.
9. Paul Goldsmith - Steady driver but whose career was done by 1969.
10. Richard Petty - Nuff said. Driving career lasted longer than any of the rest of them.