Daytona Seeks Sales Tax Rebate to Finance Construction
Current NASCAR
Funny how grand things can be when taxpayers are required to to fund them.
Forum Activity for @tmc-chase
Current NASCAR
February 22, 1970 - Pete Hamilton Pockets Daytona
Stock Car Racing History
I think he does - but they are quite rare. Like you, he is one of only a handful of drivers whose autograph I'd still like to get.
February 22, 1970 - Pete Hamilton Pockets Daytona
Stock Car Racing History
Original blog post edited to embed that fantastic photo. Now, if I could only wrangle that opportunity to meet Pete...
February 22, 1970 - Pete Hamilton Pockets Daytona
Stock Car Racing History
On the anniversary of Lee Petty's win in the first Daytona 500, a Petty Enterprises entry again took the checkers in 1970. This time it was Pete Hamilton in the famed Plymouth Superbird.
http://bench-racing.blogspot.com/2013/02/february-22-1970-pete-pockets-daytona.html
updated by @tmc-chase: 12/05/16 04:00:58PM
February 22, 1959 - Lee Petty wins 1st Daytona 500
Stock Car Racing History
My Petty themed blog post this morning is about the inaugural Daytona 500 - one of the most legendary races of NASCAR's history.
http://bench-racing.blogspot.com/2013/02/february-22-1959-lee-wins-1st-daytona.html
updated by @tmc-chase: 12/05/16 04:00:58PM
2nd Duel Grand Marshal Company Plug Fail
Stock Car Racing History
So the Gentlemen Start Your Engines guy was from 7-11? Yet wore only a Budweiser shirt? Interesting. Dave Fulton - would you / 7-11 have agreed to that kind of deal?
updated by @tmc-chase: 12/05/16 04:00:58PM
Feb 21, 1954: Tim Flock takes checkers at the Beach...
Stock Car Racing History
... but is later DQ'd and Lee Petty is awarded the win. Read more here:
http://bench-racing.blogspot.com/2013/02/february-21-1954-lee-petty-fleeces.html
updated by @tmc-chase: 02/20/17 12:12:56PM
The start of a season - 1966 that is
Stock Car Racing History
In this day and age, a new Cup season begins at Daytona. The 1966 GN season began on November 14, 1965 in Augusta GA. The King won the race after a spirited race with Tiny Lund. I blogged about the event about 1-1/2 years ago here:
http://bench-racing.blogspot.com/2011/11/november-14-this-day-in-petty-history.html
Tonight, I found a video with color footage of highlights from the race. A neat flashback to the mid 60s era.
updated by @tmc-chase: 11/14/17 10:36:47AM
NASCAR will no longer provide attendance estimates
Current NASCAR
I'm not a big fan of either non-points race. But if they need one, how about playing off your comment PKL. Run a roadie on the back roads of Wilkes County or North Georgia. Run it at night. FOX would need to use infrared cameras since the cars don't run headlights. Run the hot dogs only. No strokers. Substitute start and park cars with local, state and Federal law enforcement. Instead of pit stops, each car would be required to make a quick dash through the woods. At half way mark, cars would have to make a u-turn switchback and race back to the beginning.
1980 ARCA 200 at Daytona
Stock Car Racing History
Dave Fulton posted Thursday about Earnhardt's win in the 1980 Busch Clash.
http://racersreunion.com/community/forum/stock-car-racing-history/21181/busch-clash-a-springboard-to-earnhardts-1st-championship
In his post, he referenced something I either didn't know about or perhaps had forgotten. The 80-lap ARCA race was red-flagged after 53 laps, the cars were parked on the infield road course, and the remaining laps were postponed so the Clash could run in the CBS TV slot. Then they resumed the final few laps of the 200 mile event.
The ARCA race came down to a couple of relatively inexperienced drivers, karting champion Lake Speed from Mississippi and John Rezek, who'd finished 2nd to Kyle Petty in the ARCA race a year earlier.
Some of you know Russ Thompson - also known across the interwebs as Calhoun98. Russ worked on Lake's team that day and educated me on how the finish went down.
A caution flew with 3 to go with Speed leading and Rezek 2nd. The race was certain to finish under yellow with Lake taking the win. Instead, one of the craziest race control decisions ever was made. ARCA officials decided to throw the green on the final lap with the restart to begin at the entrance to pit road. The cars essentially had to drag race back to the S/F line to decide the winner.
Because of debris from the accident or who knows why, Lake had cut a tire. He was able to limp around - maybe even down to the rim if need be - to get that win. But to punch it and race to the S/F line was out of the question. When the green was dropped, Rezek blew by Lake like he was standing still, Rezek took the checkers, and the 6 team was livid (rightfully so).
Lake's car pre-race (with Russ standing by the right side):
The finish:
The story as reported in the Daytona Beach Morning Journal:
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=WFMfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=NdIEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4999%2C4998399
And the call on MRN (edited a good bit by Russ's family who recorded the race):
updated by @tmc-chase: 02/19/17 10:17:21AM