Forum Activity for @dennis-garrett

Finally Found It! DALE EARNHARDT - ONE TOUGH CUSTOMER - 1981 Wrangler TV Show

Stock Car Racing History

I like seeing Pontiac racecars racing and winning on three tires.

#2 Dale Earnhardt Wrangler sponsor 1981 Pontiac racing and winning on three tires.

Notice it was broadcast on Channel 8 - Ralph Earnhardt racecar #8

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#3 David Pearson racing 1961 Pontiac Catalina and winning the May 28, 1961, Charlotte World 600 on three tires.

1961 Pontiac Catalina - The David Pearson Story
His Legendary NASCAR Grand National Wins Began In A '61 Pontiac
By Christopher R. Phillip
High Performance Pontiac, February, 2009

On May 28, 1961, Pearson buckled into the driver seat of the No. 3 Pontiac Catalina at the Charlotte World 600 and took on the giants of NASCAR, including Fireball Roberts (who placed Second in his Yunick-prepared No. 22 '61 Pontiac Catalina), Marvin Panch (in the Yunick-prepared '60 Pontiac Catalina), Jim Paschel, Jack Smith, Bob Welborn, Junior Johnson, Joe Weatherly, Ralph Earnhardt, Tommy Irwin, and Bob Burdick-all in '61 Catalinas. Pearson commanded the race. He led 255 of the 400 1.5-mile laps in the grueling 5-hour, 22-minute, 29-second event in front of 46,538 paid attendees. He was declared the winner. The press was quick to give Pearson a new name, "David the Giant Killer."

HPP: Do you remember the first time you met Ray Fox?
DP: He called me and asked me if I wanted to drive his Pontiac and I said, "Yes." I threw everything down and took off for Charlotte. That was the first time I met him.
Ray Fox Front View
Race-car builder Ray Fox in the driver seat of the re-creation of the '61 Pontiac Catalina

HPP: What did you recall the first time behind the wheel of the Ray Fox No. 3 Pontiac Catalina at the Charlotte World 600?
DP: I went out and practiced, and I came in and Ray asked me how it felt. I said, "Ray, I don't know. How are you supposed to feel? I've never run this fast before in my life." I had always run in the short dirt tracks.

HPP: What do you remember of the Charlotte World 600?
DP: I started third and I took the lead the first lap. I led about three-quarters of that race-about 400 miles they said.

HPP: How was the Pontiac built?
DP: It was a Catalina two-door coupe. It had a 389ci, a four-barrel carb, and a four-speed on the floor. It felt good, and it drove good.

HPP: The Charlotte World 600 had an unusual ending. Do you remember what it was?
DP: Of course I do. I had a bunch of flats that day. I don't know exactly how many, but I was running over stuff and blowing tires. In fact, I won the race on three tires. The last two laps I ran on a flat tire and sparks were flying everywhere when I crossed the finish line, from what I was told.

HPP: You were a second-year driver at the Charlotte 600. Did the starting line scare you?
DP: No way. We lined up ready to go and I looked at that Pontiac and said, "This car doesn't know if Fireball's driving it, or Joe Weatherly, or Jack Smith, or Cotton Owens. It doesn't know who's driving it. If they can do it, I can do it."

HPP: How did your win at Charlotte change your life?
DP: It fixed me right up. Right after that, Ray Fox asked me if I wanted to go to Daytona and run there. So I went down there and ran the Firecracker 250, and won the race. And then I went to Atlanta and won the Atlanta Dixie 400-all in the Ray Fox Pontiac No. 3 Catalina. Nobody had ever won three big races in one year. I was the first one to do that.

HPP: After winning the World 600, did Pontiac become your street car, too?
DP: It sure did. I won the pace car, a new '61 Pontiac Bonneville convertible, for winning the race. I took it as part of my purse.

HPP: What was your favorite Pontiac?
DP: The '61 Bonneville convertible I earned for winning the Charlotte World 600 was really nice and I enjoyed it.

Read more:
http://www.highperformancepontiac.com/features/hppp_0809_1961_pontiac_catalina_the_david_pearson_story/viewall.html
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1961 Pontiac Catalina - The David Pearson Story - Photo Gallery
http://www.highperformancepontiac.com/features/hppp_0809_1961_pontiac_catalina_the_david_pearson_story/photo_01.html
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At Daytona in 1961 David Pearson and QUEEN OF SPEED Linda Vaughn??

Thank you very much for any information or photos posted.
Dennis Garrett
Richmond,Va. USA

Racing History Minute - July 5, 2013

Stock Car Racing History

Tim and Dave,

Enjoyed your racing posts very much.

Tim,

I forgot this!!

http://racing-reference.info/alldates.htm

Thank you very much for any information or photos posted.
Dennis Garrett
Richmond,Va. USA

Racing History Minute - July 5, 2013

Stock Car Racing History

Try this.
http://racing-reference.info/alldates?dt=0705

Thank you very much for any information or photos posted.
Dennis Garrett
Richmond,Va. USA

NASCAR.com article - Timmy Petty

Current NASCAR

Can you identify the three Maurice Petty's sons in photo.

What is other two sons, Mark Petty and Richie Petty racing history??

About a year before Lee Petty and Adam Petty death, I send letters to Adam Petty, Kyle Petty, Lee Petty, Maurice Petty, Richard Petty, and Richie Petty, asking for autograph photo from each one of them.
One day I received by US Mail a special baseball card sized group photo card of all above with their signed autographs on it.
I think the special baseball card sized group photo card also had Dale Inman, Austin Petty, Montgomery Lee Petty, Mark Petty, and Timmy Petty signed autographs on it.
Problem is as soon as received something like this, I put in a box for safe keeping and ten years later, I forget where the box is!!

Does anyone have a copy this "special baseball card sized group photo card" and post it here.

Thank you very much for any information or photos posted.
Dennis Garrett
Richmond,Va. USA

It must be extra 1 LB. of sugar in the Kyle Petty's coffee!!

Current NASCAR

It must be extra 1 LB. of sugar in the Kyle Petty's coffee!!

NASCAR Race Hub: Breakfast with Kyle Petty
Race Hub: Matt Clark joins Kyle Petty for breakfast and to pick his brain. June 21st, 2013

http://www.speedtv.com/programs/nascar-race-hub/video-clips/nascar-race-hub-breakfast-with-kyle-petty-2498803970001/1

NASCAR Race Hub: Breakfast with Kyle Petty Pt 2
Race Hub: Matt Clark continues his breakfast chat at Mattie's Diner with Kyle Petty. June 27th, 2013

http://www.speedtv.com/programs/nascar-race-hub/video-clips/nascar-race-hub-breakfast-with-kyle-petty-pt-2-2513243829001/1

I know Kyle Petty called rookie driver Danica Patrick as a fast money making marketing driver who will never be a great NASCAR Hall of Fame race driver.

Richard Petty didn't say nice things about NASCAR driver #68 Janet Guthrie, when she was racing him.

Big Bill France's NASCAR was involved one way or other in Airplane Racing, Auto Racing, Boat Racing, Drag Racing, and Motorcycle Racing.

What tick me off is while Kyle Petty is eating pan cakes.
After first four rounds of NASCAR Hall of Fame inductees like Richard Petty, Lee Petty, Dale Inman, and Maurice Petty maybe NASCAR Hall of Fame should wait for Jeff Gordon and Jimmy Johnson to get in.
He also said there's not many people left that deserves to be elected in the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
Sorry Raymond Parks, No NASCAR Hall of Fame for you!!

Thanks for any information or photos posted
Dennis Garrett
Richmond,Va.USA

updated by @dennis-garrett: 12/05/16 04:04:08PM

June 28, 1958 - Lee Petty Horse Collars Hickory

Stock Car Racing History

Curtis Turner robbery must have been an 38-24-36 inside job!!

367. Fat, Drunk, and Stupid Is No Way To Go Through Life, Son
http://www.taurtoisemotorsports.com/seventies/Fat.html

Thanks for any information or photos posted
Dennis Garrett
Richmond,Va.USA

A Unique Piece(s) to the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame

Stock Car Racing History

Most likely the 2002 Brickyard 400 win.
Same #9 Dodge won 2002 Pocono and 2002 Brickyard 400 race??
http://stockcar.racersreunion.com/group/georgiaracinghalloffame

http://georgiaracinghistory.com/2009/07/24/elliott-made-georgia-his...

Thanks for any information or photos posted
Dennis Garrett
Richmond,Va.USA

A Unique Piece(s) to the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame

Stock Car Racing History

Elliott received the worst end of the deal; once he hit the wall, he skidded down the front stretch on his driver side door until another car hit him. Elliott was alright, but shaken.

Cody, After reading this below , you might changed your mind!!


Dale Earnhardt in 1998 DieHard 500 Crash

1998 DieHard 500
Race: DieHard 500
Date: April 26, 1998
Track: Talladega Superspeedway
Qualified: 2nd
Finished: 36th
Status: Handling (car was too slow)
Laps Completed: 144 of 188
Points Earned: 60
Money Earned: $38,250


Summary:

The 1998 DieHard 500 started off quite smoothly. There were only two cautions, both of them due to debris on the track. Then, on lap 141, all hell broke loose. A monstrous 20-car crash started in the tri-oval, eliminating several victory contenders, including Dale Earnhardt and Bill Elliott. The race was red-flagged for over 27 minutes while the track was cleared. Both Earnhardt and Elliott were injured, but weren't hospitalized.

Earnhardt suffered second-degree burns to the left side of his neck and face. He hair and mustache also was singed.

Asked how he felt as he was making his way toward his motorhome after leaving the care center, Earnhardt said: "I'm hot."

Elliott was diagnosed with a a bruised sternum and was transported by ambulance to the airport for "comfort reasons". Elliott walked into the infield medical care center without assistance. He traveled on his own plane back to his home in Blairsville, Ga. where his doctor, Jim Heaton, confirmed the injury.

Morgan Shepherd, Kyle Petty and Jerry Nadeau were also sent to the care center, but were released and did not require treatment.

The accident occurred as the tightly bunched field raced through the trioval. Ward Burton's Pontiac clipped the rear of Earnhardt's Chevrolet and turned it sideways into Elliott's Ford. The driver's side of Elliott's car slammed into the wall before flipping over on its roof. Earnhardt's car was pinned against Elliott's. As Elliott's car slid down the track upside-down, flames were coming from the exhaust pipe. Smoke and debris filled the air as cars spun and collided all over the track and the tri-oval grass. Earnhardt, who still wears an open-faced helmet, had his face burned and his goggles melted by the flames from Elliott's car.

"Just about the same thing happened to Elliott that happened to me here in '96," Earnhardt said. "This is not good racing. You can talk about it all you want, it's not good racing."

Earnhardt, who fractured his sternum and his collarbone in the crash two years ago, added, "We can't keep running like this, running over each other like this."

When the red flag period was over, the field ran seven caution laps before the race resumed. On lap 165 (of 188) Kyle Petty climbed into Earnhardt's car after the Goodwrench crew had finished some extensive repairs. The beat-up Chevy was missing its hood and all front sheet metal. Kyle made two laps around the track. Then, Kyle pitted and gave the seat to Joe Nemechek. Nemechek made a few laps in the car before he was black flagged because the car was too slow to meet NASCAR's minimum speed requirement. The team was forced to take a DNF (their first DNF in 53 races). Bobby Labonte eventually took the checkered flag, edging a fast-approaching Jimmy Spencer by .167 seconds.

After the race, Ward Burton said he thought his car's left front got on the apron of the frontstretch just a little and that got him loose.

"I was getting off the throttle quick and I think I slid up a little bit and got into the back of the 3 car (Earnhardt)," Burton said. "I was in the side of him. I didn't get him by much, but hell, it doesn't take much. I feel really awful about it. Of course, it's nothing I would do on purpose by any means, particularly the 3 car."

This is the second straight race at Talladega in which Dale was involved in a major accident Dale fell another position in the point standings, and now holds ninth spot.

http://www.daleearnhardt.net/reports/1998/04_26.htm
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Earnhardt and Elliott slide down the track as Kyle Petty smashes into them.
Elliott's car blew flames from the exhaust. The flames went though the Dale's driver-side window, giving him second-degree burns and melting his goggles.
Dale Earnhardt with burns alongside Richard Childress.
Kyle Petty and Joe Nemechek drove Earnhardt's car for a few laps before NASCAR black flagged it. Earnhardt took his first DNF in 53 races.

http://www.daleearnhardt.net/reports/1998/04_26_photo.htm


Thanks for any information or photos posted
Dennis Garrett
Richmond,Va.USA

July 26, 2013 Southside Speedway is "Alive and Well" will be honoring Joe & Ruth Kelly of "Let's Talk Racing With Joe and Ruth Kelly".

Historic Speedways and Ghost Tracks

July 26, 2013Southside Speedway is "Alive and Well" will be honoring Joe & Ruth Kelly of "Let's Talk Racing With Joe and Ruth Kelly".

Thanks for any information or photos posted
Dennis Garrett
Richmond,Va.USA

updated by @dennis-garrett: 12/05/16 04:08:38PM

Can you "Name These Autographs of race drivers, race car owners, pit crewmen, mechanics, and NASCAR Hall of Famers"??

Stock Car Racing History

Dave,

You're right about autographs #01 - #09 as Maurice Petty, Leonard Wood, Lennie Pond, Richard Childress, Delano Wood, Herb Nab, David Pearson, Skip Manning, and Walter Ballard.

Note: A while back on "History Channel"' program called "Pawn Stars", someone had brought in a "GOODYEAR" race tire with "Dale Earnhardt #3" autograph on it. The gentleman had document proof that it was an"Dale Earnhardt #3" "GOODYEAR" race tire and wanted big dollars for it. "Rick of Pawn Stars" found out from the gentleman that he had bought the race tire and then send by it mail to "Dale Earnhardt #3" race shop and came back with "Dale Earnhardt #3" autograph on it.

"Rick of Pawn Stars" called in his autograph expert to check out the "Dale Earnhardt #3" autograph "GOODYEAR" race tire and autograph expert says the autograph is "FAKE".

The autograph expert says the "Dale Earnhardt" signature autograph didn't exactly match his examples of "Dale Earnhardt " autograph photos in his brief-case.

The autograph expert says that he never see an #3 added to a "Real " "Dale Earnhardt " autographed item.

I disagree with "Pawn Stars" autograph expert!!

I have seen Dale Earnhardt Sr. signing his signature autograph on race collector items as "Dale", "Dale Earnhardt", "Dale Earnhardt #15" and "Dale Earnhardt #3.

Thanks for any information or photos posted
Dennis Garrett
Richmond,Va.USA