I also found articles on Prout building the Spurla Barracuda but this is the only place I have found anything referring to the car at a track. Lack of a complete run down still leaves the question, did the car ever race?
#04 C.B. Gwyn follows #4 Jim Hailey and the team of Ron Trout and Randy Bannister in #29 through what appears to be turn 5 at the bottom of the esses.
Lanier 250
Road Atlanta
Braselton, Ga.
Sunday, May 23, 1971
Race #7 brought the Grand American Challenge series to the 2.53 mile road course in northern Georgia call Road Atlanta for the first NASCAR race to be held there. Former shine hauler and stock car driver turned actor/comedian Junior Samples from the popular TV show HEE HAW was the Grand Marshal.
Along with the Grand American regulars Buddy Baker was scheduled to drive a Warren Prout prepared Barracuda. It would mark his first appearance in a Grand American race and the first time in several years he would compete in same event with his father, seasoned veteran Buck Baker. Bobby Allison would drive a Mercury Cougar entered by Virginian Keith Christensen. Pete Hamilton drove a beautifully-prepared Mark Schwien Camaro. Richard Brooks drove the Toy Bolton Camaro formally driven by Charlie Blanton. Road course ringer John Greenwood teamed with Dick Smothers, half of the popular Smothers Brothers comedy team, in a Joie Chitwood Camaro. SCCA standout Gene Felton made another Grand American start at the controls of E.J. Trivettes Camaro.
Saturdays qualifying suggested a competitive race, with the first 5 cars posting laps within 2 mph. Jim Paschal put his American Performance Center Javelin on the pole by posting a 92.86 mph lap, followed by Tiny Lund at 92.37, Richard Brooks at 91.47, Pete Hamilton at 90.97 and Buck Baker at 90.65. One report had the starting line-up listed as Paschal, Lund, Brooks and Hamilton followed by Paul Tyler at 90.38 mph and Dick Smothers at 89.93 mph. Paschal failed to make the grid after losing an engine in the morning practice on race day.
Scoring for the Lanier 250 was based on the combined total of points scored in the two 50 lap segments, and with a maximum of 50 points in each. If a points total resulted in two teams having the same amount of points the tie-breaking rule was the highest finish in the second heat got the overall position.
With Paschal on the trailer and headed back to North Carolina Lund started heat one on the pole with Dick Brooks along side. Pete Hamilton started third and made the first bold move by going past Lund going up the hill but over ran turn three. Hamilton, looped his Camaro thru the blind, falling away corner and hit a retaining wall. He was not injured, but suspension damage put him out of the race. From there Lund was pressed hard by Buck Baker, Brooks and H.B. Bailey. Baker could pull Lund down the chutes but Lund would gain the advantage in Road Atlantas 11 corners by charging over the concrete rumble strips, also called alligator strips at some tracks. Baker led 4 laps early but the challenge from Brooks ended on lap 28 with a burned piston and Bailey was out by lap 32 with a broken rod. Lund led the rest of the way with Baker close on his heels. John Greenwood kept the leaders in site to place third. The biggest movers of the day were Gene Felton as he came from 29th on the grid to fourth at the finish and Bobby Allison who drove from 19th to fifth. Only 4 of the 50 laps were run under caution.
First 50 lap, 125 mile segment partial results.
Fin Srt Car # Driver Car Laps Reason out
1 1 55 Tiny Lind 69 Camaro 50 Running
2 5 87 Buck Baker 71 Firebird 50 Running
3 John Greenwood 71 Camaro 50 Running
4 29 56 Gene Felton 69 Camaro 50 Running
5 19 Bobby Allison 70 Cougar 50 Running
6
7
8 29 Ron Trout 68 Cougar Running
The second segment lined up by the way they finished the first one but SCCA veteran Bob Tullius was in Bakers Firebird, as Baker was still suffering with a sore leg from the Springfield crash, and Dick Smothers took over the Greenwood Camaro. Lund got the lead on lap one when Tullius had to pit with accelerator linkage trouble. Tullius lost 2 laps to Lund by the time the issue was fixed but on lap 15 he caught the leader and made up one of the laps. Maybe thinking Tullius had gotten back on the lead lap Lund spun in turn 5 trying to repass Tullius. Back on track Lund headed for the pits handing the lead to Felton with Allison second. Felton held the top spot for one lap before he and Allison pitted putting Lund back out front where he would remain the rest of the way. Felton came home second with Allison third and Tullius coming all the way back to fourth. Smothers was running fifth until he spun on the last lap letting C.B. Gwyn by for the fifth spot, he finished sixth.
Second 50 lap, 125 mile segment partial results.
Fin Srt Car # Driver Car Laps Reason out
1 1 55 Tiny Lind 69 Camaro 50 Running
2 4 56 Gene Felton 69 Camaro 50 Running
3 5 Bobby Allison 70 Cougar 50 Running
4 2 87 Bob Tullius 71 Firebird 49 Running
5 04 C.B. Gwyn 68 Cougar 49 Running
6 3 Dick Smothers 71 Camaro 49 Running
Lund ended up leading all but 5 of the 100 lap event even as he described himself as An old dirt dauber. His claim that he was not much of a road racer seemed a little funny after the way he had just attacked the challenging course with an aggressive style that had road racing purist shaking their heads. Not to mention the fact that he wore an extra brace to support his sore back that he injured in 1955 and still had a sore leg from the crash at Dover. Tiny totaled 100 points in taking the win with Felton netting 96 points for second place. Baker also earned 96 points but the tie breaker went to Felton who finished higher in the second segment giving Baker third. Allison totaled 94 points to finish fourth with the Greenwood/Smothers team coming in fifth with 93 points.
Final partial results.
Fin Car # Driver Car Laps Led Reason out
1 55 Tiny Lind 69 Camaro 95 Running
2 56 Gene Felton 69 Camaro 1 Running
3 87 Buck Baker 71 Firebird 4 Running
Bob Tullius
4 Bobby Allison 70 Cougar 0 Running
5 John Greenwood 71 Camaro 0 Running
Dick Smothers
Lund collected $4,050 of the $23,600 purse. There were 17,000 in attendance.
Personal note: The Shaw Racing Enterprises team had just gotten the 71 Mustang back from Holman-Moody after repairs from the wreck at Dover and arrived at the track late. Wayne Andrews made the first lap he had ever ran there in qualifying. Waynes notes did not record a starting position or where he finished in the first segment, only that the throw-out bearing went out after about 150 miles of racing which means early in the second segment. Dad remembers tearing up the transmission trying to run without the clutch.
Ron Trout reports that he remembers Tiny having disc brakes on the front of his Camaro, the first time he saw disc on a Grand American car. Dad definitely remembers having drum brakes all the way around on the Mustang.
Lincoln 100
Illinois State Fairgrounds
Springfield, Ill.
Originally scheduled to be at the first mid-west event under the promotion of Robert Baskowitz and Red Baron Productions on May 9 th the race was red flagged after 24 laps there by making it the first Grand American race to be postponed due to dangerous track conditions after part of the race had been completed. As a matter of fact the race on the 16 th was held just as if the events on the 9 th never happened but for now back to the 9 th .
After leaving Nashville late on Friday night the Grand American crews headed to Springfield, Ill. for an event on the one mile dirt track at the Illinois State Fairgrounds. The tight schedule prompted track officials to hold two five laps heat races instead of timed qualifications. Wayne Andrews won the first heat of seven cars and Jimmy Capps won the second heat of six cars. The dust problem did not appear until the feature when H.B. Bailey emerged from the dust cloud to lead lap one. On lap two six cars were involved in an accident that took out Steve McWhite. The green came back out to start lap nine with Tiny Lund going to the front. A thick dust cloud again quickly engulfed the track as Bailey regained the lead on lap 12 just before Buck Baker spun into the inside guard rail in turn four where he was hit by Wayne Andrews. Baker said visibility was so bad that there was no way Wayne could have seen me in time. The field remained under caution after the wrecked cars were removed from the track until the red flag was displayed on lap 24. At this point it was Jimmy Vaughn leading followed by David Boggs, Bailey, Capps, Ernie Shaw and Lund on the lead lap with Bobby Fleming one lap down and Bobby Brewer, Stan Starr, Jr., James Ramey, Bob Williams and Al Straub two laps down. After a meeting between promoters, fair board, track and NASCAR officials it was announced that because of unsafe track conditions the race would be postponed until next Sunday the 16 th . This brought boos from fans that had tickets for second day qualifying at Indianapolis on the 16 th as no refunds would be made but ticket stubs would be honored on the rescheduled date. The drivers and crews had nothing to show for the days activities but several torn up race cars and emptier pockets than when they arrived.
Buck Bakers Firebird being towed back to the garage.
The remains of the Cougar driven by Wayne Andrews. Reid Shaw had now lost two race cars in two weeks after the 71 Mustang was crashed at Dover.
Drivers discuss the days events after the race was postponed. Al Stilley photo.
Now, fast forward to Sunday the 16 th . Posted results indicate that the race started on the 9 th was not restarted from where it was stopped. This was a new event with qualifying and the green flag waving on lap one.
Race #6 ended up being the last event of Red Barron Week. Tiny Lund started on the pole with Jimmy Vaughn along side. Vaughn grabbed the lead on lap one until Lund got by and led laps 5 thru 7. Vaughn went back out front until lap 13 when Buck Baker took over the top spot. Lund lost an engine on lap 14 and Wayne Andrews broke the driveshaft in the borrowed Camaro after 22 laps. Vaughn fought back and led lap 27 before yielding the lead to Baker a lap later. Baker would hold on to the top spot the rest of the way putting a lap on the field. At some point the race was stopped for half an hour for rain.
Baker collected $1,550 of the $7,775 purse. There were 2 cautions for a total of 5 laps. 11 of the 18 starters were running at the finish.
Fin Srt Car # Driver Car Laps Reason out
1 8 87 Buck Baker 71 Firebird 100 Running
2 12 90 Jimmy Capps 69 Camaro 99 Running
3 2 7 Jimmy Vaughn 70 Camaro 99 Running
4 11 39 James Raimey 69 Camaro 98 Running
5 18 47 Al Arnold 70 Camaro 95 Running
6 6 54 Bobby Fleming 69 Camaro 94 Running
7 5 19 Bobby Brewer 68 Camaro 93 Running
8 4 21 Tommy Andrews 70 Mustang 90 Running
9 17 61 Tommy Lechlider 69 Camaro 90 Running
10 16 6 Alf Brewer 68 Firebird 83 Running
11 9 06 Bob Williams 70 Mustang 79 Running
12 14 17 Ernie Shaw 70 Mustang 56 Overheating
13 3 74 Al Straub 71 Mustang 34 Head gasket
14 13 86 David Boggs 71 Firebird 23 Valve
15 7 24 Wayne Andrews 68 Camaro 22 Driveshaft
16 1 55 Tiny Lund 70 Camaro 14 Engine
17 10 9 Stan Starr, Jr. 70 Chevy II 6 Overheating
18 15 27 Steve McWhite 68 Camaro 1 Technical
Buck Baker
Happy Birthday Grandma Fallie!
Mother of Wayne Andrews is 100 today!
RED BARRON SPECIAL
Tri-City Speedway
Granite City, Ill.
Saturday, May 15, 1971
Race #5 of the 1971 season brought the Grand American Challenge Series to Granite City. Ill. for the Red Barron Special at the 1/2 mile high dirt oval called Tri-City Speedway. It was the third race of RED BARON RACE WEEK. Tiny Lund would start from the pole with George Bauer second, Jimmy Capps third and Wayne Andrews fourth. Buck Baker had his Firebird repaired from the crash at Springfield and started 16th. Jim Paschal had run out of engines at Lake Hill and was back in North Carolina.
Bauer took the lead on lap one and held it for 8 laps until Lund went by on lap 9. Bauer was off course on lap 12 with ignition trouble. Andrews went to the front on lap 26 and led for 5 laps before Lund regained the top spot. With Andrews glued to Tinys bumper the pair lapped the field. Andrews challenge ended after 101 laps when the engine failed in the borrowed Camaro. By now Lund had such a lead that he was able to make a late pit stop to cool down the engine allowing Jimmy Vaughn to get back on the lead lap but never got close enough to threaten Lund who made it 2 wins in a row.
Lund collected $1,785 of the $7,400 purse. There were no cautions and 11 of the 20 starters were running at the finish.
Fin Srt Car # Driver Car Laps Reason out
1 1 55 Tiny Lund 70 Camaro 150 Running
2 8 7 Jimmy Vaughn 69 Camaro 150 Running
3 5 47 Al Arnold 70 Camaro 145 Running
4 12 39 James Raimey 68 Camaro 143 Running
5 7 74 Al Straub 71 Mustang 139 Running
6 13 19 Bobby Brewer 68 Camaro 138 Running
7 15 21 Tommy Andrews 70 Mustang 136 Running
8 14 6 Glen Brewer 70 Firebird 135 Running
9 11 54 Bobby Fleming 69 Camaro 131 Running
10 10 06 Bob Williams 70 Mustang 122 Running
11 18 9 Stan Starr, Jr. 70 Chevy II 121 Running
12 9 2 Bob Myers 70 Mustang 110 Overheat
13 4 24 Wayne Andrews 68 Camaro 101 Engine
14 12 61 Tommy Lechlider 69 Camaro 48 Overheat
15 16 87 Buck Baker 71 Firebird 25 Overheat
16 3 90 Jimmy Capps 69 Camaro 16 Engine
17 10 17 Ernie Shaw 70 Mustang 13 Overheat
18 2 70 George Bauer 69 Camaro 12 Ignition
19 6 86 David Boggs 71 Firebird 8 Engine
20 20 27 Steve McWhite 70 Camaro 1 Technical
SHOW ME SPECIAL
Lake Hill Speedway
Valley Park, Mo.
Wednesday, May 12, 1971
Race #4 of the 1971 season was originally going to be at the Illinois State Fairgrounds dirt track on May 9 th under the promotion of Robert Baskowitz and Red Baron Productions but the race was red flagged after 24 laps and postponed until the 16 th . More on this later.
Race #4 was held at the Lake Hill Speedway a 1/3 mile paved oval in Valley Park, Mo. before a crowd of 2,500 after some much needed R and R at the St. Louis Cardinals training facilities arranged by Lund and Baskowitz. Team doctors treated Wayne Andrews by draining fluid from a knee injured in the crash at Springfield. Only 13 cars had attempted to make the Springfield race and at least 4 of them were torn up before the race was stopped but 18 cars made the grid at Lake Hill. After losing the 71 Mustang at Dover and the 70 Cougar at Springfield Reid Shaw was out of race cars leaving Andrews with nothing to drive. Tiny Lund called home and found Bobby Wilsons 68 Camaro sitting in his shop. Wilson was willing to loan his car out so Hank Richardson loaded it up and made the 1000 mile pull from South Carolina to St. Louis for Andrews to drive. Arriving a couple of hours before the scheduled starting time Andrews got in one short practice before the first heat race which he won with Tommy Andrews second and David Boggs third. Tiny Lund won the second heat race followed by Al Arnold and Jimmy Vaughn. Arnold won the Trophy Dash with Lund second and Andrews third.
At drop of the green flag Andrews put the Camaro out front for the first 12 laps before yielding to Lund who led to lap 20 when he and Arnold would swap the lead 4 times until lap 48. At that point it was Lund, Arnold and Andrews until lap 62 when Arnold headed to the pits with a broken water pump. Lund assumed the lead with Andrews second until the caution came out on lap 64 when James Ramey spun into the guard rail on the front stretch. Andrews ducked into the pits during the caution as the car had started to trail a bit of smoke. A quick inspection found only a leaking oil pan so he went back out to pressure Lund for the next several laps before the brakes started to fade allowing Vaughn to get by for second. From there Jimmy quickly went into the lead on lap 85 and held it until pitting on lap 136. From there Lund stretched his lead over Andrews who by now had little brakes left to take win. Andrews held on for second with Vaughn coming home third.
Lund collected $1,480 of the $5,975 purse. There was only one caution for a total of 8 laps. 14 of the 18 starters were running at the finish.
Fin Srt Car # Driver Car Laps Reason out
1 1 55 Tiny Lund 70 Camaro 180 Running
2 2 24 Wayne Andrews 68 Camaro 178 Running
3 5 7 Jimmy Vaughn 69 Camaro 177 Running
4 7 74 Al Straub 71 Mustang 177 Running
5 6 86 David Boggs 71 Firebird 174 Running
6 18 70 George Bauer 69 Camaro 173 Running
7 11 19 Bobby Brewer 68 Camaro 172 Running
8 15 54 Bobby Fleming 69 Camaro 171 Running
9 9 90 Jimmy Capps 69 Camaro 167 Running
10 10 43 Bobby Sands 69 Camaro 166 Running
11 12 39 James Raimey 68 Camaro 156 Running
12 16 87 Buck Baker 71 Firebird 154 Running
13 17 06 Bob Williams 70 Mustang 143 Valve
14 4 21 Tommy Andrews 70 Mustang 137 Engine
15 8 17 Ernie Shaw 70 Mustang 134 Running
16 14 9 Stan Starr, Jr. 70 Chevy II 102 Engine
17 3 47 Al Arnold 70 Camaro 62 Water Pump
18 13 27 Steve McWhite 70 Camaro 23 Technical
This picture was taken at Bowman-Gray and not Lake Hill but I think this is the car Tiny drove to the win there.
