Better Reserve Your Labor Day Weekend Tables Now for 2015

Stock Car Racing History

Dennis, I don't know about the Raceway Grill being used in "Thunder in Carolina." How about it guys/gals?

Better Reserve Your Labor Day Weekend Tables Now for 2015

Stock Car Racing History

Ok... for all you "newbies" who never experienced the grease, the smoke and the smell inside Darlington, South Carolina's Raceway Grill on a Labor Day Southern 500 weekend, you better get your reservations in now for 2015 when Darlington Raceway's Southern 500 returns to its traditional Labor Day weekend on the NASCAR schedule.

A cheeseburger steak smothered in onions and gravy and served with home fries is what legendary car owner Bud Moore bought me for lunch on my first visit in 1982 when he, me, Bud's son, Greg Moore and driver Dale Earnhardt shared a table at the"The Grill" back in 1982. I thought I'd died and gone to heaven.

When we returned to the Darlington "open air" garage, everybody near the #15 car could smell Raceway Grill on us! But, it was a great smell!

While you really can't make reservations and must stand in line to be seated, this venerable Raceway Grill establishment gets a "5 STAR" rating on the famed Super Dave Review of NASCAR Track Eating Establishments Built before Winston Shortened the Schedule.

Though this video is from a spring Southern 500 weekend shot during a year when NASCAR was visiting in California on Labor Day, you'll still get a little peek at what the NASCAR insiders considered gourmet food in the days before big money owners began bringing personal chefs serving tofu, Greek yogurt, salsa and who knows what other stuff to today's unsuspecting crews who've never indulged in a can of vienna sausages, a tin of sardines, a bologna burger or a hamburger steak done right.

updated by @dave-fulton: 12/05/16 04:00:58PM

HLB 400 MACON SEPT. 28, 1969

Stock Car Racing History

Thanks, Dennis.

HLB 400 MACON SEPT. 28, 1969

Stock Car Racing History

Kind of interesting and mysterious to see 2nd fast qualifier, Randy Hutchison of Newport News, Virginia, who led 56 laps, retire on lap 194 of 365 with the "Reason Out" listed as "DRIVER FATIGUE." Randy had just turned 21 in August and had just begun his senior year on the Appalachian State University football team in Boone, NC. Wonder if he was worn out from football practice?

Wonder why one of the other Camaro drivers who'd already retired - like Pete Hamilton or Jim Vandiver - get in the obviously very fast Hutchison Camaro and try to finish those final 171 laps? Did Randy's dad not want another driver in the family car? Have any idea, Dennis?

BAMA 400 Sept. 13, 1969

Stock Car Racing History

I know I saw Bob Tullius in a Dart at the June 19, 1968 race won by Donnie Allison in Richmond on the half-mile mile dirt Virginia State Fairgrounds track. Tullius was over his head and out of his element on that dirt track with the good ole boys under the lights. Even Larry Newton in the Austin-Cooper looked better than Tullius in the Dart. But, that was 1968 and not 1969. However, if they'd given an award for ugliest car, the puke yellow/orange Tullius Dart would have won hands down.

August 24, 1975 - Champion Spark Plug 400 - Another epic Petty-Pearson finish

Stock Car Racing History

Ttt

ITS MY YARD AND MY BALL AND MY BAT and MY RULES

Current NASCAR

After reading Brad Teague's comments, it kinda sounds to me like Rick Ware Racing pulled a fast one on ole Brad and his friends to secure some sponsorship dollars.

The original Bristol entry list for the race has Timmy Hill in the #87 that Brad thought he'd be driving and which Timmy did in fact drive.The entry list had Robert Richardson, Jr. in the #23 with sponsor TBA that Blake Koch wound up driving. There's something very, very fishy here besides NASCAR and I believe it is named Rick Ware Racing.

ITS MY YARD AND MY BALL AND MY BAT and MY RULES

Current NASCAR

I suspect that if Brad Teague had been at Bristol with his old car owner, Charlie Henderson, there'd have been no problem. The fact that he was associated with Rick Ware and a previously driven Carl Long entry had him on NASCAR's "special" radar.

ITS MY YARD AND MY BALL AND MY BAT and MY RULES

Current NASCAR

Johnny... I had completely missed hearing about this and looked it up after Tim mentioned Brad Teague:

Jeff Birchfield

Press Sports Writer
jbirchfield@johnsoncitypress.comSports NASCAR/Racing

Teague denied entry into Food City 300

August 22nd, 2014 6:30 pm by Jeff Birchfield

BRISTOL Johnson City driver Brad Teague was denied the opportunity to compete in Friday nights Food City 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway in a decision that left him and several local sponsors fuming.

Teague went to sign in for practice Thursday and was notified by NASCAR officials they were still waiting the results of a mandatory drug test he took on Monday. While Teague and the team appealed to let the 66-year-old driver in the track, their requests were denied.

They wouldnt let me in the race track, period, Teague said. They started checking on the drug test and they saw part of it was negative, but they were still waiting on the complete results. The team asked if I could qualify the car and race it once the results came through, and NASCAR said not without practice.

NASCAR spokesperson Kerry Tharp said it was the decision of Nationwide Series director Wayne Auton whether or not let Teague qualify or race the car.

Per the entry blank, its the series directors discretion whether or not to approve a driver if that driver does not practice the car and get familar with the track prior to qualifying, said NASCAR spokesman Kerry Tharp. That was the case with Brad Teague. He was not here to practice the car and the decision was made to not let him drive this weekend.

Teague has 45 starts in NASCARs three national series (Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Truck Series) at Bristol. Tharp said the decision by the series director centered around the fact Teague hadnt been in a Nationwide Series race since September 2013 at Dover.

It was only half of the story.

Since Teague wasnt sure there would be an opportunity to race at Bristol until a few days ago, he hadnt taken the necessary steps with the mandatory drug test and physical.

According to Teague, it was only confirmed Monday by car owner Rick Ware he would be in a white No. 87 Chevrolet. Once he finally got inside the track after the practices were over, his name was on a white and red No. 23 Chevrolet which didnt match the logos made for several Johnson City companies.

The worst part, Teague said, was that many of those sponsors were asked to pay a fee to get in the track since they had been signed in with the No. 87 car.

You send in the list for people to get sponsors in, Teague said. My brother, they charged him over $100 to get in. He signed in on the 87 car, while evidently Rick Ware knew about the No. 23 the whole time and he hadnt told me about anything.

Teague added the local companies had put their names on the car to support him and they werent interested in sponsoring another driver. Obviously, some wanted refunds after finding out that Blake Koch would be replacing Teague in the car.

The sponsors were like, Brad, we gave that money to you to drive at Bristol, Teague said. Now, they want their money back.

Legendary Car Owner Ed Whitaker Passes Away on Hometown Bristol Weekend; R.I.P., Ed

Current NASCAR