Sorry Danica, Move Over Janet... Ladies Were Making Stock Car Racing Headlines This Week in 1950

Stock Car Racing History

With her finish last weekend at Kansas, the Charlotte track can certainly do some promoting around Danica Patrick... just like Humpy Wheeler did around Janet Guthrie back in the 70s heading into the World 600.

While Humpy Wheeler and the late Big Bill France were master promoters, I'd maintain they had nothing on the late Sam Nunis when it came using the press to fill the stands and using pretty female faces to get on the front sports pages. Sam was the guy who filled Trenton and Lakewood in Atlanta and staged the first race at the current Richmond venue - my hometown track - in 1946, with Chris Economaki in the ticket booth.

It was 64 years ago this week, in May of 1950, that Nunis used an old "professional" wrestling staple and coaxed female driver Sara Christian out of "retirement" as a headliner for his big Reading, Pennsylvania Fairgrounds "Combination" stock car races on May 21, 1950, featuring both Modified and Strictly Stock events pitting men against the ladies.

The races would also feature Louise Smith and Fireball Roberts .

Nowhere will you see the name NASCAR or the name Bill France. As much as today's spinners of history in Daytona and Charlotte would have you believe that Big Bill France and NASCAR invented stock car racing, some of us still like to dig and show that even in 1950, headlines were being made and major stock car races run without the NASCAR imprint.

Using limited advertising... a few small newspaper ads and the requisite posters, Nunis let the Reading Eagle newspaper do his work to pack the Fairgrounds with 10,000 fans on Sunday, May 21, 1950 to see the ladies take on the men.

Nunis dragged Sara Christian right down to the sports editor's office where she told how she hadn't raced since the previous fall and would never again race on the unsafe Lakewood oval in Atlanta that had killed so many drivers. But her friend, promoter Sam Nunis, had convinced her and hubby Frank that she should come north and show the fans there that the women could beat the men.

With the sports editor's front sports page column, Nunis was "off to the races!"

Nunis then prompted the headline story of Fireball Roberts not wanting to be around blondes at the track. The conclusion was Roberts would be ok at Reading because none of the lady drivers were blondes. On and on it went. Nunis was a promoter, unlike these track operators today who open the gates and expect the grandstands to magically fill.

So, as you hear the hoopla this week and next about Danica and remember the press around Janet at Charlotte in the 70s, look down below to 1950 and see how a master promoter headlined the women (they won races back then, too) to fill the stands. I particularly had an image painted when Sara Christain described holding the wheel at Heidelberg for 200 laps.

One thing hasn't changed since 1950. The tracks still run against each other. Williams Grove was running a AAA Big Car race against Nunis and his stock cars on May 21 and Dorney Park was running midgets on Saturday night.

All of these clips come from the Reading Eagle newspaper beginning Wednesday, May 17, 1950 and concluding with race coverage on Monday, May 22, 1950.

When we're done, everyone who thinks Humpy Wheeler or Bill France or NASCAR invented women in stock car racing please raise your hands.

Wednesday, May 17, 1950

Thursday, May 18, 1950

Thursday's Reading paper also carried news that Pennsylvania hero, Tommy Hinnershitz had captured the Big Car race Wednesday night down south at the Greensboro, North Carolina Fairgrounds:

Friday, May 19, 1950 :

Saturday, May 20, 1950 :

Sunday, May 21, 1950 - Race Day :

Monday, May 20, 1950 - Coverage of "Combination" Stock Car Races:

Bill France's future fair haired boy, Fireball Roberts captured Event 3, a ten lap Modified go, but New Jersey drivers Wally Campbell and Bobby Courtwright were the big winners. Sara Christian made her own headlines with impressive drives.

Over at Williams Grove, it was again Tommy Hinnershitz taking home the bacon.

So, as you watch, read and listen to all the NASCAR and media hoopla coming out of Charlotte this week and all the stories about women drivers, just remember that ole Sam Nunis did that, too... and without the help of NASCAR or Bill France, and he did it 64 years ago!.

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

The TRUE All-Star Race really happened back in 1985

Stock Car Racing History

Hmm.... Johnny....

I think they called this format IROC and at the end of its run it was almost exclusively NASCAR drivers and the racing was awful.

Wonder how many folks remember that Martin Truex, Jr. won the final IROC race ever run?

Ted Musgrave was in that race, too. Not exactly what you'd promote as All-Star drivers, but Les Richter, Jay Signore and Roger Penske had to make a buck. The worst IROC races I attended were at Darlington and Richmond. Real stinkers.

Here's the finish of the final IROC race ever run... "identical" cars and all:

2006 Race 4 IROC race number 4 of 4 Saturday, October 28, 2006 at Atlanta Motor Speedway , Hampton, GA 65 laps on a 1.540 mile paved track (100.1 miles) Time of race: 0:54:34 Average Speed: 111.22 mph Pole Speed: n/a Cautions: 3 Margin of Victory: .301 sec Attendance: n/a Lead changes: 16 Glossary #ffa;"> 2006 IROC results / #ffa;"> 2006 standings

Fin	St	#	Driver	Sponsor / Owner	Car	Laps	Money	Status	Led
1	8	8	Martin Truex, Jr.	NASCAR	Pontiac	65		running	12
2	11	17	Matt Kenseth	NASCAR	Pontiac	65		running	0
3	12	20	Tony Stewart	NASCAR	Pontiac	65		running	0
4	9	12	Ryan Newman	NASCAR	Pontiac	65		running	12
5	1	1	Ted Musgrave	NASCAR	Pontiac	65		running	1
6	5	6	Mark Martin	NASCAR	Pontiac	65		running	33
7	6	46	Frank Kimmel	ARCA	Pontiac	65		running	0
8	10	16	Max Papis	Grand-Am	Pontiac	65		running	0
9	7	06	Sam Hornish, Jr.	IRL	Pontiac	65		running	0
10	2	11	Steve Kinser	WoO	Pontiac	65		running	0
11	3	10	Wayne Taylor	Grand-Am	Pontiac	65		running	0
12	4	08	Scott Sharp	IRL	Pontiac	65		running	7

The TRUE All-Star Race really happened back in 1985

Stock Car Racing History

Screen Shot of the grenade

The TRUE All-Star Race really happened back in 1985

Stock Car Racing History

Those of us at the race all gave each other a knowing, if disappointed grin when DW's motor in Junior Johnson's entry exploded right on schedule at the finish line like a pre-programmed hand grenade!

J. B. Day Annual Event IS on for June 1, 2014

Administrative

There's a really nice story, with photo, about J.B. Day, his history, his museum and his relationship with Tim Flock that originally ran in 2005 in the Greenville (SC) Daily New s :

http://www.greenvilleonline.com/article/20080508/SPORTS/80508023/One-time-driver-lifetime-fan-J-B-Day-tracks-GPS-history

May 13, 1972 - Mr. Allison Wins Mr. D's 200

Stock Car Racing History

Two years earlier, on May 13, 1970 a Grand American race was held in Richmond:

Richmond Grand American 200

NASCAR Grand American race
Richmond Fairgrounds Raceway, Richmond, VA
May 13, 1970
200 laps on 0.542 mile paved oval; 108.4 miles

Fin St Driver # Owner Car Laps Money Status Laps Led
1 1 Tiny Lund 55 1969 Chevrolet Camaro 200 1,200 running
2 2 Jim Paschal 14 1970 AMC Javelin 200 750 running
3 4 Ken Rush 44 1969 Chevrolet Camaro 196 750
4 10 Jim Vaughan 7 1969 Chevrolet Camaro 196 475
5 9 Ray Hendrick 0 1968 Chevrolet Camaro 195 400
6 6 Charlie Blanton 42 1969 Chevrolet Camaro 192 350
7 17 Phil Wills 8 1969 Chevrolet Camaro 191 300
8 23 Paul Tyler 92 1969 Pontiac Firebird 188 275
9 19 Ernie Shaw 17 1968 Ford Mustang 181 250
10 21 Richard Childress 26 1968 Chevrolet Camaro 179 225
11 18 Bobby Fleming 54 1969 Chevrolet Camaro 179 210
12 14 Buck Baker 87 1970 Pontiac Firebird 177 200
13 24 Earl Briggs 39 1969 Chevrolet Camaro 176 195
14 20 Stanley Starr 9 1968 Chevrolet Camaro 174 190
15 22 Jerry Hufflin 27 1968 Chevrolet Camaro 161 185
16 12 Tommy Andrews 01 1968 Ford Mustang 141 180
17 3 Randy Hutchison 2 1969 Chevrolet Camaro 132 175
18 11 Al Grinnan 99 1969 Chevrolet Camaro 101 170
19 16 T.C. Hunt 88 1968 Chevrolet Camaro 100 165
20 15 Pee Wee Wentz 5 1969 Chevrolet Camaro 65 160
21 4 Gary Myers 41 1969 Ford Mustang 43 155
22 8 Phil Spiak 40 1969 Chevrolet Camaro 24 150
23 7 Frank Sessoms 21 1968 Chevrolet Camaro 1 145
24 13 C.B. Gwyn 04 1969 Mercury Cougar 1 140

Time of race: 01:31:33
Average Speed: 71.03 MPH
Pole Speed: 22.44 seconds
4 cautions
Race Purse: $ 7,395

May 13, 1972 - Mr. Allison Wins Mr. D's 200

Stock Car Racing History

May 13, 1972 - Mr. Allison Wins Mr. D's 200

Stock Car Racing History

Really stretching for a connection here, but for the very briefest period of time I was in school with Alex Schoenbaum's nephew, Raymond (Ray) of Newport News and Williamsburg, Virginia. Alex Schoenbaum had founded Shoney's and then partnered with Danner. Alex Schoenbaum had a brother, Leon Schoenbaum, who owned a number of Shoney's franchises in Tidewater, Virginia, stretching from Chesapeake to Williamsburg.

On the night of January 21, 1968, returning from Raleigh to Buies Creek, NC off Highway 421 near Angier, the owner rolled his 1957 Chevy convertible in which Schoenbaum was a passenger, killing Schoenbaum.

-------- 14 YEARS AGO TODAY-------

Current NASCAR

Time sure does seem to rush by these days. I was working at Richmond when Kyle was testing in a Felix Sabates car and he let Adam take it for a few spins... his first time in a Cup car. Just yesterday it seems.

Maurice Petty's Wife, Patricia Passes

Current NASCAR

PATRICIA HARRIS PETTY LEVEL CROSS

Patricia Harris Petty, age 69, of Level Cross, died Sunday, May 11, 2014 at Randolph Hospice House, Asheboro.

Mrs. Petty was born December 5, 1944 the daughter of Kenneth Myler and Sue Pickler. Patricia was a native of Guilford County and a homemaker. She was a member of South Elm Street Baptist Church. In addition to her parents, Patricia is preceded in death by her sister, Mary McCorquodale and brother, Danny Harris.

She is survived by her husband: Maurice Petty of the home; daughter: Elizabeth Kratzenberg and her husband Joe of Level Cross; sons: Timmy Petty and his wife Connie of Welcome, Ritchie Petty and his wife Teresa of Level Cross and Mark Petty of Level Cross; grandchildren: Ory Petty, Ashlynn Hayes and her husband Jackson, Judson Petty, Rylie Petty, Baylor Petty, Ramsey Petty, Katherine Ann Petty, Audra Petty, Brenden Kratzenberg and Rachel Kratzenberg; 1 brother.

A private memorial service will be held at a later date. Memorials may be made to Hospice of Randolph, P.O. Box 9, Asheboro, NC 27204-0009, South Elm Street Baptist Church, 4212 S. Elm-Eugene St., Greensboro, NC 27401, Level Cross Baptist Church, 10169 US Hwy 220 Bus. North, Randleman, NC 27317, or Level Cross United Methodist Church, 10142 U.S. Hwy. 220 Bus. N.,Randleman, NC 27317.

Pugh Funeral Home, Randleman is serving the Petty family. Online condolences may be made at www.pughfuneralhome.com