One thing for sure, Chase, by the time I was sponsoring Derrike Cope and his Jefferson Racing Thunderbirds for 7-Eleven in Winston West competition at Willow Springs in 1984 & 1985, the whole deal was definitely paved with asphalt as seen in our member Scott Baker's photo of Derrike there in '85.
So, do we know who the two "Best Dressed Crews" were as selected by the judges appointed by Speedway Management as noted on the entry blank posted by Russ Thompson?
In the late 60s-early 70s, Lennie Pond of Ettrick, Virginia moved from modifieds to the new (in Virginia) NASCAR Late Model Sportsman division, campaigning his beautiful yellow and gold #1VA Chevelles at Southside Speedway and South Boston Speedway with much success, leading to a NASCAR Virginia State Championship. Richard Petty was so impressed watching Pond, that he convinced him to go Winston Cup racing, where Pond and owner Ronnie Elder's crew kept the same beautiful yellow and gold livery, now sporting #54, and beat out Darrell Waltrip for 1973 NASCAR Winston Cup Rookie of the Year honors as an independent. In 2016, a number of Lennie's little Ettrick, Virginia crew gathered to remember Lennie at his little shop, where the beautiful #1VAs and #54 cars were built and maintained. RR member Don Evans photographed the gathering of those now gray haired Lennie Pond volunteer crew members remembering the good times and hard work in racing's bygone era and put them together in a video tribute:
9 minutes of home movies shot in the Daytona Grand National and Sportsman garages 50 seasons ago, during SpeedWeeks 1968:
In 1951, at Richmond's Old Dominion Barn Dance, Crazy Joe Maphis recorded "Racing at Royall Speedway" and sang of Buddy Shuman "An Ole Tar Heel" racing with the Richmond Stock Car Racing Association at what is now Southside Speedway in Chesterfield County, just southwest of Richmond off U.S. Highway 360.
Wilson Daily Times coverage of Dale Earnhardt's November 13, 1977 Wilson County Speedway win:
Color photo of Dale Earnhardt and Robert Gee at Wilson County Speedway with the Southern Late Model 200 winner's trophy on November 13, 1977. Earnhardt drove the Gee Camaro #17 on his fist visit to the famed Wilson half-mile dirt track. In coverage by the Wilson Daily Times he following day, 2nd place finisher Tommy Houston said Firestone tires on the Gee #17 won the race for Earnhardt.
Driver Dean Combs didn't hook up with Richmond's Irv Sanderson and his Datsun until the 1980 season. Combs had driven small Chevy models in earlier seasons.
In a 1977 Wilmington (DE) News Journal Story, it was stated that Sanderson was fielding the only import in the Series as the Baby Grands prepared for their first race at Dover:
Alderman Eyes New Challenge
From the Dover Bureau DOVER
May 10, 1977
George Alderman has been involved in road racing for the past 20 years, but he may have a change in heart following the running of the NASCAR Baby Grand Division 50-mile race Saturday afternoon at Dover Downs International Speedway. Alderman, who operates a Datsun dealership in Wilmington, is handling the engine work for Irv Sanderson's (Richmond, Va.) Datsun 610, entered in Saturday's first running ever of a Baby Grand race in Dover. "We are looking into maybe joining this Baby Grand racing series," said Alderman, after watching driver George Tompkins complete a test run yesterday morning at the cold Dover Downs oval. "This series is certainly catching on and we may be looking to field a car in this series in the near future." Right now. Alderman, a two time national driving champion in the International Motors Sports Association (IMSA) road series, is working behind the scenes, hoping Sanderson's car will hold up well on Saturday. The Baby Grand race is the highlight of Saturday's activities at Dover Downs. The Mason-Dixon 500 race, featuring such drivers as Cale Yarborough, Richard Petty, David Pearson and Bobby Allison, will be run Sunday afternoon at noon. Alderman has his own crew chief, Barry Britton of Wilmington, handling the engine work on the Virginia car that has been running well in the series this year. Most cars on the Baby Grand Circuit are running with a 2300 CC engine. Alderman has installed only a 2000 CC engine in Sanderson's car, but feels in the long run the car will hold its own with the other competition. "We've been together with the Virginia people for about eight months," added Alderman. "We may build a car of our own, if we like what we see on Saturday. The car has been very competitive so far and we are looking to get more power in it. We are the only Datsun or import car on the circuit. "
Here's a Jeremy Markovich photo of Dean Combs in 2015 displaying a blown up piece from one of his stills:
