Happy 75th Birthday, "King" Richard Petty
Stock Car Racing History
Courtesy Petty Garage as posted at Hemmings Motor News.
Forum Activity for @dave-fulton
Stock Car Racing History
Happy 75th Birthday, "King" Richard Petty
Stock Car Racing History
There is only one King. He's the man who made the fans feel special.
Happy 75th Birthday, "King" Richard Petty
Stock Car Racing History
Doesn't matter if you pulled for Plymouth, Dodge, Olds, Ford, Chevy, Hudson, Merc, Chrysler or Henry J. Today is a special day for all NASCAR fans.
Happy 75th Birthday, Richard Petty!!!
A birthday fit for The King, Richard Petty
Jose Carlos Fajardo - MCT
By Jim Utter - jutter@charlotteobserver.com
You will have to find a cake large enough to hold 75 candles if you want to celebrate the birthday of "The King" Richard Petty on Monday.
Petty, the seven-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion and owner of 200 Cup Series wins, including seven Daytona 500 victories, is celebrating his 75th birthday in the same town he was born, Level Cross, N.C. Petty will spend time working at the current location of Petty's Garage and will later spend time with his family.
Later this week, Petty will fly to a familiar summer spot for him in early July, Daytona Beach, Fla., where he and his family enjoy a birthday dinner in his honor.
The dinner, coined "Red, White and Petty Blue," will take place at the Wyndham Ocean Walk Resort and feature guest speakers who have been a part of Petty's life. The night will conclude with a fireworks display and a birthday cake made by the TLC hit show "Cake Boss."
"I'm really thankful for everyone who has supported us over the years," said Petty. "I really don't think about age too much. I just keep going to the next race. I've been doing that all my life and that's what I'm going to keep doing. But, I am grateful for each day and all the fans who make this a lot of fun for us."
Read more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/07/01/2172682/a-birthday-fit-for-the-king-richard.html#storylink=cpy
updated by @dave-fulton: 12/16/16 07:54:05AM
Another Junie Donlavey Play It Forward Act of Kindness
Stock Car Racing History
I'm sure that if he has seen them it was a very treasured moment. That was a wonderful thing to do, Jay.
Another Junie Donlavey Play It Forward Act of Kindness
Stock Car Racing History
Yes, that's why I couldn't credit the author by name.
Another Junie Donlavey Play It Forward Act of Kindness
Stock Car Racing History
I just came across this nearly year old blog, but want to share it.
It so exactly describes Junie Donlavey and his character.
Tribute to Junie Donlavey
Junie Donlavey is a NASCAR legend.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
I recently went home to attend a Tribute to Junie Donlavey night at Southside Speedway. Junie is a NASCAR legend and was owner of the number ninety race team for over fifty years. His car only won one points race and one Gatorade dual, but winning wasnt what Junie is known for. Junie provided the opportunity to more than sixty-five drivers to race at the elite level in NASCAR.
He was always willing to give a driver his first or last ride. Many of those that drove for Junie have become famous in their own right such as Ken Shrader, Ernie Irvan, Ricky Rudd, Rick Mast, Dick Trickle, Mike Wallace, Hut Stricklin, Benny Parsons, and Robby Gordon. Jodie Ridley was the only driver to give Junie a win and that happened in 1987 at the Mason-Dixon 500 in Dover, Delaware. Three drivers earned the Rookie of the Year award while piloting one of Junies cars.
I met Junie when he surprised me at my Eagle Scout Court of Honor. My Scoutmaster invited him and Junie missed a race to come. Junie stated that my accomplishment was more important than a race because he had been to races before and would go to them again. Thats what Junie does he is always thinking of other people.
After meeting Junie, he allowed me to volunteer at his race shop. It was there that I got to work on race cars doing everything from fabricating parts to helping decal the car. Junie often told me stories of his racing days and advised me on my career goals to be a motorsports engineer.
Junie is a pseudo grandfather to me. Hes not only been to my Eagle ceremony, but he attended high school band concerts, and took me to lunch. Junie is a personal mentor. He quietly goes about his days, helping others, and never expecting anything in return. Hes kind and polite. Hes friendly. Hes successful. And, hes a friend.
I wouldnt have missed going to the tribute to such a great person ! He definitely deserved it!
updated by @dave-fulton: 12/05/16 04:00:58PM
#3 Poised for Return to Cup Circuit?
Stock Car Racing History
I think one day he'll run it again and has every right to run it.
#3 Poised for Return to Cup Circuit?
Stock Car Racing History
I can remember many non-race fans walking into our Eagles Lodge or Moose Club on Sunday afternoon during a race. Invariably they asked one of two questions -
* Where's Earnhardt?
* Where's the 3?
Didn't matter if they loved or hated him, they wanted to know where he was.
#3 Poised for Return to Cup Circuit?
Stock Car Racing History
Richard Childress "hinted" in Kentucky that the #3 might return to NASCAR Cup racing.
This "news" could polarize some fans down the way. Car numbers, of course, are owned by NASCAR and it is always their right to issue them however they please.
Some car numbers have been synonymous with particular drivers or teams. Although I remember the #3 enjoying great success on cars campaigned by Ray Fox and associate it still with Junior Johnson and Charlie Glotzbach, we all know that in recent years the number was used by the Richard Childress organization in Cup racing, first by Richard and later by Dale Earnhardt when Wrangler talked Richard into moving Dale into his car during the 1981 racing season.
Say #43 and we think of Richard Petty. Say #21 and we think of Wood Brothers.
When Glen Wood agreed during negotiations by his sons Eddie and Len and agent Jack Arute to run car #7 for the 1985 NASCAR Cup season with sponsorship from 7-Eleven and Kyle Petty driving, it was only after I had extracted a "gentleman's agreement" from Bill France, Jr. for #7 to be issued to Glen and that the #21 would be held in reserve and be available to Glen when he again desired to use the number.
During the 1985 and 1986 season, Glen agreed to let former Wood Brothers' driver, David Pearson use the #21, first with David, then with son, Larry in the Chattanooga Chew car.
When Southland Corporation sold its CITGO subsidiary, CITGO continued the Wood Brothers sponsorship for 1987 with the return of #21 on the Kyle Petty / Wood Brothers entry and David Pearson's family team moving to #16. The Wood family - the team today technically is owned by Glen's three children, Kim, Eddie & Len (Leonard has no ownership in the team and never has) - has again run #21 every year since.
If I had it to do over again, I wish we (7-Eleven) had not pushed Glen Wood to run #7 on his car. I still feel bad about that 27 years later. It was a crappy move by us at 7-Eleven.
The door left open on the return of No. 3 ?
By Jim Utter - jutter@charlotteobserver.com
Saturday, Jun. 30, 2012
SPARTA, Ky. - There was no mistaking what was heard from Richard Childress.
It was the sound of the door being left open as to whether he would run a No. 3 car in the Sprint Cup Series in the future.
Well after his grandson, Austin Dillon, earned his first Nationwide Series victory Friday night at Kentucky Speedway in the No. 3 Chevrolet, Childress was asked again of the possibility of Dillon or someone else running the number in Cup.
The late Dale Earnhardt drove the stylized black No. 3 Chevrolet for most of his NASCAR career, winning six of his record seven championships with Childress. Earnhardt was killed in a last-lap wreck in the 2001 Daytona 500.
"I look at the No. 3 as family. I drove it, I was fortunate. I didn't do near as good as some of these other drivers did," Childress said. "It's special because you have so many fans who want to see the No. 3 and then you have some who question running the No. 3.
"I wouldn't let anyone else other than an Earnhardt or a Dillon drive the No. 3 in Trucks. Once we get done with the Trucks with Ty and Austin, no one will drive the No. 3 in Trucks again unless it's one of their kids or an Earnhardt."
But what about Cup?
Austin Dillon won the Truck series championship last season driving the No. 3 and is driving the same number in Nationwide this season. Could he take the No. 3 to the Cup series one day?
"Dale Earnhardt made that stylized No. 3 famous and we don't have any intentions of running that stylized No. 3 in Cup," he said. "We don't have any intentions but that always leaves an opening. Right now we don't have any intentions of running that stylized No. 3 in Cup."
Childress paused for a moment.
"That leaves an opening, doesn't it?" he said.
Austin Dillon, whose eyes got wider the longer his grandfather spoke on the subject, said quickly, "We'll talk later."
Read more here: http://www.thatsracin.com/2012/06/30/90532/the-door-left-open-on-the-return.html#storylink=cpy
updated by @dave-fulton: 12/16/16 07:54:05AM
STANDINGS AFTER SAT NITE
Current NASCAR
Here's a little song for that old crew chief firer and hirer, Tony Stewart regarding his NASCAR Point Title chance for 2012 after Saturday night. Enjoy this, Darian Grubb.