Go Daddy is GONE Daddy
Current NASCAR
The GoGirl may be gone, too... in spite of the Fox announcing crew to constantly beat me up with how great she's doing.
http://www.charlotteobserver.com/sports/nascar-auto-racing/thatsracin/article19861239.html
Forum Activity for @dave-fulton
Current NASCAR
Racing History Minute - April 26, 1959
Stock Car Racing History
Reading Eagle - August 7, 2006
Reading Eagle - January 27, 1980
Reading Eagle - July 31, 1999
Racing History Minute - April 26, 1959
Stock Car Racing History
The half-mile dirt Reading Fairgrounds Speedway hosted its last race of any kind in 1979. The property was then developed into Fairgrounds Square Mall.
Guess what? Now Fairgrounds Square Mall situated on the site of the former Reading racetrack is a near ghost town as evidenced in a video shot at 3:00pm on Saturday afternoon October 5, 2014.
Perhaps turnaround is fair play. Maybe they could tear down the mall and build a racetrack.
Racing History Minute - April 26, 1959
Stock Car Racing History
Good stuff, Chase. If you recall, we talked a little about the Polo Grounds and Ed Otto and the Reading race a couple of years back in some comments to one of Tim's posts:
http://racersreunion.com/community/forum/stock-car-racing-history/26378/racing-history-minute-august-21-1959
1957 Chevys in NASCAR
Stock Car Racing History
Here's Jack Smith in the #47 on the beach at Daytona in February 1957.
Xfinity series heating up in Richmond tonite
Current NASCAR
Turner, RIR fire crews act quickly during Xfinity race pit fire
Posted: Saturday, April 25, 2015 7:04 pm
BY TIM PEARRELL Richmond Times-Dispatch
Clifford Doc Turner cant tell you why he helped rescue Anthony OBrien after a blaze on pit road caught OBrien on fire during Friday nights Xfinity Series race at Richmond International Raceway.
The optometrist by trade just knew that somebody had to do something to lend a hand, and he was in the right spot to do it.
Turners quick thinking and quick reaction got OBrien on the ground and aided in smothering the flames before emergency crews quickly extinguished the rest of it.
OBrien and another member of driver Brendan Gaughans pit crew, Josh Wittman, were taken to a hospital for treatment and observation.
Wittman was released from Saturday after overnight observation but O'Brien remains in the hospital for further evaluation and is in "good condition," according to Richard Childress Racing.
Gaughan tweeted that the boys will be okay. One of them will be out awhile, but should be ok.
Turner, the second gas man and gas runner on Eric McClures team, also was taken to a hospital, where he was treated for inhalation of fire extinguisher chemicals and released. Turner, who was not burned and said he had only a scratchy throat, spoke about the scary scene after returning home on Saturday morning to Cabot, Ark.
The fire erupted as Gaughans car was being fueled as he was about to leave the pits during a caution. OBrien, the rear tire changer, was working on the left tire near Wittman, the gas man, as Wittman fueled the car.
Shane Wilson, Gaughans crew chief, told NASCAR.com that the nozzle on the gas can malfunctioned and didnt make a good seal. That sparked a fire that engulfed OBrien and Wittman before it was quickly extinguished by emergency personnel.
Wilson said NASCAR will examine the gas filler at its Research and Development Center.
Turners job is to hand the second can of fuel to McClures gas man. He was behind the wall in the pit stall behind Gaughans, waiting for McClure to pit.
I saw the flames shoot up and the back of the car was just engulfed, Turner said. I saw the fuel man spin around with the can and lay it down. Then I saw the rear-tire changer just come up out of the flames and come over the wall running. He was soaked in fuel.
I just happened to be in a good spot and jumped over there and tackled him. I knew it was bad, just because the flames were so big. But it was fixing to really get ugly.
I couldnt tell you why I did it. I just did it.
Turner, who was dressed in full fire protection gear, said everything seemed to go in slow motion, even though it lasted only seconds. As he was on top of OBrien, he could feel the heat from the flames all around me but couldnt get them all the way out until track fire personnel quickly doused them with extinguishers.
They were Johnny on the spot, Turner said. I dont know which one it was, but Id like to shake his hand.
NASCAR positions a fireman in each pit. Turner estimated that one was no more than 10 feet away when he tackled OBrien.
When we get ready to pit, hes standing right there with the pin pulled and hose in hand, he said.
Im just lucky they were right there. They were right where they were supposed to be, doing what they were supposed to do. Thanks goodness for Simpson fire suits.
Turner, 56, grew up in Coeburn in Southwest Virginia. He came up around racing, has known the McClure family for some time and has been working on Eric McClures team for about 10 years.
He said the immediacy of the moment outweighed everything else when he went into action.
Thats what youve always been taught: stop, drop and roll, he said.
I just knew it wasnt going to be pretty. I wasnt scared for me, but I was scared for those around us.
Xfinity series heating up in Richmond tonite
Current NASCAR
That could have been a lot worse. A possible tragedy was avoided.
BELTSVILLE 100 April 26, 1970
Stock Car Racing History
Herman was still racing at Southside Speedway as late as 1983. When the Late Model Sportsman cars disappeared in 1982, Herman switched to Late Model Stock Cars as seen in the 1983 Woody Delbridge photo below:
BELTSVILLE 100 April 26, 1970
Stock Car Racing History
Herman, from Petersburg, ran with us at Southside Speedway every Friday night, while Pee Wee competed often at South Boston.