A Wonderful Day at Occoneechee / Orange Speedway Celebration Saturday
General
There were numerous other RR members at Occoneechee this weekend who will report in detail (some are still there), but let me say that my 10 year old grandson and I had a marvelous day Saturday from the time we entered the gates at 10:30 a.m. until departing at 3:45. Everything everybody said was true and then some. On top of that, we were treated like royalty by the entire staff of volunteers from the time we turned off Interstate 85. I hadthe opportunity to see old friends I hadn't seen in nearly 25 years and meet new ones who I have grown to treasure here on Racers Reunion.Beginning with the current Historic Group president, Laverne Zachary signing us in and making us feel oh so special, it just kept getting better and better. On top of that, my grandson loved it. Meeting a number of fellow RR members and contributors was really special. Being able to put a real face and handshake to names like Jimmy Johnson (with his first name spelled the "right" way), The Legend- Tim Leeming with his booming voice, along with so many others, including master photogs Ray Lamm and Ed Sanseverino. Theentire day was just so, soooo special. I got to see my good friends Joe & Ruth Kelly of "Let's Talk Racing" in Richmond. Joe, at age 75,actually interviewed all the starters in their cars as they prepared for their laps around the restored historic venue. Joe actually raced motorcycles at Occoneechee. On Friday, I rummaged in my garage and found six Wrangler Racing / Dale Earnhardt pit crew shirts tucked away in storage, still resplendentwith theirvibrant Reflex Blue and & PMS Whatever Yellowcolors that once adorned the Earnhardt cars. I tried them all on, but they had apparently shrank in storage. I couldn't button any! I picked the newest one,a 1984 model and my grandson wore it over his coat to Occoneechee. Talk about being able to find a kid in a crowd! All I had to do was look for the yellow Wrangler stallion emblazonned on the back of that crew shirt to find Tommy. There were lots of personal highlights to our day. Here are 3.
1) Being recognized by 2-time GN Champion Ned Jarrett, having him shake Tommy's hand and ask about our family. It didn't hurt my feelings either when Ned said in an interview with Frank Craig that the 1957 Chevy was the best race car ever built!
2) While standing on the actual track before the cars were cranked and having Chocolate Myers, the former Richard Childress/Dale Earnhardt gas manwalk up behind us, grab the back of my grandson's Wrangler pitcrew shirt and hollar, "Boy, where'd you get that shirt? Let me look in the collar and see whose name is in there!" That made Tommy's day.
3) Being recognized by Greg Moore, Bud Moore's son and former Team Manager of Bud Moore Racing as soon as we walked in the VIP tent. While eating a couple of delicious cheeseburgers, Greg walked over with his cell phone and said he had somebody who needed to talk to me. It was Bud Moore on the line from Spartanburg and I just about choked up. Bud said, "Look Fulton (he always called me by my last name), me, Pearson and Cotton Owens meet for lunch every day at noon at the Peach Blossom Restaurant in Spartanburg. You need to come down and eat lunch with us one day." Well, that phone call was the top of the day moment for me on what was a fascinating day.
Kudos to all of the immensely dedicated volunteers who orchestrated this fabulous weekend. The printed event program produced by Ed Sanseverino is particulary impressive. I look forward to seeing the photos that Ed and Ray will post here on this site. What a marvelous time.
updated by @dave-fulton: 12/05/16 04:02:07PM
