Forum Activity for @tim-leeming

Racing History Minute - October 10, 1971

Stock Car Racing History

This time of year, from 1960 forward, has been dominated by the National 500 first, then whatever sponsor came forward for naming rights at Charlotte Motor Speedway, or Lowes Motor Speedway, or whatever sponsor may yet come forward for naming rights. Thus it is, that today we go back to 1971, to a gray, misty and rainy day at the mile and a half track located in Concord, NC.

Forty-two cars started that race with Charlie Glotzbach in a Richard Howard Chevrolet on the pole. Richard Howard, for those who may not know, was heavily involved with Charlotte Motor Speedway as well as in an effort to produce a competitive, race winning Chevrolet. Buddy Baker in a Petty Enterprises Dodge would start second, Bobby Allison in a Holman-Moody Mercury (?) would start third, Donnie Allison in a Wood Brothers Mercury fourth and Richard Petty in the Petty Enterprises Plymouth starting fifth. A. J. Foyt was actually the fastest qualifier in Banjo Matthews Chevrolet but he started 23rd. As best I can recall, most tracks had a two, sometimes three, day qualifying runs with the fastest on day one getting the pole regardless of what speeds may have been recorded on later days. Foyt's speed was 158.492 while pole winner Glotzbach qualified at 157.085.

Some 52,000 fans settled in to watch Glotzbach and Baker trade the lead back and forth for the first 125 laps before Richard Petty slipped out front for 8 laps. Glotzbach moved back to the point on lap 135 but would stay there only that one lap before Bobby Isaac put the red K&K Insurance Dodge back in front. Bobby Allison took over for the first time on lap 158 and would lead until lap 165. Glotzbach was back out front on lap 166 but Allison passed him for the lead again on lap 177.

The skies were dark and threatening rain again, and, in fact it was getting late on a fall October afternoon when Bobby Allison looked out his windshield coming off turn four on lap 238 of the scheduled 335 laps and saw the white flag waving in the hand of flagman, Roby Combs. Bobby had a five second lead over second place and was not in jeopardy of being caught so NASCAR determined that, due to the lateness of the day and the possibilty that the light rain would become a downpour, decided to end the race. Bobby was the winner for the fourth consecutive super speedway race of his season.

Suprisingly, there were no objections from any of the drivers to NASCAR's decision to throw the checkers without warning. In fact, second place finisher, Bobby Isaac, said "I can't grumble. There's no use racing on the wet track until someone gets hurt. I like to race as well as anybody, but not when the track is as slick as this one was getting".

Top five finishers were:

1. Bobby Allison, Holman-Moody Mercury, winning $18,450.00

2. Bobby Isaac, K&K Insurance Dodge, winning $10,525.00 (5 seconds back)

3. Donnie Allison, Wood Brothers Mercury, winning $6,050.00

4. Richard Petty, Petty Enterprises Plymouth, winning $4,025.00

5. Charlie Glotzbach, Richard Howard Chevrolet, winning $2,975.00

Top five were all on the lead lap. Sixth place Buddy Baker was one lap down. Seventh place was Pete Hamilton, Friday Hassler, 8th, James Hylton 9th and Benny Parsons 10th.

Joe Frasson finished 11th, Jabe Thomas 12th, Frank Warren 13th, Elmo Langley 14th, Cecil Gordon 15th and Bill Seifert 17th. Earl Brooks was 21st, J.D. McDuffie 22nd. Cale Yarborough 28th, John Sears 29th and A.J. Foyt 30th. Dave Marcis was 32nd, LeeRoy Yarborough, who was returning to the sport after injuries suffered at Indy finished 34th. Neil Castles was 36th, Marty Robbins 37th, Tiny Lund 38th, Dick Brooks 40th. Wendell Scott, with relief from Coo Coo Marlin, finished 41st and Jim Vandiver, who crashed on lap 10, was credited with 42nd and last. For the record, Elmo Langley also received relief help from Dick May and Henley Gray took over for Bill Champion.

Honor the past, embrace the present, dream for the future

updated by @tim-leeming: 12/05/16 04:00:58PM

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAVE FULTON!!!!

Administrative

No, this is not the intended "Racing History Minute" for this date, but it is my sincere wish that all reading this will join in wishing Dave Fulton a very Happy Birthday. Those of you who have met Dave know what a great guy he is. Those of you who read his posts know what a knowledgeable guy he is. RacersReunion is very fortunate to have Dave as a member, a contributing member to the site. I am very blessed to call Dave my friend. We have shared some great memories and the day I spent with him at the NASCAR Hall of Fame was absolutely wonderful. I just need to teach him that when a kid asks "are you famous", Dave knows the proper way to respond in the future!!!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU MY FRIEND.

Tim

updated by @tim-leeming: 12/05/16 04:02:57PM

YEAH ITS A GEORGIA THING YOU KNOW

General

Georgia is good. No problem with that statement! Have fun, Johnny, I know you will.

October 9, 1983: The unofficial end of Petty Enterprises

Stock Car Racing History

You are correct, Chase, we will never know and I realize I am foolish to follow that line of thinking, but that's just something I believed in deeply. Sometimes I do get too deeply involved in what "might have been".

October 9, 1983: The unofficial end of Petty Enterprises

Stock Car Racing History

I remember I was in shock after the "cheating" was announced. Like everyone else around the sport, I was smart enough to know it went on. Even in the minor leagues where I had competed, it was often blatant and obvious, but the "cheaters" got away with it. I just didn't believe my hero would be involved in cheating and I know Richard said he just drove the car and didn't know about the engine and tires. I could accept that. That is basically the way I raced the last three years. I had no idea what was done to the car, I just got in it a drove.

I remember, very well, seeing Richard about two weeks later on Saturday afternoon at Rockingham before the 500 there. He and I had always, and I mean always, cut up with each other with smart remarks, but that day it was kind of like just asking how the car was running and such things as that. I know I didn't mention the Charlotte episode and as I sat there with Richard for about 45 minutes many of the press came by and most avoided the subject. It was sort of like an out of bounds topic. Guess there was so much respect for Richard that the less said, the better.

As for Junior Johnson, I have great respect for his contributions to the sport and all the great memories I have of my many encounters with him over the years. I do believe, however, that it is well documented that he and Smokey Yunick were the top ranked cheaters of all time in the sport.

As for D.W., he brags today, or how he cheated and got away with it repeatedly. No, he wasn't that smart, but he attracted the crew chiefs that fit right in with his cheating ways. It was not like Black Bart building race cars for Snow White, that's for sure. Black Bart builds race cars for someone like Waltrip.

Yes, Chase, that was the beginning of the end of Petty Enterprises as you and I had known it all those years from the days of "Petty Engineering". Adam Petty was the hope, but thanks to NASCAR's failure to avail themselves of technology that could have saved him, we lost Adam at that trash-track in New Hampshire.

Thanks for the trip back. And Dennis Andrews, thanks for reminding me of how quickly the Junior Johnson team loaded up that cheater car and headed out. I remember thinking, as it pulled out of the garage area after the race, that I had never seen a team load and leave so quickly. Sort of like the engine D.W. blew at the finish line in the All Star Race, or whatever it was called then. Is there anyone out there who believes D.W. didn't blow that engine intentionally? I tell you, if I was standing in a thunderstorm getting soaking wet and D.W. said it was raining, I would NOT believe him.

Racing History Minute - October 9, 1964

Stock Car Racing History

The "Minute" for today was picked because it involves Savannah Speedway in Savannah, Georgia. It was at that track that I came closest to winning a race when I lost to fellow RacersReunion member Johnny Mallonee. Obviously they measure distances differently in Georgia because the flagman, many folks, and I, thought he beat me by about 6 inches. Johnny would rather believe it was by a few feet. If I had had the advantage of Kyle Busch driving lessons I suppose I could have put old Mallonee into the wall and won but I have to credit Johnny as well. He could have put me in the wall and wouldn't have had to be aggrevated with that Plymouth.

Ok, on to the 200 lap/100 mile event on the half-mile dirt track in Savannah on this date 49 years ago today. There were only 12 entries in the event but included in those 12 were three factory drivers, Ned Jarrett (Ford), Richard Petty (Plymouth) and David Pearson (Dodge). When qualifying was over, it was Ned on the pole with a speed of 68.886 mph. David Pearson would start second, Richard Petty third, Curtis Crider fourth and Wendell Scott fifth.

Although Ned Jarrett is credited with leading all 200 laps, during the mid part of the race, he and Petty ran side-by-side and nose-to-tail lap after lap with Petty actually running door-to-door for a full lap before his rear wheels broke loose on the dirt surface, almost taking out both of them. It is also noted in the record that Curtis Crider made a valiant effort for the lead in his "tired Mercury" being referenced as "chasing the factory drivers with all his heart" for 18 laps before his car suffered rear end problems and was parked.

As there were only 12 cars. I'll give you the full run down today.

1. Ned Jarrett, Bondy Long Ford, winning $1,000.00

2. Richard Petty, Petty Engineering Plymouth, winning $600.00 (1 lap down)

3. David Pearson, Cotton Owens Dodge, winning $400.00 (2 laps down)

4. Jack Anderson, Ford, winning $300.00 (7 laps down)

5. Wendell Scott, Scott Ford, winning $275.00 (8 laps down)

6. Larry Thomas, Ford,winning $240.00 (10 laps down)

7. Darrell Bryant, Curtis Crider Mercury, winning $200.00 (22 laps down)

8. Neil Castles, Buck Baker Chrysler, winning $175.00 (23 laps down)

9. Marshall Sargent, David Walker Plymouth, winning $150.00 (engine failure)

10. Curtis Crider, Crider Mercury, winning $140.00 (rear end failure)

11. Frank Brantley, Plymouth, winning $130.00 (oil pressure)

12. Bob Derrington, Derrington Ford,winning $120.00 (fuel pump)

Everytime I do a History Minute of a dirt track race, I remember the drivers climbing from the cars after the race, usually filthy dirty from the track, with a clean area around the eyes where the goggles were. I remember many a short track event, say 100 miles on a half-mile dirt like this race, where some of the drivers would be literally exhausted from the effort expended to finish the race. There is just something about those memories that touch the heart of my love for the sport. As you can see by the payout above, these guys weren't racing for money in an event like this one. Of course there was the points issue, but other than maybe 5 of these 12, points were not an issue.

I often think back to my earliest days around the sport and watching the Grand National races at the half-mile Columbia Speedway, where everyone got dirty before the race was over. I have a memory of Tim Flock and a Hudson Hornet that usually comes to mind when I think of those days. It's thoughts like that which make me realize how fortunate I am to have come along when I did. To have missed that part of my life where the legacy of the sport began would leave a huge hole in who I turned out to be. My sincerest thanks to all those still around who made my youth so wonderful.

Honor the past, embrace the present, dream for the future

updated by @tim-leeming: 12/05/16 04:00:58PM

Forty Years books on ebay!

General

I like that Chase! lol

Forty Years books on ebay!

General

If I paid $200.00 for a racing book it would ultimately cost me quite a bit in legal fees for the divorce bound to happen.

Forty Years books on ebay!

General

He doesn't have the one I'm missing. I have six of the seven. I am missing "High Speed at Low Tide" but Greg told me they didn't print that many of those. Wish I had that just to complete the collection., I wouldn't sell mine at any price. Greg autographed all but one to me personally when they were sent. I am very proud of those books and appreciate that it is through those books that we kicked off this Racing History Minute series. Thanks for letting me know though Chase.

Racing History Minute - October 8, 1972

Stock Car Racing History

If you could blow up that picture from 1960, the guy standing closest to the fence in turn four would be yours truly. I never sat down during that event. Back in those days, I didn't even have to run for the bathroom every hour as I do today!