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Racing History Minute - October 8, 1972

Stock Car Racing History

The National 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway ended in thrilling fashion after what had appeared to be a ho-hum finish with Bobby Allison holding a 15 second lead over Richard Petty when Petty's tire blew coming down the backstraight, putting the red and blue Dodge into a spin ending on the inside retaining wall. Then, as they say, the race was on when the green waved again. But let's go back for qualifying.

David Pearson put the Wood Brothers Mercury on the pole, a very familiar position for Pearson and the number 21 at Charlotte. Buddy Baker, in the K&K Insurance Dodge would roll off second. A.J. Foyt, just one of a number of USAC drivers entered, would start a second Wood Brothers entry third. Bobby Allison in the Richard Howard Chevrolet would go off fourth and Bobby Isaac in a Banjo Matthews Chevy started fifth. Sixth place starter WAS to have been Fred Lorenzen but the night before the race, Hoss Ellington, the car owner, walked into his motel room to find a handwritten not from Freddie advising him that he (Freddie) was leaving and was, in fact, gone, disappeared. In a last minute rush to find a driver, Hoss called on Cale Yarborough who accepted the ride and would start the race in sixth. There are no details available as to what the note from Freddie expressed.

While having mentioned the USAC drivers entered along with A.J. Foyt, Bobby Unser, Gordon Johncock Butch Hartman and Roger McCluskey competed that October afternoon.

Pearson would lead the first three laps, but the heavy footed charger, Buddy Baker, would take over on lap 4. Baker and Pearson swapped the lead back and forth for several laps before Bobby Isaac slipped into the lead. Literally, from lap 10, Baker, Pearson and Isaac ran door-to-door and bumper to bumper, sometimes trading the lead two or three times a lap, and those three were dominating the front positions. Hanging just car lengths back was Bobby Allison who finally pushed his way into the lead the first time on lap 97.

While Charlotte Motor Speedway was known for competitive events, this 500 miler was a barnburner. After lap 97, the lead was up for grabs every lap between Baker, Allison, Petty, Isaac, Pearson and A. J. Foyt. Side-by-side racing was the norm and was seen almost every lap, if not for the lead, for most other positions through the field.

After the Petty blown tire with 16 laps to go, the green flew with 10 laps to go. The crowd of 73,000 were on their collective feet cheering their favorite as Allison and Baker fought it out for the win. The lead changed between those two on every lap until, with four to go, Allison moved out front and stayed there to win by less than a car length. Baker tried to move on Allison coming off turn four for the checkers, but Cecel Gordon, running 29 laps down, was in the lane Buddy needed. That sealed the Allison win.

After the race, Buddy said Bobby "tapped him" to make the pass. Buddy went on to say "I'm not going to talk about it, but I can pretty well understand why Bobby and Richard got into it at Martinsville and Wilkesboro". Allison stated that he never touched Baker. "The only person I tapped was Pearson earlier in the race. I passed Baker clean".

Top five finishers were:

1. Bobby Allison, Richard Howard Chevrolet, winning $21,450.00

2. Buddy Baker, K&K Insurance Dodge, winning $12,400.00 (less than a car length)

3. David Pearson, Wood Brothers Mercury, winning $6815.00 (2 laps down)

4.A. J. Foyt, Wood Brothers Mercury, winning $4,090.00 (2 laps down)

5. Butch Hartman, Junie Donlevey Ford, winning $3,570.00 (5 laps down)

Sixth through tenth were Darrell Waltrip, James Hylton, Buddy Arrington, Joe Frasson and Richard Petty. Although Petty was out of the race at the end, he left the track with the points lead over Allison. The lead was 127.9 points with two races left in the season.

Ron Keselowski (Uncle to Brad) was 11th, Neil Castles 15th, John Sears 16th, Cecil Gordon 17th, with Bill Champion 18th.Frank Warren was 21st, Donnie Allison 25th, Dave Marcis 26th,Bobby Isaac 28th, and Pete Hamilton 22nd.

Finishing 33rd was Jim Vandiver, with Coo Coo Marlin 34th, Elmo Langley 35th, G.C. Spencer 36th, Jabe Thomas 37th, Benny Parsons 38th, Cale Yarborough 39th.

USAC drivers finished 4th with A.J. Foyt, 5th with Butch Hartman, 27th with Roger McCluskey, 42nd with Gordon Johncock, and 43rd with Bobby Unser. Oh, and as for the Chevrolet Cale took over after Lorenzen bailed, he was running a competitve race when a mishap on pit road on lap 82 sidelined the Chevrolet.

PERSONAL NOTE ON THIS RACE. Several of my friends and I watched this race from the depression in turns three and four where you could park at a certain level and have a very good view of more than half of the back straight, and all of turns three and four with no obstructions. It was an incredibly exciting race for the most part and we enjoyed it.

Long after the race, after we had spent our time in the pits with Richard Petty and other drivers who would hang around the pit wall back in those days, we went out over the back stretch gate as you enter turn four. As the traffic moved along slowly, I looked in the mirror and right behind me was Cecil Gordon, all alone, driving his flat bed tow truck with his number 24 Mercury on the back. I put my Plymouth in park and told David to drive and I got out and went and climbed on the running board of Cecil's tow truck. He and I talked for more than 30 minutes as the traffic inched along the dirt road behind the track. I don't recall the topic of conversation but I NEVER passed up an opportunity to talk with any race driver. I'm still about as bad today.

Two years ago, at Stocks for Tots at the NASCAR Institute, I was sitting next to Cecil signing autographs and mentioned that day in Charlotte. He gave me a hearty laugh and said he remembered that event. He said he had just finished a pretty good race (8th place) and he was feeling good. He said having a fan hang onto his running board and talk in all that traffic just topped off a pretty good day for him. Whether he truly remembered that or not, I can't be sure. But I am sure that Cecil Gordon was a true journeyman race drive and a fine gentleman. He and I encountered each other often during his career because he was always working on his car and was easily approached. What a truly class act Cecil was.

As he and I were signing autographs and talking, he mentioned to me that he rarely did something like that as he was a little "shy". While I did not remember that about him, I did notice he was a little more quiet that most of the folks there. But about 20 minutes into the event, he was very touched when a fan showed up with an old "hero card" which was that Mercury in which he finished 8th at Charlotte. He held the card and looked at it long and hard. He asked the guy where he had found that and the guy told Cecil that he actually got the card at Charlotte that day but Cecil was too young to know to ask for it to be autographed. I think you could feel the vibes from Cecil as he could hardly accept that a fan had kept his hero card for 39 years waiting for an autograph. That was the humble and kind Cecil Gordon. We need more like him in today's racing. Rest in Peace Cecil. You are missed.

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

updated by @tim-leeming: 04/30/21 08:26:03AM

Frances End Divorce Battle; Settle Out of Court

Current NASCAR

Oh well, she married him twice so she's not that smart. She just stumbled into a good thing with all the hidden money. So, even the maid got an $800,000 condo? Not a bad deal.

Racing History Minute - October 7, 1951

Stock Car Racing History

Thanks for reading and commenting Charles Ray. Let's keep the excitement going!!!

Racing History Minute - October 7, 1951

Stock Car Racing History

May have followed these signs Dave. He did, for several years, drive a tanker truck hauling gas to Pure stations around the midlands of South Carolina.

Racing History Minute - October 7, 1951

Stock Car Racing History

When choosing a story for today's "Minute", I could not pass up the 150 mile event run as the 31st event on NASCAR's 1951 Grand National schedule. Twenty-four cars pulled into the Occoneechee Speedway in Hillsboro (way it was spelled then), NC for 150 laps around the 1 mile dirt track. As it is with so many of the early events, my source (Greg Fielden's "Forty Years of Stock Car Racing")does not include much detail but still the event should not be overlooked for that reason.

We do know that Herb Thomas in that FABULOUS Hudson Hornet started on the pole with a qualifying speed of 79.628 mph. I am guessing Fonty Flock started on the outside front row because he usually qualified very well AND because the record shows he led the first 85 laps before his engine began to go south, finally forcing his withdrawal from the race on lap 88. It was at that point that Herb Thomas took over and would lead to the checkered flag. Leonard Trippett, also driving a Hudson Hornet would finish second for his best effort in Grand National Racing.

Herb averaged 72.454 mph in the win and maintained his lead in the points standing. It was the Herb's sixth win of the season and lengthened his lead in the points.

Top five finishers were:

1. Herb Thomas, FABULOUS Hudson Hornet, winning $1,000.00

2. Leonard Tripplett, Hudson Hornet, winning $700.00 (1 lap down)

3. Joe Eubanks, Oates Motor Co. Oldsmobile, winning $450.00 (2 laps down)

4. Jim Paschal, Julian Buesink Ford, winning $350.00 (3 laps down)

5. Lee Petty, Petty Special Plymouth, winning $150.00 (3 laps down)

Sixth through tenth were Donald Thomas, Furman Lancaster, Alton Haddock, Bill Blair, and Coleman Lawerence. J.C. White would finish 11th, Billy Myers 12th, Jimmie Lewallen 13th, Del Pearson 14th and Fonty Flock 15th. Sixteenth would go to Leon Sales with Roscoe Thompson 17th. Eighteenth through twenty-fourth were Buck Baker, Jerry Wimbish, Gober Sosebee, Slick Smith, Clyde Minter and Curtis Hunt.

PERSONAL NOTE: My Uncle Bobby told me that he and I went to two races at Occoneechee, he thinks, 1962 and 1963, and I do have some memory of those trips. I do remember that back in those days there were no interstate highways so the trips were long, mostly two lane blacktop through little towns. I really think part of the adventure of going to races back then was seeing all the small southern towns we would pass through on those trips.

When I was standing in the infield of Occoneechee two weeks ago watching 41 (or 43 by some count) race cars of the past rolling on that track I was impressed. As the supposedly "controlled laps" got faster and faster, the dust began to rise and got quite heavy. Some of the "boys" would come by the stands and get down on those cars causing the rear tires to spin and kick up more dust. I was loving that.

As the dust began to settle and events at the track wound down, I hicked a ride on the back seat of a golf cart driven by Peanut Turman (yes, I still have a spirt of adventure in me at times) and as the track disappeared through the trees and the dust was settling back to the ground. once more silence fell upon the historic track. But, thanks to the efforts of The Historic Speedway Group, this scene will be repeated each year. A part of history lives at that track.

When I got home Saturday evening and was changing clothes, Ann made the comment that I had surely managed to get dusty and dirty. I sort of smiled at the thought of "that's how it used to be in my youth" when I would come in from the race tracks wherever Uncle Bobby took me. My Mama used to say pretty much the same thing. You know, it's sort of like the dust I never want to shake off. It's a part of history. It is a part of racing. It is a Part of me.

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

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

ARE YOU HAPPY NOW??

Current NASCAR

Johnny, it was, for the most part, a good race. They kept talking about the "clean air" being such an advantage for the leader and it did appear once out front, no matter who it was, they could run away from the field. The other positions were contested throughout so it was a good race.

Richmond Track "Tearing Down" Over 10,000 Seats That No Longer Sell - Sad, Sad, Sad

Current NASCAR

Well, I guess that is one way to make the crowds appear larger. With fewer seats, the camera will pick up what would seem to be a larger crowd. As Kyle (Thomas K. Craig) says, it is a shame but I'm sure other tracks will follow suit. They could have put the entire Dover crowd in a small high school football stadium. I can't help but wonder when it is going to hit the television advertisers that if fans are NOT going to races, and fans at NOT watching races on television, why are they spending money there advertising. This lucrative television contract NASCAR snagged this go-around will, in my humble opinion, be the last major money network contracts they get.

Racing History Minute - October 6, 1955

Stock Car Racing History

Yes, sir, I would say those home made heads were pretty good too.

Racing History Minute - October 6, 1955

Stock Car Racing History

The Blackwell brothers were always very, very kind to me. I don't think I ever paid to get into a race up there after 1973. If they had a "tough" reputation,I never knew from where it came. Thanks for sharing the infomation Dave.

Racing History Minute - October 6, 1955

Stock Car Racing History

When you read the report from my source (Greg Fielden's "Forty Years of Stock Car Racing") you would be confused if you read the finishing order before the actual report. In the finishing order, the 28th and last place finisher is credited with 200 laps, the official distance of the 100 mile race on the half-mile dirt track. However, first place finisher is credited with 199 laps, one lap short of the scheduled distance. All of this took place at Greenville-Pickens Speedway in South Carolina.

When qualifying was over, Bob Welborn in his own Chevrolet, won the pole with a speedof 58.037 mph. Tim Flock would start his Mercury Outboards Chrysler second with Joe Eubanks in a Chevy third, Jim Massey in the Hubert Westmoreland Chevy fourth and Jack Smith in yet another Chevy starting fifth.

The story of the race is Jim Reed in a "homemade Chevy", who came south from Peekskill, NY to run NASCAR Grand National. Tim Flock had been leading in his Carl Kiekhaefer "big bucks" Chrysler for most of the race but as the laps were drawing to a close, Reed caught the flying Flock and took over the point. The checkered flag waved abovve the number 7 Chevy and Reed pulled up in front of the stands to celebrate the win. Almost immediately, Kiekhaefer protested Reed's win. In Kiekhaefer's mind there was no way an upstart driver in a "junk" Chevy was going to beat his star driver in the immaculate Chrysler. Sure enough, when NASCAR finished its inspection, the Reed Chevy was determined to have "illegal" heads, or, as NASCAR stated in its official explanation, "non-stock heads".

This was the third time in NASCAR's Grand National History that a winner had been disqualified. Remember, it happened in the very first race. Second time it happened, it was Tim Flock who was disqualified. This time Flock benefitted. When the checkers waved, Flock was actually one lap behind Reed so the winner of the 200 lap event only completed 199 laps. There were 8,000 fans in attendance for the race that saw only one caution flag which allowed the average race speed to come in at 57.942 mph, just slightly slower than the pole winning speed. No mention is made of whether that speed was determined by 200 or 199 laps.

Top Five finishers were:

1. Tim Flock, Mercury Outboards Chrysler, winning $1,100.00

2. Junior Johnson, Bob Welborn Chevrolet, winning $700.00 (2 laps down)

3. Bob Welborn, Welborn Chevrolet, winning $475.00 (2 laps down)

4. Jim Massey, Westmoreland Chevrolet, winning $365.00 (2 laps down)

5. Buck Baker, DePaolo Ford, winning $310.00 (2 laps down)

Sixth through tenth were Jimmy Thompson, Bill Widenhouse, Jack Smith, Jimmie Lewallen, and Lee Petty. Dink Widenhouse would finish 11th, Jim Paschal 22nd,

Fonty Flock 25th, and Gwyn Staley 27th. Reed is shown as disqualified and credited with NO laps and received NO money.

SIDEBAR ON GREENVILLE-PICKENS: The actual first live telecast of flag-to-flag coverage of a race was NOT the 1979 Daytona 500 as some would ask you to believe but was, instead, a 1971 event from Greenville-Pickens shown on ABC. Bobby Isaac won that event.

Also, Greenville-Pickens was the track where so many of the stars of NASCAR's Late Model Sportsman Division gained their experience. Last time I was up there, the names of the track champions over the years were painted on the wall around the track. An impressive list of NASCAR stars to say the least. I hope that wall is still there and still contains those names. Would be worth a trip back just to see if the names are still there.

Greenville-Pickens is often used as a "test track" for today's Cup drivers. You never know when Jeff Gordon will be testing there, or Ryan Newman, or many others. It is a great half-mile asphalt track and is super fast.

PERSONAL NOTES: I attended several Grand National races there over the years. I never, however, raced there. My schedule was Columbia on Thursday, Savannah on Friday and Augusta on Saturday. When Augusta closed down, we went to Myrtle Beach Speedway because it was a short haul from Savannah. Often times I wish I had run at Greenville-Pickens at least once. It is certainly a track with a long and historic background.

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

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