That is an issue I had not anticipated in that form of qualifying. Obviously, something needs to be done and I have a few suggestions, but I'll leave that to the experts. There are plenty of those around.
This date we go to the Atlantic Rural Fairgrounds in Richmond, VA, for the "Richmond 250". This race consisted of 250 laps on the half mile dirt track that has quite the history in NASCAR records and folklore. One interesting fact about the track was Junior Johnson's woeful record there. He had been running the track since 1955, a full ten years, and although he had led many laps in several races, he always came up short. It was as though Junior was jinxed by the Richmond dirt.
For this race, Junior would put his 1965 Ford on the pole with a qualifying speed of 67.847 mph. Doug Cooper, in an independent Ford would start second, Dick Hutcherson in a Holman-Moody factory Ford started third, G.C. Spencer in his independent Ford fourth, and Ned Jarrett in the Bondy Long Factory Ford fifth. The designation of "factory" and "independent" is used here to point out that Ford Motor Company had the season to themselves after successfully lobbying NASCAR to outlaw the Chrysler Corporation "Hemi" engine. There were Mopars entered in the race but all were the 426 Wedge engine from Chrysler which were not as powerful as the "Hemi" and therefore easier for Ford to beat. Even so, there were only three factory Fords entered, Johnson, Jarrett, and Hutcherson.
Junior Johnson led the first 55 laps before Hutcherson took over in his Ford. When pit stops began around lap 70, second place starter DougYates got a chance to put his independent Plymouth into first place. Yates would lead until lap 86 when Johnson went back out front. Ned Jarrett slipped his number 11 Ford out front on lap 97 and would stay there until lap 140 when his Ford began to slow. Finally, on lap 184 the differential in Ned's car locked up and that was it for the hopes of the Camden, SC driver.
With Ned behind the wall, and Dick Hutcherson having been taken out in a crash on lap 95 when he was dueling with Tiny Lund and went low into turn one side by side when Hutch slipped on the loose dirt and slid into the outside guard rail. The Ford flipped and slid on the roof to a stop. Hutcherson was ok and watched the remainder of the race from the infield.
Twenty-two cars started the event but the racing was mostly between the three factory Fords. The only car to finish on the lead lap with Johnson was Buck Baker who was driving a 426 wedge engine Dodge. Third place, J.T. Putney, driving the Herman Beam Chevrolet, finished third, 8 laps off the pace. If you are not familiar with Herman Beam, he drove himself for a number of years, always running several miles an hour slower that competitors and always staying out of the way, keeping the car clean and making money that way to keep racing. He got out of driving full time in 1963 and Cale Yarborough drove for him for a few races. This race it was J.T. Putney.
Of the 22 cars starting the race, only 10 finished, with Johnson averaging 61.416 mph before a crowd of 12,000. Johnson was 18 seconds ahead of second place, Buck Baker, but 104 laps ahead of 13th place finisher, Elmo Langley.
Finishing order:
1 Junior Johnson, Johnson Ford, $2,200.00
2 Buck Baker, Baker Dodge, $1,275.00 (18 seconds back)
3 J. T. Putney, Herman Beam Chevrolet, $900.00 (8 laps down)
4 Curtis Crider, Crider Mercury, $600.00 (12 laps down)
5 Bob Derrington, Derrington Ford, $450.00 (13 laps down)
6 Gene Hobby ****Huge RacersReunion supporter****
7 Doug Cooper
8 Neil Castles
9 Doug Yates
10 G. C. Spencer
11 Ned Jarrett
12 Doug Moore
13 Elmo Langley
14 Tiny Lund
15 Cale Yarborough
16 Dick Hutcherson
17 Bub Strickler
18 Larry Manning
19 Sonny Hutchins
20 Wendell Scott
21 Bob Cooper
22 Danny Byrd (Made 1 lap and parked for "handling". Start and park???)
Honor the past, embrace the present, dream for the future
Love those Dave. How appropriate to share thosephotos on this site. Wonderful memories of wonderful cars. Thank you!
Jacksonville Speedway was a typical half-mile dirt track of the era. Located in Jacksonville, Florida, the track was more akin to "sand" than "dirt" but not to quibble over semantics. On this date, March 6, in 1952, twenty-nine drivers would enter a 100 mile/200 lap race. Sixty-one cars had competed in the event on Daytona Beach just three weeks prior and that event was captured by the duo become known as "T&T". Those being Marshall Teague and Herb Thomas, both driving FABULOUS Hudson Hornets.
Marshall Teague would qualify his Hudson at a speed of 60.100 mph to capture the pole for the race. Herb Thomas in the other FABULOUS Hudson would start second. Tommy Moon, a Jacksonville local driver with a large fan following would qualify third in a Hudson and Tim Flock fourth in yet another Hudson. Leonard Tippett, also in a Hudson, would start fifth.
A "crowd" of 2,800 fans gathered in the stands and infield to watch the race. Even the drawing card of local hero Tommy Moon could not draw in more. It was Tommy Moon, however, who gave the fans something for which they could stomp their feet and cheer loudly. On lap one of the race, Tommy completely flipped his Hudson which landed on its wheels on the final landing. Tommy simply put the big Hudson in low gear and took off to race. The crowd was going wild as Tommy moved through the field and ended up bringing his battered Hudson home in fifth place.
As for competition, although first place was contested between Teague and Thomas at times, it was Teague all the way as he led all 200 laps. He finished the 100 miles at an average speed of 55.197 mph which was slowed by one caution flag for a total of four laps. The caution was displayed on lap 149 when Bill Miller crashed his Ford sponsored by Daytona Racing.
Finishing Order:
1 Marshall Teague, FABULOUS Hudson Hornet, $1,000.00
2 Herb Thomas, FABULOUS Hudson Hornet, $700.00
3 Frankie Schneider, ROCKET Olds 88, $450.00
4 Tim Flock, Ted Chester Hudson, $350.00
5 Tommy Moon, Hudson Hornet, $200.00
6 Fonty Flock
7 Donald Thomas
8 Jim Reed
9 Dick Eagan
10 Bob Moore
11 Billy Carden
12 Jimmy Florian
13 Leonard Tippett
14 Bob Dugan
15 Gordon Bishop
16 Roscoe Thompson
17 Bill Miller
18 Johnny Thompson
19 Charles Stock
20 Larry Shurter
21 Jimmy Ayers
22 Lee Petty
23 Jim Paschal
24 Fireball Roberts
25 Buddy Shuman
26 Bruce Atchley
27 Ed Samples
28 Gober Sosebee
29 Alan Clark
PERSONAL NOTE: I assume that Tommy Moon's flip and fifth place finish was much more impressive than the Carl Edward's flip after he wins. Just a thought.
Honor the past, embrace the present, dream for the future.
UPDATE: March 7, 2014 at 2:00 p.m. I just got off the phone with Frances. She was busy baking a cake so we were only on the phone for like 10 minutes maybe. As always, since the first time I met the lady, she is full of life, as bubbly as can be, and just full of compliments. About her only handicap at the moment is that she has been asked, by the doctors, not to drive. When I exclaimed to her "wow the roads around there will be safe" she laughed so hard I thought the cake would "fall". Do cakes still fall? Any way, Frances and I promised to stay in touch every couple of days. She has doctors' appointments next week and, with a little luck from the medical profession, she will know some more.
Keep Frances and the Flock family in your prayers. She is a fine ambassador for the history of the sport and a wonderful human being.
UPDATE: March 7, 2014 @ 9:00 a.m. I exchanged chat with the granddaughter, Carrie, last night about 10:00 p.m. In short, Frances is home and is doing quite well in spite of the medical issue. I asked if it would be ok for me to call Frances and was told it was absolutely ok. So, later today I'll talk with Frances personally and post a status later. Keep up the praying, folks, it works.
Latest news is that Frances asked to go home and be with her family. She also said, I am told, that she is looking forward to being reunited with her "hunnie". Of course we all know her "Hunnie" is Tim Flock. As TMC Chase states, folks recover from these events sometimes and as strong a woman as Frances is, she could well do this as well.
There are many stories of Frances I can tell from our encounters over the past six years and every one of those only will serve to further to comments already made. A lady of grace she is. I'll post information as it is made known to me.
Robin Agner called me this evening to let me know Frances Flock was hospitalized with a brain aneurism today. From what I understand, and this is confusing to me, the hospital has sent her home because "there is nothing they can do". I am following the posts from Frances' granddaughter's page for updates but nothing has been posted for a couple hours now.
I think anyone who ever met Frances knows of her love for racing and especially her love for her husband, Tim. She worked hard to see him inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame and the smile she had on her face the night of the ceremony was as bright as a full moon on a cloudless night.
Please keep Frances, and the entire Flock family in your prayers.
Thank you.
I really love Smokey and the Bandit. Good movie and Burt Reynolds is a really fun guy. As for Smoke, I've sort of lost respect for him after the comments he made concerning the Petty-Patrick flap.
Dennis, thanks for your addition to this thread of comments. I did not know this information about Chevron. It is sad to see a race track fall in such a way but I suppose money and greed will do it every time.
