BOBBY ALLISON ADDED TO THE “LEGENDS OF THE MADHOUSE” LIST
The NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, NC has enshrined forty Members since opening in 2010. An amazing statistic is that at least 25 of those inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame have competed as a Driver, Car Owner of Crew Chief at Bowman Gray Stadium. At least five of those HoF Members will attend the First Annual “Bowman Gray Racing Preview” on February 11 th at the Winston-Salem Fairgrounds Education Building.
Bobby Allison confirmed this week that he will be attending the event adding to the stellar list already committed. Allison, Glen and Leonard Wood, Rex White and Jerry Cook will head a list of “Legends of the Madhouse”. The group accounts for 42 wins at Bowman Gray Stadium including 29 wins and a couple of track titles for the ”Wood Chopper”, Glen Wood. White had seven wins in Sportsman and Grand National events and Cook claimed four Modified wins on the way to six NASCAR Modified National Championships. Allison notched two wins including the win NASCAR fails to count in his total. Maybe even more well remembered, and certainly the race that highlights the term “Madhouse”, is the epic battle between Allison and another HoF’er Curtis Turner, that brought the crowd to its feet and Winston-Salem’s finest officers to the infield and left two smoking piles of bent sheet metal on the wreckers hook. Just another night at the “Madhouse”.
Others BG alumni in the HoF include Richard Childress, Bobby Issac, Fred Lorenzen, Wendell Scott, and Joe Weatherly. The first BG Champion Tim Flock, Maurice Petty, Buck Baker, Cotton Owens, Cale Yarborough, Richie Evans, Dale Inman, David Pearson, Lee Petty, Ned Jarrett, Richard Petty, Junior Johnson, Bud Moore and Benny Parsons all competed there. It is amazing that over 60% of the NASCAR HoF Members can be connected to Bowman Gray Stadium racing in some way.
The number of NASCAR Hall of Fame Members that competed at Bowman Gray Stadium is amazing. But if BG had its own Hall of Fame, the room needed to hold them would need to be very big and many of those past “Stadium” greats will also be in attendance.
Drivers that are scheduled to appear include eight-time Modified Champion, Ralph Brinkley, two-time Champ, Max Berrier, and two-time Champ, Paul Radford. Don Smith claimed two titles and “Satch” Worley had a pair. Johnny Johnson won the Modified crown and Jimmy Johnson has more wins than anyone at Bowman Gray. Retired Driver and now a Car Owner, Melvin “Puddin” Swisher, Johnny Bryant, Billy Middleton, Jimmy Hensley, Gene Pack, Bill Wilder, Hank Thomas, Eb Clifton and historians Clyde and Bill Mangum will be on hand to meet the fans and re-run the races from days long gone. The old saying “the older I get, the faster I was” will probably take on a new meaning when this group comes together.
“Chocolate” Myers will have his #6A Coach there and the “backseat” driver car of Glen Wood, the # 21 Modified coupe built by the Wood Brothers and restored by Ray Evernham’s crew and the Evernham owned Richie Evans Pinto along with the #43 Petty Olds from the Petty Garage and Brinkley’s #9 Modified will all be on display along with many cars of current Bowman Gray regulars.
Family members representing Perk Brown, Carl Burris, Jimmy Lewallen and Pee wee Jones will also be on hand.
Don’t miss this great event benefitting the “Forever is Tomorrow Foundation” and the Bowman Gray Stadium Racing Ladies Auxiliary on Saturday February 11 th at the Winston-Salem Fairgrounds Education Building. The event runs from 10 am till 5 PM and admission is only $10.00 for adults and kids 6 & under are free. Tickets can be purchased in advance at the Fairgrounds Annex Box Office on online at www.wsfairgrounds.com . For more information and details on the event visit www.wsfairgrounds.com
