Nashville's 1960 Southern 300

As was the case in 1958 and 1959, the Southern 300 modified race closed out the third season of Nashville's Fairground Speedways. The third edition of the race was scheduled for Sunday, October 2, 1960.

Fans saw multiple winners during the 1960 season. Heading into the Southern 300, the track's 21 modified features were won by twelve different drivers. Ten of the twelve won no more than a pair of features. Malcolm Brady topped all drivers with four wins - including two of the three races before the season-closer.

For the third year in a row, the race included a scheduled break for pit service. Unlike 1959 when breaks were scheduled at laps 100 and 200, a single break was scheduled after 150 laps to allow for pit stops and safety checks.

Malcolm's late season mojo continued into the Southern 300 weekend. He laid down the quickest lap on the half-mile track to capture the top starting spot. Bobby Celsor, an eventual eight-time Fairgrounds winner, qualified second.

Alabama's Dave Mader and perennial Nashville competitor Charlie Griffith made up the second row. And the Marlin boys from Columbia - brothers Jack and Coo Coo - lined up in the third row.

Some races are instant classics - some mature with time and revisionist romanticism - and others are simply duds. Except for a handful of a few folks, most would slot the 1960 Southern 300 in that third bucket.

A promising field of 36 cars took the green, but few remained at the end to see the checkered flag. The racers gave the fans quite a show during the first half of the race. Pole-winner Brady, two-time Southern winner Jimmy Griggs, Mader, and Griffith took turns up front during the first 150 laps.

Following the scheduled break, however, the second half had an entirely different story line. By then, the garage began to accumulate more parked cars than the number still racing on the track. Gone were Griffith, Joe Lee Johnson, Bobby Allison, and the Marlin brothers.

Brady put his modified in the wind and began to pull away from Griggs. When the checkers fell, Brady won with a half-lap margin over Griggs. The eight other remaining drivers were multiple laps down to the top two.

Brady continued to race and win at the Fairgrounds. Though he did not win the 1960 title, he carried his late season flurry including his Southern win into the following year. He won only one feature in 1961, but his consistency earned him the track's 1961 modified title. Brady was also recognized as a track legend in 1968-1969 with two 100-lap late model sportsman features named in his honor.

Source for articles: The Tennessean

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