Nashville's 1971 Southern 300

The 13th running of the Southern 300 at Nashville's Fairground Speedways concluded the 1971 season of points-paying races. Flookie Buford captured the first of his two track late model sportsman titles, and national NASCAR points were on the line for the Southern 300 competitors.

The thirteenth edition of the race also somewhat reflected the unlucky tone of the season. Driver Art Ellis began the year on a true high note with an unexpected yet popular win in the season-opening Flameless 200. Two months later, however, Ellis lost his life in an accident during a regular ol' 30-lap Saturday night feature.

An iconic (?) movie in the theaters at the time of the 1971 Southern was Evel Knievel with actor George Hamilton playing the role of the daredevil. The now-departed, single-screen Donelson Theatre near my parents' house screened the movie.

I wish I could make the claim of seeing the movie ... at that time ... and in that theater. But I cannot. I was a bit too young and not yet aware of this larger-than-life character. Within a couple of years, however, Evel was definitely on my radar through Wide World of Sports and the hyped promotion for his Snake River Canyon jump. For what it's worth though, my mother took me to see Disney's Jungle Book at the Donelson Theatre.

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One of the promotional photos in The Tennesseean featured three racing giants: Red Farmer, Lee Roy Yarbrough, and Harry Gant - though each for different reasons and at different times.

By 1971, Farmer's reputation as a modified and sportsman winner was already well established. He raced seemingly anywhere and everywhere - dirt and asphalt, superspeedways and short tracks, NASCAR and outlaw, in sickness and in health, etc.

After a period of banging around short tracks, Yarbrough joined NASCAR's Grand National ranks in the mid 1960s. He never ran a full season, but his performances caught the eye of owner Junior Johnson. The duo joined forces in 1967, and Yarbrough enjoyed a career year in 1969 including grand slam wins in the Daytona 500, World 600, and Southern 500. Oddly, the combo could not sustain their success in the years to follow. Yarbrough returned to racing a patchwork of events including NASCAR Cup, Indy Car, USAC stock cars, and late model shows such as the Southern 300.

Gant's fame came much later than the other two - especially when he became synonymous with the Skoal Bandit Cup car in the 1980s. In the early 1970s, however, Gant had already begun to experience success in local and regional LMS races. His finished second in his first Nashville race, the 1970 Southern 300. He returned to Music City a few more times in 1971 before qualifying for his second Southern.

Gant's photo with Farmer and Yarbrough wasn't the only time in his career he was recruited for a cheesy tug-of-war promo pose. He also hammed it up with other Cup drivers in a similar manner for Martinsville's 1985 race program.

For years, the Southern 300 trophy was presented by Pepsi. In 1971, local CBS affiliate WLAC-TV sponsored the award. Sports anchor Hope Hines was on hand to present the winner's trophy. A few years later, WLAC-TV changed its call letters to WTVF. The station remains on the air today though it is now branded as NewsChannel 5.

Country singer Nat Stuckey served as the grand marshal. Um... yeah... ahem, that Nat Stuckey. I guess.

I'll concede I was not aware of Mr. Stuckey's discography, but I did find one of his winning songs, Sweet Thang. Enjoy ... and then return.

Though Flookie Buford captured the LMS championship along with five feature wins, 1970 track champ Darrell Waltrip racked the most wins in 1971. Driving the #48 Sterling Beer, P.B. Crowell-owned Chevelle, Waltrip notched eight wins in 22 features.

Many considered Waltrip as the favorite for the Southern - especially among the local racers. With several out-of-town racers expected for the race, others pointed to Donnie Allison as the driver to beat. Allison submitted his entry, and he expected to compete during an off-weekend from his Cup schedule with the Wood Brothers. 

In the week leading up to the race, however, Allison received an offer from Roger Penske to drive in a sports car race in Riverside, California. Allison planned to sub for Mark Donohue in Penske's Javelin so Donohue could travel to Trenton, NJ to race Penske's car in the USAC Indy Car event. 

Joe Carver, Nashville's publicity director, was less than pleased over Allison's decision to withdraw from the Southern - especially since Carver and track promoter Bill Donoho spent good money including Allison's name in pre-race promotional radio and print ads. 

Though Carver likely never would have admitted it, one has to wonder if he smirked a bit on October 2nd. Allison spun off course during a practice lap at Riverside, and his front wheels hooked a rut in the desert dirt lining the track. The steering wheel snapped in Allison's hands, a bone in his wrist snapped, and he was unable to race on Sunday.

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L.D. Ottinger won the 1970 Southern almost by process of elimination. One by one, the favored drivers fell by the wayside, and Ottinger found himself with a comfortable lead over Gant. A year later, Ottinger arrived loaded for bear and made a statement about his desire to repeat. He topped the speed chart in qualifying to earn the top starting spot.

Local racer James Ham - who routinely laid down lightning-quick laps on Nashville's high banks - timed second. Waltrip, Farmer, and local racer Bill Morton rounded out the top five starters.

Ottinger seized the lead from his top starting spot when the green flag waved. He pulled the field around the 5/8-mile track for five laps before surrendering the lead to Waltrip.

Once Waltrip got by L.D., he gone. Lap after lap, DW deftly navigated the big turns and short straights. Even through pit cycles, the #48 car could not be passed.

Waltrip's rhythm was interrupted a couple of times for accidents involving others. One was for second place starter Ham when he pulled a bone-headed move. After dealing with lapped traffic during the first third of the race, Ham ran upon Buford. Thinking Flookie was a lap down, Ham rapped his bumper as a signal to get out of his way. Buford, however, was in the same lap as Ham and wasn't about to surrender the spot as a charitable gesture. Ham took another shot, dove to the inside, but couldn't make it work. Ham wiped out Buford as well as his own car, and both finished well down in the finishing order. 

Despite cautions and restarts, Waltrip continued his domination with a lap lead on second place Farmer. With 15 laps to go, however, it happened. 

Drivers often say they hear things inside the car while leading a race late - particularly a signature event. More often that not, the paranoia is replaced by euphoria as the checkered flag falls. That wasn't the case, however, in the 1971 Southern.

With a commanding lead and another Nashville win in sight, Waltrip's transmission fell apart. He coasted helplessly to the pit area where he was greeted with empathy by car owner Crowell.

Source: Nashville Fairgrounds Racing History

Red Farmer, who himself experienced multiple Southern losses when a win seemed certain, inherited the top spot as Waltrip sat dejectedly in his car. Once Farmer made up his lap deficit, the lead belonged to him - followed by his second Southern 300 win in three years.

Source: Steve Cavanah

The 1971 season was a bit different than most of the previous years at the Fairgrounds. The Southern 300 was traditionally the final race of the season. In 1971, however, the track hosted an additional night of racing - but with a couple of different twists.

• A 200-lap feature on the quarter-mile track for the Cadet racers was the main event - by far the longest race for that division. 
• The LMS race was the undercard, and Waltrip scored the win in the 50-lap event. Drivers competed for prize money only - no points.

Source for articles: The Tennessean

TMC