Nashville's 1974 Permatex 200

Nashville's fairgrounds track opened its 1974 season with a recurring race, a traditional pacesetter, a newcomer, and a couple of surprises.

As had been the case since 1966, a NASCAR national late model sportsman feature highlighted the program. The Permatex 200 was held on April 13, 1974.

About 60 drivers arrived on a spring afternoon to qualify for 33 spots. Promoter Bill Donoho had boasted as many as 90 cars might show. Though the number was well short of the projected high, about half of the cars that did arrive got a head start on traffic.

A cast of locals returned for another season of opportunities including Charlie Binkley, Flookie Buford, Bill Morton, Clyde Peoples, and Darrell Waltrip. A larger than usual contingent of Alabama drivers also arrived to make their presence known in Music City. The roster included two original Alabama Gang drivers - Bobby Allison and Red Farmer - along with Neil Bonnett, Dave Mader III, Jimmy Means, Richard Orton, and Paddlefoot Wales.

Mader raced a DiGard-supported Chevelle for Donnie Allison. Donne frequently ran #88, but Mader's car sported #18. The number difference worked well because local racer Buford used #88. (Mader still races and recently competed at age 64 in Daytona's ARCA 200.)

An open weekend between Cup dates at Darlington and North Wilkesboro allowed Bobby Allison to race as well as a couple of other surprise entrants: Buddy Baker and Dave Marcis.

Baker, winner of the 1973 Nashville 420 Cup race, arranged to race Ellis Cook's Falls City Chevelle. The car was the same one local racer James Ham raced in Daytona's Permatex 300 LMS race a couple of months earlier.

Marcis returned with his 1969 Dodge Charger. He raced the same Mopar at Nashville a year earlier and won two races as well as the pole for the '73 Permatex 200.

Since his arrival at Nashville in the late 1960s - including his two LMS titles in 1970 and 1973, Waltrip raced Chevelles for owners P.B. Crowell and Ellis Cook. He made a big change for 1974, however, by joining forces with R.C. Alexander's Harpeth Ford team.

Hutcherson-Pagan built Alexander's #84 Ford, and many believed it rivaled many Cup cars. Waltrip opined the ride was the best one at Nashville, and the seat was open after Alexander and Buford parted ways in late 1973.

Waltrip booked a full load for 1974 by committing to a majority of Nashville's races as well as about half of NASCAR's Cup schedule. In his first start with Alexander's team, he set a track record and captured the pole for the Permatex 200.

The outside pole was claimed by a true outsider. Virginia short-track legend, Ray Hendrick, made his first trip to Nashville and lined up alongside Waltrip. Bonnett, Buford, and Orton rounded out the top starters.

At the drop of the green, Waltrip served notice he didn't plan to surrender his home track to anyone from Alabama, Virginia, North Carolina, or anywhere else. He got the jump on Hendrick into the first turn, made it stick, and pulled the field for the first half of the race.

As Waltrip dominated lap after lap, the 33-car field behind him developed all sorts of issues. One by one, drivers began falling out of the race. The list of DNFs included Bonnett, Mader, Marcis, and Baker.

Around lap 115, two-time and defending NASCAR national LMS champion Jack Ingram developed engine issues resulting in a caution. Waltrip hit pit road, and he returned to the track behind Hendrick who pitted about 40 laps earlier.

When the race returned to green, Waltrip dropped into the tire tracks of the Virginian's Flying 11. The two raced nose to tail for the next 30 laps or so with Hendrick keeping as close an eye on his mirror as he did his windshield. Wherever Waltrip's 84 moved, Hendrick shifted likewise.

On lap 155, however, things got real. Waltrip decided it was time to make his move. He went to Hendrick's inside as they sailed down the back straightaway. As they headed for turn three, Waltrip eased ahead of Hendrick. Suddenly, however, his Ford swapped ends and slapped the outside wall as Hendrick spun to the inside.

Hendrick gathered his car, uttered a few choice words on his radio, and soldiered on to rejoin the race. Waltrip's night, however, was done. Whatever words he opted to use were apparently said on the track as he stood near his junked car waiting for Hendrick's return.

After the restart, one of the Alabama Gang found himself on the point. No, not Red Farmer. Red was in recovery mode after looping his car to avoid a spinning Freddy Fryar. No, it wasn't Bobby Allison either. The Alabama leader was the virtual unknown Richard Orton. He pulled the field into turn one followed by Allison.

Hendrick was in third, still in the thick of the action. He turned his focus from mirror driving Waltrip to rapping the bumper of Allison. The extra doinks to the rear of Allison's car didn't go over very well with its occupant. Allison brake-checked Hendrick a bit - or maybe he didn't. Whether he did or not depends on whether you believe Allison's story vs. Hendrick! Regardless of who did what to whom (or didn't), Hendrick made the pass on Allison - albeit with a bent fender.

As Hendrickgate 2.0 unfolded, Orton separated himself a bit. He led the rest of the way, kept Hendrick at bay, and parlayed his top five starting spot to the biggest win of his career.

Source: Alabama Auto Racing Pioneers

Orton returned to Nashville throughout 1974 to compete in several additional features; however, he didn't win any of them. He did not race at the Fairgrounds in subsequent seasons, and his single win remains one of the greater upsets in track history.

A couple of days after the race, Waltrip remained upset about his incident with Hendrick. About six weeks later, however, he extracted some bit of redemption by winning over Hendrick in the 1974 Falls City 200. The race was Hendrick's second and final visit to the Fairgrounds.

Twelve years later in a similar scenario at Richmond, one has to wonder if Waltrip flashed back to April 1974 while battling another hard-nosed, short track racer.

Source: The Tennessean

Fans witnessed Orton's first and only Nashville win, Hendrick's first appearance, and Waltrip's first start in R.C Alexander's Ford. They also saw another driver begin his driving career. Alexander's son, Mike, made his racing debut in the 50-lap limited sportsman race before the 200.

Mike had an ignominious first outing. He tangled with track veteran George Bennett ending his night early. He took the DNF hard in the moment, but he quickly put the experience behind him and focused on the next opportunity.

Source: Nashville Banner / Courtesy of Mike Alexander

One of the lessons learned was to fix what you broke. He repaired his #83 Ford and returned to race another day. Several days actually. As the next few years unfolded, he won a handful of limited sportsman races, nearly 50 LMS and Grand American races, and the track's 1978 LMS title. His Nashville record teed him up for greater success in NASCAR's regional late model series and several opportunities in Cup.

Visit Russ Thompson's page for many more photos from the 1974 Permatex 200.

Finishing Order:

1. Richard Orton
2. Ray Hendrick
3. Bobby Allison
4. Red Farmer
5. Jimmy Hensley
6. Phil Stillings
7. Paddlefoot Wales
8. Freddy Fryar
9. Jimmy Means
10. Wayne Andrews
11. Bob Burcham
12. Steve Spencer
13. L D. Ottinger
14. Jerry Sisco
15. Charlie Binkley
16. Flookie Buford
17. Brad Teague
18. Darrell Waltrip
19. Bill Morton
20. Dave Marcis
21. Jack Inqram
22. Buddy Baker
23. Wayne Carden
24. Dave Mader
25. Rod Stillings 
26. Gene Payne
27. Ray Putnam
28. A.C. York
29. Neil Bonnett
30. Billy Hammond
31. John Utsman
32. Gary Myers
33. Clyde Peoples

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Nashville's 1973 Permatex 200

After a three-year experiment as a high-banked, lightning fast, half-mile, the banking of Nashville's Fairground Speedways was cut to 18-degrees where it remains today.

As had become the tradition since 1966, the new season season opened with a big late model sportsman race. The Permatex 200 on April 21, 1973, became the first late model event on the new configuration.

The redesigned track was more than a physical demarcation between Nashville's past and future. Many drivers from Nashville's big late model features of the 1960s and early 1970s such as Freddy Fryar, Bob Burcham, and Red Farmer did not return for the 1973 opener.

The field was comprised largely of local and regional racers such as 1970 track champion Darrell Waltrip, Neil Bonnett, Flookie Buford, James Ham, Clyde Peoples, Charlie Binkley, and Paddlefoot Wales. A few names, however, made the trek from beyond the immediate area.

Jack Ingram returned to Nashville to accumulate valuable national points. Ingram won NASCAR's national LMS title in 1972 and looked to defend it in 1973. Jimmy Hensley and Sam Ard, two drivers who'd become NASCAR LMS and later Busch Series stalwarts, also made the trip. Newport TN's L.D. Ottinger, winner of the 1970 Southern 300, returned as well.

An unexpected entrant perhaps was Winston Cup regular, Dave Marcis. He brought his Dodge Charger sportsman car to Nashville as the Cup circuit took a break between Darlington and Martinsville. He also needed to earn some pocket change to pay Petty Enterprises for repairs to his Cup car damaged at Darlington.

Source: The Tennessean

Marcis' Dodge was no slouch. The car finished fifth in the Permatex 300 LMS race at Daytona with Alabama's Alton Jones behind the wheel.

Source: Alabama Auto Racing Pioneers

One of the notable offseason moves affecting local racers was a change of scenery for Darrell Waltrip, Nashville's 1970 late model sportsman champion. After several years with P.B Crowell's team, Waltrip moved to Ellis Cook's team with Binkley as a teammate. Cook, a local beer distributor, painted Waltrip's #48 Chevelles the red and gold colors of Falls City Beer. Binkley drove a similarly painted #25 car and built the engines.

The original plan was for Waltrip to race for NASCAR's national LMS title while Binkley competed in Nashville's weekly features. Waltrip's first venture with the team was the Permatex 300 LMS race at Daytona. The carefully prepared car suffered engine woes during the race; however, and the team returned to Tennessee with more to learn.

The team's plans were then modified a good bit. Instead of running for the national LMS title, Waltrip planned a dual focus. He saddled up to pursue Rookie of the Year honors in Cup in addition to running for a second track title at Nashville.

As teams arrived for practice and qualifying for Nashville's opener, Waltrip shook down his newly acquired Chevelle. Something broke during a practice run; however, and things went from bad to worse. As Waltrip sailed into turn 1, his car pitched suddenly to the inside. He clipped the inner guardrail, flipped over it, and then rolled four times to the lower infield that served as the garage area.

Source: Nashville Fairgrounds Racing History Group

Though stunned a bit, Waltrip was not seriously injured. The team went to Plan B, sent for a backup car from the shop, and thrashed to get it ready for qualifying. Though it wasn't in ideal shape, Waltrip made a timed lap with minutes to spare to earn the sixth starting spot in the field.

Marcis' Dodge delivered as promised in qualifying, and he won the pole. Local racer James Ham was always quick on the high-banked version of the track, and he adapted to the new configuration as well with a P2 lap. Ottinger and Ard made up the second row.

When the green waved, Marcis' heavy Hemi launched him into the lead and a complete domination of the first third of the race. Ottinger ran behind him during that stretch as Waltrip made his way past Ham and Ard in pursuit of the top two. Just shy of halfway, Waltrip made his way past Ottinger and then under Marcis to take the lead.

A caution flag fell shortly after Waltrip took the lead, and it provided the opportunity to pit for fuel and tires. An extended stop, however, resulted in Waltrip's losing two laps. Ottinger made his stop after Waltrip and returned to action without losing a lap.

Throughout the second half of the race, Waltrip did all he could to make up the lost ground. Ottinger, however, maintained a solid pace and kept the local racer at bay. At the finish, Ottinger swept across the line to captured his second career win at the Fairgrounds.

Source: Nashville Fairgrounds Racing History

Waltrip still managed to finish second with his backup car. Ard, Marcis and Jack Ingram rounded out the top five finishers.

Source: The Tennessean

Finishing order:

1. L.D. Ottinger 
2. Darrell Waltrip 
3. Sam Ard 
4. Dave Marcis 
5. Jack Ingram 
6. Flookie Buford 
7. James Ham 
8. Charlie Greenwell 
9. Walter Wallace 
10. Carl Lane 
11. Clyde Peoples 
12. James Veach 
13. Ronnie Blasingim & Jerry Sisco 
14. Phil Stillings 
15. Robert Wales 
16. James Climer 
17. Wayne Carden 
18. John Brown 
19. Windle Webster 
20. Jim McDowell
21. Neil Bonnett 
22. Dave Sisco 
23. Donnie Roberts 
24. Jimmy Hensley
25. Charlie Binkley 
26. Donnie Anthony 
27. Jack Hooper 
28. Jim Berry 
29. Dwayne Chaffin 
30. Jerry Sisco 
31. Jimmy Kitchens 
32. Dwayne Cravens

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Nashville's 1972 Permatex 200

Beginning in 1966 following the Labor Day 1965 State Fair fire, Nashville's Fairgrounds Speedway opened its late model season with the Flameless 300. The tradition continued until 1971 when the track secured Permatex as the race's title sponsor.

The mix of local racers and drivers from NASCAR's national LMS circuit returned to open a new season on April 22, 1972.

The race turned out to be the final opener on Nashville's high banks. After a three-year run of high speeds and questionable tire wear, track operator Bill Donoho chose to lower the track's banking from 35 degrees to 18 degrees following the season-ending Southern 300. That banking remains at the Fairgrounds to this day.

Previous Flameless 300 winners entering the 1972 edition of the Permatex 200 included two-time winners Freddy Fryar (1966, 1968) and Bob Burcham (1967, 1969) as well as local shoe and 1970 track champion Darrell Waltrip (1970). Other name drivers towing to Nashville included Donnie Allison, Red Farmer, Jack Ingram, and L.D. Ottinger. Local racers other than Waltrip included 1971 LMS track champion Flookie Buford and track record holder James Ham.

Waltrip captured the pole though he fell short of topping Ham's track record. Allison timed fifth in his first Nashville start since winning the pole for the 1963 Southern 300 modified race. Fryar arrived late from Chattanooga - too late in fact. Whatever car he expected to race was either assigned to another driver or had left the property. Either way, Freddy's evening was fried.

When the green flag waved, Waltrip took off from his top starting spot and dominated as he frequently did at the Fairgrounds. Despite numerous cautions and restarts, Waltrip continued pulling the field. With about 40 laps to go, Ol' DW had led every lap and a one-lap cushion over second place Allison.

But history then repeated itself. With no pressure from behind, Waltrip's Chevelle broke a rod ending his race. His dominance of the race and engine failure near the end of it mimicked his day six months earlier during the 1971 Southern 300.

After unlapping himself, Allison took over the lead. He led the remaining laps and won his first Nashville race after a nine-year absence.

Of the thirty-far starters, only fourteen cars remained at the end to see the checkers. Most of the out-of-towners did not have a successful night, and the top 10 was comprised largely of local folks.

1. Donnie Allison
2. Charlie Binkley
3. Flookie Buford
4. Don Anthony
5. Ronnie Blasingim
6. Bill Morton
7. Jack Ingram
8. Tony Bettenhausen, Jr.
9. Clyde Peoples
10. Gene Payne

Source: The Tennessean

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