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Wednesday, August 21, 2019

August 21, 1976 - Friends, Rivals, Wrecked, Resilient

Week to week, the storyline of the 1976 Late Model Sportsman division at Nashville Speedway was the Kiddie Corps. Rookies Mike Alexander, Sterling Marlin and Dennis Wiser along with second year driver P.B Crowell, III grew up quickly and took a shine to Nashville's 18-degree banked track.

Though competitive, Marlin and Wiser needed another season before banking their first wins. As spring turned to summer in '76, however, Alexander and Crowell toted home trophies on a regular basis. Both pushed veteran Alton Jones for the points lead. Jones was twice the age of the quartet and had loads of experience, but the noob drivers went toe to toe with him each Saturday night.

Nashville was long known for its promotions that helped put butts in seats. In mid-August, the slate of double features for mini-stock, limited sportsman, and LMS divisions was accompanied by a performance by Chattanooga's Gene Beene - aka the Human Bomb.

My family went often to the Fairgrounds in the mid 70s, but our attendance wasn't guaranteed. Race nights depended on my father's work obligations, summer trips to grandparents, and alignment of ticket prices with family finances. But that August night, I wanted to be there. I simply had to be there - especially to see some fool blow himself up with dynamite.

Though the mid-show explosion is what caught my eye in the newspaper ad, the racing was still the key to the night. Newport, TN's L.D. Ottinger raced - and won - frequently at Nashville in the 1970s. His trips, however, were generally tied to marquis events such as 200-lap LMS races that awarded points towards NASCAR's national LMS title.

Yet, Ottinger opted to tow to middle Tennessee for a couple of meaningless 25-lap features. (Never mind Nashville hosted a 100-lap national LMS feature the following Saturday - a race in which L.D. planned to participate.) L.D. made quick work of the first 25-lap LMS feature with Alexander finishing second.

Before round two of the night's w races began, it was then time for Gene Beene to cheat death. I was all-in. I clung up to the fence by one hand, fist pumped with the other, let primal screams fly, and dared Gene Beene to blow himself to kingdom come.

Well, that's not exactly true.

When I recently reminded my mother of that night's promotion, she remembered things a bit differently:
Oh yes! I remember! I did not remember his name but remember your reaction. You anticipated going to races that night from the time they first announced it. We went, but you could not bear to watch. You wanted to, but you cringed at the thought. Seems like you went up higher toward the concession stand when it came time for him to do it and kept peeking back. It was rather scary at the thought. I am not sure that I did not close my eyes!
Okay, so perhaps my 11 year-old machismo wasn't well developed. I do, however, recall the the involuntary adrenalin rush following the *KABOOM* once I realized Gene Beene had survived.

After the mini-stock and limited sportsman races on the quarter-mile track, fans soon witnessed another explosive event on Nashville's big track.

Ottinger again set sail in the early stages of the second LMS feature, and Jones followed him in second. Alexander and Crowell raced near one another for third and fourth. On lap seven, however, things turned bad. Alexander cut a right front tire as the duo sailed through the turns. He collected Crowell, and both of them slammed into the wall.

Source: Nashville Fairgrounds Racing History
Crowell took the brunt of the hit in his rib cage. Alexander suffered knee ligament injuries after initially thinking he had a broken leg. As friends, both tried to get to the other to ensure all was OK.

With Alexander and Crowell's cars on trailers and the drivers transferred to the hospital, the veterans controlled the remaining laps. Jones tried to keep pace, but Ottinger prevailed to capture his second win of the night.

Credit: Marchman Family Collection / Nashville Farigrounds Racing History
Despite their disclosed injuries (and likely undisclosed concussions), both bruised but not broken racers returned the following Saturday to compete in the Bob Hunley 100. Returned bruised but not broken the next Saturday for the Bob Hunley 100. After pocketing two 25-lap wins on August 21, Ottinger returned and nabbed the Hunley race as well.

Article sources: The Tennessean archives

TMC

Sunday, August 4, 2019

Mike Alexander Firsts

In racing circles, Franklin, TN may be best known as the home of retired Cup driver and NASCAR on FOX announcer Darrell Waltrip. Franklin was also home, however, to the late R.C. Alexander, owner and operator of Harpeth Ford car dealership - and a successful late model sportsman racing team.

Alexander's Fords raced primarily at Nashville's Fairgrounds Speedway though they did compete at other regional tracks as well. His roster of successful drivers included Jimmy Griggs, Red Farmer, Flookie Buford, and Waltrip among others. More often than not, Alexander's Fords sported #84.

In the mid 1970s, Alexander's cars gained another occupant - his son Mike. Mike Alexander began his racing career in Nashville's limited sportsman division. After a couple of years of banging around on Nashville's quarter-mile, he moved to the Late Model Sportsman division on the .596-mile oval. Career success - locally, regionally, and nationally - followed; however, the run didn't last as long as many had hoped.

Several of Mike Alexander's racing career firsts are noted below.

First race - April 13, 1974 - Nashville Speedway - 50-lap limited sportsman race, a preliminary event to the season-opening Permatex 200 LMS race. Driving a #83 Ford, Alexander earned a DNF in his first start resulting from an early race wreck. Coincidentally, Waltrip in R.C.'s #84 Ford also exited the LMS race following a tangle with Ray Hendrick.

Source: Nashville Banner
Courtesy of Mike Alexander
First win - April 19, 1975 - 50-lap Limited Sportsman race - Nashville Speedway - preliminary event to the season-opening Winston 200 LMS race

Courtesy of Mike Alexander
First LMS win - May 15, 1976 - Nashville Speedway - 25 lap feature - second feature won by friend and second year LMS racer, P.B. Crowell III (Crowell was not a rookie in 1976 as noted in the article.)

Source: The Tennessean - TMC Archives
Alexander tallied ten more victories in his first LMS season. Though he fell short of capturing the points championship, he easily won the 1976 Rookie of the Year.

First championship - Nashville Speedway - 1978 LMS division

Others outside of middle Tennessee began to take notice of Alexander's numerous wins and 1978 track title. Mike himself began pondering the what-ifs of racing at a higher level. On May 10, 1980, he earned the opportunity to start his first Winston Cup race.

Source: The Tennessean - TMC Archives
Driving for independent driver turned owner D.K. Ulrich in Nashville's Music City 420, Alexander qualified 12th and finished an impressive 10th. As an aside, he also became the first driver with the last name Alexander to start a NASCAR GN / Cup race.

Courtesy of Mike Alexander
By the way, the winner of that particular Cup race? Aww yeaaahhh, Ol' King Richard.

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After a part-time Cup schedule in 1981, Alexander returned to full-time late model racing the next couple of years. In 1983, he won 51 of 75 late model features and notched his first Winston Racing Series national championship.

Courtesy of Mike Alexander
Alexander realized another career milestone the following season. Driving for Dave Marcis, Alexander started his first Daytona 500 on February 19, 1984.

Alexander had engine issues in his 125-mile qualifying twin and made the 500 via an owner's provisional. He started 42nd - shotgun on the field - but had familiar company near him. Starting 41st and to his left was 1974 Nashville LMS champion Jimmy Means. In front of him in 40th was Nashville rival and 1980-81-82 Nashville Grand American champion, Sterling Marlin.

Courtesy of Mike Alexander
Alexander's tenure with Marcis was short-lived as were stints with additional underfunded Cup operations over the next couple of years. Mike pushed reset, pursued a different approach, and launched his own team full-time in 1987 in NASCAR's Busch Series.

A few months into his new venture, Alexander captured his first Busch Series win. On May 2, 1987, he won the Hampton 200 at Langley Speedway.

Courtesy of Mike Alexander
With solid finishes and another Busch Series victory in 1988, things were again tracking in the right direction for Alexander. In mid 1988, a devastating, career-ending injury for Bobby Allison at Pocono opened the door once again for Alexander.

He took the wheel of Bill and Mickey Stavola's Miller High Life Buick, raced competitively the rest of the season, found a little sump'n sump'n for 1989, signed a deal, changed the car number to 84, and had his best shot with a top-level Cup team.

This post should include a nod to his first Cup win. But it won't.

Racers race - and Mike did. As he'd done since the mid 1970s, Alexander headed to Pensacola in early December 1988 to compete in the Snowball Derby. A savage crash ended his race - and essentially his career. He returned to race in the 1989 Daytona 500 but soon realized he wasn't fully ready for what a Cup ride required.

Alexander continued his recovery therapy, received clearance to return to limited short track racing, and found his way back to Cup in February 1990. After a handful of races, however, he stepped away from Cup. He continued to race at Nashville, but his days at NASCAR's top level were done.

Mike retired from driving in November 1992 - after he won his second track championship at Nashville.

TMC