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.
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.
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| 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.
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| 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:
- Richard Orton
- Ray Hendrick
- Bobby Allison
- Red Farmer
- Jimmy Hensley
- Phil Stillings
- Paddlefoot Wales
- Freddy Fryar
- Jimmy Means
- Wayne Andrews
- Bob Burcham
- Steve Spencer
- L D. Ottinger
- Jerry Sisco
- Charlie Binkley
- Flookie Buford
- Brad Teague
- Darrell Waltrip
- Bill Morton
- Dave Marcis
- Jack Inqram
- Buddy Baker
- Wayne Carden
- Dave Mader
- Rod Stillings
- Gene Payne
- Ray Putnam
- A.C. York
- Neil Bonnett
- Billy Hammond
- John Utsman
- Gary Myers
- Clyde Peoples
TMC
