Nashville's 1980 CRC Chemicals 200

Fairground Speedways opened in 1958 as a slightly banked half-mile and with modified coupes as its featured series. The track introduced Late Model Sportsman cars in 1964 as its top division.

LMS drivers continued to roar for the next 15 years through a rebuilding of the track to a high-banked, 5/8-mile version in 1970, a third configuration in 1973 to the current 18-degree banking, a name change to Nashville Speedway in 1974, and another change to Nashville International Raceway in 1979.

The familiar and fan-embraced division, however, disappeared following the track's abbreviated 1979 season. It was replaced with a "new" Grand American division - a NASCAR brand re-purposed from its original use in the early 70s. The change had been rumored throughout 1979 and was formalized during an announcement in November of that year.

Source: The Tennessean

As was known to happen from time to time, Larry Woody's reporting in The Tennessean about the announcement included a bit of an error. Most of the Grand American cars were Chevy Camaros and Pontiac Firebirds - not Novas and Venturas. The older model cars were allowed to participate - but they could rarely hang with the sleek, lighter GA cars.

One of the drivers selected to attend the press announcement and 1980 schedule release was a bit peculiar. Sterling Marlin was a full-time, winning LMS racer known well to race fans, so his participation made sense. Part-time racer Don Light, on the other hand, had hardly been a dominating force in the track's mini-stock division.

But...he was that Don Light. On the track, Light was a racing hobbyist who hadn't experienced winning at the Fairgrounds. Off the track, however, he knew winning well. Light managed superstars such as Jimmy Buffett and the Oak Ridge Boys. (Light later managed Kyle Petty during his fledgling music career and founded the short-lived Sound & Speed pre-season NASCAR event.)

Source: Getty Images

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The 1980 season began with the CRC Chemicals 200. Though the old LMS division had been retired, Nashville's tradition of opening the season with a big feature pitting local racers against out-of-town heavyweights continued as it had since the 1966 Flameless 300.

CRC Chemicals returned as the race's title sponsor for the second season. CRC also continued their use of motorsports as a marketing platform. In addition to sponsoring Nashville's inaugural Grand American race, CRC sponsored the fall Cup race at Dover and Richard Childress's Cup program.

Promoters Lanny Hester and Gary Baker ponied up some solid bucks to land Cup veteran David Pearson. Though Pearson's long association with the Wood Brothers ended about a year earlier, Pearson raced a part-time Cup schedule in 1980 for Hoss Ellington's Hawaiian Tropic team. He arrived in Nashville fresh off his tenth and final win at Darlington - a race coincidentally sponsored by CRC Chemicals.

Source: The Tennessean

The other out-of-town name for the race was two-time national LMS champion, Butch Lindley. Since traveling to Nashville for the first time in the early '70s, Lindley had pocketed six big wins at the Fairgrounds - two each in 1974, 1977, and 1978.

Source: The Tennessean

Joining Pearson and Lindley as early favorites were a couple of veteran locals in their new rides - Marlin and Mike Alexander. Though several other locals filled the field each race in 1980, Marlin dominated the year with Alexander grabbing his share as well. The two would develop a serious rivalry over the next few years - as well as a solid friendship in the long run.

Lindley didn't arrive in Nashville just to putz around. He set the track record, won the pole, and let the field know his mastery of Nashville in a Chevelle or Nova transferred to his Grand American Camaro.

Though Marlin dominated Nashville's 1980 season, his reign did not begin until after week one. He ran over debris from the car of local racer Dorris Vaughn, cut a tire, and never recovered the rest of the race. Steve Spencer, Nashville's 1977 LMS champ, also struggled and finished deep in the field.

Racing a #21 Purolator Camaro resembling his former Wood Brothers Cup ride, Pearson chased Lindley early. Staying with Lindley, however, was another matter. He ended the race in third - and a distant third at that.

Credit: David Allio / Racing Photo Archives

Alexander was the only driver who could consistently stay near Lindley. But even so, Lindley's #16 gapped him significantly in the second half of the race. When the checkered flag fell, Lindley nabbed his seventh Nashville feature with a two-lap victory over Alexander.

Source: The Tennessean

With two LMS titles and a bushel of feature wins at numerous tracks, many speculated Lindley would be a natural to advance to Cup. Many of his LMS peers had already earned permanent rides or at least a handful of starts including Neil Bonnett, Dale Earnhardt, Harry Gant, Joe Millikan, Jody Ridley, and Morgan Shepherd.

Lindley acknowledged that while he could go to Cup, he didn't want to advance and struggle. He wanted to compete regularly for wins. If that meant towing his car all over the place for points, show money, minimal travel luxuries, and trophies, so be it.

Source: The Tennessean

Lindley did make eleven Cup starts for a handful of car owners - including himself - between 1979 and 1985. His best finish was a P2 to Gant in Martinsville's 1982 spring race. While handling the occasional one-off Cup start, he continued racing the short tracks of the south.

In 1985 during an All Pro Series race, however, Lindley wrecked and suffered a devastating head injury. He languished until June 6, 1990 - just over 10 years from his win in Nashville's inaugural Grand American race.

Results:

1. Butch Lindley
2. Mike Alexander
3. David Pearson
4. Phillip Grissom
5. Richard Waters
6. Al Henderson
7. Sidney Minton
8. Tony Cunningham
9. Phil Spickar
10. Sterling Marlin
11. David Jones
12. Jimmy Williams
13. Andy Pope
14. Billy Clinton
15. Dorris Vaughn
16. Mark Taylor
17. Charlie Adcock
18. Steve Spencer
19. Mike Montgomery
20. Dennis White
21. R.A. Brannon

TMC

Nashville's 1979 CRC Chemicals 250

Nashville's fairgrounds speedway opened the 1979 season with many changes and an equal or greater number of questions.

Gone was long-time promoter and track operator, Bill Donoho. Replacing him was the duo Lanny Hester and Gary Baker. Hester formerly raced at the fairgrounds in the mini-stock division and started a few NASCAR Baby Grand National events. Baker was a Nashville tax attorney whose most notable client was Waylon Jennings. The two assumed Nashville's lease from Donoho in 1978 after buying Bristol earlier in the season.

One of the first changes made by Hester and Baker was to rename the track from Nashville Speedway to Nashville International Raceway - perhaps to align it with Bristol's full name. The other significant change was dropping the weekly racing series - a staple of the track since its opening in 1958.

The primary reason given for the elimination of weekly racing was to allow more time for Hester and Baker to implement needed upgrades. As it turned out, few noticeable facility upgrades were made.

Although the track did not run its traditional slate of weekly races, NIR did host two Cup races, two Baby Grand races, an ARCA event, and three national late model sportsman features. The first of the three LMS races was the season-opening CRC Chemicals Nashville 250 on April 14, 1979.

The race was conveniently scheduled on an open weekend for Cup drivers between Darlington and Martinsville. In years past, Donoho often enticed at least a couple of Cup regulars to participate in the first race of each season. For the 1979 opener, however, only Bobby Allison entered.

Hester and Baker had hoped Darrell Waltrip would enter - particularly on the heels of his stirring victory at Darlington a week earlier, but Allison was the lone Cup representative. It's possible the show money wasn't thick enough for some to make the trip - particularly since the race was the night before Easter Sunday.

For much of 1976-77-78, fans grew to embrace four young drivers nicknamed the Kiddie Corps. Two of the drivers - Mike Alexander and Sterling Marlin - had quickly become veteran racers, but the other two kind of faded away a bit. Alexander and Marlin returned as expected winners from the local crowd for 1979 and were joined by 1977 track champion Steve Spencer and rookie Tony Cunningham.

In addition to several changes in track operations, 1978 Nashville LMS champion Alexander surprised many with a big change of his own. From his start in 1974, Alexander raced Fords - primarily because of his father's ties to a Ford dealership. R.C. Alexander fielded competitive Fords for many drivers dating back almost 20 years. Yet when the the 1979 season began, Mike was at the wheel of a Pontiac - a PONY-ACK! as King Richard would say.

Alexander and his dad built the car for Waltrip - but then bought it from DW before it hit the track. Mike raced it for the first time in Daytona's 300-mile LMS race in February. Waltrip coincidentally won the race. Marlin and Alexander finished second and ninth, respectively, in their Daytona debuts.

Source: The Tennessean

Alexander landed more than Waltrip's car. He also picked up some support from him as a sponsor.

Long-time LMS racer Gene Glover of Kingsport, TN won the pole. Glover's son Tony later became well-known as crew chief for Morgan-McClure drivers Ernie Irvan and Sterling Marlin. The field included Allison, the local contingent, and several regional LMS racers including Jack Ingram, Butch Lindley, Jody Ridley,and Morgan Shepherd.

Once the green fell, however, many of the favorites developed all sorts of trouble well before time to show their hand. For starters, Allison developed ignition issues at race time and withdrew before even taking a pace lap. And Jack Ingram fell out after only 24 laps.

Early racing included Asheville NC's Bob Pressley and Alexander in his new Pontiac. On lap 42, however, Alexander got KO'd by a runaway wheel from Steve Spencer's car. Both Spencer and Alexander's new car were finished for the night.

The two "Ley" drivers - Ridley and Lindley - had a good battle as well. Lindley, a frequent winner of big races at the Fairgrounds in the 1970s, was again in the hunt for about two-thirds of the race. Engine issues around lap 180, however, doomed his fortunes.

With the strongest competition loaded on their trailers and a two-lap lead on Glover, Pressley set his cruise control and easily led the remaining laps. He even made a casual late pit stop - just because. In doing so, Glover made up his lost distance but was no threat to match Pressley's car.

Cup driver Richard Childress greeted Pressley in victory lane. Though he didn't drive in the event, Childress's Cup car was sponsored by CRC Chemicals.

Marlin, Ridley, and Shepherd rounded out the top five. Sterling finished one lap down to Pressley, and Ridley and Shepherd were down two laps.

Source: The Tennessean

Pressley had no issues in the race. Actually, his only annoyance the whole day was too much ice in his Co' Cola cup!

Source: The Tennessean

Finishing order:

1. Bob Pressley
2. Gene Glover
3. Sterling Marlin
4. Jody Ridley
5. Morgan Shepherd
6. Tony Cunningham
7. Charlie Chamblee
8. Dennis Wiser
9. Carl Langford
10. Ricky Diehl
11. Butch Allen
12. Bobby Hailey
13. Butch Applegate
14. Mike Potter
15. Butch Lindley
16. Paul Dean Holt
17. Mike Alexander
18. Steve Spencer
19. Jack Ingram
20. Phil Spickard
21. Richard Waters
22. Bobby Allison

 TMC

Nashville's 1977 Permatex Southern 400

The last Late Model Sportman race of the 1977 season at Nashville Speedway was the 19th Southern 400 on Sunday, October 2nd. Coincidentally, the race was also the final Southern 400 - a tradition dating back to its first running in 1958.

Locally, Steve Spencer was the story of the track's season. Spencer won five features and claimed Nashville's LMS title.

Fans also witnessed the first career late model wins for rising stars Sterling Marlin and Dennis Wiser. Both were part of the highly touted Kiddie Corps along with Mike Alexander and P.B. Crowell III. Alexander and Crowell scored their first victories in 1976, but  Marlin and Wiser needed the extra season before finding victory lane. Coincidentally, Spencer later became the personal pilot for Marlin.

Butch Lindley, 1974 Southern 400 winner and NASCAR's 1977 national Late Model Sportsman championship leader, captured the pole on the first day of qualifying. Rival and good friend Harry Gant timed second in his Buick. Marlin laid down the third quickest lap followed by two-time Southern winner (1970 |1975) L.D. Ottinger and Alexander.

After Friday's qualifying, out-of-town teams towed their cars to local motels. Someone hotwired Gant's truck that night and swiped the truck, trailer, race car, and parts. Though the truck was found in Alabama, everything was missing from it.

Gant borrowed a back-up car from Lindley on the second day of qualifying. His luck, however, went from bad to worse. The throttle hung during a practice lap, and Gant pummeled the wall. The car was destroyed, Gant withdrew from the race, and he headed home wondering about his racing future.

An unseasonably chilly, blustery, fall day helped keep the crowds away on race day. After years of drawing upwards of 15,000 fans, an estimated crowd of only 5,000 arrived to watch what turned out to be the final Southern 400.

With Gant's withdrawal, Marlin moved to the front row to join pole winner Lindley.

Source: Nashville Fairgrounds Racing History

After many years of late race drama, the 1977 Southern delivered little. Cars continually fell by the wayside, and the dominant driver felt little pressure up front.

Track champion Spencer started eighth but fell out of the race on lap 23. Marlin launched from second but loaded after 70 laps. Kiddie Corps member Dennis Wiser elevated his car to an impressive second, but he popped the wall on lap 144.

Many of the out-of-towners fared about as poorly. Bob Pressley was wiped out in a lap 61 accident, and Ottinger lost an engine on lap 85. Randy Tissot and Larry Utsman clocked out early as well. When the day was done, about half of the 32-car field's starters were out of the race.

Alexander won only two 30-lap features in his sophomore season, but his #84 Harpeth Ford-sponsored Cougar went the distance in the Southern 400. As others had issues, Alexander ran smoothly and consistently. When the checkered flag fell, Alexander returned home with a P2 - a far better result than his 31st place DNF a year earlier.

No one had anything for the pole winner, Butch Lindley. All day long, Lindley's Nova was the car to beat. Alexander gave it his best shot, but it wasn't nearly enough. Lindley eased around the track lap after lap and topped Alexander by about a lap and a half.

Butch Applegate finished third followed by Tony Formosa, Jr. in his first LMS start. Today, Formosa is the leaseholder and promoter of Fairgrounds Speedway.

Mike Beam, later a crew chief in NASCAR's top divisions, was a Lindley crewman in 1977 and recalled:

Rick Townsend and I got into a fight during the race about if we wanted to put a 42 treaded tire on the RR or a 46 slick. Butch wanted to pit, but Gene Petty told him he couldn't pit because his pit crew were fist fighting. Butch thought it was funny. Next caution, we pitted and put the 42 on RR and won the race. Rick won the coin toss on which one to put on. After the race when they were taking this picture, we were all friends again much to Butch's amusement. - from Nashville Fairgrounds Racing History

Source: Nashville Fairgrounds Racing History

A few weeks later, Lindley formally wrapped up his first NASCAR national LMS title. He repeated as champion in 1978. Though he made a handful of Cup starts, most of his success came in the LMS and later Busch / Xfinity Series. In April 1985, Lindley was critically injured in a late model race in Florida and lapsed into a coma. He passed away five years later.

Promoter Bill Donoho felt awful about Gant's misfortune. After working through a couple of scheduling challenges, he finally arranged a Harry Gant Benefit night in April 1978. The idea was to provide proceeds from the night to help offset some of Gant's financial loss. Perhaps as expected because of who he is, Gant politely declined the generous offer.

As noted earlier, 1977 was the final year for the Southern 400. The NASCAR-sanctioned Southern returned in October 1978 as a LMS race, but it was only 200 laps and the preliminary companion event for the Marty Robbins World Open 500.

Jody Ridley won over a sparse field in a final Southern 200 in 1979, originally scheduled as a companion event to the third year of the Marty Robbins race. The Robbins event was canceled, however, because of a scheduling conflict with another major race in Wisconsin.

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Bill Donoho's multi-year effort to construct a Nashville-area superspeedway fell apart in late 1977. Then after denying the track was for sale in spring 1978, Donoho announced the sale of his interest in the track's lease to Lanny Hester and Gary Baker in December 1978. These two events plus the challenge of scheduling the Robbins Open may have led to reducing the Southern's distance and stature on the '78 schedule.

Hester and Baker acquired Bristol a year earlier, and they began making radical changes at Nashville in 1979. Three of the most notable changes included a one-year cancellation of weekly racing, the adoption of a Grand American division and elimination of the Late Model Sportsman cars, and the permanent cancellation of the historic Southern 400.

A new tradition began in 1981 with the All American 400. Rather than have the race tied to NASCAR's national Late Model Sportsman division, the new race (billed as the "Civil War on Wheels") brought together racers from NASCAR, All Pro Series, and ASA.

Source for articles: The Tennessean

TMC

Nashville's 1976 Permatex Southern 400

The 18th annual Southern 400 on October 3, 1976, closed the season at Nashville Speedway - a season that brought a changing of the guard.

The early 1970s late model sportsman races at Nashville were dominated by Darrell Waltrip. Other drivers who won features from time to time included Flookie Buford, Alton Jones, Jerry Lawley, James Ham, and Jimmy Means. Waltrip, however, stockpiled 50 feature wins from 1970 through 1975.

Once Waltrip joined DiGard's #88 Gatorade Cup ride in late 1975, his schedule at the Fairgrounds all but ended (except for Nashville's two annual Cup events). His departure created an opportunity for others.

The timing was optimal for the arrival of the Kiddie Corps in 1976. Four teenage drivers - three of them LMS rookies - made an immediate splash with fans. A couple of them had a rich future ahead of them in racing beyond Nashville.

• P.B. Crowell, III - 1975 LMS rookie of the year and son of the long-time Nashville car owner and driver
• Mike Alexander - son of long-time Nashville car owner and sponsor, R.C. Alexander, and graduate of Nashville's quarter-mile limited sportsman division
• Sterling Marlin - son of four-time Nashville track champion and independent Cup driver, Coo Coo Marlin
• Dennis Wiser - another limited sportsman graduate and son of long-time Nashville mechanic Kenneth Wiser

L-R: Wiser, Marlin, Alexander, and Crowell

Alexander won 10 features in his rookie season, and Wiser captured five events. Crowell won six races as a second-season racer. Though Marlin didn't win until 1977, he along with Alexander, Wiser, and Crowell planned to be contenders in the longest late model race of the season.

In addition to the local shoes, the Southern 400 again drew some big names for the field. Out-of-town aces expected for the race included former Cup driver and 1970 NASCAR champion Bobby Isaac, Harry Gant, two-time and defending Southern 400 winner L.D. Ottinger, three-time national LMS champion Jack Ingram, and 1974 Southern 400 winner Butch Lindley.

From TMC Archives

Isaac hoped for better results than in his previous Southern effort. Simply making the field would accomplish that goal. Car owner Ellis Cook provided a car for Isaac for the 1973 Southern 400. Isaac could not get the needed speed out of the Chevelle during time trials and failed to qualify for the race.

Gant's first Nashville race was in the 1970 Southern 300, and he developed a knack for the track in the years to follow. He won three 200-lap LMS races at Nashville over 1975-1976 - including the Spirit of '76 200 just a few months earlier.

Ottinger towed from East Tennessee to Music City for several big races during the 1970s. He won the first Southern 300 on Nashville's short-lived, high banks configuration. L.D. also took the checkered flag in the World Service Life 200 three weeks before the Southern. During post-race tech, however, officials learned Ottinger's Chevelle had mysteriously lost a good bit of weight. He was disqualified, and Alexander inherited the win.

Ingram raced regularly in the 1970s Southerns. After initially planning to race in the 1976 edition, he made a late decision to opt out of it because of a Nashville connection.

Charlotte's World Service Life 300 was scheduled for October 9 - the week after the Southern. Alexander's win in Nashville's World Service Life 200 earned him a spot in Charlotte's invitational race. Because of a lack of experience, limited prep time, and college class obligations, Alexander declined the invitation.

The invitation was then extended to Ingram who chose to pass on the Southern 400 to prepare for Charlotte's 300. As it turns out, Ingram could have raced in both as the World Service Life 300 was twice postponed by rain until October 23.

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After attempting a one-day show in 1975, the Speedway returned to a three-day event in 1976. Ottinger sloughed off his DQ from three weeks earlier and won the pole for the Southern. Gant timed second to start on the front row alongside L.D.

The next three starting spots belonged to the local racers Crowell, Steve Spencer, and '76 track champion Alton Jones. In a far more successful effort than in 1973, Isaac qualified tenth.

In a bit of a stunner, Lindley blew an engine during qualifying. Without a replacement (or perhaps a rule prohibiting an engine change), Lindley had to withdraw from the race. With Gant making the race and Lindley going home early, the two would swap spots in the point standings behind leader Ottinger.

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With no real surprises during the second day of qualifying, the 34-car field was set for the Sunday afternoon start. Within a few laps, however, fans saw the first incident that somewhat set the tone for the rest of the race.

A six-car accident ended the day for Alexander. Crowell was also involved though he continued. He made repeated trips to the pits for additional repairs, however, and parked it after 132 laps.

Ottinger and Spencer both qualified well, but both were done by lap 60 with engine issues. Ottinger later took over in relief for fellow Newport, TN driver Jack Hill.

Isaac made the show, but that is about all that went well for him. Driving his own car rather than one provided for him, Isaac struggled with it throughout the first half of race. After losing three laps because of the problems and attempted fixes, Isaac finally loaded it up for the ride home at lap 190.

As the race proceeded through its second half, eighteen of the race's 34 starters crashed or fell out of the event. With many of the top cars sidelined, Gant piled up lap after lap as the leader and easily built a two-lap cushion over second place Hill (with Ottinger at the wheel).

Gant had a double-gulp, Oh Crap! moment with sixteen laps to go. His crew missed fuel mileage calculations a bit, and Gant ran dry with the two lap lead. He pulled low and coasted to the pits to get a splash.

With a fresh few gallons to last the difference, Gant's car then would not refire. Meanwhile, Ottinger continued at speed. The crew was finally able to get the #77 car to restart, and off he went to lead the remaining laps and claim the win.

Randy Tissott finished third, and the local rookies - Marlin and Wiser - had solid finishes of fourth and sixth, respectively.

From TMC Archives

Source for articles: The Tennessean

TMC

Nashville's 1975 Permatex Southern 400

The Southern 300 / 400 races at Nashville Speedway were historically scheduled for late September or early October. Track promoter Bill Donoho decided in early 1975 that he wanted to host the race before the annual Tennessee State Fair rather than after it as had been done since 1958. Consequently, the 17th annual Southern 400 was scheduled for August 30, 1975.

As a result of the change, the Southern 400 was no longer the season-ending late model race as had been the case most years. The week after the Southern, the track scheduled the inaugural Bob Hunley 100 in memory of the former driver killed at the speedway in 1972. Then following the state fair, the Fairgrounds planned to run three October Saturday nights of regular feature races.

In addition to moving up the race by a month, the 1975 Southern 400 was scheduled to be the first one run under the lights on a Saturday night. All others had been scheduled for Sunday afternoons.

A third change in 1975 was to make the event a one-day show with qualifying, a limited sportsman preliminary race, and the 400 lap LMS event all on Saturday. Two days of qualifying were gone as were consolation races.

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Jack Ingram won the 1973 Southern 400 and three consecutive NASCAR national late model sportsman titles. As happened with three-time national champion Red Farmer, however, the grind of chasing another title had become a bit more than Ingram wanted to invest.

In the pre-Busch Series era, a driver willing to pursue the national title had to race seemingly everywhere. Races on back-to-back days often required an overnight tow from the first race. In some cases, national points were available at more than one event on the same day. Performing at a high level and keeping the competition at bay while running as many events as possible took a high toll on the individual as well as his equipment, limited crew, family, etc.

Yet with six career victories at Nashville and the prestige of the Southern 400 on the line, Ingram opted to include the the race on his somewhat reduced schedule.

As Ingram cracked the throttle on his pursuit of a fourth tittle, Harry Gant still had his foot buried. Though he trailed Butch Lindley in the national standings, he continued the pressure by racing everywhere, winning frequently, and accumulating points.

Part of Gant's success in 1975 - including wins in two of Nashville's four 200-lap events - resulted from his car built by racing legend Tiger Tom Pistone. Still active today at age 89, Pistone remained in racing long after his driving days ended. He built cars, served as crew chief for various drivers, and championed the cause of several up-and-comers.

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Lindley, winner of the 1974 Southern 400 and the national points leader, kept the Big Mo rolling by winning the pole for the 1975 edition.

For the second time in three years, Alabama's Alton Jones qualified on the front row alongside the pole winner. Jones claimed the track's LMS title a year later in 1976. Two-time Southern winner L.D. Ottinger, Gant, and local rookie P.B. Crowell III rounded out the top five starters.

Other name drivers in the show included Ingram, Neil Bonnett in a Bobby Allison-prepared Nova, 1974 Nashville track champion Jimmy Means, and Nashville legend turned Cup racer Darrell Waltrip.

Waltrip had a hectic weekend schedule traveling back and forth between Nashville and Darlington. In Nashville, he needed to shake down a new Mercury Cougar fielded by long-time owner/sponsor R.C. Alexander. Similarly in Darlington, DW prepared for the Southern 500 Cup race in only his third outing with DiGard Racing.

Late summer showers arrived after completion of qualifying, and the race was postponed until Sunday. Only one Southern 300 (1963: blog post) had been rained out prior to the 1975 edition. The rain-out also scuttled plans for the first night Southern. Thus, the Sunday afternoon tradition continued.

Lindley got the jump on Jones and the rest of the field as the race got underway on Sunday. A year earlier, Lindley had a strong car; however, his dominant second half run was aided by DNFs by his strongest competition. He planned to control his own destiny in the 1975 Southern.

Waltrip settled into a rhythm of his own in Alexander's #84 Cougar. As Lindley played the rabbit, Waltrip and Ol' Henry rode comfortably in the top five. Something went amiss, however, on lap 71. For the third year in a row, the 1972 Southern 300 winner and two-time track champion left the race early. Rather than make a hasty exit for Darlington's Labor Day race, Waltrip remained at the track.

A couple of  drivers needed an assist as the raced entered its final stages. Ottinger developed significant back pain and finally surrendered his car to Waltrip around lap 300. A few laps later, Ironman Jack Ingram needed relief from Joe Thurman.

Meanwhile, Lindley built a full-lap lead over second place as he headed for his second Southern 400 win. With 30 laps to go, however, disaster struck. Lindley puked a motor in his Nova, and he coasted helplessly to the pits.

Waltrip made up the lap deficit and soon had Ottinger's Chevelle in the lead. He led the remaining laps and took the checkered flag over Ingram's car.

Ottinger officially claimed the win, his second Southern, and his second win at Nashville in 1975. (He won the season-opening Winston 200 in April.) Coincidentally, Ottinger finished second in Waltrip's first Nashville win, the 1970 Flameless 300. Bonnett finished third followed by Crowell and Gant.

As the driver who crossed the finish line first headed to Darlington, the winning driver in street clothes loaded his Chevelle for the haul back to Newport, TN.

The 1975 Southern 400 was the the only one held in August. The race returned to its traditional post-state fair scheduling in 1976 and 1977. Also, none of the remaining Southern races were scheduled for a Saturday night.

Alton Jones won the Bob Hunley memorial 100-lap race the following Saturday night. Challenging weather and deteriorating track conditions resulted, however, in the cancellation of the remaining three October nights of racing. Walter Wallace won his second track LMS title over Jimmy Means who sought his second title in back-to-back years.

Source for articles: The Tennessean

TMC

Nashville's 1974 Permatex Southern 400

From 1958 through 1973, Nashville's racing facility was known simply as Fairground Speedways. The property was renamed Nashville Speedway in 1974, and the new moniker remained through 1978.

The name seemed new to many and certainly highlighted the city's name. The former, generic fairgrounds label could be used to refer to many other tracks around the country. 

After Lanny Hester and Gary Baker took over from Bill Donoho as leaseholders and promoters in December 1978, they renamed their newly acquired property Nashville International Raceway. In the years to follow with a turnstile of new promoters, the track went through additional name changes including Nashville Motor Raceway and Music City Motorplex. Today, the track's name under promoter Tony Formosa, Jr. reflects the facility's origins albeit with an alternate ending "s": Fairgrounds Speedway.

In other ways, however, the change to Nashville Speedway was a bit of a throwback. Prior to opening the fairgrounds track, promoter Bill Donoho and his partners operated a quarter-mile track near East Nashville. Most referred to the track by its original name, the Legion Bowl. By the late 1950s, however, the track was formally named Nashville Speedways.

In addition to getting a fresh name, the walls got a fresh look as well. Gone was the traditional black and white pattern.With the increased support for Cup and local racing from R.J. Reynolds, the walls were repainted red and white to match RJR's Winston branding.

Credit for both photos: Russ Thompson

Despite the name and paint changes, one song that remained the same was the running of the season-ending, 16th annual Southern 400 on September 29th.

Though the race's schedule placement did not change, the distance almost did. Before the season began, Donoho planned to extend the race one hundred laps to create Nashville's own version of the Southern 500. The race would have been the longest on Nashville's schedule - including its two Winston Cup races.

In response to the nation's energy crisis, NASCAR's Bill France Sr. asked its sanctioned tracks to make measurable cuts as a visible effort to conserve energy. In addition to various other changes, Donoho opted to reduce the Southern by one hundred laps rather than increase it.

Cutting the race would have returned the Southern to 300 laps, the traditional length from 1959 through 1972. For reasons that aren't clear, however, the decision was made later to restore the Southern back to 400 laps.

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Jack Ingram captured the pole during qualifying. Ingram was the defending winner of the Southern 400 as well as the reigning NASCAR national Late Model Sportsman champion.

Darrell Waltrip qualified second. After four seasons driving Chevelle's for owners P.B. Crowell and Ellis Cook, Waltrip moved to R.C. Alexander's Ford in 1974. In doing so, he reversed his former number 48 to Alexander's 84.

Butch Lindley began racing at Nashville in 1974 and liked his results. He won a 200-lapper and finished runner-up to Waltrip in a 100-lap event. Having gained a bit of familiarity with the track, he timed third.

Freddy Fryar returned for another shot at his third Southern and had the fourth quickest lap. Fryar was the only driver in the field with a chance at a third victory as other two-time winners Jimmy Griggs, Friday Hassler, and Red Farmer were not entered.

Top starters Ingram, Waltrip, Lindley, and Fryar

Twin 30-lap qualifying races set the remainder of the 34-car field. L.D.Ottinger and Flookie Buford won the heat races and lined up fifth and sixth, respectively.

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The track offered drivers an incentive to compete for the lead in addition to a healthy winner's purse. Drivers earned $10 for each lap led as a result of support from varying race sponsors.

Though the amount per lap sounds low by today's standards, the lap bonuses caught the drivers' eyes. One could pad the regular race dollars by spending a lot of time up front. Taking a chunk of the extra $4,000 could help pay for tires, travel expenses, or other costs.

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At the start, Waltrip fired off just as he did a year earlier. In the 1973 Southern, Waltrip got the early jump on pole-winner Randy Bethea. A year later though in a different car, Waltrip grabbed the same advantage over Ingram.

Once out front, Waltrip did as Waltrip frequently did at Nashville: lead. He led close to thirty of the first fifty laps and seemed to have the right combination to win his second Southern.

On lap 51, however, Waltrip lost a cylinder and had to park it. He went from having an early command of the race to getting a head start home to Franklin.

Waltrip's departure followed the early exit by a couple of other name drivers. Ottinger hit the wall on lap 11 and finished dead last. Jimmy Means, Nashville's 1974 late model sportsman champion, followed Ottinger to the trailer a few laps later.

With Waltrip and Ottinger sidelined, Fryar reminded the field he still knew how to race in Nashville despite two track re-configurations. He led 131 laps in the middle stages of the race, but his return to Music City ended with suspension issues and a subsequent visit to the wall on lap 245.

Two contenders remained following Fryar's exit: Ingram and Lindley. Ingram led a few dozen laps, but it was Lindley who racked up one ten spot after another as the race continued its second half.

With 120 laps to go, Ingram gained the advantage over Lindley during a pit sequence. Both roared back into action, and Ingram had his hands full with Lindley's #16 red Chevelle in hot pursuit.

As the duo barreled through turns one and two, Buford lost an engine in front of them. Ingram caught the oil and drilled Buford. He continued, but his car suffered a good bit of damage. Lindley saw the problem unfolding, dropped low, and sailed by without incident.

Though Ingram stayed in the race, he was no longer a factor and faded to a sixth place finish. Lindley led the rest of the way, collected $1,900 of the $4,000 lap money, and pocketed his second Nashville win of the season.

Most of the photos in this post were snapped by Russ Thompson, long-time racing fan, participant, and Nashville racing historian. I recommend viewing more of his pictures from the 1974 Southern 400 here.

Source for articles: The Tennessean

TMC