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

TMC

Nashville's Falls City 200 - part 1

For many years, Falls City was a coming of age and working man's beer. The Nashville-area distributor leveraged the brand as a frequent sponsor at the track most refer to as Fairgrounds Speedway through much of the 1970s.

Drivers such as James Ham, Flookie Buford, Charlie Binkley, Bobby Isaac, Buddy Baker and ... Darrell Waltrip sported the red and gold colors of Falls City at the Fairgrounds.

Falls City also sponsored an annual, late model sportsman race at the Fairgrounds from 1972 through 1977. Except for the first one, the Falls City 200 was scheduled between late May and mid-June. This post will highlight the first three editions - all of which had a common denominator.

Falls City 100 - July 29, 1972

The first Falls City race was 100 vs. 200 laps and the only one on the track's 5/8 mile, high-banked configuration that lasted from 1970 through 1972. Run under Nashville's lights, the race was scheduled the same day Joe Leonard won the second annual Schaefer 500 at Pocono.

Waltrip, Nashville's 1970 late model sportsman champion, won the pole and dominated the race for the win. The victory was his sixth of the season.

On lap 45, James Ham passed Charlie Binkley to move into third place. Jerry Long ran second early in the race, but he blew an engine just past the halfway mark. When Long's night became short, Ham took over the second spot behind a disappearing Waltrip.

Something broke on Ham's car with about 15 laps to go. He sailed head-on into the wall between turns one and two and burst into flames. Ham stopped along the inside hall, and he quickly bailed out. A year later in Nashville's Uniroyal 100, Ham suffered a similar wreck - including another fire - but once again escaped relatively unscathed.

Binkley was following Ham and slid down along the inside wall in an effort to avoid him. He needed an assist to get back in the action, did so, and finished the race in second.

Waltrip was greeted in victory lane by flagman Don Donoho and Ellis Cook, Nashville's Falls City distributor.

Source: Nashville Fairgrounds Racing History

1. Darrell Waltrip 
2. Charlie Binkley
3. Flookie Buford 
4. Joe Mangrum 
5. Ben Pruitt
6. James Climer
7. Windle Webster
8. Jim Berry
9. Jerry Sisco 
10. James Ham 
11. James Veach 
12. Jerry Long
13. Ray Chitwood
14. Freddy Fryar
15. Carl Layne
16. Rod Stillings
17. Everett Barnes 
18. Bill Morton
19. Jimmy Benson
20. Ronnie Dickson
21. Clyde Peoples

Falls City 200 - June 2, 1973

The third configuration of the Fairgrounds track (and the one still in place today) debuted in 1973. The banks were dropped to 18 degrees, and the official length of the track was reduced to .596-mile. Even though the track's length was no longer .625-mile, that didn't stop track management from boasting about the World's Finest 5/8 Mile Track. The same 5/8-mile reference continued to be used on programs through 1978.

Courtesy of Russ Thompson

Waltrip's crew brought two Chevelles to the track for the 1973 running of the Falls City 200. His plan was to race a newer car and have Walter Wallace pilot the older model.

After qualifying, Waltrip made a relatively last minute decision to swap cars. Wallace had qualified the older car fourth, but he exchanged seats with Waltrip. The decision turned out to be the right one.

Occasional Winston Cup racer Charlie Glotzbach came to town and won the pole in a Dodge. The car, owned by M.B. McMahan of Sevierville, TN, was already a two-time Fairgrounds winner in 1973. Cup regular Dave Marcis was at the wheel of McMahon's Mopar for two 30-lap features in the month of May.

McMahan wanted Marcis to race his car yet again - especially since Nashville had a $500 bonus for any Dodge that could win a national championship race. Practical logistics of shuttling Marcis between the Cup race at Dover and Nashville, however, could not be arranged. McMahan also considered Pete Hamilton and James Ham. Hamilton was already committed to a ride in a 200-lap LMS race at Middle Georgia Raceway near Macon, and Ham already had a ride in Nashville.

Glotzbach got word of McMahan's need for a driver while hanging out in Dover. His Cup owner, Hoss Ellington, opted not to race at Dover following a tough effort a week earlier in the World 600 at Charlotte. Glotzbach contacted McMahan and agreed to fly to Nashville in his own plane.

Waltrip needed only five laps to take the lead, and he set sail once he got it. Eight cautions during the race helped make things closer for Waltrip than he would have liked. With each restart, however, Waltrip again pulled away from the field.

L.D. Ottinger finished second with Freddy Fryar in third - the only other cars on the lead lap. Jimmy Hensley made a rare trip to Nashville and returned to Virginia with a P4.

Jack Ingram somehow managed a fifth place finish despite being involved in a multi-car accident a few laps after the halfway point of the race. Much of his Chevelle's sheet metal was mangled, but he soldiered on to a top 5 finish. His tenacity in the Falls City 200 and throughout the rest of the season helped reward him with NASCAR's 1973 national late model sportsman division championship.

Waltrip got the repeat win, and others scored some valuable points for the national title. Red Farmer, on the other hand, had a trip to Music City that he'd just as soon forget - and perhaps has. The truck hauling his race car broke down on I-65 as he drove from Birmingham. After arriving, practicing, and qualifying third, he developed an overheating problem early in the race. His crew addressed the issue during a pit stop, but their efforts didn't last. More engine woes put Farmer's car back on the sketchy truck after 82 laps.

1. Darrell Waltrip
2. L. D. Ottinger
3. Freddy Fryar
4. Jimmy Hensley
5. Jack Ingram
6. Jimmy Means
7. Rod Stillings
8. Jerry Lawley
9. Robert Wales
10. Charley Glotzbach
11. Charley Binkley
12. Don Smith
13. Ronnie Blasingim
14. Neil Bonnett 
15. Walter Wallace
16. Wayne Carden
17. Alton Jones
18. Donnle Anthony 
19. Sammy Ard
20. Windle Webster
21. Steve Spencer
22. Jerry Sisco
23. Dorris Vaughn
24. Gary Myers
25. Red Farmer
26. Charley Greenwell 
27. Bill Morton 
28. Flookie Buford
29. James Ham
30. Dan Lawson
31. Terry Flynn
32. Carl Lane
33. Bobby Baucom

Falls City 200 - June 1, 1974

Waltrip returned in 1974 as the two-time defending race winner. He also returned as a two-time Fairgrounds track champion after having won the LMS title a second time in 1973. On top of his busy late model sportsman schedule, Waltrip had also launched his Winston Cup career.

The Falls City 200 lineup included a solid balance of local regulars and national hot shoes. Drivers such as James Ham, Flookie Buford, and Paddlefoot Wales got to race with Bobby Allison, Butch Lindley, and Jack Ingram.

A true out-of-towner who made the trek was Ray Hendrick. A winning, late model veteran of tracks in the eastern time zone, Hendrick had only raced at the Fairgrounds one time previously. He and Waltrip qualified on the front row for the track's 1974 season opener, the Permatex 200. The two raced hard and generally clean - until. The two came together, Waltrip sailed into the fence, Hendrick slid to the inside, carried on, and then raced Bobby Allison hard down the stretch.

Hendrick was back and ready to tangle with Waltrip, Allison, and others again about two months later. The Falls City 200 was Hendrick's second and final start in Nashville.

To the surprise of few, Waltrip won the pole and barely missed the track record in doing so. Hendrick lined up sixth but picked his way through traffic soon after the start. Within 15 laps or so, Hendrick found his way to second behind Waltrip.

The two stayed nose to tail through the first half of the race. Morgan Shepherd hounded Hendrick from third. He managed to take second but for only a lap before Hendrick roared back with a focused intent on tracking down Waltrip.

Allison, racing during an early June break in his Cup schedule, posted a poor qualifying lap and started 22nd. Once the green fell, however, he found his groove. He worked his way through traffic and tracked down Shepherd by halfway to take third.

As Allison eased into P3, a three-car accident slowed the field. Waltrip and Hendrick hit pit road with Hendrick getting the edge on pit exit. Both, however, were behind Allison who had made the decision to run the full race without pitting.

Waltrip needed only a couple of laps to pass Hendrick once the green returned. Allison did a yeoman's job of holding Waltrip and Hendrick at bay with their fresher tires. With about 50 laps to go, however, Allison's resistance was futile. Waltrip sailed around him - followed by Hendrick. Gremlins soon hit Allison, and the choice not to pit was moot. He cruised back to pit road and was done for the night.

With clean air, Waltrip put his Harpeth Motor Ford into the wind. He may have saved a bit from the early stages of the race, and he most likely remembered his previous Nashville encounter with Hendrick. Waltrip opened a comfortable margin and won his third consecutive Falls City race by about ten car lengths over the Virginian.

1. Darrell Waltrip
2. Ray Hendrick
3. Jerry Lawley
4. Richard Orton
5. Bob Burcham 
6. James Ham
7. Ray Milligan
8. Donnie Anthony
9. Wayne Carden
10. Dave Mader III
11. Jim Berry
12. Buck Hinkle
13. Wayne Gower
14. Dewayne Chaffin
15. Jack Ingram
16. Neil Bonnett
17. Bobby Allison
18. Phil Stillings
19. Robert Wales
20. Butch Lindley
21. Clyde Peoples
22. Bobby Hargrove
23. James Climer
24. Larry Catlett
25. Jimmy Means
26. Morgan Shepherd
27. Flookie Buford
28. Charlie Binkley
29. Red Farmer
30. Terry Miller
31. Chet Williams
32. Boscoe Lowe
33. Walter Wallace 

Part 2 about 1975, 1976, and 1977 Falls City 200 races will follow next week...

TMC