March 6, 1955 - Lee Petty Savors Savannah

March 6, 1955: Driving a #42 Chrysler, Lee Petty wins a 200-lap, 100-mile race at Oglethorpe Speedway in Savannah, GA. The race is the second of only two Grand National races sanctioned at the speedway. (The other was a year earlier in 1954 and won by Al Keller.)

Oglethorpe continues to operate today though it is no longer sanctioned by NASCAR for its local events.

Greg Fielden recapped the race in his book, Forty Years of Stock Car Racing - Vol. 1:

Lee Petty continued his hot pace by trouncing the field in the 100-mile Grand National race at Oglethorpe Speedway. Petty's Chrysler New Yorker wound up four full laps ahead of runner-up Don White... Dick Rathman, leader of the first 54 laps after winning his third pole of the young 1955 season, fell to third in the final order, six laps behind the fleet Petty... Petty's third win of the season moved him into a solid 234 point lead, but it was White who captured the hearts of the 3,750 spectators. The slightly built Keokuk, IA driver was forced to overcome a four lap pit stop midway in the race. After rejoining the fray, White was as quick or quicker than eventual winner Petty.

Source: Daytona Beach Morning Journal via Google News Archive

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March 15 - This day in Petty history

1970 - Starting from the pole position, Richard Petty dominates by leading 183 of 200 laps, and earns his 103rd career victory by winning the Savannah 200 at Savannah Speedway in Georgia.

The article notes Petty-rival Bobby Allison finished 19th in a Dodge Charger. However, he actually drove a Plymouth owned by Don Robertson. Allison drove a Robertson-owned car three times in 1970 and didn't win any of the races. Interestingly, Petty made two starts for Robertson - and won both of them. (Of course, the cars he raced were Petty-built Plymouths sold to Robertson but then borrowed back for Richard's starts.)

Article courtesy of Jerry Bushmire

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December 29 - This day in Petty history

1963 - Richard Petty earns his 28th career victory by winning the Sunshine 200 at Savannah Speedway in Georgia. Richard's brother and Petty Enterprise teammate, Maurice Petty, finishes 4th.

The race was held in December 1963 (cue The Four Seasons!) but was scheduled by NASCAR as an early race of the 1964 Grand National season. As noted in the article below, the race - originally touted as the Turkey 200 - was scheduled for November 28. The race was rained out on its originally scheduled date plus two make-up dates before finally being renamed and run on December 29. Only a December 30, 1956 race at Titusville, FL has eclipsed the 1963 Sunshine 200 for a NASCAR GN/Cup race run latest in a calendar year.

Article courtesy of Jerry Bushmire

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Edited December 28, 2014

August 25 - This day in Petty history

1967 - Richard Petty earns his 68th career victory by winning from the pole in a 200-lap race at Savannah Speedway in Georgia.

Article courtesy of Jerry Bushmire

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