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| Source: Spartanburg Herald via Google News Archive |
TMC
Showing posts with label southern 500. Show all posts
Showing posts with label southern 500. Show all posts
Friday, January 2, 2015
Elly May gone to that cement pond in the sky
Actress Donna Douglas passed away on January 2, 2015, at the age of 81. She was best known for her role as Elly May Clampett from the 1960s show Beverly Hillbillies. I know I certainly paid attention when I saw that blond hair, plaid shirt and rope belt. They were a golden combination in all the rerun episodes I watched - regardless whether they were in black-and-white or color.
Douglas had a dalliance with NASCAR too - albeit apparently just a single event. She was the guest celebrity, grand marshal, or however you might refer to her for the 1972 Southern 500 at Darlington.
As referenced in the article, she joined the local lookers at the annual Miss Southern 500 beauty pageant and took part in the Darlington town parade. The race program for the 1973 race included a couple of photos from the 1972 pre-race events.
"Elly May's" Darlington appearance was also referenced in Jerry Bledsoe's fantastic book The World's Number One, Flat-Out, All-Time Great, Stock Car Racing Book. (The book is a must-read for fans interested in southern NASCAR racing and its personalities of the late 1960s through the early 1970s.)
R.I.P. Elly May
TMC
TMC
Sunday, September 4, 2011
September 4 - This day in Petty history
1967 - Petty Enterprises takes two of the top three finishing positions at the Southern 500 in Darlington. Richard Petty wins the race from the pole, and G.C. Spencer finishes 3rd in car #42. It was career win #69 and win #4 in a streak of 10 straight for the King.The win was Petty's third and final career Darlington victory and his only Southern 500 win.
Darlington frequently brought in celebrities as the grand marshal for the Southern 500 and to participate in the race weekend's parade. For the 1967 edition, the actors playing Doc Adams and Festus from the TV show Gunsmoke were the guests of honor.
Here is Richard's pole-winning trophy I spotted in the trophy case at the Richard Petty Museum in 2011. I love his pole-winning speed included two numerological sequences of '43'.
The field lines up for the start. Petty won the top spot in qualifying, and he elected to start from the outside. Buddy Baker qualified second in Ray Fox's Dodge. The second row was made up of Sam McQuagg to the inside and Spencer in 4th and right behind Petty.
Bobby W., a fellow member at Racers Reunion, remembers...
The Petty Blue 43 Plymouth dominated the day. He led 345 of the race's 364 laps! He won by five laps over second place David Pearson, who had relief driving help from Cale Yarborough.
Petty takes the white flag on his way to the win...
...and again gets to enjoy the spoils of victory lane.
NBickley1, a fellow poster at Fans of Richard Petty Motorsports remembers...
Darlington frequently brought in celebrities as the grand marshal for the Southern 500 and to participate in the race weekend's parade. For the 1967 edition, the actors playing Doc Adams and Festus from the TV show Gunsmoke were the guests of honor.
Here is Richard's pole-winning trophy I spotted in the trophy case at the Richard Petty Museum in 2011. I love his pole-winning speed included two numerological sequences of '43'.
Bobby W., a fellow member at Racers Reunion, remembers...
In 1967, Richard Petty was THE MAN...that was the 27-wins-10-wins-in-a-row unbelievable season. Richard came into Darlington having won the 1966 and '67 Rebel 300's. Although the Petty's had never had much luck at Darlington on Labor Day, that Labor Day was all about the King. As the race progressed, only David Pearson in the #17 H-M Fairlane remained as a very distant threat, with Pearson only leading when Richard pitted. Richard never won at Darlington again, but man he sure wore 'em out that day.The yellow flag flew about 70 laps into the race following a vicious wreck by Sam McQuagg. After losing the car, McQuagg hammered the wall separating the track from pit road and shattered it. Fortunately, he didn't suffer severe injuries. Coincidentally, Petty would drill the same wall closer to the entrance to pit road just three years later during the 1970 Rebel 500.
The Petty Blue 43 Plymouth dominated the day. He led 345 of the race's 364 laps! He won by five laps over second place David Pearson, who had relief driving help from Cale Yarborough.
Petty takes the white flag on his way to the win...
...and again gets to enjoy the spoils of victory lane.
I saw Richard win many times. But the one that stands out is the 1967 Southern 500. I was 14 and rushed to victory lane. I was able to sneak inside as Richard pulled in. I stood there and watched it all. As things were wrapping up Richard saw me, reached inside the car and threw me his goggles. I had those things for years before they finally broke. That was a day I'll always treasure.The Petty crew got a well-deserved photo op as well.
Friday, September 4, 2009
Labor Day weekend in simpler times
Sunday night the Cup drivers will fire 'em up to race 500 miles on Labor Day weekend...at Atlanta. Up front, it feels great to have NASCAR back in the south this weekend where it belongs. Which old school song fits best? Thin Lizzy's The Boys Are Back in Town? Aerosmith's Back in the Saddle? Ray Charles' Georgia On My Mind?
Bottom line - NASCAR is not in southern California this weekend and that's a good thing.
But they're also not at Darlington. On Labor Day Monday.
I've only been able to attend one race at Darlington. It was the final Southern 500...well, before they chose to lift the name and artificially apply it to a Mother's Day weekend race. And to be completely honest, I didn't attend a sho-nuff Southern 500. I attended the Mountain Dew Southern 500 in November 2003 - a race won by Californian Jimmie Johnson.
Back in the day, however, life in the town of Darlington, the state of South Carolina, and the deep south overall focused on Darlington. They had a parade with grand marshals such as Goober from The Andy Griffith Show.
They had a Miss Southern 500 beauty pageant - not a fire-suited Miss Sprint.
The track had the Pure Oil Record Club to recognize the fastest qualifiers in each manufacturer. The club was later renamed the Unocal Darlington Record Club where Darlington first-time drivers had to pass a test given by the veteran drivers before being allowed to compete. As a veteran driver, A.J. Foyt still had to complete the test yet you think Joey Logano will have to do so?
From day one, this blog has included links to several racing books I've enjoyed over the years. In this case, one book in particular jumps out as a "must read" for any old timer or noob looking to learn more about the history of NASCAR from the late 1960s through the early 1970s - Jerry Bledsoe's The World's Number One, Flat Out, All Time Great, Stock Car Racing Book. The book will have you laughing and also shaking your head at the fun stories captured by Bledsoe back then.
Racing at Darlington has so many great memories. Too many to blog at one time. And too many to be available on YouTube. :-) But here are a handful of some good 'uns.
1985 - Awful Bill from Dawsonville cemented his place as a southern folk hero at Darlington in 1985. He had begun to gather a solid fan following in the early 1980s - particularly after winning his first race at Riverside in 1983. But in 1985, he drew fans like nobody's business as he won everything in sight in his Coors Ford. When he won the Southern 500 and collected the Winston Million big bucks bonus, his legacy was secured.
1965 - Cale Yarborough tries his Superman impression and leaves the yard. No HANS device. No COT. No full-face helmet. Simple aluminum seat. Limited roll bar padding. His adventure reminds me of Jimmy Horton's quote after he flew over the wall at Talladega: "You know you've had a really bad crash when the first guy to get to you is holding a beer can. "
I'll likely watch part of this weekend's race. But it simply won't be the same as watching those guys earn their Darlington stripes on that gritty, greasy, ill-shaped speedway a few hours to the northeast of Atlanta Motor Speedway.
And now that Cup has returned to the south this weekend, would it be asking way too much to restore "Dixie" to the race name?
TMC
Bottom line - NASCAR is not in southern California this weekend and that's a good thing.
But they're also not at Darlington. On Labor Day Monday.
I've only been able to attend one race at Darlington. It was the final Southern 500...well, before they chose to lift the name and artificially apply it to a Mother's Day weekend race. And to be completely honest, I didn't attend a sho-nuff Southern 500. I attended the Mountain Dew Southern 500 in November 2003 - a race won by Californian Jimmie Johnson.
Back in the day, however, life in the town of Darlington, the state of South Carolina, and the deep south overall focused on Darlington. They had a parade with grand marshals such as Goober from The Andy Griffith Show.
They had a Miss Southern 500 beauty pageant - not a fire-suited Miss Sprint.
The track had the Pure Oil Record Club to recognize the fastest qualifiers in each manufacturer. The club was later renamed the Unocal Darlington Record Club where Darlington first-time drivers had to pass a test given by the veteran drivers before being allowed to compete. As a veteran driver, A.J. Foyt still had to complete the test yet you think Joey Logano will have to do so?The Darlington infield had enough rowdies to scare even the hardcores at Riker's Island. Yet, a bond existed amongst them with a fondness for racing, cold beer, and pretty ladies - although not necessarily in that order. This Johnny Russell song exemplifies the uniqueness of the infield community.
I contend from its beginnings until the late 1970s a Southern 500 victory may have been a more prestigious, rights-bragging, resume-padding win for a driver than the Daytona 500. Its difficult for me to even acknowledge that possibility because Richard Petty struggled to close the deal on wins at Darlington - bagging only three victories. Meanwhile, David Pearson made the track his personal bee-otch nabbing 10 victories over the years.
From day one, this blog has included links to several racing books I've enjoyed over the years. In this case, one book in particular jumps out as a "must read" for any old timer or noob looking to learn more about the history of NASCAR from the late 1960s through the early 1970s - Jerry Bledsoe's The World's Number One, Flat Out, All Time Great, Stock Car Racing Book. The book will have you laughing and also shaking your head at the fun stories captured by Bledsoe back then.
Racing at Darlington has so many great memories. Too many to blog at one time. And too many to be available on YouTube. :-) But here are a handful of some good 'uns.
1979 - Rookie Dale Earnhardt was injured in a bad accident at Pocono. As he recovered, David Pearson was hired to drive the Rod Osterland #2 Chevy. The Silver Fox had been fired by the Wood Brothers following the Rebel 500 at the same track earlier in the season after many successful seasons together. Even after being fired by the Purolator-sponsored Mercury team and hired by the unsponsored Chevy team, check out Pearson's attire in victory lane.
1980 - Terry Labonte from Texas made his Cup debut in the Southern 500 in 1978. Two years later, he pulled off an incredible move at the start/finish line to outfox the Silver Fox.
1985 - Awful Bill from Dawsonville cemented his place as a southern folk hero at Darlington in 1985. He had begun to gather a solid fan following in the early 1980s - particularly after winning his first race at Riverside in 1983. But in 1985, he drew fans like nobody's business as he won everything in sight in his Coors Ford. When he won the Southern 500 and collected the Winston Million big bucks bonus, his legacy was secured.
1965 - Cale Yarborough tries his Superman impression and leaves the yard. No HANS device. No COT. No full-face helmet. Simple aluminum seat. Limited roll bar padding. His adventure reminds me of Jimmy Horton's quote after he flew over the wall at Talladega: "You know you've had a really bad crash when the first guy to get to you is holding a beer can. "
I'll likely watch part of this weekend's race. But it simply won't be the same as watching those guys earn their Darlington stripes on that gritty, greasy, ill-shaped speedway a few hours to the northeast of Atlanta Motor Speedway.
And now that Cup has returned to the south this weekend, would it be asking way too much to restore "Dixie" to the race name?
TMC
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