Nashville's fairgounds speedway - renamed Nashville International Raceway in the late 1970s - opened its 1981 season with a program highlighted by the CRC Chemicals 200 Grand American division race.
Future back-to-back Daytona 500 winner, Sterling Marlin, was featured on the track's program cover. Marlin returned to Nashville in 1981 as the defending Grand American champion from 1980. In the division's first season at the fairgrounds, Marlin won 12 of the season's 20 races.
1980 Nashville division champions James Forbes, Marlin, and Charles Casteel Source: The Tennessean
Marlin also began the new season with a new sponsor: Coors beer. Though Coors Light later adorned the sides of his #14 Camaro - as well as his silver #40 Cup car, he began with sho-nuff Coors in April 1981.
Source: Russ Thompson
Seventeen cars took the green - an unusually low car count by Nashville standards. Former track champion and Marlin rival, Mike Alexander, had been expected to race in a car owned by Phillip Grissom from Alabama. Alexander had sold his Grand American car as he planned to focus on developing his Cup career. The arrangement did not materialize, and Grissom ended up racing his own car (or leaving a second one intended for Alexander on the trailer.)
Track promoter Gary Baker and Tennessean writer Larry Woody suggested some expected out-of-town heavy hitters opted instead to race at Greenville-Pickens Speedway in South Carolina rather than tow to Music City. Butch Lindley, David Pearson, and Bobby Allison raced in Greenville, but that race had few other stars in it. Other races may have been held in the south that night, or perhaps Nashville's purse or recruiting of drivers just weren't up to snuff.
Grissom won the pole, and Marlin started to his outside. As the race began, Marlin got the jump into turn one and quickly extended his dominance from 1980. By around lap 60, he'd just about lapped the full field. But then...
Marlin cut a tire, limped to pit road, and waited anxiously as his part-time, race-day crew mounted a replacement. He returned to action nearly two laps down. Once back on track, however, he realized he had an issue with the new tire. Forced to make a second stop, Marlin fell even further behind.
Sterling made up one of his laps during a caution around the halfway mark, and then caught a break when Grissom had a pit issue of his own. Grissom gave back a lap as his crew thrashed on pit road. With Marlin back on the lead lap, it was time for him to regain his groove.
The Coors Camaro once again found its way back to the lead. For the remainder of the second half the race, Marlin returned to what he'd done in the first 50 or so laps. As the checkered flag fell, he'd lapped everyone but Grissom - and was close to lapping him as well.
Sterling's win began a season that topped his 1980 championship-winning one. He captured his second consecutive track title and won 13 of 17 races.
Source: The Tennessean
Though Alexander didn't race at Nashville, he enjoyed some success a week later in Martinsville's Virginia 500 Cup race. He set a track record and was the fastest second-round qualifier in his first trip to the paper clip. Ricky Rudd set the previous mark just the day before during the opening round of qualifying. Alexander backed up his quick time by finishing 10th in the race in only his seventh career Cup start. Alexander's crew chief on his #37 Buick: famed crew chief and FOX Sports analyst Larry McReynolds.
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.)
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.
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.
Nashville Speedway opened its 1978 season with a marquis NASCAR national late model sportsman race just as it had since 1966. The Winston Salute To America 200 ran on Saturday, April 15, 1978.
Though the 200-lap season-opener held to tradition, fans experienced many changes during and after the season that altered all sorts of traditions.
In December, the track's lease was sold by long-time track promoter, Bill Donoho, to local racer Lanny Hester and businessman Gary Baker. Donoho operated the track since its opening in 1958, but he spent much of his time in 1976-1977 overseeing a project to build a Nashville-areas superspeedway. The track was to have been built about 20 miles south of Nashville. One problem after another arose; however, and Donoho's project was scrapped in early 1978.
The season also turned out to be the final full year for the late model sportsman division. After featuring modifieds as the top division in the early years, Donoho replaced them with the LMS division in 1964. Hester and Baker opted to run only a handful of LMS races in 1979 with the traditional Novas and Chevelles. Then in 1980, the new promoters introduced a new Grand American division featuring primarily Camaros and Firebirds.
Local racer Steve Spencer experienced a bit of change as well. Spencer earned Nashville's 1973 rookie of the years honors and won the 1977 LMS title in an orange Chevelle. In the offseason, he purchased a late model Nova from North Carolina racer Randy Tissott. Furthermore, his sponsor (an avid Vanderbilt Commodores sports fan), asked Spencer to paint the car black and gold.
Another local racer, Mike Alexander, had expected a change - though it happened later than originally thought. During his two previous full-time LMS years, Alexander raced a mid 60s Mercury Cougar. For the new season, he expected to race a newly-built Ford Granada. Multiple problems with the car during testing, however, led Alexander to return the car to the builder. Instead, he stuck with his trusty Cougar for the first part of the season.
Source: The Tennessean
In addition to Spencer and Alexander, Sterling Marlin returned for his third season of LMS racing. The trio represented the strongest of the local racer contingent. As a national LMS feature, the race also attracted several out-of-towners as it typically did. The list of Big Dawgs included racers such as two-time national LMS champions Jack Ingram and L.D. Ottinger, 1978 national LMS champ Butch Lindley, Bob Pressley, Morgan Shepherd, and late entrant Donnie Allison.
Despite the presence of several touring pros, the local fellas let 'em know they knew their way around the Fairgrounds track quite well. Marlin won the pole, and Spencer joined him on the front row.
Spencer's newly purchased Nova was fast. He got the jump on Marlin at the green and pulled the field into turn one. The 1977 track champ found his early groove and enjoyed the view out front. Lap after lap, Spencer's #27 Chevrolet stayed out front.
Meanwhile, Alexander, P.B. Crowell III, and Dennis Wiser were all gone by halfway. The three drivers along with Marlin comprised the highly touted Kiddie Corps two seasons earlier. Marlin stayed in the hunch though he seemingly had nothing for Spencer. His lack of speed was compounded by pit miscues followed by a tangle with another car late in the race. He still managed a P7 finish - though 10 laps down to the winner.
With 55 laps to go, Spencer had to make his stop to make it to the end. Like Marlin, he too had issues making a clean pit stop. He suffered a painful one-lap penalty for running the pit-out stop sign. And like Marlin, he knicked another car - Ironman Ingram - late in the race. Though he continued to a P4 finish, Spencer realized he'd missed out on a golden opportunity to bank a premier LMS win.
After pit challenges by the local racers, veteran racer Donnie Allison - and his seasoned crew - made his pit stop cleanly. Allison took over the top spot and led the remaining laps that Spencer could not. Donnie captured his third season-opener win at Nashville in seven seasons. His other victories were the 1972 Permatex 200 and 1976 Winston 200.
Source: Nashville Fairgrounds Racing History
Many of the local and national racers' names had been touted in the run-up to race day by the track's promotional team. Allison's name, however, was not among the names mentioned because he had not yet submitted an official entry. Some speculated Allison, a NASCAR Cup regular, wanted more show money than Donoho was willing to pay. Allison held back his entry perhaps as a countermove to limit Donoho's use of Donnie's name in marketing efforts.
Nashville Speedway at the Tennessee State Fairgrounds opened its 1977 season with the Winston Salute To America 200 on April 16th. The 200-lap race was sanctioned as a NASCAR national late model sportsman event.
Times were tough for racers in the mid 1970s - locally and on the national level. L.D. Ottinger, NASCAR's two-time national Late Model Sportsman champion, had done enough barnstorming to accumulate points.
Ottinger continued to race and win, but he longer had the hunger to bounce all over the eastern and southern U.S. to bank points. Jack Ingram reached the same decision after winning his third consecutive LMS title in 1974.
Locally, Nashville's 1976 LMS champion, Alton Jones, didn't return to defend his title. Jones was from Alabama, but he'd raced off and on at Nashville since the early 1970s. He raced the full schedule in 1976 and won the title over rookie Mike Alexander. Because of a lack of sponsorship, however, Jones opted not to return to Music City in 1977.
With Jones gone along with some of the late model veterans of the early 1970s, most expected the storyline of Nashville's 1977 season to be the further maturation of the Kiddie Corps.
Mike Alexander, P.B. Crowell III, Sterling Marlin and Dennis Wiser
All four up-and-comer drivers were second generation racers.
Mike Alexander, Nashville's 1976 LMS rookie of the year, was the son of R.C. Alexander, a long-time owner for winning drivers dating back to the late 1950s.
P.B. Crowell III, Nashville's 1975 LMS rookie of the year, was the son of P.B. Crowell, Jr. a former winning driver who became a prominent owner in the late 1960s when he hired a kid from Owensboro, Kentucky: Darrell Waltrip.
Sterling Marlin was the son of four-time Nashville track champ and Cup independent, Coo Coo Marlin. Before he began his driving career, Sterling worked as a crewman and mechanic on his father's Cup cars.
Dennis Wiser was the son of Kenneth Wiser, a long-time noted car builder and mechanic. Among his other accomplishments, Kenneth built the car raced by 1967 track champ and future NASCAR official, Walter Wallace
Source: The Tennessean
Though many expected the young guns to win their share of races, experienced drivers still planned to have a say in the outcome and leave town with the trophy and the loot. Several big names helped pack the stands for the season opener.
Cup regular and two-time Nashville LMS champion, Darrell Waltrip, flew between Bristol and Nashville to balance practice and qualifying for the Southeastern 500 Cup race and his #88 Gatorade Nova in Nashville.
Ottinger still came to Music City even though he wasn't chasing points.
Ingram finished second in a Friday night late model race in Kingsport, TN before towing to Nashville for its Saturday night feature.
Randy Tissot wrecked his car in the Kingsport race. He came to Nashville anyway with a generous offer by Ingram to race his backup car.
Other out-of-towners included Neil Bonnett, Harry Gant, Morgan Shepherd, and the son of late model legend Ralph Earnhardt.
Mike Alexander, Steve Spencer, Darrell Waltrip, Sterling Marlin, & Dale Earnhardt
Dale Earnhardt arranged to race Waltrip's white #17 in his second ever Nashville start. Later, Waltrip had the car painted orange-and-white. The Robert Gee-painted Nova matched the colors of Crowell's #47.
Though he was young, third-year racer Crowell was already a track veteran. He won the pole by matching the track record of 20.01 seconds. Gant lined up alongside him on the front row.
Nashville hosted three main divisions of weekly racing in 1977: mini-stocks, limited sportsman, and late model sportsman. The track also featured a demolition derby division. The Winston 200 wasn't part of that schedule, but it may as well have been with the way the race unfolded.
Earnhardt's night in his borrowed ride didn't last even a quarter of the race. He spun on lap 40 and collected Marlin with him.
Wiser, another one of the young'uns, popped the wall shortly after halfway, and he too was done - as was Steve Spencer. Fortunately for Spencer, the night did not start a trend for him. He won frequently during the year and captured the 1977 LMS title.
Cup independent and 1969 Nashville LMS champion, Dave Sisco, tangled with Shepherd to end both their nights. And with about 20 laps to go, Crowell's pole-winning car laid down sending his car to the trailer.
With five to go and Ingram leading, Benny Kerley apparently hit a patch of fluid and spun in turn three. Ingram was already past Kerley, but second-place running Gant also hit the oil and clipped Kerley as he tried to avoid him.
As Gant slowed and twitched, he was then drilled in the right side by local racers Ricky Marlin and and Dave Hill. Fast approaching Waltrip and Tissot took evasive action to dodge the three-car wreck.
As Gant's totaled car was towed to the garage, it was apparent to all the roll cage wasn't nearly as strong as required. Handsome Harry was fortunate to return to North Carolina without injury.
On the restart, Waltrip went high in turn one in hopes of getting momentum to launch past Ingram. His car stumbled, however, and he immediately faded. Ottinger had issues too - at the very moment he didn't need them.
Feeling no pressure from the others, Ingram and Tissot clicked off the remaining laps to finish 1-2. Waltrip and Ottinger remained on track and finished third and fourth.
Fans saw a remarkable and perhaps exasperating 11 cautions totaling 65 laps. Of the 28 starters, only nine cars made it to the end. With so many cars out of the race or many laps down to the leaders, Kerley and Gant still managed to finish fifth and sixth despite their DNFs!
Ingram captured his fifth national LMS win at Nashville and eighth victory overall. He won three more times at the Fairgrounds - a 250-lap national LMS race in 1979 and a Busch Grand National race in 1984.
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.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
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.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
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.
The first three Falls City 200 late model sportsman races at Nashville's Fairgrounds Speedway were before my time as an avid race fan. Though I went to my first race sometime in 1974, I have no memories of the night, number of laps, or winner. I just know I liked it enough that I wanted to return - often.
My family and I began going to the Fairgrounds several times beginning in 1975 - though mainly for the nights of regular twin features of mini-stock, limited sportsman, and late model sportsman divisions. Attending the special Big Races with LMS racers didn't happen often - much less any Cup races. For those, I generally listened to them on WENO-AM radio.
The second triad of Falls City 200 races were smack dab in the salad days of my passion for Fairgrounds racing. Unlike Darrell Waltrip's sweep of the races from 1972 through 1974, fans saw three different winners in 1975-76-77.
Falls City 200 - June 1, 1975
The 1975 Falls City was scheduled for Saturday night, May 31. Fans had to wait another day for the results because of rain. The drivers instead took the green on Sunday afternoon, June 1, but fans had to wait another two days to learn the official winner of the race.
A bit of controversy following the race bookended some mild controversy before the race. The field arrived for practice and qualifying on Friday. Darrell Waltrip and his R.C. Alexander-owned Harpeth Motors Ford did not pass inspection, and a few drivers suggested they'd go home if Waltrip's #84 Ford raced "as is". Waltrip, the two-time Fairgrounds LMS champion and recent first-time Cup winner at Nashville less than a month earlier, was livid. He argued Alexander's Ford was being singled out and threatened not to race - in the Falls City 200 or any future events.
On Saturday, however, cooler heads prevailed. Waltrip and his crew returned, and tweaks were made allowing the car to pass inspection. After making the show, Waltrip ran a few laps during post-qualifying practice. His blood pressure likely soared again, however, when he lost control, popped the wall, and failed to start the race on Sunday.
Waltrip wasn't the only racer with pre-race issues. NASCAR national late model sportsman racers Butch Lindley and L.D. Ottinger captured the front row in qualifying. Lindley set a track record, and Ottinger was just a tick behind him. During post-qualifying practice, however, Ottinger blew an engine. Arrangements were made for Ottinger to take over the car of local rookie racer P.B. Crowell III.
The loss of Waltrip's car and Ottinger's engine was a sampling of what was to come during the race itself. Only thirteen of the race's 31 starters were still on-track late Sunday afternoon. Drivers making early exits including:
Reigning NASCAR national late model sportsman champion Jack Ingram
NASCAR veteran Tiny Lund
Defending Fairgrounds track champion Jimmy Means
Pole winner Lindley
Local racers such as Flookie Buford, James Ham, Phil Stillings, and Little Joe Mangrum.
Of the thirteen cars that lived to see the checkers, local Nashville racer (by way of Birmingham) Alton Jones was the first to see it. Trailing him by a full lap was fellow Alabama driver and third place starter, Neil Bonnett.
Ned Webb finished third, and Ottinger finished where he started: P4. I know nothing about Webb, but apparently he knew something about the Alabama Gang. A few years after the '75 Falls City 200, Webb wrote a book about the driver who finished ahead of him.
Following the race, however, Ottinger filed a protest against Jones. Ottinger claimed Jones' Nova ran oversized wheels. Bonnett got in on the protest action too by suggesting the scoring sheets were off and that he actually won the race.
Bonnett's complaint was soon resolved, but Ottinger's protest lingered with NASCAR for two days without a decision. Ottinger then withdrew his protest, and Jones was confirmed as the official race winner.
Long-time Fairgrounds racing fan and historian, Russ Thompson, captured some video from the race. It includes some fantastic footage; however, don't adjust your speakers as there isn't any audio with it.
Alton Jones
Neil Bonnett
Ned Webb
L.D. Ottinger
Bob Burcham
Walter Wallace
Phil Stillings
Don Guirnard
Jerry Long
Ray Skillman
Clarence Kessinger
Jim Berry
Bill King
Dave Mader
Rod Stillings
James Ham
Jerry Lawley
Flookie Buford
Edwin Anthony
Tiny Lund
George Bennett
Butch Lindley
Jimmy Means
Paul Evans
Don Anthony
Gary Sircy
Jack Ingram
Butch Allen
Clyde Peoples
Joe Mangrum
Falls City 200 - May 29, 1976
The attrition rate for the 1975 was really high, but the number of DNFs for the 1976 Falls City 200 was even worse. Yet three key players from the '75 race were back in the hunt a year later.
Midwestern late model ace Bob Senneker won the pole in only his second trip to the Fairgrounds. In his Nashville debut six weeks earlier, Senneker had finished sixth in the Winston Salute to America 200.
Though a handful of national drivers made the trek to Music City for the 200-lap event, most of the field was comprised of local racers - including The Kiddie Corps. The 1976 season featured a quartet of highly touted and skilled young'uns:
P.B. Crowell, III - "Chubby's" father was a Fairgrounds veteran as a winning driver and car owner
Mike Alexander - son of long-time owner and sponsor, R.C. Alexander
Sterling Marlin - son of Fairgrounds legend and Cup independent Coo Coo Marlin
Dennis Wiser - son of local racer and car builder Kenneth Wiser
Three of the four - Crowell, Alexander, and Wiser - joined the field, but all three parked their cars early as part of the heavy DNF count. Sterling skipped the race to serve as crew chief for his father's Cup team at Charlotte's World 600. Coo Coo was recovering from injuries suffered during an ARCA race at Talladega. Charlie Glotzbach raced in relief in the red and gold #14 Chevrolet, and Sterling led the crew with calls and over-the-wall work.
Alexander got the jump on Senneker at the start of the race and led the opening 17 laps. As Alexander's lead ended, so did Wiser's night. Once Wiser parked his #19 Chevelle, it seemed like another car joined him about every dozen laps or so.
Neil Bonnett returned for his fourth consecutive Falls City 200, and he led for a 30-lap hitch during the middle stages of the race. Crowell also led for ten laps late in the race before losing a transmission. Senneker took the lead from Alexander near lap 20 and pulled the field for about 15 laps. But his night was done just after halfway after being involved in an earlier accident and then losing an engine.
With about 20 laps to go, the standings mirrored the 1975 finish with Alton Jones out front and Bonnett in second a half-lap back. Bonnett had fallen a lap behind Jones but had made it up. Still, he needed help to close the remaining gap - and then he got it. A fortuitous caution allowed Bonnett's #12 Nova to restart behind Jones.
Over the next 16 laps, Bonnett followed Jones' tire tracks. Then with four to go, he made his move. Bonnett eased past Jones, gapped him a bit, and took the checkers - reversing the prior year's results. Only nine cars out of 25 starters were still around to see the finish.
Source: TMC Archives
Neil Bonnett
Alton Jones
L. D. Ottinger
Art Sommers
Gary Sircy
Kenny Wiser
Dorris Vaughn
Jerry Long
Jim Berry
Eddie Kissinger
P.B. Crowell III
Charlie Chamblee
Ray Skillman
Windle Webster
Bob Senneker
Carl Langford
Jerry Sisco
Donnie Anthony
Wayne Carden
Charlie Whitefield
Mike Alexander
Buzzy Reynolds
Ralph Jones
Dennis Wiser
Jerry Lovell
Source: TMC Archives
Falls City 200 - May 22, 1977
The final Falls City 200 went off more like a fizzled bottle rocket than an exploding shell. The 23 starters were the fewest in the five Falls City races held on the 18-degree banked track and the second fewest overall. And for the third year in a row, fans endured a high DNF count.
The race did, however, draw several of the national LMS drivers. In the field were stars such as Harry Gant, Jack Ingram, Butch Lindley, and L.D. Ottinger. Even Darrell Watrip made a return trip to his home track during an off weekend between Cup races at Mason-Dixon 500 at Dover and Charlotte's World 600.
Three of the track's four Kiddie Corps driver raced.
Marlin had about as good a night as a local racer might expect with the big dawgs in town.
Alexander hit the wall early and was never a factor.
Wiser had just a so-so night.
The fourth, P.B. Crowell III, wasn't in the show, and I have no idea why.
The theme of the night apparently was Tennessee Trash. Many cars suffered cut tires. The fortunate ones hit pit road but lost a few laps. Others hit the wall and were done for the night.
Jack Ingram won the pole and notched a top 5 finish, but he was a handful of laps off the race because of an unscheduled stop for one of the multiple cut tires. Ditto for Newport, Tennessee's L.D. Ottinger.
Waltrip's #88 Gatorade Nova was never a factor. The car began smoking right from the jump. Within the first quarter of the race, Waltrip pitted twice in an effort to resolve the problem. With no success, he finally parked it, finished deep in the field, and headed home to Franklin, TN for a night's rest.
With the majority of top competitors laps down or loaded on their trailers, Harry Gant set sail. He somehow managed to avoid whatever tire grelim that plagued others. He put his #77 Chevrolet on the point and just clicked off laps. When the checkers fell, he earned a two-lap win over second place Marlin.
For Marlin, it was another close but no cigar finish. During his rookie season in 1976, Sterling watched as Alexander and Crowell took home trophies. His best finish a few times was second. He earned yet another P2 with his runner-up to Gant. His accumulation of seconds without a win mirrored his Cup career in some regards. (Sterling did finally break through for his first career win two weeks later in a 100-lap LMS race.)
In post-race inspection resembling today's Seriously? Not Again Cup tech, officials found a loose lug nut on Gant's car. He was docked a hundred bucks for the infraction.
Harry Gant
Sterling Marlin
L.D. Ottinger
Jack Ingram
Benny Kerley
Buzzy Reynolds
Randy Tissot
Dennis Wiser
Carl Langford
Butch Applegate
Tony Cunningham
Gary Searcy
Grant Adcox
Jim Berry
Butch Lindley
Ricky Marlin
Walter Wallace
Steve Spencer
Darrell Waltrip
Ronny Hutton
Mike Ferguson
Mike Alexander
Dorris Vaughn
Source: TMC Archives
After a six-year run, the Falls City branded races ended. Over the next several years, availability of the beer faded significantly as well. Recently, however, the Louisville-based brand re-booted and is again available in several markets.
As someone who is now on the far side of young racing (and beer) fans, I appreciate one of Falls City's newer brands that is right in my wheelhouse: Hipster Repellant IPA.
NASCAR's 1987 Winston Cup season got off to a blistering start. Awful Bill from Dawsonville, Bill Elliott, captured his second Daytona 500 win in three years. He did so after also capturing the pole at 210 MPH and leading over half the race. The jaw dropping lap was a NASCAR speed record that lasted only until May 1987 when Elliott topped it by another two miles per hour at Talladega.
The rest of the top five at Daytona was comprised of Benny Parsons as a replacement for Tim Richmond in the Hendrick Folgers Chevy, a surprisingly resurgent Richard Petty, another old guy Buddy Baker, and Dale Earnhardt.
Earnhardt then went on a tear. He and the Richard Childress Racing, Wrangler Jeans #3 team won four of the next five races. A failed alternator and battery during a dominating day at Atlanta prevented him from sweeping Rockingham through North Wilkesboro.
The racing gypsies then rolled into East Tennessee for the third short track race of the young season. The Valleydale Meats 500 at Bristol was slated for April 12th. The 1986 winner of the race, Rusty Wallace, was back to defend his title - albeit with Kodiak as his sponsor rather than Alugard as he'd had in 1986.
The Bandit - Harry Gant - won the pole for the 1987 race, but he had little time to enjoy his view from up front. Wallace leaped on the lead when the green flag waved and led the first 40 laps. Gant completed the full race, but led only one lap on his way to a pedestrian P6 finish.
Elliott was widely known for his superspeedway strength as well as his challenges on many short tracks. At Bristol, however, his Coors Ford came to race. He led three times during the middle stages of the race - two of which were for 50+ laps each. When the checkers fell, Elliott finished a solid P4.
Another lap bully of the day was one of Tennessee's own. Sterling Marlin was a three-time track champion at Nashville's Fairgrounds Speedway. He had his sights set on his first Cup victory in the eastern third of the state.
As the race hit the 200 lap mark, Sterling found himself on the point. He found his rhythm and pulled the field around Bristol's asphalt half-mile for over 50 laps. Behind him and closing quickly, however, was the blue and yellow #3.
Earnhardt dropped low on Marlin as the two roared through turns 3 and 4 of lap 253. As they sailed off into turn 1, Marlin held his outside line as Earnhardt tried to squeeze to the inside as both passed Mike Potter on the bottom. Earnhardt twitched his car slightly to the right and hooked Marlin in the left rear. (Wreck begins around 1:39 mark in video near end of post.)
Potter continued along with Earnhardt who checked up a bit. Geoff Bodine jumped on the binders, spun, and Ken Schrader sideswiped the left side of Bodine's Levi Garrett Chevy. Though Marlin was calm and collected when interviewed by Jerry Punch on ESPN, he was anything but pleased with how things unfolded.
Source: Knoxville News Sentinel
ESPN nearly missed the Earnhardt and Marlin incident after an on-screen graphic about an Oldsmobile having never won a Bristol spring race was removed just as Earnhardt made things three wide. As an aside, an Olds never did win the Bristol spring race. The manufacturer's only Bristol win was scored by Cale Yarborough in the summer 1978 Volunteer 500, the track's inaugural night race.
Kyle and his Wood Brothers, Citgo team had hoped NASCAR would call the race official at that point, but they also knew their chances of winning an abbreviated race were slim. Sure enough, the race resumed after a 90 minute delay. The #21 Ford was competitive yet not enough to hang with others in the top 5. When the long day was done, Petty landed in 7th place - the final car on the lead lap.
Source: Bristol Herald Courier
Side note: The writer of the article, Kevin Triplett, later went to work for NASCAR and then the Bristol track as its Vice President of Public Affairs. Today, Triplett is the Commissioner of Tourism Development for the state of Tennessee.
After the rain and during the final third of the race, Elliott resumed his strong run and led nearly 40 laps. Morgan Shepherd then took over the top spot for 30+ laps in Kenny Bernstein's Quaker State Buick.
Meanwhile, two cars were rolling towards the front. Earnhardt carved his way through traffic after repairs to his right front resulting from his hook of Marlin. He passed Shepherd with about 120 laps to go and set sail.
The second driver who found new life down the stretch was ol' King Richard. After seeing Kyle out front and in a position to win because of the rain, King may have been motivated to get up there and remind his kid of how the old man had done it for decades. He continued to progress through the top ten and knocked off drivers such as Kyle, Elliott, Ricky Rudd, and Shepherd.
With ten to go, King had Earnhardt in his sights. He white smoked his right rear tire as he hustled his STP Pontiac after the leader. Petty was *this close* to Earnhardt as the white flag flew, but he simply ran out of laps and tires to challenge for win #201.
The race was the final second place finish in The King's career. The race was also the second and final time Earnhardt and King finished in the top two spots - the other being at Atlanta in November 1986. Just about everyone knows Petty won 200 Cup races in his career. Many are not aware, however, of another remarkable stat from his career: 157 P2s.
Source: Bristol Herald Courier
Earnhardt won again the following week at Martinsville to extend his winning streak to four races. Had it not been for his failed alternator and battery at Atlanta, he could have had a seven-race winning streak heading to Talladega the week after Martinsville.
