April 3, 1966 - Hickory 250

NASCAR's Grand National drivers arrived in Hickory, North Carolina in the spring of 1966 for the Hickory 250, the first of two races at the 4/10-mile dirt track that season.

Through the early part of the schedule, David Pearson led the points despite not having won in the first eight races of the schedule. The big...err, mild storylines for Hickory, however, surrounded two surprise entrants.

A few days before the race, Petty Enterprises filed an entry for Richard Petty and the blue #43 Plymouth. Having missed a couple of races for hand surgery following his second Daytona 500 win in February, the Pettys thought about focusing mainly on the larger purse races and skipping many of the short tracks. Instead, the Level Cross bunch opted to race at Hickory - and all but a handful of races the remainder of the season.

The other entrant who turned some heads was Curtis Turner. Ford planned to introduce the Fairlane as a comparative car to their standard-bearer Galaxie. The Fairlane was to have debuted with Turner at Asheville-Weaverville before Hickory; however, snow postponed the race until June. The next planned outing was to have been at Bristol in March, but NASCAR DQ'd the car because its wheelbase was too wide. The third attempt at Hickory turned out to be the charm. Holman Moody built the #41 white and red-lettered Fairlane though history seems to note Turner's car was fielded by the Wood Brothers on race day.

Source: Asheville Citizen-Times

Independent Elmo Langley won the pole - the only one of his career. Many recall Langley's post-driving career as NASCAR's pace car driver for the Cup series in the 1990s. Pops plopped his Fairlane on the front row alongside Langley. Ned Jarrett's Ford and Pearson's Dodge made up the second row.

Turner got the jump on Elmo at the start and led the first three laps before Langley rallied back to lead a single one. Jarrett's slate blue Ford then took over as the lap bully by leading the next 138 consecutive laps. Unfortunately for Jarrett, he led them in the mid stages of the race before spinning off the nose of Turner's Fairlane late in the race as Ned tried to throw a block-pass. He had to settle for a third place finish.

As Jarrett's lap-leading streak ended, Pearson took over the top spot in Cotton Owens' Dodge. He led nearly two dozen laps before Petty took his Plymouth to the point for a few laps. The King - who was uncertain about even entering the race - may have second guessed himself for doing so. In addition to not holding the lead, Petty looped his car a couple of times and had to settle for a 10th place finish, 14 laps down to the winner.

As tough a day as Petty experienced, Buddy Baker had an even tougher Oh yeah? Hold my beer day. He survived to see the checkered flag but was FORTY-EIGHT laps down to the winner after three spins. At most short track local shows these days, a driver spinning three times to bring out a caution usually gets parked by track officials.

As the race entered its final 80 laps, Turner shoved his Fairlane back to the lead. The Blue Oval camp had to be loving life as the wily veteran slid his brand new Ford through the clay corners. 

With fifty to go, however, Pearson decided it was go time. He dispatched of Turner and set sail. He pretty easily held off Curtis to notch his 14th career win, and Mopar fans cheered as the Ford contingent left scratching their dirty noggins about what might have been. 

 

Source: Spartanburg Herald

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September 9, 1966 - Buddy Shuman Memorial

As the 1966 Grand National season began to wind down, a couple of story lines stayed in the news week-to-week.

• David Pearson's incredible season - Through 42 races of the 49-race schedule, Pearson had tallied 13 wins. He was well on his way to winning the first of his three career GN titles.
• Curtis Turner as a fans' favorite - In a limited schedule with multiple car owners, Turner continued to thrill fans on and off the track - and give his fellow competitors, owners, and NASCAR officials the same treatment. Fireball Roberts was gone, and Richard Petty's popularity continued to climb. Despite his career headed well on the downside, however, Pop Turner was still one of the biggest drawing cards for race promoters.

Hickory Speedway hosted the 43rd event of the season - the annual Buddy Shuman Memorial race. The 250-lap race on the 4/10-mile dirt track honored the memory of Buddy Shuman, a NASCAR pioneer who perished in a 1955 hotel fire.

Fans and likely the Hickory management were looking forward to round 3 of a feud between Turner and newcomer Bobby Allison. The two started on the front row five races earlier at Columbia and danced a couple of times during the event. Three races later, Pop and Bobby hammered the snot out of each other at Bowman Gray Stadium. Turner believed he deserved respect, and Allison was trying to bank some of his own.

Source: Statesville Record and Landmark

Turner was slated to make yet another start for owner Junior Johnson. After trashing Junior's car at Bowman Gray and wrecking again at Darlington, however, Turner didn't make it to Hickory. Johnson fired him and came out of retirement to drive his own car.

Source: Spartanburg Herald via Google News Archive

Petty, the defending winner of the race, won the pole. Pearson qualified for the front row alongside Petty's #42 Plymouth. For six consecutive short-track races late in 1966, Petty sported #42 on his Plymouth in place of his customary 43.

East Tennessee's Paul Lewis started an impressive third, and Elmo Langley started beside Lewis. Allison rounded out the top five starters.

Pearson put a whuppin' on the field. When the green flag fell, Pearson jumped Petty from the front row, seized the lead, and led the first 15 laps. Driving the car originally scheduled for Turner, Johnson then led for a stretch of 55 laps in his car before having to pit to pull a wrinkled fender off a tire.

More bad luck fell Johnson's way. When he pitted, a safety truck was still on pit road tending a pit fire. Junior's pit exit was blocked by the truck, and he lost two laps just trying to get back on the track. Thirty laps later, Johnson was gassed. He retired as a driver after the 1965 season, and Hickory was only his second start back. He turned his car over to relief driver Dick Hutcherson who then turned the car over ... on its roof! ... about 100 laps later after rallying Junior's Ford back to 4th place.

Once Johnson made his first stop to pull the fender, Pearson went back to the point and led the remaining 180 laps to claim his fourteenth trophy of the year. Petty hung around to finish second - albeit one lap down to the winner. The race was the 17th of 63 times Pearson and Petty finished in the top two spots.

Source: Spartanburg Herald

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April 26, 1958 - Welborn Wins Hickory

Two-time defending NASCAR convertible division champion Bob Welborn continued his 1958 hot streak in tact on April 26, 1956. The Denton, NC driver won his fifth consecutive race with car owner Julian Petty.

Twenty-three ragtops showed up for a 150-lap, 60-mile race at Hickory Speedway's dirt track. Jimmy Massey snagged the pole position in a Petty Engineering 1957 Oldsmobile, and Welborn timed second in Julian's Chevrolet.

NASCAR Hall of Famer and co-founder of the legendary Wood Brothers Racing team, Glen Wood, parked his Ford after only one lap with a blown engine. Fellow NASCAR Hall of Fame member, Buck Baker - making only his second convertible start of 1958 - exited the race three laps later when of all things his seat broke loose. Joe Weatherly, making his first convertible start since his win at Richmond a month earlier, suffered the same fate as Wood and Baker. Unlike the two of them, however, Little Joe made it to the half-way point of the race. But he then lost the steering on his Holman Moody Ford and was done for the day.

With some of his toughest competition sidelined early, Welborn set sail as he'd done over his past few races. He took the checkers with only one other car on the lead lap with him. Ken Rush was the runner-up in in a second Julian Petty-owned #44 Chevy. Julian's third entry driven by Possum Jones wasn't as fortunate. The throttle in Possum's #48 Chevy played dead on him, and Jones finished 19th after completing only 33 laps.

Pole-winner Massey finished third in Lee Petty's Oldsmobile, one lap down in his only convertible start for Petty Engineering. (Lee likely didn't attend the race as he was probably on his way back home to North Carolina after having raced in Manassas, VA on April 25th.) Though I don't have absolute proof, it stands to reason the Olds raced by Massey was the same car Richard Petty raced in his racing debut at Columbia Speedway on July 12, 1958. Two years later, Massey was behind the wheel of a Wood Brothers Ford and was chasing Richard Petty's Plymouth for the win at Martinsville. I blogged about Massey's Run back in 2012.

Welborn and Julian seemingly could not be stopped in the spring of 1958. The Hickory win was their fifth consecutive NASCAR win in a series of Grand National and convertible races entered. (Julian didn't field a car in a few GN races during that streak.)

The streak ended with the Hickory win. Welborn continued, however, with quality top 10s in the next three races before returning to victory lane twice more to complete his month of May.

04/05/58   Fayetteville (GN) - win
04/07/58   Winston-Salem (CV) - win
04/13/58   Weaverville (CV) - win
04/20/58   Martinsville (GN) - win
04/26/58   Hickory (CV) - win
05/02/58   Columbia (CV) - 3rd
05/04/58   Wilson (CV) - 2nd
05/10/58   Darlington (CV) - 6th
05/11/58   Greensboro (GN) - win
05/24/58   Winston-Salem (GN) - win

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September 11, 1959 - Lee Petty Wins At Hickory

Remember...

... and Never Forget. Ever.

September 11, 1959: Starting 13th in a 14-car field, Lee Petty rallies to win the Buddy Shuman 250 on the .4-mile, dirt Hickory Speedway in North Carolina.

Even though Richard Petty had begun his driving career, he did not enter the Hickory event. And with no convertible series race scheduled the same day, its likely Richard was in his usual place - helping pit his dad's car.

Source: Spartanburg Herald Journal via Google News Archive

For reasons unknown to me, starting positions were drawn rather then determined by qualifying. In researching Hickory's weather history, it doesn't seem any rain fell to disrupt and delay things. Also, no NASCAR races were scheduled the day before or after the Hickory race. But something likely cancelled qualifying and delayed the race because no newspaper article could be found for the race. My hunch is the race started and ended late - after the filing deadline for any articles that could have been published in the Saturday, September 12 editions.

Greg Fielden writes in Forty Years of Stock Car Racing - Volume 2:

Lee Petty took the lead when suspension troubles sidetracked Jack Smith and won the 100-mile race at Hickory Speedway. It was Petty's eighth win of the 1959 season.

Jack Smith had gotten around early leader Junior Johnson and was setting the pace when a lower A-frame broke on his Chevrolet. Petty's Plymouth took charge and beat runner-up Buck Baker by more than one lap. Rex White finished third. Johnson was fourth and Brownie King fifth.

Since no time trials were  held, Petty had to come from 13th starting spot in the slim 14-car field. R.L. Combs won the pole position in a blind draw, with Johnson starting second. Johnson, driving the Wood Brothers Ford, led in the early going before dropping off the pace.

Petty averaged 63.380 mph for his 45th career win. ~ pp. 43-44

Starting seventh and finishing ninth was Fuzzy Clifton. Fuzzy made his one and only career Grand National start in this race. He ran several modified and sportsman races throughout the 1950s. But with a nickname like Fuzzy, its a shame he didn't get to run more in the top-level series.

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June 28, 1958 - Lee Petty Horse Collars Hickory

June 28, 1958:  Starting ninth, Lee Petty wins the Buddy Shuman 250, a 250-lap, 100-mile race at Hickory Speedway in Hickory, NC. Records weren't maintained about lap leaders, so its unclear how much of the race Lee led.

Greg Fielden writes in Forty Years of Stock Car Racing - Vol. 1:

Lee Petty pushed his Oldsmobile across the finish line a single car length ahead of Junior Johnson to win the 100-mile race at Hickory Speedway. Speedy Thompson came in third, right on Johnson's bumper ... Officials were forced to wave the red flag in the 25th lap when heavy dust conditions made driving unsafe. After utility trucks toured the .4-mile oval for 15 minutes, the the race was restarted. ~ p. 309

Julian Petty, Lee's brother, fielded three cars for the race. In what must have been a genuine facepalm race, none of the three had quality finishes. Possum Jones, Bob Welborn, and Ken Rush finished 19th, 27th, and 29, respectively, in the 31-car field.

Buddy Shuman was a pioneer of NASCAR's early years. He was among the few dozen individuals invited to the Streamline Hotel in Daytona Beach, FL by Bill France Sr. in 1947. The meeting resulted in the formation of NASCAR. In an abbreviated career, he won once in a 29-race Grand National career. His one victory came in the first of only two GN / Cup races outside of the United States - a 1952 win near Niagara Falls on the Canadian side of the border. (Coincidentally, Lee Petty won the second, non-US race at Toronto in 1959 in which Richard Petty made his first Grand National start.)

Sadly, Shuman perished from smoke inhalation in a hotel room fire at the age of 40 in 1955. Hickory Speedway honored Shuman's legacy by renaming one of its annual Grand National races the Buddy Shuman 250. The name was continued from 1956 through the final Grand National race run at Hickory in 1971.

NASCAR also established the Buddy Shuman Award to be presented annually for "outstanding contributions and loyalty to automobile racing." Past winners of the award include:

• Herb Thomas
• ESPN
• Dr. Jerry Punch
• Dick Beaty, longtime NASCAR inspector
• TV and radio announcer Ken Squier
• Richard Petty 
• John Holman (of famed Ford car builders Holman & Moody)
• Bob Bahre, founder of what is now New Hampshire Motor Speedway
• Dr. Joe Mattioli, founder of Pocono Raceway
• Bud Moore
• Smokey Yunick
• Lee Petty
• Goodyear
• Benny Phillips, longtime writer for High Point Enterprise
• Richard Childress

Source: Spartanburg Herald via Google News Archive

While many of the Grand National drivers were racing in Hickory Saturday night, one of NASCAR's true characters - Curtis Turner - was in Charlotte filing a police report on Saturday morning.While this news clipping is short on details, Curtis' reputation for hard partying makes this news long on speculation and laughter.

Source: Spartanburg Herald via Google News Archive

Hickory Motor Speedway still operates today with a regular slate of local, late model racing. The track can be found on the web and on Twitter.

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April 9 - This day in Petty history

1967 - Starting from the pole, Richard Petty outlasts Bobby Allison and Dick Hutcherson, and notches his 52nd career victory by winning the Hickory 250 at Hickory Motor Speedway in North Carolina.

Greg Fielden noted in his book, Forty Years of Stock Car Racing - Volume 3:

A hard, abrasive dirt track and fast speeds overtaxed the available tires, and winner Petty used 16 tires in winning the 100 miler - in all probability a record. "I don't think I've ever had to use that many tires in a 100-mile race," commented Petty afterwards. ~ p. 127

When the time the teams returned for their second 1967 visit in September, they found the track re-surfaced from dirt to asphalt. It was among the first moves made by new track promoter, Ned Jarrett, following his retirement from driving. Petty won that race as well - giving him wins at Hickory in its last race on dirt and first race on asphalt.

Article courtesy of Jerry Bushmire

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April 7 - This day in Petty history

1968 - Starting 4th, Richard Petty leads 75 laps (including the final 64), and wins his 77th career race by winning the Hickory 250 at Hickory Motor Speedway in North Carolina.

Long-time Late Model Sportsman (later named the Busch Series) driver, Jack Ingram, made an infrequent Grand National start. He qualified second and stayed in the top 5 for much of the race. He faded near the end, however, and end up seventh.

NASCAR Hall of Famer and two-time Grand National champion, Ned Jarrett, was Hickory's promoter. He went to work for the track in 1967 - a year after retiring from driving in 1966.

Article and photo courtesy of Jerry Bushmire

On the same day of Petty's record-setting win, Formula 1's winningest driver, Jim Clark, was killed in a crash in Germany. Clark was a 2-time Gran Prix champion, the 1965 Indy 500 champion, had more F1 wins at the time than any other driver, and even started one NASCAR Grand National race - in 1967 at Rockingham.

Source: Wikipedia

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March 21 - This day in Petty history

1971 - Richard Petty leads 161 laps and wins the Hickory 276 at Hickory Speedway in North Carolina to earn career victory 123. The win is Petty's 3rd win in a row in 1971 - and 4th out of seven races run to that point of the season.

Reigning champion, Bobby Isaac, and his team skipped the race out of protest. Isaac and crew chief Harry Hyde claimed Petty got preferential treatment by NASCAR officials during pre-race inspections. Isaac's team also skipped the following week's race at Bristol; however, I can't seem to find any article referring to Isaac's and Hyde's whining continuance. Apparently they got the message that no one cared (or NASCAR delivered a message to shut and race) because the team returned two weeks later at Atlanta.

Perhaps the most unique - yet respectful - trivia item about this race is described in the article. Because of a scheduled funeral, a caution flag turned into a temporary red flag situation so the funeral procession wouldn't be interrupted by all the race noise. Clearly a respectful action by the teams and NASCAR - but I'm not sure we'd see something like happen again today.

Article courtesy of Jerry Bushmire

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September 10 - This day in Petty history - part 1

1965 - Richard Petty wins his 39th career race in the Buddy Shuman 250 at Hickory Speedway in North Carolina.

Junior Johnson won the pole for the race. Curtis Turner - fresh from his return to NASCAR - qualified second alongside Junior in a second Junior-prepared "team" car.

When the race got underway, Junior was the lap bully for the evening. He led 160 of the race's first 161 laps. Turner fell behind his teammate / car owner at the jump, never led a lap, and exited the race because of overheating after only 35 laps (presumably the car vs. the driver).

Over the next 50 laps, Junior and David Pearson in Cotton Owens' Dodge swapped the lead every few laps. With 40 to go, however, Petty got by both of them and led the rest of the way to the checkers.

#88901682 / gettyimages.com

Pearson stayed with Petty to finish second. The duo pulled away from everyone else - including Junior who had dominated so much of the race. When the race ended, Junior was fourth - two laps down to Petty and Pearson. Ned Jarrett, who didn't lead a lap, got by Junior to finish third on the same lap with him.

#141927340 / gettyimages.com

Source: Spartanburg Herald via Google News Archive

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Edited August 29, 2014

September 8 - This day in Petty history - part 1

First things first. This day in TMC history - 1990: toomuchcountry marries his bride, not_enough_country. (Two young 'uns - son: toomuchtexting and daughter: toomuchculture - followed later.)

1967 - Richard Petty wins his 70th career race and 5th race in a row during the 1967 season in the Buddy Shuman 250 at Hickory Speedway. Unlike many of Petty's dominating wins that season, he had to work a bit harder for this one. The lead changed hands multiple times during the race before Petty took over to lead the final 27 laps.

Article courtesy of Jerry Bushmire

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