April 12, 1964 - Hillsborough's Joe Weatherly Memorial

NASCAR's Grand National drivers rolled into Hillsborough, NC in the spring of 1964 for the Joe Weatherly Memorial race at Orange Speedway.

In 1964, the town of Hillsborough was spelled Hillsboro. And Orange Speedway was originally known as Occoneechee Speedway. The one thing that didn't change, however, was the toughness of the 9/10-mile dirt track. A fixture on the GN circuit since its first year in 1949, some argue it was NASCAR's first superspeedway. 

The track remained on the circuit until 1968 when it was closed. Fortunately, many remnants of the track remain at the site that has been developed into a park of sorts. The speedway was one of several featured in the first season of Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s Lost Speedways series on the Peacock streaming service.

The 1964 spring race was originally scheduled for March 15 and named in memory of two-time GN champion and future NASCAR Hall of Famer Joe Weatherly. Little Joe was killed in January 1964 in a wreck during the Motor Trend 500 at Riverside, California's road course. 

Source: Asheville Citizen-Times

As a few other race promoters experienced in the spring of '64, rain washed out Hillsborough's original date. The race and celebration of Weatherly's colorful life was rescheduled for about a month later.

Two future titans of NASCAR started on the front row in a pair of Hemi-powered Mopars - David Pearson on the pole in Cotton Owens' Dodge and the future King, Richard Petty, in his Petty Blue Plymouth. Junior Johnson started third in Ray Fox's Dodge, and two Fords piloted by Marvin Panch in the Wood Brothers' 21 and Ned Jarrett with Bondy Long rounded out the top five starters.

Midwest racer , Dick Hutcherson, qualified seventh in his second career GN race. Hutch won the pole at Greenville-Pickens in his debut two weeks earlier and held his own until his Ford's lug bolts broke. 

The frequent IMCA circuit winner - on dirt - did not lack confidence as he made his way south. After winning the pole and running well at Greenville-Pickens, he wondered aloud for some to hear if he might be Junior Johnson's peer in dirt track racing. Johnson was among the best on dirt so Hutch's comment didn't pass without notice. After hearing it, Johnson quipped:

I've heard he's pretty good, and he must be. I hope he is. The better they are, the more fun it is to beat them.

Hutcherson countered once more with "I'll let what happens next Sunday (at Hillsborough) do the talking."

Driving a second family Plymouth, Maurice Petty started alongside Hutch in the fourth row. Ralph started 26th in the 28-car field, and it was the eighth and final time Maurice and Ralph started the same race.

Richard Petty dominated the first third of the 150-lap race by leading all but the opening lap of the first 50. Pearson then took the lead as Petty stayed in his tracks. Until...

Shortly after the two-thirds mark, the clutch let loose on the 43 Plymouth. He coasted helplessly into the infield with a DNF. 

With the King sidelined, Hutcherson did what he could to hang with Pearson. His efforts were to no avail, however, as Pearson led the rest of the way. About four years later as Orange née Occoneechee faded from the schedule, Hutcherson was settling into a new role at Holman Moody - Pearson's crew chief when he moved from Owens' Dodge team.

In the battle of words between Hutch and Junior, Hutcherson got the upper hand with a P2 vs. Johnson's 9th place result. Humpy Wheeler would have exploited the word with over-the-top racing promotions in the 1980s, and FOX/NBC would have touted the back and forth as a rivalry. In reality, the 'battle' was little more than respect between two truly talented and very confident drivers. 

Earnhardt rallied to have a great day with a P4. Maurice Petty, on the other hand, had about as lousy day as his brother. A broken transmission barely a third of a way into the race doomed him to a 22nd place finish.

Source: Charlotte Observer

TMC

October 29,1950 - Lee Petty Hauls In Hillsboro

October 29, 1950: In the final race of NASCAR's second season for its Strictly Stock / Grand National division, Lee Petty has a consistent day, leads the final 43 laps, and wins a scheduled 200-lap race on the one-mile, dirt Occoneechee Speedway in Hillsboro, North Carolina.

As mentioned below, darkness caused the race to be shortened by 25 laps. Fonty Flock won the pole and dominated much of the race by leading 124 of the 175 laps. But a broken engine mount ended his day, and he finished a disappointing 20th. Lee qualified 15th in the 29-car field, but he was patient enough to know when to go to nab the win.

Perry Allen Wood recaps the story of the race in Silent Speedways of the Carolinas:

The second Hillsborough visit of 1950 occurred on the cool autumn afternoon of October 29th. It was the 19th and last race of the season and packed with drama. Bill Rexford had a slippery grip on the first Grand National points title because if he faltered and Fireball Roberts recorded a strong finish, the young Floridian would steal the championship. Time trials saw Fonty Flock sizzle with a speed of nearly 96 miles per hour for the pole. Fireball took second and Rexford was a dismal 29th, dead last! Needless to say, things looked good for Roberts.

[Curtis] Turner and [Jim] Paschal fell out right away with point leader Rexford joining them, saddling him with 26th. Bill Rexford had done everything in his power to gift-wrap the title for Roberts.

Fireball...refused to stroke his way to the title unlike the "big picture" racers in the modern era. Roberts put his Olds 11 out front on the 72nd circuit for six laps until Fonty in Bob Flock's Olds took it back. Then Roberts led, then Flock, then on lap 125, full aware of the stakes, Fireball blew the engine in Sam Rice's Rocket and the race and title were gone.

With no lights and the sun setting behind the hills, the chilly day ended 25 laps early with Plymouth-pushing Lee Petty claiming his second career win, the first in over a year. Second was Buck Baker still looking for those first checkers, still over a year away. Third was Weldon Adams, fourth Tim Flock in the Plymouth that won the first Southern 500, and fifth came Bill Blair in Olds number 41.5. Bill Rexford became the youngest Grand National Champion at 23, a distinction he still holds as of this writing. Fireball Roberts was never nearly this close to a title again...and neither was Rexford. ~ p. 103

Throughout Lee Petty's career, he came out on the victorious end of many controversies. In 1950, however, he was on the losing end of one. Rexford claimed the championship over Fireball, and he remains the youngest NASCAR GN/Cup champion ever - a few months younger than Jeff Gordon. Rexford needed a bad finish from Roberts at Occoneechee in the last race of the season to claim the championship. But he also benefited from Lee Petty having his points stripped during the summer by Bill France, Sr. for running non-NASCAR events.

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

Lee Petty was another driver bitten by NASCAR's iron hand. During a three-week lull in the Grand National tour in July, Petty wandered outside the NASCAR sanctioned boundaries and paid dearly for it. Through eight races the Randleman, NC Plymouth driver had accumulated 809 points, which was good enough for third place in the standings. He was only 24.5 points out of first place in the wide-open scramble for the lead. After NASCAR took all his points away, he had to start at zero in late July. ~ pp. 24-25

Had France not assessed Petty the large points penalty, Lee likely would have been the 1950 champion rather than Rexford. He rallied from zero points in late July to finish third in the standings behind Rexford and Roberts by season's end.

Interestingly, the defending series champion - Red Byron - finished 1950 with zero Grand National points. Despite France's edict to run only NASCAR events, Byron raced as he saw fit. And true to Big Bill's adage of "you need us worse than we need you", he penalized Byron not just once but twice during the season. And by the way, Byron just happened to be the one who came up with the sanctioning body's name and acronym: NASCAR - National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing.)

Source: Youngstown Vindicator via Google News Archive

TMC

September 20, 1959 - Lee Petty Hauls in Hillsboro

September 20, 1959: Starting seventh in his #42 Plymouth, Lee Petty wins a 100-mile, 110-lap race on the .9 mile dirt Orange Speedway in Hillsboro, NC. Richard helped make it a good time for the Level Cross team with a third place finish in his #43 Plymouth (albeit with a wounded car).

Lee finished one lap ahead of second place Cotton Owens. Junior Johnson was originally flagged as the third place finisher but was subsequently disqualified to 22nd and last place. Richard, who limped home on a bum rear axle, was elevated from 4th to 3rd.

Jack Smith and (future) King Richard started on the front row. Junior Johnson arrived to the track late, and he had to start out back in the 22-car field. NASCAR would later reunite him with his starting spot in the race's final, official rundown.

The Pettys went on a pretty good hot streak winning three in a row at the central North Carolina speedway about 70 miles east of Winston-Salem and about 40 miles north of Raleigh.

• September 20, 1959 - Lee Petty
• May 29, 1960 - Lee Petty
• September 18, 1960 - Richard Petty

Perry Allen Wood vividly recaps the race in his book, Silent Speedways of the Carolinas:

The second visit of 1959 was September 20, the day after Khrushchev was barred from Disneyland. Twenty-two speed merchants appeared at Fantasyland on the Eno for 110 laps, with Jack Smith putting a Chevy on the pole. He rocketed away for the first 50 laps until an axle snapped and Tiger Tom [Pistone] put his tired, but twice-victorious T-Bird 59 on the point. Junior Johnson...was late arriving, starting at the rear. However, he screamed through the field from 22nd and was challenging for first when he was taken out in a crash... Johnson got the goat going again and soldiered on. With 21 left, Pistone broke a spindle and Papa Lee got his 38th career win by a lap over Cotton [Owen's] 1959 T-Bird. Third was Richard Petty despite retiring with a broken axle. ~ p. 111

Source: Spartanburg Herald-Journal via Google News Archive

Note the final paragraph of the race report article - especially if you have a hand in promoting races or know someone who does. What a cool event that must have been to watch - a match race of father-son teams of Lee and Richard Petty vs. Buck and Buddy Baker. Imagine the fun that fans could experience if track promoters still had such ideas: Kurt vs. Kyle Busch, Gibbs teams vs. Roush cars, Darrell and Michael Waltrip vs. Terry and Bobby Labonte, etc.

TMC

May 29, 1960 - Lee Petty Hauls in Hillsboro

May 29, 1960: Starting second alongside son Richard, Lee Petty leads all 110 laps and wins at the .9 mile dirt surface Orange Speedway in Hillsboro, NC.

Richard Petty won his first of 127 career poles for this race, but he finished sixth and three laps down to the winner.

Perry Allen Wood humorously recalls this apparently boring race in his book, Silent Speedways of the Carolinas.

Memorial Day weekend, May 29, 1960, and 23 lined up the day after [Ned] Jarrett and [Jimmy] Massey teamed to win at Spartanburg. Boring would be a kind way to describe this as Lee Petty took the pole (TMC: Actually, it was Richard), then led all 110 laps for his 51st win. He had started with son Richard flanking him on the front row for the first time, but youth faded fast. It took less than 73 minutes for Papa Lee to cop the $900 in his Petty blue 42. Second was "Gentleman Ned" Jarrett, third Jack "The Red Fox" Smith, fourth Tommy Irwin, fifth "The Old Pro" Buck Baker, sixth Richard "Squirrel" Petty, seventh [Emanuel] "The Golden Greek" Zervakis, eighth Joe Eubanks, ninth Junior "The Ronda Roadrunner" Johnson, and tenth was Gerald Duke... This sleeper should have been the "Nickname 99". The only caution was for [Curtis] Turner's flight off the turn into the shrubs, but short of the drink. ~ p.111

Source: Newport News Daily Press

The Hillsboro race was hastily scheduled in mid-May 1960. The inaugural World 600 at the newly constructed Charlotte Motor Speedway was originally scheduled for May 29th.

Because of construction delays and track preparedness resulting from money woes between owners/promoters Curtis Turner and Bruton Smith, the duo and NASCAR announced on May 18th that the 600 would be postponed until June 19th. With the date vacated, the Grand National teams raced at Hillsboro instead.

TMC
Edited May 29, 2014

September 18 - This day in Petty history

1960 - Richard Petty earns his third career victory by leading every lap of the 110-lap race at Orange Speedway in Hillsboro, NC (the track formerly known as Occoneechee Speedway).

#141927314 / gettyimages.com

Richard made the day a clean sweep by winning from the pole. Second place starter Junior Johnson tried to give Richard a run. He repeatedly strong-armed his Holly Farms Chevrolet through Hillsboro's dirt corners.

#98482936 / gettyimages.com

Junior's Chevy gave up on him after 75 laps, however, and his pursuit was done.

#144737124 / gettyimages.com

Ned Jarrett had a good day with a second day finish. I imagine, however, he was mildly frustrated. The P2 was his second in a row at Hillsboro. In May 1960, he finished second to Lee Petty. In September, he was runner-up to Lee's boy.

Richard's father, three-time Grand National champion, and 1960 spring winner at Hillsboro, Lee Petty, settled in second place after Johnson was gone. But with less than 20 laps to go, Lee broke and ended up finishing 11th.

TMC

September 17 - This day in Petty history

1967 - Richard wins his 73rd career race, his 25th of the season and his eighth race in a row in 1967 by winning the Hillsboro 150 at Orange Speedway from the pole - all while suffering from the flu.

Second-place starter Dick Hutcherson led the first 68 laps of the race before Tiny Lund got by him to lead the next 11. The King then took over to lead the final 88 laps of the 167-lap race. Though two drivers dominated the pace, it doesn't mean the race was void of excitement. Just 12 laps into the race, Jack Harden lost control of his Ford down the frontstretch, leaped the turn 1 wall, tumbled and came to rest about 100 feet from the track. He was carefully removed from his car and transported to the hospital, but fortunately he wasn't seriously injured. (Photos from SouthernMotorRacing and courtesy of Harvey Tollison at RacersReunion.com)

Racing resumed for another 20 laps or so when another spectacular accident occurred between three drivers -  Paul Dean Holt, Earl Brooks and Bill Ervin. Holt's car came to rest on its side.

Southern MotorRacing photo courtesy of Harvey Tollison

While it's unknown what Brooks was saying to NASCAR official Dick Beaty, it's probable the conversation was heated considering Brooks' day ended following the 3-car pile-up.

Southern MotorRacing photo courtesy of Harvey Tollison

Article courtesy of Harvey Tollison

TMC
Edited September 17, 2014

September 15 - This day in Petty history - part 2

1968 - Richard scores his 88th career victory by winning from the pole in the Hillsboro 150 at Orange Speedway in Hillsboro NC as the legendary Curtis Turner makes his final Grand National start.

Orange Speedway was originally known as Occoneechee Speedway. Say it with me now: Oh-Ko-Knee-Chee. Also, I've seen the town where the track was located spelled as Hillsboro and Hillsborough. The speedway was a 9/10 mile dirt track and was one of the original tracks sanctioned by NASCAR for its Grand National series.

Courtesy of Chris Hussey

As the series experienced growing pains from the late 60s through the early 70s, Orange Speedway disappeared from the schedule as another superspeedway - Talladega - opened in 1969. However, a group of committed fans and former racers have labored hard to keep the memories of the speedway alive with the formation of the Historic Speedway Group.

In his book, Silent Speedways of the Carolinas, author and fellow RacersReunion.com member Perry Allen Wood writes:

When the green sent the boys on that last journey, Petty led (David) Pearson and the others for 74 laps. With some spine-tingling, door-to-door banging, Pearson led for 11 laps before they swapped it a couple of more times. In the meantime, (Buddy) Baker made only five laps before losing the drive shaft and on lap 116, Curtis Turner rolled into the dusty pits with a blown engine. Four laps later, Pearson parked it, and after 11 more (Bobby) Isaac hung it up. Even (G.C.) Spencer conked out. and Petty coasted to a yawner of a seven-lap victory... (p. 122)

Photo courtesy of Ray Lamm

Photo and article courtesy of Jerry Bushmire

TMC
Edited September 15, 2014