August 21, 1976 - Friends, Rivals, Wrecked, Resilient

Week to week, the storyline of the 1976 Late Model Sportsman division at Nashville Speedway was the Kiddie Corps. Rookies Mike Alexander, Sterling Marlin and Dennis Wiser along with second year driver P.B Crowell, III grew up quickly and took a shine to Nashville's 18-degree banked track.

Though competitive, Marlin and Wiser needed another season before banking their first wins. As spring turned to summer in '76, however, Alexander and Crowell toted home trophies on a regular basis. Both pushed veteran Alton Jones for the points lead. Jones was twice the age of the quartet and had loads of experience, but the noob drivers went toe to toe with him each Saturday night.

Nashville was long known for its promotions that helped put butts in seats. In mid-August, the slate of double features for mini-stock, limited sportsman, and LMS divisions was accompanied by a performance by Chattanooga's Gene Beene - aka the Human Bomb.

My family went often to the Fairgrounds in the mid 70s, but our attendance wasn't guaranteed. Race nights depended on my father's work obligations, summer trips to grandparents, and alignment of ticket prices with family finances. But that August night, I wanted to be there. I simply had to be there - especially to see some fool blow himself up with dynamite.

Though the mid-show explosion is what caught my eye in the newspaper ad, the racing was still the key to the night. Newport, TN's L.D. Ottinger raced - and won - frequently at Nashville in the 1970s. His trips, however, were generally tied to marquis events such as 200-lap LMS races that awarded points towards NASCAR's national LMS title.

Yet, Ottinger opted to tow to middle Tennessee for a couple of meaningless 25-lap features. (Never mind Nashville hosted a 100-lap national LMS feature the following Saturday - a race in which L.D. planned to participate.) L.D. made quick work of the first 25-lap LMS feature with Alexander finishing second.

Before round two of the night's w races began, it was then time for Gene Beene to cheat death. I was all-in. I clung up to the fence by one hand, fist pumped with the other, let primal screams fly, and dared Gene Beene to blow himself to kingdom come.

Well, that's not exactly true.

When I recently reminded my mother of that night's promotion, she remembered things a bit differently:

Oh yes! I remember! I did not remember his name but remember your reaction. You anticipated going to races that night from the time they first announced it. We went, but you could not bear to watch. You wanted to, but you cringed at the thought. Seems like you went up higher toward the concession stand when it came time for him to do it and kept peeking back. It was rather scary at the thought. I am not sure that I did not close my eyes!

Okay, so perhaps my 11 year-old machismo wasn't well developed. I do, however, recall the the involuntary adrenalin rush following the *KABOOM* once I realized Gene Beene had survived.

After the mini-stock and limited sportsman races on the quarter-mile track, fans soon witnessed another explosive event on Nashville's big track.

Ottinger again set sail in the early stages of the second LMS feature, and Jones followed him in second. Alexander and Crowell raced near one another for third and fourth. On lap seven, however, things turned bad. Alexander cut a right front tire as the duo sailed through the turns. He collected Crowell, and both of them slammed into the wall.

Source: Nashville Fairgrounds Racing History

Crowell took the brunt of the hit in his rib cage. Alexander suffered knee ligament injuries after initially thinking he had a broken leg. As friends, both tried to get to the other to ensure all was OK.

With Alexander and Crowell's cars on trailers and the drivers transferred to the hospital, the veterans controlled the remaining laps. Jones tried to keep pace, but Ottinger prevailed to capture his second win of the night.

Credit: Marchman Family Collection / Nashville Farigrounds Racing History

Despite their disclosed injuries (and likely undisclosed concussions), both bruised but not broken racers returned the following Saturday to compete in the Bob Hunley 100. Returned bruised but not broken the next Saturday for the Bob Hunley 100. After pocketing two 25-lap wins on August 21, Ottinger returned and nabbed the Hunley race as well.

Article sources: The Tennessean archives

TMC

Nashville's 1975 Winston 200

Nashville Speedway opened its 1975 season with the 200-lap Winston Salute To America 200 for NASCAR's national Late Model Sportsman division.

Track promoter, Bill Donoho, landed a field of NASCAR's top national LMS drivers including Neil Bonnett, Jack Ingram, Butch Lindley, Tiny Lund, L.D. Ottinger, and Morgan Shepherd.

Several local and area racers entered as well including 1974 Nashville LMS champ Jimmy Means, James Climer, Alton Jones, Rod Stillings, Dorris Vaughn, Paddlefoot Wales, and promising rookie P.B. Crowell III. Fans also enjoyed the return of old school, Nashville veterans Bob Burcham, Freddy Fryar, Coo Coo Marlin.

Donoho made a promotional effort to move the needle even further in his favor by recruiting Cup drivers Buddy Baker, Cale Yarborough, and Darrell Waltrip. The Cup schedule provided a break between Darlington and Martinsville, and the trio came to middle Tennessee with the promise of a little extra pocket change.

Source: The Tennessean

Butch Lindley set a track record and won the pole - but was then disqualified. In response to noise concerns (an issue the track still faces today with loads of new neighbors), the track implemented a rule requiring mufflers on the car. Lindley's car did not have one nor did Ingram, Ottinger, or Waltrip. All were allowed to add a muffler and re-qualify.

After the round of do-overs, Jones won the right to start first. Waltrip lined up alongside him in R.C. Alexander's #84 Ford.

Donoho's promotional efforts were rewarded as the grandstands were packed for the season opener. Unfortunately, however, the race did not live up to the pre-race hype based on the heavy hitters in the line-up.

First, three-time defending national LMS champion Ingram, failed to make the race because of a faulty distributor. Following the start of the race, Baker wrecked just a half-lap into the event. On the subsequent restart, Waltrip and Jones crashed while battling for the lead off turn four, and Yarborough piled into them. The Cup trio and Jones rejoined the race, but all had loaded their cars on the trailers by lap 20. The casualties continued including:

• Bonnett - quarter-mark
• Coo Coo - halfway
• Shepherd - competitive, but not behind and wrecked while pushing to make up lost distance

Ottinger remained well away from everyone else's trouble and built a comfortable lead. Other than a caution with about 60 laps to go to close the field, the remaining racers presented little challenge to Ottinger. He walked the dawg on 'em and won easily over second place Lund.

Lindley recovered from his rules-snafu to finish fourth, and Crowell notched a solid sixth in his racing debut. After earning rookie of the year honors in 1975, he joined rookies Mike Alexander, Sterling Marlin, and Dennis Wiser in 1976 as a quartet of hot shoes branded the Kiddie Corps.

Speaking of Alexander, he enjoyed the spoils of victory the same night as Ottinger. Driving for his father and Waltrip's LMS car owner that night, R.C. Alexander, Mike pocketed his first career victory by winning the 50-lap limited sportsman division preliminary race on Nashville's quarter-mile track.

Courtesy of Mike Alexander

Source: The Tennessean

Waltrip returned to Nashville the Cup race three weeks after the season opener. He captured his first career Cup win in the Music City 420 in his own #17 Chevrolet with crew chief Jake Elder.

Lund made his first start at the fairgrounds since the May 1972 Mr. D's 200 Grand National East race. After two decades of part-time seasons in NASCAR's Cup, Convertible, Grand Touring / Grand American, and Grand National East divisions, Tiny planned to race as many national LMS races as possible in an effort to win the title. Sadly, Lund died in a savage accident during the Talladega 500 in August 1975.

Ottinger won Nashville's 1975 season-opener and captured another signature track victory by winning the Permatex Southern 400 in September with an assist from Waltrip. 

Alexander advanced to Nashville's LMS ranks in 1976. With multiple wins at his home track and others across many southern states, Alexander got several Cup opportunities. His greatest break came as the replacement in the Miller High Life Buick in mid-1988 following Bobby Allison's accident and head injuries at Pocono. Unfortunately, Alexander suffered head injuries of his own at the Snowball Derby in Pensacola in December 1988. Though he returned for a handful of Cup races over the next couple of years, he officially retired in 1992.

TMC

Nashville's 1973 Permatex 200

After a three-year experiment as a high-banked, lightning fast, half-mile, the banking of Nashville's Fairground Speedways was cut to 18-degrees where it remains today.

As had become the tradition since 1966, the new season season opened with a big late model sportsman race. The Permatex 200 on April 21, 1973, became the first late model event on the new configuration.

The redesigned track was more than a physical demarcation between Nashville's past and future. Many drivers from Nashville's big late model features of the 1960s and early 1970s such as Freddy Fryar, Bob Burcham, and Red Farmer did not return for the 1973 opener.

The field was comprised largely of local and regional racers such as 1970 track champion Darrell Waltrip, Neil Bonnett, Flookie Buford, James Ham, Clyde Peoples, Charlie Binkley, and Paddlefoot Wales. A few names, however, made the trek from beyond the immediate area.

Jack Ingram returned to Nashville to accumulate valuable national points. Ingram won NASCAR's national LMS title in 1972 and looked to defend it in 1973. Jimmy Hensley and Sam Ard, two drivers who'd become NASCAR LMS and later Busch Series stalwarts, also made the trip. Newport TN's L.D. Ottinger, winner of the 1970 Southern 300, returned as well.

An unexpected entrant perhaps was Winston Cup regular, Dave Marcis. He brought his Dodge Charger sportsman car to Nashville as the Cup circuit took a break between Darlington and Martinsville. He also needed to earn some pocket change to pay Petty Enterprises for repairs to his Cup car damaged at Darlington.

Source: The Tennessean

Marcis' Dodge was no slouch. The car finished fifth in the Permatex 300 LMS race at Daytona with Alabama's Alton Jones behind the wheel.

Source: Alabama Auto Racing Pioneers

One of the notable offseason moves affecting local racers was a change of scenery for Darrell Waltrip, Nashville's 1970 late model sportsman champion. After several years with P.B Crowell's team, Waltrip moved to Ellis Cook's team with Binkley as a teammate. Cook, a local beer distributor, painted Waltrip's #48 Chevelles the red and gold colors of Falls City Beer. Binkley drove a similarly painted #25 car and built the engines.

The original plan was for Waltrip to race for NASCAR's national LMS title while Binkley competed in Nashville's weekly features. Waltrip's first venture with the team was the Permatex 300 LMS race at Daytona. The carefully prepared car suffered engine woes during the race; however, and the team returned to Tennessee with more to learn.

The team's plans were then modified a good bit. Instead of running for the national LMS title, Waltrip planned a dual focus. He saddled up to pursue Rookie of the Year honors in Cup in addition to running for a second track title at Nashville.

As teams arrived for practice and qualifying for Nashville's opener, Waltrip shook down his newly acquired Chevelle. Something broke during a practice run; however, and things went from bad to worse. As Waltrip sailed into turn 1, his car pitched suddenly to the inside. He clipped the inner guardrail, flipped over it, and then rolled four times to the lower infield that served as the garage area.

Source: Nashville Fairgrounds Racing History Group

Though stunned a bit, Waltrip was not seriously injured. The team went to Plan B, sent for a backup car from the shop, and thrashed to get it ready for qualifying. Though it wasn't in ideal shape, Waltrip made a timed lap with minutes to spare to earn the sixth starting spot in the field.

Marcis' Dodge delivered as promised in qualifying, and he won the pole. Local racer James Ham was always quick on the high-banked version of the track, and he adapted to the new configuration as well with a P2 lap. Ottinger and Ard made up the second row.

When the green waved, Marcis' heavy Hemi launched him into the lead and a complete domination of the first third of the race. Ottinger ran behind him during that stretch as Waltrip made his way past Ham and Ard in pursuit of the top two. Just shy of halfway, Waltrip made his way past Ottinger and then under Marcis to take the lead.

A caution flag fell shortly after Waltrip took the lead, and it provided the opportunity to pit for fuel and tires. An extended stop, however, resulted in Waltrip's losing two laps. Ottinger made his stop after Waltrip and returned to action without losing a lap.

Throughout the second half of the race, Waltrip did all he could to make up the lost ground. Ottinger, however, maintained a solid pace and kept the local racer at bay. At the finish, Ottinger swept across the line to captured his second career win at the Fairgrounds.

Source: Nashville Fairgrounds Racing History

Waltrip still managed to finish second with his backup car. Ard, Marcis and Jack Ingram rounded out the top five finishers.

Source: The Tennessean

Finishing order:

1. L.D. Ottinger 
2. Darrell Waltrip 
3. Sam Ard 
4. Dave Marcis 
5. Jack Ingram 
6. Flookie Buford 
7. James Ham 
8. Charlie Greenwell 
9. Walter Wallace 
10. Carl Lane 
11. Clyde Peoples 
12. James Veach 
13. Ronnie Blasingim & Jerry Sisco 
14. Phil Stillings 
15. Robert Wales 
16. James Climer 
17. Wayne Carden 
18. John Brown 
19. Windle Webster 
20. Jim McDowell
21. Neil Bonnett 
22. Dave Sisco 
23. Donnie Roberts 
24. Jimmy Hensley
25. Charlie Binkley 
26. Donnie Anthony 
27. Jack Hooper 
28. Jim Berry 
29. Dwayne Chaffin 
30. Jerry Sisco 
31. Jimmy Kitchens 
32. Dwayne Cravens

TMC

Nashville's 1976 Permatex Southern 400

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.

From TMC Archives

Source for articles: The Tennessean

TMC

Nashville's 1975 Permatex Southern 400

The Southern 300 / 400 races at Nashville Speedway were historically scheduled for late September or early October. Track promoter Bill Donoho decided in early 1975 that he wanted to host the race before the annual Tennessee State Fair rather than after it as had been done since 1958. Consequently, the 17th annual Southern 400 was scheduled for August 30, 1975.

As a result of the change, the Southern 400 was no longer the season-ending late model race as had been the case most years. The week after the Southern, the track scheduled the inaugural Bob Hunley 100 in memory of the former driver killed at the speedway in 1972. Then following the state fair, the Fairgrounds planned to run three October Saturday nights of regular feature races.

In addition to moving up the race by a month, the 1975 Southern 400 was scheduled to be the first one run under the lights on a Saturday night. All others had been scheduled for Sunday afternoons.

A third change in 1975 was to make the event a one-day show with qualifying, a limited sportsman preliminary race, and the 400 lap LMS event all on Saturday. Two days of qualifying were gone as were consolation races.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Jack Ingram won the 1973 Southern 400 and three consecutive NASCAR national late model sportsman titles. As happened with three-time national champion Red Farmer, however, the grind of chasing another title had become a bit more than Ingram wanted to invest.

In the pre-Busch Series era, a driver willing to pursue the national title had to race seemingly everywhere. Races on back-to-back days often required an overnight tow from the first race. In some cases, national points were available at more than one event on the same day. Performing at a high level and keeping the competition at bay while running as many events as possible took a high toll on the individual as well as his equipment, limited crew, family, etc.

Yet with six career victories at Nashville and the prestige of the Southern 400 on the line, Ingram opted to include the the race on his somewhat reduced schedule.

As Ingram cracked the throttle on his pursuit of a fourth tittle, Harry Gant still had his foot buried. Though he trailed Butch Lindley in the national standings, he continued the pressure by racing everywhere, winning frequently, and accumulating points.

Part of Gant's success in 1975 - including wins in two of Nashville's four 200-lap events - resulted from his car built by racing legend Tiger Tom Pistone. Still active today at age 89, Pistone remained in racing long after his driving days ended. He built cars, served as crew chief for various drivers, and championed the cause of several up-and-comers.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Lindley, winner of the 1974 Southern 400 and the national points leader, kept the Big Mo rolling by winning the pole for the 1975 edition.

For the second time in three years, Alabama's Alton Jones qualified on the front row alongside the pole winner. Jones claimed the track's LMS title a year later in 1976. Two-time Southern winner L.D. Ottinger, Gant, and local rookie P.B. Crowell III rounded out the top five starters.

Other name drivers in the show included Ingram, Neil Bonnett in a Bobby Allison-prepared Nova, 1974 Nashville track champion Jimmy Means, and Nashville legend turned Cup racer Darrell Waltrip.

Waltrip had a hectic weekend schedule traveling back and forth between Nashville and Darlington. In Nashville, he needed to shake down a new Mercury Cougar fielded by long-time owner/sponsor R.C. Alexander. Similarly in Darlington, DW prepared for the Southern 500 Cup race in only his third outing with DiGard Racing.

Late summer showers arrived after completion of qualifying, and the race was postponed until Sunday. Only one Southern 300 (1963: blog post) had been rained out prior to the 1975 edition. The rain-out also scuttled plans for the first night Southern. Thus, the Sunday afternoon tradition continued.

Lindley got the jump on Jones and the rest of the field as the race got underway on Sunday. A year earlier, Lindley had a strong car; however, his dominant second half run was aided by DNFs by his strongest competition. He planned to control his own destiny in the 1975 Southern.

Waltrip settled into a rhythm of his own in Alexander's #84 Cougar. As Lindley played the rabbit, Waltrip and Ol' Henry rode comfortably in the top five. Something went amiss, however, on lap 71. For the third year in a row, the 1972 Southern 300 winner and two-time track champion left the race early. Rather than make a hasty exit for Darlington's Labor Day race, Waltrip remained at the track.

A couple of  drivers needed an assist as the raced entered its final stages. Ottinger developed significant back pain and finally surrendered his car to Waltrip around lap 300. A few laps later, Ironman Jack Ingram needed relief from Joe Thurman.

Meanwhile, Lindley built a full-lap lead over second place as he headed for his second Southern 400 win. With 30 laps to go, however, disaster struck. Lindley puked a motor in his Nova, and he coasted helplessly to the pits.

Waltrip made up the lap deficit and soon had Ottinger's Chevelle in the lead. He led the remaining laps and took the checkered flag over Ingram's car.

Ottinger officially claimed the win, his second Southern, and his second win at Nashville in 1975. (He won the season-opening Winston 200 in April.) Coincidentally, Ottinger finished second in Waltrip's first Nashville win, the 1970 Flameless 300. Bonnett finished third followed by Crowell and Gant.

As the driver who crossed the finish line first headed to Darlington, the winning driver in street clothes loaded his Chevelle for the haul back to Newport, TN.

The 1975 Southern 400 was the the only one held in August. The race returned to its traditional post-state fair scheduling in 1976 and 1977. Also, none of the remaining Southern races were scheduled for a Saturday night.

Alton Jones won the Bob Hunley memorial 100-lap race the following Saturday night. Challenging weather and deteriorating track conditions resulted, however, in the cancellation of the remaining three October nights of racing. Walter Wallace won his second track LMS title over Jimmy Means who sought his second title in back-to-back years.

Source for articles: The Tennessean

TMC

Nashville's 1970 Southern 300

Following the 1969 Southern 300, a multi-month project began to transform Nashville's Fairground Speedways. The low-banked, half-mile track was converted to a high-banked, 5/8-mile, speed demon. In 2011, Nashville racing historian Russ Thompson blogged about the construction project and an overview of the Nashville's first season on the new track.

Through 1965, fans sat in the grandstands under an ornate, wooden roof. The September 1965 fairgrounds fire burned the structure, and the stands remained uncovered through 1969.

The project to re-design the track also included a new roof over a portion of the grandstands. Instead of installing a roof with a similar design as the original one, the track operators installed a more modern looking, metal, tethered overhang. The 1970 roof remains in place in 2018.

Because of construction delays, the season's start was delayed until July. Bobby Isaac won the first event on new track - the Nashville 420 Grand National race. The late model racers returned for their first race on the new track in the Flameless 300 in August.

Though the timing of the Grand National and Flameless races was off because of construction delays, the Southern 300 returned in its traditional autumn spot. The 12th edition of the Southern was scheduled for Sunday, October 4.

Unlike most years, the Southern 300 wasn't the final racing event of the year at the Fairgrounds. Because of the late-starting and abbreviated schedule in 1970, the track hosted two more weekends of racing - a pair of LMS features and a 200-lap ARCA race.

Several drivers from the Grand National and Late Model Sportsman ranks had been leery of the new track design. Most had raced high-banked tracks before - most notably Daytona and Talladega. Nashville was a different beast, however, because of the shorter straightaways.

Local racer James Ham, however, took to the place like a duck to water. In the LMS features leading up to the Southern 300, Ham was routinely quick during time trials. He planned to extend his early comfort with the track to the Southern despite the arrival of several heavy-hitting out-of-towners.

Darrell Waltrip raced at the Fairgrounds several times from the mid to late 1960s with little success. Once he connected with car owner P.B. Crowell and hit the high banks in 1970, the results and his future were quite different. Waltrip won five of the season's eight LMS races leading into the Southern and had a firm grasp on the track's 1970 track title.

DW's success made him a logical target for exotic dancer Morganna Roberts. Though she later became legendary nationally in the 1970s as Morganna The Kissing Bandit, she was in Nashville for nightly shows. Today, Printer's Alley is a popular tourist destination. Back in the day, the establishments were legendary but a bit more sketchy.

Ham was the first driver to qualify during Saturday's time trials. In an effort to prove his promotional photo had substance, he laid down a hot lap and dared others to knock him off the perch. One by one, all failed to rise to the challenge.

Flookie Buford and Alton Jones, both driving R.C. Alexander's Fords, qualified third and fourth. Freddy Fryar, a two-time Southern 300 winner and Nashville's 1964 track champion, timed only fifth best. Waltrip could muster no better than ninth fastest.

Yet one driver remained to take his shot. Red Farmer set a track record, nipped Ham's lap time, captured the pole, and started on the Southern front row for the fifth consecutive year.

The line-up also included several others who race fans grew to know a bit better throughout the 70s-80s including Jack Ingram, Bosco Lowe, L.D. Ottinger, Paddlefoot Wales, Sam Sommers, and Richard Brickhouse.

A year earlier, Brickhouse was pretty much an unknown driver. A single race, however, provided him an Oh yeah, THAT guy! trivia label to racing fans with his victory in the inaugural Talladega 500.

As the green dropped, Farmer seized the lead from his top starting spot. He pulled the field around the lightning quick surface for the first five laps. On the sixth lap, however, second place starter Ham smoked Farmer. Liking the view from out front, Ham stayed there for a good portion of the race.

Though Ham ruled much of the first half of the race, a couple of the name drivers got their time on the point as well. Fryar and Waltrip both led, but bad racing luck nabbed them both.

Waltrip lost a left-front brake shoe near the middle of the race, had his wheel lock-up, and spun. DW's crew repaired the car, and he returned to action albeit several laps down. When the day was done, Waltrip settled for a P4 finish.

After leading a few laps early, Fryar spun to avoid the spinning Waltrip. He gathered his car and continued. A blown engine at lap 167, however, fried Fryar's chance at a decent day.

Meanwhile, James Ham continued cycling his way in and out of the lead. He piled up 136 laps out front during the first two-thirds of the race. Misfortune, however, cooked Ham's bacon on lap 184.

Charlie Binkley blew an engine, and Red Farmer's remarkable streak of being in the wrong place at the wrong time continued. Farmer spun in Binkley's oil and then returned across the track just as Ham tried to sneak through the accident. With nowhere to go, Ham clobbered Farmer ending his fantastic run.

As the favorites fell, Brickhouse decided he'd take the lead since no one else seemed able to hold it. Taking over the top spot following Ham's wreck, he led a stretch of nearly 50 laps and built a five-lap lead over second place.

Then remarkably, racing's fickle finger of fate pointed at Brickhouse. His tire blew on the frontstretch headed for turn 1, and Brickhouse greeted the concrete wall. Though Brickhouse left the race, he remained posted as the leader for the next few laps as the second place car unlapped himself.

Newport, TN's L.D. Ottinger raced at the Fairgrounds from time to time in the late 1960s, but he never scored a win on the original half-mile track. Once he unlapped himself in the 1970 Southern 300, however, he had a clear path to his first Nashville win.

Fighting an intense headache and exhaustion, Ottinger did what others in the race couldn't do: survive. He led the remaining laps and claimed a signature, career victory.

In his first Nashville start, Harry Gant finished second two laps down to Ottinger. (Though Gant qualified for the 1969 Southern 300, he apparently did not start the race.) Gary Cook, Waltrip, and Gene Glover rounded out the top five finishers.

Source for articles: The Tennessean

TMC

August 28, 1976 - Nashville's Bob Hunley 100

A couple of NASCAR's national late model sportsman drivers came to Nashville in late summer '76 to race against the local heroes in the third annual Bob Hunley Memorial 100.

Bob Hunley was an amateur racer and a full-time Metro Nashville policeman. He raced in the fairgrounds' late model sportsman division for much of the 1960s and into the 1970s. Sadly, Hunley was killed during a race on April 29, 1972. From April 30, 1972, edition of The Tennessean:

An off-duty Metro patrolman was killed last night when his race car slammed into a retaining wall at Fairgrounds Speedway in the fourth lap of a late-model sportsman race.

Bobby Hunley was dead on arrival at Baptist Hospital after the speedway accident.

Hunley's 1964 Chevelle collided with another car in a group of five autos jockeying for positions on the straight-away. Hunley's auto flipped over several times, then struck a retaining wall at a turn on the quarter-mile track.

Two other cars were involved in the track collision, but there were no other injuries. Hunley's wife, Wilma, and children reportedly were in the fairgrounds audience when the crash occurred. The patrolman was scheduled to go on duty with the police department at midnight following the race.

In an interview last year, Mrs. Hunley said she could seldom relax at home, knowing her husband was a police officer during work hours and a race car driver on his off nights. "A night never goes by that I don't worry about his welfare," she said. "When he leaves out of here, especially on that midnight shift, I never know if I'll see him again.

"Then when  he's racing, I have to sweat out each turn he makes. I never take my eyes off him when he's on the track. Even though I can't stand to watch Robert race, I can't stand to stay at home and wonder what's happening. If something ever goes wrong, I want to be there," she said.

In addition to his widow, Hunley is survived by a son and two daughters. 

L.D. Ottinger broke Nashville's track record with his qualifying lap. But less than a minute later, fellow NASCAR national LMS division competitor, Harry Gant, set his own track record.

When the green flag fell, Ottinger got the jump on Gant and grabbed the lead. From there, it was all L.D. - all night - all race. He won handily over the rest of the field.

Credit Jim Phillips and MRM Racing Photos

Local racer Steve Spencer finished second. Coincidentally, Spencer raced a Chevelle purchased from Ottinger. He also won the track's 1977 LMS title in L.D.'s former car.

Neil Bonnett, balancing a schedule of Cup and late model races, claimed third. Alton Jones finished fourth and later claimed the track's LMS title in 1976. Despite winning the pole, Gant wasn't a factor and finished 16th.

Source: The Tennessean from TMC Archives

On Monday after the race, The Tennessean ran a follow-up column about Ottinger's dominance in the Hunley 100 written by Larry Woody, the long-time racing beat writer and humorist for the paper. Woody made it sound as if L.D. won the pole with Gant qualifying second.

I had listened to the race coverage on WENO-AM radio on Saturday night and knew Gant was quickest. Woody's race report in the Sunday paper included the same info.

Source: The Tennessean

As a still relatively new race fan and one more passionate about the late model heroes at Nashville than NASCAR's Cup drivers (Richard Petty not withstanding), I made the choice to let Mr. Woody know the facts and wrote him a letter. Though I don't remember my exact wording, I think I penned a polite but direct one. At least my 11 year-old conscience was clear.

A few days later on a Saturday morning, our black, rotary phone rang in the kitchen. My mother answered, acknowledged a couple of uh-huhs, handed the phone to me, and smirked a bit as she said "It's for you."

After saying hello, the voice on the other end said "Chase? Larry Woody from The Tennessean. How are you?" I nearly puddled on the kitchen floor. I recall Larry was pleasant though I kinda hemmed and hawed. Yet I was able to re-state my understanding about Gant's lap, and Larry understood the mix-up between his Sunday and Monday articles.

When the call ended, I'm sure I broke out in sweat and hives. I have no memory of what my mother said afterwards - if anything. She may have just gone back to making biscuits for my dad or helping my brother or sister with a school project

Though I've spoken with Larry a time or two by phone on local racing radio shows, I've never had the opportunity to meet him face to face. I'm hopeful that day will still come so I can remind him of this story and hopefully share a laugh with him about it.

TMC