LUKE’57 - 02 July 2008 07:07 PM

July 2, 1964-The Changing of the Guard.

Using a few of my models for illustration.

On this day the face of racing changed forever.


After fifteen years of relative safety, racing's foundation was shaken as fatalities hit not the back row but this time the headliners. Nascar's clown prince, two time and defending champion, Joe Weatherly, was killed in January at the second Riverside 500. But even more shock was in store for the good ol' boys when they rolled into Charlotte for the World 600, the season's longest race, in May. The sport's first superstar, Fireball Roberts, was involved in a fiery crash on the seventh lap that left him badly burned and fighting for his life as qualifying for the Firecraker 400, a race he won the previous year, was set to get underway.










But this day would be remembered for the day we lost him and almost lost his HM teamate Fred Lorenzen in a savage crash in one of the qualifying races.



As the pall fell over the speedway with the announcement of Fireball's passing, a somewhat subdued birthday celebration was marked as Richard Petty not only observed his birthday on the planet but also his emmergance as the driver who would take stock car racing into the future and set the template for what a hero driver should be.



Unfortunately, before the season was over another competitor would pay the ultimate price for speed as "Gentle Jimmy" Pardue sailed through the guard railing during tire tests at Charlotte Motor Speedway in September.
Just as the fuel cell was developed and made racing safer, Jimmy's crash caused the speedway to reinforce the third and fourth turn guard railing.



It's hard to tell just how many drivers were saved because of Fireball's death but it is easy to tell at least one who was saved by Jimmy's sacrifice. About a month later in the closing laps of the National 400 during a battle for the lead between Richard Petty and Fred Lorenzen Petty's car broke loose and took almost the exact path that Pardue's had in September. While Petty lost the race and took a very hard lick from the crash the railing held the car inside the track. If the rail hadn't been strengthened the face of stock car racing could have been changed forever.


With country boy charm and humility coupled with great driving ability and business acumen, Richard Petty carved out a niche that others tried unsuccessfully to occupy for decades.

brings tears to my eyes to see real race cars by the way where is a picture of a 1967 toyota super sport camry

MojoDoctor - 27 July 2008 05:52 PM

Hey you old curmudgeon, you're over here too?!
Good thing Jim isn't here, or someone might not like seeing your outstanding model work.

I, for one, am glad to see more of your models wherever I can.

Thanks Jerry!

CURMUDGEON!
Why you young whipper snapper, I ought to whack you with my cane! And I just might........If I could remember where I put it. LOL

You know, now that I think about it, that ain't so funny. I just bought a new GPS and used it to find a place we were suppose to play music that I had never played before. It's got this neat lady who tells you every turn to make and helps you if you get off course. You can find anything with it.........well, almost anything. You see, after using it that one time, I "put it up" somewhere safe so I could use it the next time I had a gig way off. You would've thought that someone would have thought of putting one of those beepers on it like the phones have so you could find it. Now that I own it I can find anything but the GPS its self. LOL

Hey MSJB12, I'm with you on the Polish Victory Lap but it's probably because the burnouts don't take as long and they can sell more advertising time. But to help dull the pain, here's a pic especially for you of a Kulwiki car I built. I very seldom build one this new.

And BTW, I think there was two of those 1967 Toyota Super Sport Camrys involved in Nascar........sort of. I think Big Bill France Sr. had one on each side of his driveway entrance that his wife planted flowers in. LOL

msjb12 - 28 July 2008 01:48 PM

Why don't they outlaw burnouts after the race they just look so STUPID, it looks like drivers are complete idiots.I think the polish victory lap is just great and it also honors one of the sports greatest stars.

So every driver to win a race should do a Polish victory lap to honor the same person.....

November 16th 2008.
Jimmie 3 peats

. . . on this day in 1962 . . . Jim Paschal won the Turkey Day 200 at the Tar Heel Speedway, a 1/4 mile paved track, in Randleman, N.C. Paschal's #41 Petty Enterprises Plymouth finished two laps ahead of second place (and defending 1962 NASCAR Champion) Joe Weatherly in Bud Moore's #8 Pontiac. The race was the fourth of the 1963 season, which began immediately after the 1962 season had ended.
. . . on this day in 1970 Bobby Allison drove his #22 Dodge to Victor in the Tidewater 300 at Langley Field Speedway in Hampton, Virginia. Bobby defeated Benny Parsons in the #72 Ford prepaired by L.G. DeWitt by 100 yards. They were the only two on the lead lap at the .395 mile paved oval.
. . . on this day in 1981 Bobby Allison's #28 Hardees Buick out ran Joe Rutman to win the season finale Winston Western 500 at Riverside, California. Bobby lost the Title to Darrell Waltrip though by 53 points, after Waltrip finishes sixth in the #11 Mountain Dew Buick.
. . . on this day in 1987, the #9 Coors Ford of Bill Elliott cruised to an almost thirteen second Victory over Dale Earnhardt at the Atlanta Motor Speedway. Elliott won the race but Dale Earnhardt had already wrapped up the Cup, beating Bill by 489 points in the final standings.

Today in Nascar History February 11th:

This day is the 15th anniversary of the fatal crash durring Daytona practice that took the life of Neil Bonnett.

do u have any experience racing

Now that is a lot of brass air fittings there is just about every type
of air fitting that you could want. Wholesale prices too. I guess these could be used as small water pipe fitting also. I
used some of the parts to make my babington wvo bu

. . . on this day, March 7th . . .

. . . in 1954, at the old Jacksonville Speedway Park (Florida), Herb Thomas (a two time NASCAR Grand National Champion) kept his #92 Blue Crown Spark Plug Fabulous Hudson Hornet out of the old wooden, decayed and rotting fence to win by a two lap margin over Fonty Flock.

. . . in 1965, Junior Johnson drove his `65 yellow #27 Holly Farms Ford to victory at the Richmond Fairgrounds Raceway, out running Buck Baker's 1964 #88 Dodge.

. . . in 1971 Richard Petty scored his 300th top five by winning the Richmond 500, beating Bobby Isaacs by two laps. Dave Marcis started on the pole and finished fifth. It was his first carrer Winston Cup pole.

. . . in 1976, Dave Marcis started second this time, but out ran Richard Petty by three car lengths to win the Richmond 400, driving the #71 K & K Insurance Dodge. It was Dave's second career victory and the first of three for the 1976 season.

. . . in 1993, Davey Allison collects his second career victory on the Richmond International Raceways 3/4 mile configuration in the Pontiac Excitement 400. Allison lead all but four laps and cruised to an easy win in his #28 Havoline Ford, over Rusty Wallace's #2 Miller Genuine Draft Pontiac. This was Davey Allison's final victory in racing.

. . . in 1999, Jeff Burton, in his Roush Racing #99 Exide Batteries Ford, passes his brother Ward's #22 Bill Davis Pontiac with ten laps to go (after battleing side-by-side for five full laps). It was Jeff's first win at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. It was also the first 1 - 2 finish for the Burton brothers.

. . . in 2004, defending (and last) Winston Cup Champion Matt Kenseth held off a hard charging (Rookie) Kasey Kahne to win at Las Vegas his second win in a row at Vegas and his second in a row for the `04 season. Giving team owner Jack Roush five victories out of the seven races run at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Wizard71853 - 14 February 2008 03:49 PM

Has anyone ever won the shootout, duel and the 500 in one year!!

. . . No one ?