Don't They Just Turn Left? Nascar's Heritage Race Tracks and Preserving Stock Car Culture
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ABSTRACT Title of Thesis: DON’T THEY JUST TURN LEFT? NASCAR’S HERITAGE RACE TRACKS AND PRESERVING STOCK CAR CULTURE Degree Candidate: Melissa A. Bleier Thesis directed by: John C. Larson Welch Center for Graduate and Professional Studies Goucher College This thesis examines the hypothesis that early NASCAR race tracks play an important role in the history of the United States and that they need to be evaluated and recognized as such. This thesis also identifies the heritage and traditions which are a part of the collective stock car culture and the ways in which heritage race tracks are the most significant places for this culture. In order to fully understand the cultural contribution of stock car racing, after an introduction to the history of stock car racing, a brief exploration of the formative years of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing follows. This thesis explores the Southern roots of stock car racing and the ways in which NASCAR moved the sport from a Southern regional pastime to a national sport. It also examines the people and traditions that come together at a culturally significant space, the race track, and why preserving these race tracks is essential for stock car culture to thrive. These heritage race tracks are the pivotal element for NASCAR’s cultural continuity and provide excellent examples for future preservation efforts focusing on the heritage of stock car racing outside of NASCAR. The research for this thesis examined three tracks within the larger framework of the development of stock car racing. Martinsville Speedway, in Martinsville, Virginia; Darlington Raceway in Darlington, South Carolina, and Rockingham Speedway in Rockingham, North Carolina represent the best preservation opportunities for heritage race tracks and were chosen for their close connection to NASCAR’s heritage. Heritage race tracks are dynamic resources and require a preservation approach which can successfully address both the individual race tracks and the cultural significance of stock car racing heritage. An exploration of the available preservation methods to determine the best options for heritage race tracks is included in this thesis. Research for this thesis concludes that the best preservation option for NASCAR’s heritage race tracks is the development of a stock car themed national heritage area. A national heritage area offers a comprehensive approach to preservation, providing preservation resources not only to major components, like NASCAR’s heritage tracks, but also to the other elements of stock car heritage in the region. ii DON’T THEY JUST TURN LEFT? NASCAR’S HERITAGE RACE TRACKS AND PRESERVING STOCK CAR CULTURE Melissa A. Bleier Thesis submitted to the Faculty of Goucher College in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Historic Preservation 2009 Advisory Committee John C. Larson, Chair _____________________________ Kenneth C. Breslauer ______________________________ Hugh C. Miller, FAIA _______________________________ ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS My heartfelt thanks go to all the people who have supported and encouraged me. Especially to my family, without whose love and support this would not have been possible. Thank you to my Browncoats who understood every time I said, “I can’t, I need to write.” Thank you to Mr. Clay Campbell for allowing me to hold my defense at Martinsville Speedway. I am proud to feel like a part of the track. Thank you to all of those at Martinsville Speedway, Darlington Raceway, and Rockingham Speedway for all of your time and support. Buz McKim, Eddie Roche, and Greg Fielden you are my inspiration, thank you for sharing NASCAR’s wonderful history with me. Thank you to Bud Moore, Cotton Owens, and Dot Owens for having lunch with me; it was the highlight of this experience. Thank you to NASCAR, to the drivers, team members, owners and wrenchers who were willing to listen to a girl talk about old race tracks. Eternal thanks to Vance Howell and Randy Heffner, who let me dog their heels in the garages. Thank you Sterns, for standing in front of the computer while I typed. Frederic Knapp, thank you for letting me run off to North Carolina once a month, and letting me return to a job. Donna, thank you for editing and making this look like a thesis. Ken, thank you for putting up my enthusiasm for stock car racing. John, thank you for being my preservation mentor all these years and for my little scholar’s loft. The greatest thank you goes to Hugh Miller, Richard Wagner and the entire Goucher faculty, who, when I said that I wanted to preserve historic race tracks, responded with enthusiasm. i TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements i List of Figures iv Chapter I: Stock Car Racing and Heritage: 1 Introduction 1 Research Methods 3 NASCAR and Stock Car Racing 6 Chapter II: A Brief History of Stock Car Racing 10 Introduction 10 Faster! Faster Would Be Better: Racing in America 12 A Southern Sport 17 Stock Car Racing after World War II 31 The Tracks of NASCAR 43 Conclusion 48 Chapter III: Race Tracks as Heritage Places 50 Introduction 50 Terms and Definitions 50 What Makes a Place Special? 54 What Makes a Race Track a Heritage Place? 56 The Race Track 59 Cultural Continuity and the Folklore of NASCAR 74 Race Week and the Three Day City 83 Race Day 90 Where is the Home Team? 96 Conclusion 100 Chapter IV: An Exploration of Heritage Tracks 102 Introduction 102 Martinsville Speedway: The Last of the First 103 The Lady in Black: Darlington Raceway 116 The Rock: Rockingham Speedway 134 Conclusion 147 ii Chapter V: Preservation Options for NASCAR’s Heritage Race Tracks 150 Introduction 150 A Listing in the National Register 151 Museums and Exhibits 155 Historic Sites 157 The National Heritage Area Program 162 Guidelines for a National Heritage Area 164 Heritage Race Tracks and the National Heritage Area Program 168 Successful National Heritage Areas 177 Conclusion 180 Chapter VI: NASCAR’S Heritage Race Tracks and the Preservation of Stock Car Culture 183 Introduction 183 NASCAR’s Historic Impacts 184 The Southern Stock Car National Heritage Area 187 Future Research 189 Appendices: 193 Appendix I: Outlining a Southern Stock Car National Heritage Area 193 Appendix II: Southern Stock Car National Heritage Area Brochure 197 Endnotes: 199 Bibliography: 215 iii LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: Checking the board track 13 Figure 2: North Wilkesboro Speedway, 1949 14 Figure 3: NASCAR's 1948 Logo 16 Figure 4: MGM’s Theatrical Poster for Thunder Road 19 Figure 5: Johnny Reb at Darlington Raceway 22 Figure 6: Daytona’s Beach-and-Road Course 24 Figure 7: Junior Johnson, H. Clay Earles and Darrell Waltrip pose in a publicity photo for the 1981 Old Dominion 500 29 Figure 8: Raymond Parks talks with Red Byron . 32 Figure 9: Charlotte Speedway, 1949 37 Figure 10: North Wilkesboro Speedway, 2009 43 Figure 11: Martinsville Speedway, 1960 61 Figure 12: Front yard parking at Martinsville Speedway 63 Figure 13: Martinsville’s neighbors sell ice and firewood to fans 63 Figure 14: The grandstands at Martinsville Speedway 64 Figure 15: Chicken Bone Alley at Martinsville Speedway 66 Figure 16: The author demonstrates track banking at Rockingham Speedway 68 Figure 17: Rockingham Speedway, 1967 69 Figure 18: A Darlington pitstop 72 Figure 19: 1953 Darlington infield 74 Figure 20: Post race inspections 79 iv Figure 21: Smokey Yunick hides out at Darlington Raceway 80 Figure 22: A group of fans prepare for the race at Martinsville Speedway 86 Figure 23: Martinsville Speedway’s midway 88 Figure 24: A race fan meets driver Robby Gordon . 89 Figure 25: The Martinsville High School marching band plays the National Anthem . 92 Figure 26: Richard Petty gets some instructions from the pits 94 Figure 27: Martinsville Speedway 104 Figure 28: A crew member carries fuel past the outhouse at Martinsville Speedway 106 Figure 29: Martinsville Speedway, paved 107 Figure 30: Martinsville Speedway and its concrete corners, 1990 108 Figure 31: The Campbell Family home . 109 Figure 32: Martinsville fans parking 110 Figure 33: Fans watch as the cars head for Martinsville’s Turn 1 111 Figure 34: The Danville Cheer Force Booster Club hosts one of the many stalls selling the Famous Martinsville Hotdog 113 Figure 35: Fred Lorenzen and one of his six Martinsville Grandfather clocks 114 Figure 36: Fans at Martinsville Speedway, 2008 115 Figure 37: Aerial view of Darlington Raceway, 1950 119 Figure 38: Advertisement for the Southern 500 120 Figure 39: Even the dogs love Darlington’s infield 122 Figure 40: Darlington Raceway, c. 1956 123 Figure 41: Fred Lorenzen and his Darlington Stripe 125 Figure 42: The Darlington Stripe at the Southern 500, 2009 125 v Figure 43: Darlington Raceway, 1943 126 Figure 44: A Granite Goodyear tire commemorates David Pearson’s career 129 Figure 45: The 2009 Southern 500's new- retro paint job 132 Figure 46: Darlington Raceway, 1953 infield 133 Figure 47: North Carolina Motor Speedway, a few weeks before the inaugural race 137 Figure 48: A reproduction of the Inaugural American 500 Official Program 138 Figure 49: Racing at North Carolina Motor Speedway, 1967 140 Figure 50: Promotional poster for 2008 Carolina 500 142 Figure 51: Rockingham's two Rocks stand at the entrance to the Speedway 143 Figure 52: The Papa Joe Hendrick Garage 144 Figure 53: Turn Two, Rockingham Speedway 145 Figure 54: A crew member gives some helpful advice at North Carolina Motor Speedway 146 vi CHAPTER I STOCK CAR RACING AND HERITAGE Introduction By 1949, Bill France organized the multitude of local stock car races held throughout the South and formed a structured national racing series. Dubbed NASCAR by one of the greatest racing mechanics of the era, The National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing has more than sixty years of tradition and heritage.