50 Years of NASCAR Captures All That Has Made Bill France’S Dream Into a Firm, Big-Money Reality
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< mill NASCAR OF NASCAR ■ TP'S FAST, ITS FURIOUS, IT'S SPINE- I tingling, jump-out-of-youn-seat action, a sport created by a fan for the fans, it’s all part of the American dream. Conceived in a hotel room in Daytona, Florida, in 1948, NASCAR is now America’s fastest-growing sport and is fast becoming one of America’s most-watched sports. As crowds flock to see state-of-the-art, 700-horsepower cars powering their way around high-banked ovals, outmaneuvering, outpacing and outthinking each other, NASCAR has passed the half-century mark. 50 Years of NASCAR captures all that has made Bill France’s dream into a firm, big-money reality. It traces the history and the development of the sport through the faces behind the scene who have made the sport such a success and the personalities behind the helmets—the stars that the crowds flock to see. There is also a comprehensive statistics section featuring the results of the Winston Cup series and the all-time leaders in NASCAR’S driving history plus a chronology capturing the highlights of the sport. Packed throughout with dramatic color illustrations, each page is an action-packed celebration of all that has made the sport what it is today. Whether you are a die-hard fan or just an armchair follower of the sport, 50 Years of NASCAR is a must-have addition to the bookshelf of anyone with an interest in the sport. $29.95 USA/ $44.95 CAN THIS IS A CARLTON BOOK ISBN 1 85868 874 4 Copyright © Carlton Books Limited 1998 Project Editor: Chris Hawkes First published 1998 Project Art Editor: Zoe Maggs Reprinted with corrections 1999, 2000 Picture Research: Catherine Costelloe 10 9876 5 4321 Production: Sarah Corteel Design: Graham Curd, Steve Wilson All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any Printed and bound in Italy form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser. Carlton Books Ltd 20 Mortimer Street A CIP catalogue record for this book is available upon request. London WIN 7RD “NASCAR” is a federally registered service mark of National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc. (“NASCAR”). Carlton Books is not affiliated or associated with NASCAR in any way. BOB LATFORD CARUONT BOOKS The History of The Driving Force Behind NASCAR NASCAR 32 1948-49 .6 The Great Drivers 42 1 950s.12 Red Byron .44 1 960s.16 Marshall Teague.46 1 970s.19 Herb Thomas.48 1 980s.23 Curtis Turner.50 1 99Qs.27 Buck Baker.52 Lee Petty.54 Tim Flock.56 Fireball Roberts.58 Cotton Owens.60 Joe Weatherly.62 Herschel McGriff.64 Junior Johnson.66 Ned Jarrett.68 Rex White.70 Fred Lorenzen.72 Marvin Ranch.74 Tiny Lund.76 Bobby Isaac.78 David Pearson.80 Richard Petty.82 LeeRoy Yarbrough.85 Benny Parsons.88 A.J. Foyt.go Harry Gant.02 Cale Yarborough.04 Bobby Allison.07 Darrell Waltrip.lOO Buddy Baker.103 Tim Richmond.106 lyalvol/NE Terry Labonte.108 mngiK Alan Kulwicki.112 pvT Geoff Bodine.114 Wy jm \ m jflH ' Bill Elliott.116 Ricky Rudd.1 19 Neil Bonnett.122 Davey Allison.1 24 Rusty Wallace.126 Mark Martin .130 □ ale Jarrett.132 Ernie Irvan.135 Dale Earnhardt.138 Jeff Gordon.1 42 Glen Wood.146 Bob Welborn.1 48 he Great Teams 1 62 Ralph Earnhardt.150 Red Farmer.152 Ray Hendrick.1 54 Jack Ingram.156 Statistics 184 Richie Evans.158 Chronology 190 Jerry Cook.1 60 •XT — - ~ ^ His seated position belied the six foot six inch height of the man. He sat quietly amidst the swirling cigar and cigarette smoke, ignoring the din of small talk among the 35 men assembled. Deep in thought, his mind raced as he pondered the task at hand. In the room atop the Streamline Hotel on Atlantic Avenus in Daytona Beach, Florida, he had called together an eclectic group who shared his interest in automobile racing that sunny Sunday morning in December 1947. They were bootleggers and businessmen, mechanics and merchants, some doers and some dare devils. But all shared his interest in racing, especially stock car competition. His mind raced back to the mid-1930s when he had uprooted his wife and young son from their home in Washington D.C., left his mechanics job and headed south to Florida’s warmer climate. He thought of his days as a fairly successful race car driver and his effort to both drive and promote events on the silvery sands along the Atlantic Ocean and his first race here back in 1936. With pleasure he reflected back to the July day in 1940 when he had won both the pole and the race in that big 1939 Buick. Even with the noise in the room he could hear the waves breaking on the beach a few hundred yards east of the hotel. He thought, too, of his little gas station where he had toiled to support his family and his racing; of the gas rationing during the war which had concluded two years earlier and had cut so badly into the station’s business; of his work during those war years at the local boat works where he had utilized his mechanical skills to build submarine chasers as part of the war effort. Smiling a little, he recalled how racing had resumed not long after the hostilities ended and the final foe had signed a surrender. In post-war America the families were reunited. Returning veterans had money in their pockets and the industry of war was reverting to making peacetime goods. Racing, with the end of gas rationing and other shortages, had resumed the year before. New groups had been formed to sanction and promote events. Each of them was making its own rules and proclaiming their best as the “National Stock Car Champion”. The public and news media were confused as to who was the real champion. Nodding to the assembled group the tall man, still sitting, began to speak. His deep, strong voice hushed the remaining conversations. Even in 1947, when William Henry Getty “Big Bill” France spoke, people listened. “Nothing stands still in this world. Things get better or worse, bigger or smaller. “Stock car racing has been my whole life. I’ve gone to other territories; I’ve left home, and I’ve always tried to develop something as I was going. I’ve tried to build up instead of tearing down.” He went on to explain his background and his philosophy on the sport he loved. Then continued as he explained why he had asked them to be at this meeting. “There are a whole lot of things to be straightened out here. We’ve got to get track owners and promoters interested in building up stock car racing. I would like to get all of us in accord on as many different subjects as we can bring up. “Stock car racing as we’ve been running it is not, in my opinion, the answer. If it were, I wouldn’t worry about anybody else... “I believe stock car racing can become a nationally-recognized sport by having a national point standing which will embrace the majority of large stock car events. Regardless of whether you win a race in New England or Florida, the points would apply in the national championship bracket. What it would amount to is we’d have a national champion who won his spurs on a national championship basis.” France touched on a few other points, and concluded his brief, but tone-setting remarks, by saying, “This touches about everything I had in , mind. Right here, within our group. n'p?;^ his days ss a racer at iv-’- - he ■ ■ 11 n. ■: H'; 1 3 38 m MW , opportunity to set it up on a big The History of NASCAR scale. We are interested in one thing—improving present conditions." The room erupted in a hub-hub of reaction, accompanied with nods of agreement with what had been said. With enthusiasm they went to work. Over the rest of that day and the next two, they hammered out rules, by-laws and guidelines for their sport. Jerome “Red” Vogt, already a noted and successful mechanic came up with a suggestion for the name of the organization: National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing. It was a title which reflected the scope (National), type (Stock Car), and purpose (Racing) of the new group. It would replace the National Champion Stock Car Circuit moniker France had used for his events previously and whose initials— NCSCC—did not spell anything. Someone else suggested National Stock Car Racing Association (NSCRA), but it was found that another competing group had already used that name. Vogt’s suggestion was accepted. NASCAR it would be. Among the final items of business were electing officers and getting the group incorporated. France, who had introduced himself as the meeting’s “director” was immediately voted in as the president. Eddie Blank of Jacksonville, Fla., was vice-president, Bill Tuthill, a former motorcycle racer and promoter was named secretary and the local driver Marshall Teague was voted in as the first treasurer. The group suggested the creation of a “Czar” for the sport. E.G. “Cannonball” Baker, who had become famous for a cross-country speed run and other racing successes, was a good choice.