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Blasts from the past - From StockCarFans Newsletter
September 9, 2000 Jeff Gordon pulled to within one race of tying Rusty
Wallace for career wins. Whoever has the most is the winningest active
driver. Gordon's 52nd career win came in the Chevrolet Monte Carlo 400 at
Richmond International Raceway.
September 9, 1995 The ¾ mile configuration of Richmond International Raceway
could be called the house that Rusty built. In 1995 he scored his 5th win at
the track and his 41st overall at an average speed of 104 mph in the Miller
Genuine Draft 400.
September 9, 1990 Dale Earnhardt scored his 2nd in a row in the Miller
Genuine Draft 400 at Richmond International Raceway. It was his 47th career
victory.
September 9, 1984 Darrell Waltrip scored his 5th victory of the season at
Richmond Fairgrounds Raceway in the Wrangler Sanfor-Set 400. Waltrip beat
Ricky Rudd by a mere 3 seconds in the closely contested event which saw Dale
Earnhardt spin out and recover to finish in 3rd. This was Waltrip's 62nd
career win.
September 9, 1979 Bobby Allison was just getting his groove at Richmond. He
scored his 3rd win at the Fairgrounds, all coming since it was paved. He won
his 57th career race in dominating fashion, leading all except 31 laps in
the 400 lap contest. He beat runner up Darrell Waltrip by 11 seconds.
September 9, 1973 The bravest men in the world were the other 33 cars in the
field for the 1973 Capital City 500 at Richmond Fairgrounds Raceway. For the
past three years (6 events) no one had beaten Richard Petty. Today would be
no different. He scored his 7th consecutive win at Richmond by more than two
laps over Cale Yarborough. He took the lead on lap 181 of 500 to dominate
the event. It was Petty's 153rd career victory.
September 9, 1970 Jerry Nadeau was born. Bounced around a bit this year
and finally home with the Petty's. Next up on the schedule is New Hampshire.
His career at this track contains a high of 4th and two top 10s in 9 starts.
His average finishing position is 24th.
September 9, 1966 David Pearson took the lead from Junior Johnson on a
bizarre pit mishap on lap 70 and never looked back. Buddy Baker's Ford was
on fire and blazing away in the infield at Hickory Speedway when Johnson
attempted to pit. Johnson lost two laps trying to get around the water
truck. Pearson led 180 of the 250 laps and beat pole-sitter Richard Petty by
a lap. His win in the Buddy Shuman Memorial was his 14th for the season and
his 22nd for his career, on his way to the 1966 Championship.
September 9, 1962 When a throttle stuck in the 'old days' of wooden
railings, the wrecks were just as spectacular as they are today, but you had
to be outside the track to see them. Jack Smith's accelerator stuck on the
backstretch of the 50th lap at Atlantic Rural Fairgrounds and pierced the
guard rail to end up in the parking lot. Smith was unhurt. Scoring errors
had the spectators at the Capital City 300 leaving the track without knowing
who had bested the field. A string of scoring errors in the 1960s is one of
the reasons that NASCAR is insistent that the winner is determined before
the crowd goes home, even when penalties are assessed. Joe Weatherly was not
scored for TWELVE laps during the middle portion of the race. When it was
finally straightened out, however, Weatherly was credited with his 22nd
career victory. It was never determined what lap he had taken the lead. Buck
Baker made the record books with the most starts @ 423. Baker finished 30th.
September 9, 1960 The Buddy Shuman Memorial was traditionally a nice way to
settle down after the Southern 500. In 1960 it didn't work out that well for
two drivers who had finished well at Darlington. Buck Baker lost a fuel pump
and Richard Petty blew an engine to finish 15th and 12th respectively in the
15-car field. They were the only two cars that failed to finish. Junior
Johnson scored his 19th career victory in a Chevrolet.
September 9, 1956 Buck Baker broke a 22 race winless streak to score his
22nd career victory at the half-mile dirt track in Montgomery AL. Baker took
the lead for the first time from Marvin Panch on lap 141. Ralph Moody moved
into 2nd place and was the only other car on the lead lap at the race's end.
This was the only event run by NASCAR's senior division at Chisholm
Speedway.
September 9, 1946 Sumner McKnight was born. He competed in 6 events in the
late 1970s - mid 1980s.
September 9, 1938 Doug Cooper was born. He competed in 114 events in 1963 -
1968. He had a trio of 3rd place finishes as his career best. His last
podium finish came in 1966 at Piedmont Interstate Fairgrounds in
Spartanburg. Elmo Langley won the event.
September 9, 1937 Phil Barkdoll was born. He made a career out of
qualifying for the Daytona 500 and Pepsi 400 races and then running around.
He has no top 10s, but did manage to finish in the top 15 a time or two.
September 9, 1922 Johnny Thompson was born. He competed in 5 events in
1951 and 1952 and never scored a top 10 finish. In his 5 events, he won a
total of $100.
September 9, 2000 Jeff Gordon pulled to within one race of tying Rusty
Wallace for career wins. Whoever has the most is the winningest active
driver. Gordon's 52nd career win came in the Chevrolet Monte Carlo 400 at
Richmond International Raceway.
September 9, 1995 The ¾ mile configuration of Richmond International Raceway
could be called the house that Rusty built. In 1995 he scored his 5th win at
the track and his 41st overall at an average speed of 104 mph in the Miller
Genuine Draft 400.
September 9, 1990 Dale Earnhardt scored his 2nd in a row in the Miller
Genuine Draft 400 at Richmond International Raceway. It was his 47th career
victory.
September 9, 1984 Darrell Waltrip scored his 5th victory of the season at
Richmond Fairgrounds Raceway in the Wrangler Sanfor-Set 400. Waltrip beat
Ricky Rudd by a mere 3 seconds in the closely contested event which saw Dale
Earnhardt spin out and recover to finish in 3rd. This was Waltrip's 62nd
career win.
September 9, 1979 Bobby Allison was just getting his groove at Richmond. He
scored his 3rd win at the Fairgrounds, all coming since it was paved. He won
his 57th career race in dominating fashion, leading all except 31 laps in
the 400 lap contest. He beat runner up Darrell Waltrip by 11 seconds.
September 9, 1973 The bravest men in the world were the other 33 cars in the
field for the 1973 Capital City 500 at Richmond Fairgrounds Raceway. For the
past three years (6 events) no one had beaten Richard Petty. Today would be
no different. He scored his 7th consecutive win at Richmond by more than two
laps over Cale Yarborough. He took the lead on lap 181 of 500 to dominate
the event. It was Petty's 153rd career victory.
September 9, 1970 Jerry Nadeau was born. Bounced around a bit this year
and finally home with the Petty's. Next up on the schedule is New Hampshire.
His career at this track contains a high of 4th and two top 10s in 9 starts.
His average finishing position is 24th.
September 9, 1966 David Pearson took the lead from Junior Johnson on a
bizarre pit mishap on lap 70 and never looked back. Buddy Baker's Ford was
on fire and blazing away in the infield at Hickory Speedway when Johnson
attempted to pit. Johnson lost two laps trying to get around the water
truck. Pearson led 180 of the 250 laps and beat pole-sitter Richard Petty by
a lap. His win in the Buddy Shuman Memorial was his 14th for the season and
his 22nd for his career, on his way to the 1966 Championship.
September 9, 1962 When a throttle stuck in the 'old days' of wooden
railings, the wrecks were just as spectacular as they are today, but you had
to be outside the track to see them. Jack Smith's accelerator stuck on the
backstretch of the 50th lap at Atlantic Rural Fairgrounds and pierced the
guard rail to end up in the parking lot. Smith was unhurt. Scoring errors
had the spectators at the Capital City 300 leaving the track without knowing
who had bested the field. A string of scoring errors in the 1960s is one of
the reasons that NASCAR is insistent that the winner is determined before
the crowd goes home, even when penalties are assessed. Joe Weatherly was not
scored for TWELVE laps during the middle portion of the race. When it was
finally straightened out, however, Weatherly was credited with his 22nd
career victory. It was never determined what lap he had taken the lead. Buck
Baker made the record books with the most starts @ 423. Baker finished 30th.
September 9, 1960 The Buddy Shuman Memorial was traditionally a nice way to
settle down after the Southern 500. In 1960 it didn't work out that well for
two drivers who had finished well at Darlington. Buck Baker lost a fuel pump
and Richard Petty blew an engine to finish 15th and 12th respectively in the
15-car field. They were the only two cars that failed to finish. Junior
Johnson scored his 19th career victory in a Chevrolet.
September 9, 1956 Buck Baker broke a 22 race winless streak to score his
22nd career victory at the half-mile dirt track in Montgomery AL. Baker took
the lead for the first time from Marvin Panch on lap 141. Ralph Moody moved
into 2nd place and was the only other car on the lead lap at the race's end.
This was the only event run by NASCAR's senior division at Chisholm
Speedway.
September 9, 1946 Sumner McKnight was born. He competed in 6 events in the
late 1970s - mid 1980s.
September 9, 1938 Doug Cooper was born. He competed in 114 events in 1963 -
1968. He had a trio of 3rd place finishes as his career best. His last
podium finish came in 1966 at Piedmont Interstate Fairgrounds in
Spartanburg. Elmo Langley won the event.
September 9, 1937 Phil Barkdoll was born. He made a career out of
qualifying for the Daytona 500 and Pepsi 400 races and then running around.
He has no top 10s, but did manage to finish in the top 15 a time or two.
September 9, 1922 Johnny Thompson was born. He competed in 5 events in
1951 and 1952 and never scored a top 10 finish. In his 5 events, he won a
total of $100.
