50 Years of nascar racing ~ Road Warriors (Post 76)
By Matt McLaughlin
Post 76
Editor's note:
This article is part of a special reprise of Matt McLaughlin's "50 Years
of NASCAR Racing", written and published in 1998 in commemoration of
NASCAR's 50th Anniversary celebration that year. Matt has kindly granted me
permission to run the entire series. Please, sit back and enjoy as you take a
journey back through the pages of history and perhaps relive a memory or two. Many thanks to Matt for his generosity in sharing. God bless
you, my friend.
Located
well out stock car racing's Southeastern home, in upstate New York, Watkins
Glen has nevertheless been part of NASCAR's top racing series on and off for
over forty years now. The first Grand National race was held there in 1957,
after which there was a long layoff until 1964 before the heroes of the south
once again hauled their taxis to the storied road course. After the race in
1965 there was a twenty one year lay off before
NASCAR visited the track again. The track promoters had seemingly been content
to host the United States round of the Formula One circuit from 1960 to 1981,
during which period the track's infield, particularly the area of the Bog,
became infamous as a party zone every bit as threatening as Pocono or
Talladega. In fact on one notable afternoon, a denizen of the bog saw fit to
steal a tour bus, drive it into the swamp and torch it. So
much for the open wheel fan's reputation as the cultured elite of the racing
fraternity. Along the way, Watkins Glen has provided stock car racing
fans with thrills as skillful road course drivers battled for the win, and no
little amusement as lesser skilled road course drivers battled just to remain
on the track. To date though, there have been no barbecued buses during NASCAR's forays into the area.
The first NASCAR race
at the Glen was held August 4th, 1957, back in the era of tailfins and chromed
land barges riding on tires skinnier than the ones under your granny's K car
but weighing as much as her house. Buck Baker, who was a tough enough man to
wrestle a grizzly bear with an abscessed tooth into submission, wrestled a 57
Chevy around the 2.3 mile road course for a flag to flag win averaging just
over 83 miles per hour. Meanwhile, Fireball Roberts and Jim Reed had a good go
of it, battling for second until with just over two laps to go,
Reed took an off-course excursion into several immovable objects that ended his
day. Roberts was credited with second place with he and Tiny Lund the only two
other drivers that had managed to remain on the lead lap with the blistering
pace Baker set.
It was a new
generation of drivers who showed up at the Watkins Glen event when NASCAR
returned to the track in 1964. In fact only four drivers who had been in the
race in 1957 (Buck Baker, Lee Petty, Al Miller and Marvin Panch)
returned to the track. The cars were faster by that point, possessed of much
more horsepower, but not much more brakes or tires. Watkins Glen was one of four
road courses that the Grand National drivers visited that year. Ned Jarrett and
Billy Wade fought over the lead with Wade finally taking the flag by six
seconds, a very close gap by the standards of the day. There was some bad blood
between Wade and Jarrett over some bumping incidents in races prior to that
event and the crowd was kept on the edge of its seats. In winning that race,
Wade became the first Grand National driver ever to win four consecutive
events. Watkins Glen rookie and the points leader at that point in the season,
Richard Petty had to settle for 21st after crashing on the tenth lap, having
seemed never to get the hang of the place all weekend. Watkins Glen is in fact
one of the few tracks he ever raced at where the King never managed to pull off
a win. As a historical footnote, that race at Watkins Glen was the last Grand
National race Richard's dad, Lee Petty ever ran.
Marvin Panch celebrated his third trip to Watkins Glen by taking
an easy victory in the Wood Brothers Ford in the 1965 event. Ned Jarrett once
again settled for second. Buck Baker handed over the keys to the family race
car to his son Buddy, who seemed a bit confused by the right turns and not
above an occasional off track excursion, but still managed to come home third, a
rare good showing for a Mopar product that year, with
Chrysler officially boycotting NASCAR. Early in the event Junior Johnson gave
evidence of his skills over a twisty course born of countless moonshining runs
streaking to an early lead, but a blown engine relegated him to 15th in a field
of 19 cars.
After a 21 year
layoff, it is understandable that none of the drivers who participated in the
1965 event were on hand for the return to the Glen in 1986. Buddy Baker was
still driving but must not have thought much of the place as he turned over his
car to noted IndyCar racer Al Unser Senior, for the road event. There were some
new faces of bright up and comers at the event, including Dale Earnhardt, Bill
Elliott, Tim Richmond and Rusty Wallace. Tim Richmond, who had cut his teeth in
the Indy car ranks and done a good deal of road racing prior to joining the
Winston Cup circuit, took the pole for the event.
Before the first lap was over though, Darrell Waltrip muscled his way into the
lead. Noted road racer Rusty Wallace also took a turn at the front before the
hometown favorite Geoff Bodine, in another Hendrick car asserted himself. The
wildly enthusiastic crowd cheered Geoff on, but he spun off the course on lap
63 and did enough damage to the car he was plagued
with overheating problems the rest of the day. Tim Richmond, DW and Bill
Elliott scrapped over the lead for the rest of the event, with Richmond
prevailing at the line, with Waltrip coming home second, and Dale Earnhardt
sneaking by Bill Elliott on the last lap to claim third.
By the time the
NASCAR circuit returned to the Glen in 1987, it was obvious that defending
champion Tim Richmond was not well. In fact, he looked so awful in the drivers'
meeting prior to the event, several competitors voiced
an opinion to NASCAR he was in no shape to drive. Most felt Richmond was badly
hung over. Sadly, we know better now. Rain forced a 24 hour delay in running
the event and Richmond seemed a bit healthier on Monday. There was somewhat a
surprise in qualifying that year when Terry Labonte edged out noted road racer
Rusty Wallace, who along with Ricky Rudd was a road course favorite for the
pole. But by the time the field completed a lap, the hometown boy Geoff Bodine
who had qualified third, had scrambled into the lead. Earnhardt muscled past
him on lap 11 before Rusty Wallace finally took the lead and began building on
it. Owing to the sequencing of pit stops, Tim Richmond did get credit for
leading seven laps late in the going, but once things cycled around Wallace was
back comfortably in control of the event. In fact, Rusty had built up such a
lead that he stopped on the white flag lap for a splash of fuel rather than
risking running the tank dry and never lost the lead. Terry Labonte came home
second and a surprisingly strong Dave Marcis came home third.
In the 1988 race
Rusty Wallace and Ricky Rudd treated the crowd to a vivid demonstration of why
they were the two most highly respected Winston Cup road racers. Rudd was
particularly impressive that day. Tire problems were rampant during that event
and Rudd was among those forced to the pits by prematurely worn tires. The stop
dropped him to 30th place in the running order, but Ricky was on a mission
after that and fought his way back through the field in convincing style. Of
course, he was greatly helped by the record 8 caution flags that flew, causing
36 of the 90 laps to be run under yellow, and late leader Darrell Waltrip's mechanical misfortunes. Rudd reassumed the lead
with three laps to go but Rusty Wallace was hot on his tail and the two drivers
waged an epic battle as Rusty looked for a way around his nemesis. Coming out
of the final turn, Rusty gave Rudd a solid shot to the rear of his car and both
cars got sideways. They were still all over the place when Rudd edged Wallace
to the flag by about a car length. Bill Elliott stayed out of trouble and on
the course to come home third.
Wallace was a repeat
winner at the Glen in 1989, greatly aided in his quest for the trophy by Ricky
Rudd's blown engine that eliminated him on lap 69 after Ricky had led early.
There were some surprises up front that day as well, including pole sitter Morgan
Shepherd, Michael Waltrip and Tommy Kendall driving a fourth Rick Hendrick car.
In the end the cream rose to the top and Rusty took the win by a little over a
second over Mark Martin, who of course has gone on to enjoy more than a little
success at the Glen himself.
There was a
frightening practice wreck at the Glen in 1990. Junie
Donlavey and his driver Buddy Baker had reached a mutual decision to have a
road course expert drive the car at the Glen. Troy Beebe got the nod, but
during practice he got sideways and Mark Martin and Dick Trickle who were
running side by side plowed hard into the out of shape car. The jaws of life had to be used to remove Beebe from the car and
he suffered a broken pelvis. Trickle suffered injuries to his foot, but ever
the gamer, borrowed a shoe 2 ½ sizes bigger than normal for that foot and drove
in the race anyway.
Once again Rudd and
Wallace seemed the cars to beat, but Dale Earnhardt seemed determined to do
just that and take his first road course win. He was leading when Rusty tried
to force a pass and sent Earnhardt crashing off course. A lap
later Wallace's engine expired. Earnhardt was clearly annoyed with the
move and told reporters in a low growl he wasn't going to talk to them about
what had happened, but he was going to go find Rusty and handle the matter
himself. Mark Martin also seemed poised to grab the win but slipped back to
fifth late in the going. Ricky Rudd's charge to the front was fraught with
peril. Before assuming the point he had to recover from a lap 10 spin, three
flat tires, and a late race caution that eliminated a safe lead he had
struggled to build up. To no one's surprise Ricky Rudd finally asserted himself
and took the win with the local favorites, Geoff and Brett Bodine putting on a
spirited scrap for second, with Geoff finally winning the battle of brotherly
shove. Tommy Kendall's strong run in the previous year's event had earned him a
ride that year as well. In the course of the race he, Sterling Marlin and Bill
Elliott had gotten involved in a tangle that seemed, on tape anyway, to be
"one of them racing deals." Marlin's car owner Billy Hagan apparently
felt otherwise and had to be subdued after chasing Kendall around his car
swinging his walking stick like a Louisville Slugger.
The 1991 race at
Watkins Glen featured a stirring finish, but sadly it will be best recalled as
the race where veteran independent driver JD McDuffie lost his life in a fourth
lap crash. It is thought that JD lost his brakes going into turn five, the
fastest corner of the course at the end of a long straightaway. He brushed
against Jimmy Means Pontiac, and went off course into the tire barrier, hitting
it with horrifying velocity. Means also went off course and actually drove
right under the stricken car as it flipped up into the air. Means was not hurt
and ran to try to help McDuffie, but it was evident by how quickly he crawled
back out of the car and his panicked waving for help that things were very bad
indeed. JD McDuffie lost his life at Watkins Glen that afternoon. There was a
long red flag delay to allow the rescue squad to attend to his remains after
which the race resumed, though the hearts of drivers and fans alike were heavy.
Since that day, a chicane has been added at the end of that straight to slow speeds
going into the corner.
Ernie Irvan had the
lead late in the going that tragic day, but both Mark Martin and Davey Allison
seemed poised to give him a run for the money on the final lap. Going into the
first turn, Mark tried to dive underneath Irvan who quickly dove low to block
the move. Martin tried to take evasive action to avoid hitting Irvan and spun
out. Allison spun as well, trying to avoid hitting Mark's car. Ernie Irvan went
on to take the win. Ricky Rudd inherited second after the mishap while Martin
got going again quickly enough to beat out Rusty Wallace for third. Allison
dropped to tenth in the final running order after limping around the track to
the checkers.
The 1992 running of
the Watkins Glen road course event won't make anyone's list of classic races.
Lousy weather forced a three hour rain delay and threatening skies hung over
the entire event. The impending return of the rain played hell with pit
strategy as everyone knew it would rain again, but nobody knew when. There was
very nearly a surprise victory at that event when Dick Trickle's crew left him
out on the track the longest, but the rain didn't cooperate. Kyle Petty was on
fresh rubber and forced his way past Trickle who then pitted, just in time for
the rain to start falling of course. Four laps of caution were run, which meant
Trickle could not advance his position taking advantage of the new rubber,
before the rain intensified and with sunset looming, NASCAR finally threw in
the soggy towel. Kyle Petty took the win, while Trickle was relegated to a 24th
place finish and was once again denied his champagne.
Normally I cut off
these historical articles after 1992, which is when most modern era fans began
following the sport, but the 1993 race at the Glen was a memorable one, still
lamented by Dale Earnhardt's huge legion of fans. That race looked like it was
going to be a Mark Martin benefit. Mark started from the pole and comfortably
asserted himself in the lead. Disaster struck in the pits in the form of a
stripped lug nut and Mark tumbled down to ninth in the running order. Meanwhile
Dale Earnhardt was the beneficiary of Mark's misfortune and led twenty laps,
looking like he would finally score a road course victory. Kyle Petty muscled
past him on lap 76 but Dale stayed in hot pursuit of the defending race
champion and made several bold moves to retake the lead. Kyle was feeling the
pressure and finally made the mistake Earnhardt was hoping for…but not how Dale
needed it to be. Petty hit the curb and spun right into Dale's path. The two
cars collided with six laps to go. Petty was eliminated and Dale's chances at
victory were finished. Mark Martin was able to capitalize on Dale's misfortune
to retake the lead and six laps later, the win. In addition to the normal
thrill of victory, Mark had one more big reason to celebrate the win. By
starting from the pole and winning the race, Mark was able to claim a nice
little $98,800 UNOCAL bonus, bringing his winnings to over $166,000. It was the
first of three consecutive victories at Watkins Glen for the Roush driver.
While Dale Earnhardt
has yet to win at Watkins Glen he did win the hearts of many race fans,
including a bunch of the AB3 (anybody but the 3 car) gang in 1996. Still
healing from painful injuries to his collarbone and sternum, in a remarkable
display of guts and determination, Earnhardt manhandled his black Chevy around
the course fast enough to claim the pole position. On race day Dale did not
turn the car over to a relief driver as originally planned, but stuck it out
for the whole race and actually led a good ways before drifting back late in
the going.
There's no way to
predict this year's winner when the Winston Cup gang pays their annual visit to
the Glen, but it should be exciting. As of late, the infield crowd at the event
has regained a reputation as being terribly rowdy again…so tour bus drivers be warned. Keep the doors locked.
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