The Night The Legends Came To Town
11/12/2014
J. L. Steele
The 1970's were an incredible time in NASCAR racing.
Although the TV coverage was minimal at best, even non-race fans knew the names
of Richard Petty, David Pearson, Bobby Allison, Cale Yarborough and Buddy
Baker. There were others of course. Darrell Waltrip had made a lot of noise by
the end of the decade and Dale Earnhardt was an up and comer but those five had
already established themselves as winners, champions and stars. Petty was the last of that group to retire, in 1992. I
didn't attend my first Cup race in person until the following spring at
Talladega. I was lucky enough to see some of them race in person though. I can't remember if it was 1992 or '93 but Columbus Motor
Speedway outside Columbus, Ohio hosted Pearson, Yarborough, Baker and Donnie
Allison one Saturday night. The four were going to sign autographs for the fans
and race a ten lap exhibition race against each other in late models borrowed
from local, regular drivers. As expected, the stands were filled to capacity. Their race
took place before the night's regular features. Each of the four took several
practice laps around the track, allowing them to get used to both the cars and
the track. Then they took turns addressing the crowd. I was smart enough to
appreciate at the time what a huge event this was for a small track to bring in
these four legends. What I didn't realize before their race started was that
once you're a racer, it never truly goes away. I think most of us in attendance expected to see those four
60ish year old stars ride around the 1/3 mile track and ACT racy. What we
witnessed must have rivaled some of their countless short races battles
throughout the south in their younger days. I've wondered what those car owners
felt that night when that green flag flew. From the start, it was door to door and bumper to bumper. I
remember thinking immediately, "These guys ain't playing." The first
nine laps flew by. Everybody in the packed stands were on their feet, screaming
at the top of their lungs. It didn't matter to those drivers that it was an
exhibition race at a small mid-west track and if they weren't treating it like
that, neither were we. This could have been Darlington or Bristol. They were
going for the win for the sake of the win because there was a win out there to
take and damn it, they were taking us with them! That's what they were and what
they did. They were winners. It's the last lap. Going into turn three, Yarborough was on
the inside with Pearson on the outside. They touch, then
touch again. Still rubbing in the last turn, Cale drove deep. Pearson's car
flipped on it's roof heading
toward the checkers. This NASCAR legend of grandfather age was finishing this
literally pointless race that didn't pay, on his roof. It seemed like the
entire track immediately became silent. Was he OK? As the track crews arrived at that battered, borrowed,
upside down car, David Pearson climbed out. He walked around the car looking at
it while shaking his head. After what we had just witnessed, I wondered if he
was thinking about what he could have done differently to beat Cale. Then he
slowly reached into his driver's suit, pulled out a Winston, fired it up and
smoked it as cool as only David Pearson could while he waved to the crowd and walked
down the straightaway toward the pits. Although his money days as a racer were over, I became a
huge David Pearson fan that night. I'd respected him before but now I was a
fan. He defined for me that night the old Bear Bryant saying, "I ain't never been nothin' but a
winner." The only thing he
was racing for that night was his pride; the chance to win, but that's what
mattered. He raced to win. David Pearson was a man for his era. I cannot fathom
he or any of the other three from that night being a part of an environment
that gave us standard driver quips like, "Well, it was a good points
day." I respect Richard Petty, what he's done for the sport and
the guy he is but let's be honest. How many guys walk around Level Cross, North
Carolina in Charlie One Horse hats and wrap around shades? He's the epitome of
the image becoming the man. David Pearson was as good as or even better than
Petty but he doesn't appear in commercials. You rarely hear of him being at a
NASCAR race or making public appearances and he doesn't give a lot of
interviews. He lives his life like he raced; on his own terms, doing it his
way. Isn't that how we all wish we could do it? We just can't all be legends.