Good Ol’ Boys, Good Ol’ Cars at Darlington

Richard Petty Archive Photo (Credit: Tom Copeland)

Good Ol’ Boys, Good Ol’ Cars at Darlington


By Bernie Biernacki

     More than 130 vintage racing cars filled the pit area Sept. 24-26 at Darlington Raceway for the 3rd annual Historic Racing Festival.
     Joining the race cars were NASCAR “Good Ol’ Boys” Harry Gant, David Pearson, Ned Jarrett, Johnny Allen, Rex White, “Big” Bud Moore, Leonard Wood, Jim VanDiver, Charlie Glotzbach, Waddell Wilson, Cotton Owens, and Ray Fox.
     The cars took to the track in six classes, ranging from historics, midgets and sprints, 1950-1969  stocks, dirt and asphalt Champ cars, 1970 to 2006 stocks, and modifieds.
     There was no money to be won or trophies to be had; just the love of showing off what the cars could do and to renew old acquaintances with old competitors.
     While some of the cars were built new as tributes to bygone racers, many of the machines were the actual racing cars that hit the tracks, only refurbished and tweaked a bit for safety. It is not often that you see a 1936 Ford Coupe modified take to the track with a Maynard Troyer Pinto modified or a Toby Tobias dirt track modified.
     Upright Offy dirt track Champ cars mixed it up with low slung Watson-designed Champ cars. Caged sprinters from the 1970s, were out on the track with their cage-less predecessors from the 1950s    
     While the younger crowd flocked around the more modern Sprint Cup racers, the graybeards appreciated the many short track stockers, including a slew of Camaros, Novas, and full-size cars from the 1950s through the 1960s.
     Two of the more popular Grand National-era stockers were a former Roy Tyner 1969 Pontiac Grand Prix that boasted a tilt steering wheel and electrically operated rear side windows. And a 1961 Pontiac that Fox built and Pearson drove to victory in the Daytona 500.
     Twice-a-day the crowds were drawn to the fences to see one of Dale Earnhardt Sr's. No. 3 Goodwrench Chevys blast by at almost  original racing speed.
     All of the participants attended the mandatory safety meeting, where they were told that the 1.5-mile Darlington oval was a tricky beast even for more experienced drivers. They were told to pass only on the two straights and don’t even try to pass in the turns. They were also warned that if an accident does occur, it will be investigated and the driver at fault would not be welcomed back next year.
     There were no crashes.
     The event was a real family affair.
     Jim and Tom Cavanaugh brought a pair of eastern asphalt from their Massachusetts home, along with Jim’s two sons, Matt and Jamie, to turn the wrenches.
     Seventy-seven-year-old Buzz Hahn and his wife Donna brought their 1940s upright Champ car up from their Florida home.
`     And you can’t keep 70-year-old Herb Shannon, Sr. down in Peoria, IL when race cars are around.
     Shannon has been racing since 1947, first driving jalopies on the dirt and then stocks on the AAA, IMCA, USAC and ARCA circuits.
     “I even made the 1965 Daytona 500,” Shannon said.
     Shannon and his two sons, Herb, Jr. and Stan, brought down a 1995 Taurus  that was once owned by Junie Donlevy.
     “It is not running yet, we still have some engine work to do, but I wanted to show her off,” Shannon said. ““We painted it up as a tribute to the Peoria branch of the Air National Guard, of which my son John is a member.
     “Just being around all of these cars and all of the folks keeps me young. I have no intention of quitting.”

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Volume 2010, Issue 10, Posted 11:06 AM, 10.02.2010