"Again thanks for the threads, I read the whole thing every Sunday night."You're very welcome.
I love reading your track reviews since we are considering which to visit in the future. I would really like to know which track is the easiest, if any, to get pit passes for.
Dover is the track with the Dupont seats over the track which would be fun for awhile (not for the entire race I would guess)
Happy Thanksgiving to you and all our other FReeper Nascar fans!!
Great story for the day about back in the day.........
A Ralph Earnhardt / Metrolina Speedway Thriller
My father took me and my brother to all the dirt track races from 1963 to 1974. I always pulled for the underdogs like Heyward Pyler, Jim Poston, Lefty Bolten and Freddy Smith. Ralph Earnhardt was at all these tracks and won most all the races, was never in the underdog role.
On this day we were at Metrolina Speedway and as I checked the drivers on hand before the race all the normal drivers were there for a great show. The racing action started then over the PA came an announcement. The announcer said Ralph Earnhardt had torn his gas tank on his # 8 Camaro while backing the car off the trailer as we all watched Ralph leaving the track. There were a few cheers but for the most part the fans were jaw dropping shocked. I was shocked, then happy, then I was sad because if one of my underdogs won I would want Ralph to be in the race.
They started the heat races to set the starting positions for the main features. The strange thing was when the late models were running there was no Ralph leading the heat race. After all the heat races were run they started the 6-cylinder main that runs before the late model main feature. About half way through the 6 cylinder feature the announcer yelled that Ralph Earnhardt was driving up to the back gate. He said that Ralph was towing his asphalt car and if there was a caution he could cross the track into the pits. Ralph had left the track with his # 8 Camaro, drove to Kannapolis picked up an older # 8 Chevelle asphalt car and came back to the track.
Once Ralph got across the track he only had minutes to unload his car for the late model feature, and because he did not run the heat race he would have to start in the back. I felt sure one of my underdogs would win because Ralph was in the back of the field with a asphalt car and that would never work. Once the late model feature started I had a hard time watching the leaders because Ralph was going though the field so fast. At half way of the race Ralph was in full control in a asphalt car with dirt tires and he won the race.
At that point I knew why Ralph Earnhardt used the # 8 on his car, because he could easily hide an S under that number for Super Man (The ruler of the local Dirt Tracks)
Artie Jones
I hope the two of you are having a grand time together. Mrs Bender has things well under control here and the bird just went in the oven. I have been spending way too much time on eBay since Sunday.
I have fully recovered from my surgery and haven't felt this good in a couple of years.See ya around...