Tom Higgins' Scuffs

Richard Petty's first win? In Charlotte, 50 years ago

Among NASCAR fans, maybe Feb. 28 ought to be considered a holiday.

That’s the date in 1960 when Richard Petty won for the first time.

The triumph came at the old Charlotte Fairgrounds, which included a half-mile dirt track at a location on North Tryon Street, now the site of a shopping center.

Petty, 22 at the time, got the lead on the 183rd of 200 laps and drove a Plymouth to the checkered flag six car-lengths ahead of runner-up Rex White, who was in a Chevrolet.

Many in a crowd estimated at 7,900 felt that White would have won except for an “assist” that Papa Lee Petty gave his son on the 187th lap.

The elder Petty had dropped out of the race on Lap 38 because of spark plug failure in his Plymouth. He then took over another Plymouth in relief of driver Doug Yates.

White rallied to challenge Richard for the lead on the 187th lap, but was nearly spun out when Lee Petty gave him a pop (pun intended).

The triumph came in Richard’s 36th big-time start.

“That being my first win, naturally I remember it pretty well, considering that it was 50 years ago,” Richard recalled recently.

“I remember Daddy starting from the pole (after qualifying at 62.11 mph). I started seventh.

“I didn’t think I was going to be able to get around Rex, but the track was real rough and he hit a bump and bobbled. This enabled me to get under him.”

Petty grinned at the mention of his papa relatively “punting” White.

“Bump and run goes back a long, long ways,” said Richard.

The late Lee Petty never was a man to mince words. After finishing third in the race he had this to say of the contact with White: “Well, I didn’t really hurt Richard’s chances, did I?”

Richard might have scored his first victory about eight months earlier except for a controversial finish on June 14, 1959, at Lakewood Speedway, a one-mile dirt track near Atlanta.

Richard was flagged the winner in the 150-mile event, but the runner-up protested. And the objection was upheld.

The protester in an incident that has become a rich part of NASCAR lore?

Lee Petty!

“Because of all the dust Daddy thought the scorers couldn’t see and had docked him a lap,” said Richard. “It took NASCAR an hour to find the error, but turns out Daddy was right.

“He told me the biggest reason he did it was that he needed the extra points toward the season-long driving championship.”

Lee Petty did indeed win the title in ’59, his third and final championship.

“To me, being able to recall that race at Atlanta and the one in ’60 at Charlotte Fairgrounds is a strange sort of deal,” continued Richard Petty. “I remember things from that time span pretty well.

“But later on? Not so good. They all sort of run together. I guess the earlier races made more of a lasting impression because I was younger and new to it and awfully excited.”

Richard’s first win came in the last race at the Charlotte Fairgrounds track. The Fairgrounds date was transferred to the new Charlotte Motor Speedway, a 1.5-mile paved track where the inaugural World 600 was held on June 19, 1960.

As stock car racing followers know, Richard Petty was destined to go on from that win on Feb. 28, 1960, to triumph a mind-boggling 200 times, a record very unlikely to be broken.

Along the way he won a record seven driving titles, a mark matched by Dale Earnhardt.

Petty's final triumph came in the Pepsi Firecracker 400 at Daytona International Speedway on July 4, 1984.

Hey! That IS a national holiday!

Tom Higgins: Template?! Which one?

Tom Higgins: Template?! Which one?

ThatsRacin.com Report

Thursday, Feb. 25, 2010

Editor's note: Tom Higgins, a veteran beat writer for the Observer and a stock car racing historian, on Jake Elder:

“In all my years of covering stock car racing, Jake Elder was among the very most colorful characters I met and wrote about.

“His comment to rookie Dale Earnhardt at Bristol’s spring race in 1979 was and will remain a NASCAR classic. Jake, the crew chief for Earnhardt in his rookie season, told Dale on the eve of the race, ‘Stick with me, kid, and we’ll both be wearing diamonds as big as horse turds.’

“Jake’s eye for talent obviously was as good as his ability to make a car handle. Dale won the race the next day, his first victory in a career that produced seven Cup crowns.

“As Jake had foreseen, Dale won enough money to encrust all these crowns with diamonds.

“Jake loved getting something on NASCAR officials, some of whom he suspected had a vendetta against him.

"I think the happiest I ever saw him was a time in the 1970s at Talladega when an official told Jake a car he was fielding for Benny Parsons had failed inspection because it didn’t fit the template.

“ ’You dummy!’ screamed Jake. “ 'You’re using the template for another make of car!’ ”

And he was right.

Jarrett goes low, hangs Martin out, gets 2000 win

EDITOR'S NOTE: In the run-up to the 2010 Daytona 500, Tom Higgins reflects on key races from each decade. This installment, the fourth of a five-part series, is about the 2000 race, won by Dale Jarrett.

There is a saying in golf that's probably as old as the game itself: "It's not how you drive, it's how you arrive."

The meaning, of course, being that no matter how a player manages to negotiate a fairway, the key thing is to knock the ball onto the green close to the pin, leaving an easy putt.

Dale Jarrett knows the adage well.

As a youth he was rated such a talented golfer that some predicted a great future for him on the PGA tour.

However, heredity and environment kicked in.

Dale opted instead for stock car racing, the sport of his father, the popular NASCAR champion Ned Jarrett.

Good choice!

On Feb. 20, 2000, the younger Jarrett won NASCAR's biggest event, the Daytona 500, for a third time.

Only the greats Richard Petty and Cale Yarborough have won the classic more often. Petty lists seven triumphs in the race, Yarborough four. The legendary Bobby Allison won it three times.

Dale Jarrett drove the 2.5-mile "fairway" quite well during the first 100 laps in the race a decade ago. He led 85 of those laps after starting from the pole in a Ford fielded by Robert Yates Racing.

Then Jarrett relatively backed off to save his car for the "arrival" late in the race. There was understandable concern about the machine lasting 500 fast miles. An accident late in the final practice session 24 hours earlier had damaged the car severely.

Jarrett's crew, led by Todd Parrott, had worked virtually through the night to make repairs.

Running conservatively after the halfway point worked. Jarrett led only four of the last 100 laps, but they were the final four.

Controversy marked the race, mainly between Jarrett and Mark Martin, who then was also driving a Ford.

A caution flag on Lap 157 bunched the leaders for a typically tight Daytona finish. When the green flag showed, underdog Johnny Benson was the leader in a Pontiac. He was trailed by Martin and Jarrett.

With 15 laps to go, the Ford team leaders agreed on a strategy for Martin and Jarrett to pass. The two, hooked closely in the draft, were to go high through Turn 2 on Lap 187 lap.

But Jarrett dove low.

Martin, left alone in the high groove, was furious, and said so in no uncertain terms.

"I had every intention of going with Mark," Jarrett said. "But then I saw Jeff Burton bearing in on me with Bill Elliott right behind him.

"I was getting ready to lose my position for sure. I had no choice."

Meanwhile, Benson gamely held onto the lead, bidding for a monumental upset.

Then, a multicar crash developed behind the lead pack, forcing another caution flag. The restart came on Lap 196.

Benson figured the yellow flag had soured his hopes, and sure enough.

"I knew what they (Jarrett, Burton and Elliott) were going to do," said Benson. "I did everything I could to prevent it. But it didn't matter where I went on the track, they were going to do the opposite."

Said Jarrett: "I knew Johnny was going to try and block me. As soon as I saw him move up the track, I turned hard left. Jeff Burton gave me the push I needed to get by on the inside."

Still another crash on the 198th lap forced another caution. As the leader, Jarrett was assured the victory in a race he had won in 1993 and '96.

Finishing second through fifth were Burton, Elliott, Rusty Wallace and Martin. Benson dropped back to 12th.

"When I got into Cup Series racing I had the dream every driver does of having a Daytona 500 trophy," said Jarrett. "To have three of them is incredible."

Jarrett's triumph grew even more thrilling and fulfilling for him as he rolled toward Victory Lane.

Stepping out to greet him was Richard Petty, who was a highly respected rival of Ned Jarrett in the 1960s.

"Being congratulated by Richard gave me chills," Dale said. "What a thoughtful thing for him to do."

The younger Jarrett, now 53, retired from driving after the 2008 season, listing 32 victories and the 1999 series championship.

He now works as an analyst on ABC and ESPN race telecasts and is involved in several businesses.