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CURTIS TURNER'S TOUGHEST FIGHT WAS CHARLOTTE The Coca Cola 600 at Charlotte, now Lowe's Motor Speedway is the longest and possibly most grueling event on the Nextel Cup circuit and it challenges the drivers more than most races. It is also a night race and true fans know that it's all about track position, especially when you have to stay on it and stay competitive for 600 hard miles. Darlington was the sport's only superspeedway on NASCAR's circuit until the 2.5-mile Daytona Int'l. Speedway opened in 1959. Fans streamed to the new track, and promoters all over the south began visioning super speedways with great financial impact. The popular driver/lumber baron/playboy, Curtis Turner was a board member on the Atlanta Speedway organization, when he became hooked on building a super speedway in Charlotte. That essentially was the start of the toughest years of the flamboyant racer's life. He ran out of money before the track could be finished and had to join forces with Bruton Smith and other Charlotte businessmen. The first race, The World 600, was finally run after construction delays in the summer of 1960, but the track broke up badly and more money was needed for repairs and resurfacing. "Fireball" Roberts sat on the pole, J.L. Johnson was the winner. The fall race didn't draw as well as expected, and Turner and Smith were broke and busted. Stockholders called for the resignation of both men. Turner approached the Teamsters Union in search of an $800,000 loan. He and fellow driver Tim Flock were successful in signing up many of NASCAR's top drivers, until Bill France said no union drivers would ever race on a NASCAR-sanctioned track. France's strong anti-union stand broke the back of Turner's unionizing efforts and, adding insult to injury, Turner and Flock were banned from NASCAR for life. It wasn't until 1966, that France relented and allowed Turner back into the NASCAR fold. He did capture a few more wins to bring his total to 17, but despite his good looks and uncanny ability to drive a race car, his NASCAR standout days were over. Turner lost his final race with life on a foggy hillside in Pennsylvania in 1970, when his small private plane crashed into the ground, just moments after takeoff. Add a comment |
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