Wayne County Outlook

Racing at Clinton Co. Speedway rescheduled for Friday, August 27

Racing at the Clinton County Speedway, Kentucky’s super track, was canceled last Friday night, August 20, because of early afternoon rain and the National Weather Service’s forecast for more of the same.

The races have been rescheduled for next Friday, August 27.

The super track will feature a full night’s program of qualifying, trophy dashes, heat races, and feature races.

You will see Open Wheel cars, Road Hogs, and Chevettes. Be there!

Hey kids! On Friday, September 3, the Clinton County Speedway will once again hold bicycle races during intermission.

The people associated with the number 17 Road Hog will sponsor these races. If you are between the ages of 4 and 14 you’re invited to come on out to the super track and take part in these bicycle races.

You do not need to be associated with any of the stockcars to take part in the program. There will be prizes and trophies, so don’t miss out on the fun.

Oil up the chain, tighten the spokes to straighten the wheels, make sure your brakes aren’t dragging, air up the tires, and jack a little wedge into the rear wheel. (Oops, forget that last one.) Be there!

On Saturday, September 4, there will be a demolition derby at the Clinton County Speedway. Track owner, Tommy Craig, promises an entertaining evening of thrills and chills. The first crash will occur at 7 p.m. Be there!

Chevette driver, Jamie Burke, asked me if we were going to have another history lesson before the end of the season.

Jamie, the following is a reprint of an article that appeared in the Wayne County Outlook last year. Enjoy!

Stock car racing began in earnest here in the United States in the late 1920s and the early 1930s.

The American Automobile Association, predecessor of the United States Auto Club (USAC), began to sanction stock car races in the Midwest and West in the years preceding the Second World War.

After the war ended, stock car racing grew rapidly in the southeast.

Alleged moonshine runners such as Curtis Turner, and Junior Johnson became legends when these men raced their moonshine cars on dirt tracks each Saturday night.

One of the favored cars of that era was the 1939 Ford Coupe. Its trunk could hold 64 quart bottles of moonshine during the weekly moonshine runs and few cars could catch it at a dirt track on Saturday nights.

Less than honest promoters prompted Bill France to form the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) in 1947.

The less than honest promoters would collect all of the gate money and then vanish during the excitement of the feature race.

While the drivers were lining up at the pay window after the races, the promoter was speeding down the highway several counties away with their money.

As NASCAR grew, these undesirable promoters slowly disappeared from the racing scene.

Throughout the 1950s stock car racing gained speed. The Hudson became one of the dominant stock cars in racing. The Hudson’s step-down design with its low center of gravity made it a natural for stockcar racing.

Short tracks began to attract fans. Many short tracks built during that era were made of asphalt.

Some drivers had difficulty transitioning from dirt to asphalt.

However, drivers such as Richard Petty, David Pearson, and AJ Foyt were equally at home on dirt or asphalt. They became superstars overnight.

The sixties brought further innovations. A fifties vintage photograph shows two of Curtis Turner’s crew members pouring gasoline into his Oldsmobile during a pit stop.

One crew member is holding a funnel while the other is pouring the gasoline from a five-gallon container. The one or two-minute pit stop was common.

The Woods brothers changed that in the 1960s. They created the 20-second pit stop. Races could now be won in the pits.

Safety became paramount during the decades of the 60s and 70s as the aftermath of a tragic accident at Indy in 1964.

Both short track and super speedway stock cars were built with full roll cages and structural tubing that extended from front to rear.

The fuel cell replaced the gas tank. Football style helmets were replaced with racing helmets that met exacting standards.

Helmets continue to be improved. Helmets are now available that have their own restraint system.

These systems allow the driver’s head to move somewhat during a crash and absorb the released energy.

This prevents the driver’s brain from crashing into his/her skull.

The aerobatic airplane seat belts were replaced with racing belts that met applicable military specifications and were certified by testing laboratories. The injury rate in racing has decreased dramatically.

Restrictor plate usage returned to NASCAR during the 1980s.

This simple little device that fits between the carburetor and the intake manifold limits the air intake to the engine and therefore limits the speed the car can achieve.

These plates, which debuted in the early 70s and were eliminated in 1979, were returned to service after Bill Elliot qualified on Talladaga’s speedway at 212.809 mph.

Many drivers complained about the danger the high speed presented. We have a hunch that restrictor plate races may be around for a long time.

During the decade of the 90s and continuing today, stock car racing is still growing. It is our nation’s number one spectator sport.

By its very nature it is a “clean” sport. Few if any scandals have been linked with stock car racing.

One “bends over backwards” to help one’s competitor in the pit so that he can be defeated on the racetrack. There is no pleasure, no satisfaction, and no sense of achievement beating your competitor in the pit.

For all of us, spectators, owners, mechanics and drivers, stock car racing is the ultimate sport.

Remember fans, this Friday night, August 27, the Clinton County Speedway will feature Open Wheels, Road Hogs, and Chevettes in a full program of qualifying, trophy dashes, heat races, and feature races.

On Friday, September 3, the super track will feature a full night of stockcar racing as well as bicycle racing during intermission.

On Saturday, September 4, come on out to the super track for an entire evening of demolition races. Be there!

Attention all Road Hog drivers. The picture displayed with this article was taken in July of 1970.

Should you ever race against this guy, I would suggest you be very careful and give him lots of room when passing.

Till next Friday, take care, and please “click” your seatbelt.

Sources:

• Center, Bill. Ultimate Stock Car. Dorling/Kindersley, 2000.

• And an old man’s memory.

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