SCENIC GALAXIELAND NEWS
Hello everyone,
It has been a brutal winter here in northeastern NC..NOT the average cold weather season. Hoping the end of the season is soon, for sure. Those with the winterized Gals that live further north, you can have it.
"A promise kept" that started almost 8 years ago and written about for the Gazette a few issues back, is winding down. This July in Daytona shall be the finale'. But recently, it was off to Charlotte for the Class of 2014 NASCAR Hall of Fame ceremonies. Two days in January had us there. The actual ceremonies were broadcasted live on FOX sports 1 and can be retrieved by the "on demand" feature if purchased. But the evening before was a night to remember It was a by invitation only and my better half and I were invited by NASCAR'S HoF historian himself, Buz McKim, to a cocktail social at the Hall in downtown..or shall I say UPtown Charlotte on a Tuesday evening, with former Hall of Fame inductees and their families. At this event, was when the true moment to remember occurred.
I was standing with Fireball's grandson Matt, granddaughter Angela, and son-in-law Rick at a high top table. We were accompanied by one of the classes FIRST inductees, a living legend himself, Junior Johnson. There have been many stories as to just exactly what happened on that 7th lap of the 1964 World 500 NASCAR race at Charlotte. The lap that was the end of Fireball's racing career, and led to 6 weeks later, his passing. Small talk about how great a driver Fireball was, and his character was the topic. And I might add, Angela and Matt ere not even born. Their mother Pam was 13 in 1964. So their knowledge of Fireball's racing is limited. But, if anybody that knows me personally, knows I would the one to ask the question. To ask the man standing in front of us who was involved in that 7th lap crash that day.....what happened.
In the race on the 7th lap there was was a three car crash in turn #2. Junior Johnson was one of those in the crash, along with another living legend, Ned Jarrett, and Fireball Roberts. I figured now was the time to say something. They (the family) may never know, if no one did ask. I looked at Junior and I said......" Sir, we know it has been a long time ago, but when the wreck happened, was their some fender banging, pushing and shoving, or...?". It got real quite for about 5 seconds, and he spoke.
" Noooo........well, the motor blowed up....." Junior has a long accent drawing voice. "when it blowed up, I spun in my on oil, and Ned was back behind me..or maybe next to me...I..I don't remember. And Fireball was behind us.....he spun too, and down.... and hit the guardrail ... or the pit wall end really..really hard. There was a fuel bladder in the car, and it exploded... All I saw was smoke..black smoke. I ran towards the other two cars and I saw inside Fireball's car. He was on fire. Ned had already got out, and he was there too. The car had turned over and was upside down. Gas had run from that bladder tank and was pooled in the roof of the car. When Fireball unbuckled the belts, he fell in the gas, and it caught fire. By the time Ned and I got him out it had burned off all his clothes. Somebody grabbed a blanket or something behind the pit wall and covered him up."
We stood there in silence....then I said "what do you mean "bladder.".it didn't have the stock tank in the car.?". WE have never heard this. He said...".No, it was an aluminum..like an experimental tank. It busted wiiiiide open when he hit that wall." That was something that I was totally stunned over. All these years of thinking that a stock Galaxie gas tank was the culprit, but it wasn't.
This May marks the 50th anniversary of that famous race and that famous crash. Most likely we will be there as plans are in the makes for a "get together" of some sort. I am checking on maybe a Galaxie meet there. All three cars involved in Fireball's crash were '64 Galaxies. Junior Johnson was in the yellow "Holly Farms Poultry" #27. Ned Jarrett was driving the dark blue Bondy Long Ford #11, and Fireball was in the grape purple H/M Young Ford #22. All three cars were prepared by Holman Moody. Two were sold to their owners and Fireball drove for H/M. After the crash, the #22 and #27 were housed in the old airport building at their old location in Charlotte...the #22 for years. #27, WAS BORN AS #00, a red/white car with blue numbers driven by A.J. Foyt and debuted in the 1964 Daytona 500 earlier in the year. Afterwards, it wound up back in NC, and was used during the 1964 race season and during the filming of a stock car movie released in 1965 called "Redline 7000".. It became Junior Johnson's ride in the 1964 race season until the crash at Charlotte. After the crash, the car at some point later, was re-bodied as a '63 1/2. It was painted and lettered as a Fireball Roberts #22 car, but the color was off..way off. When the Darlington museum opened at Darlington Raceway in SC, it wound up there, for almost thirty years. Lee Holman, son of Holman/Moody co-founder John Holman, retrieved the car in 2008 and redid it. The paint was corrected to the proper color grape that ran the second half of the 1963 season. This car would be like the one that Fireball destroyed the track record with at Darlington for the 1963 Labor Day Southern 500..which he won.
After the 50th anniversary at Charlotte this coming May, our eyes are upon Daytona Beach and the July 4th race. Fireball's LAST Daytona win..at a track he dominated.... was the 1963 Firecracker 400. Ironically, the following year, he would pass away that very 4th of July week..on the 2nd. This July marks 50 years ago, when the chapter of Fireball Roberts in NASCAR racing history was closed. But the records and memories remained ..even through today. A well deserving inductee into NASCAR'S Hall of Fame.
Well, that will do it for this lap and as always........
Galaxies are...XL'lent......... Wayne Haynes, Scenic Galaxieland Director.
It has been a brutal winter here in northeastern NC..NOT the average cold weather season. Hoping the end of the season is soon, for sure. Those with the winterized Gals that live further north, you can have it.
"A promise kept" that started almost 8 years ago and written about for the Gazette a few issues back, is winding down. This July in Daytona shall be the finale'. But recently, it was off to Charlotte for the Class of 2014 NASCAR Hall of Fame ceremonies. Two days in January had us there. The actual ceremonies were broadcasted live on FOX sports 1 and can be retrieved by the "on demand" feature if purchased. But the evening before was a night to remember It was a by invitation only and my better half and I were invited by NASCAR'S HoF historian himself, Buz McKim, to a cocktail social at the Hall in downtown..or shall I say UPtown Charlotte on a Tuesday evening, with former Hall of Fame inductees and their families. At this event, was when the true moment to remember occurred.
I was standing with Fireball's grandson Matt, granddaughter Angela, and son-in-law Rick at a high top table. We were accompanied by one of the classes FIRST inductees, a living legend himself, Junior Johnson. There have been many stories as to just exactly what happened on that 7th lap of the 1964 World 500 NASCAR race at Charlotte. The lap that was the end of Fireball's racing career, and led to 6 weeks later, his passing. Small talk about how great a driver Fireball was, and his character was the topic. And I might add, Angela and Matt ere not even born. Their mother Pam was 13 in 1964. So their knowledge of Fireball's racing is limited. But, if anybody that knows me personally, knows I would the one to ask the question. To ask the man standing in front of us who was involved in that 7th lap crash that day.....what happened.
In the race on the 7th lap there was was a three car crash in turn #2. Junior Johnson was one of those in the crash, along with another living legend, Ned Jarrett, and Fireball Roberts. I figured now was the time to say something. They (the family) may never know, if no one did ask. I looked at Junior and I said......" Sir, we know it has been a long time ago, but when the wreck happened, was their some fender banging, pushing and shoving, or...?". It got real quite for about 5 seconds, and he spoke.
" Noooo........well, the motor blowed up....." Junior has a long accent drawing voice. "when it blowed up, I spun in my on oil, and Ned was back behind me..or maybe next to me...I..I don't remember. And Fireball was behind us.....he spun too, and down.... and hit the guardrail ... or the pit wall end really..really hard. There was a fuel bladder in the car, and it exploded... All I saw was smoke..black smoke. I ran towards the other two cars and I saw inside Fireball's car. He was on fire. Ned had already got out, and he was there too. The car had turned over and was upside down. Gas had run from that bladder tank and was pooled in the roof of the car. When Fireball unbuckled the belts, he fell in the gas, and it caught fire. By the time Ned and I got him out it had burned off all his clothes. Somebody grabbed a blanket or something behind the pit wall and covered him up."
We stood there in silence....then I said "what do you mean "bladder.".it didn't have the stock tank in the car.?". WE have never heard this. He said...".No, it was an aluminum..like an experimental tank. It busted wiiiiide open when he hit that wall." That was something that I was totally stunned over. All these years of thinking that a stock Galaxie gas tank was the culprit, but it wasn't.
This May marks the 50th anniversary of that famous race and that famous crash. Most likely we will be there as plans are in the makes for a "get together" of some sort. I am checking on maybe a Galaxie meet there. All three cars involved in Fireball's crash were '64 Galaxies. Junior Johnson was in the yellow "Holly Farms Poultry" #27. Ned Jarrett was driving the dark blue Bondy Long Ford #11, and Fireball was in the grape purple H/M Young Ford #22. All three cars were prepared by Holman Moody. Two were sold to their owners and Fireball drove for H/M. After the crash, the #22 and #27 were housed in the old airport building at their old location in Charlotte...the #22 for years. #27, WAS BORN AS #00, a red/white car with blue numbers driven by A.J. Foyt and debuted in the 1964 Daytona 500 earlier in the year. Afterwards, it wound up back in NC, and was used during the 1964 race season and during the filming of a stock car movie released in 1965 called "Redline 7000".. It became Junior Johnson's ride in the 1964 race season until the crash at Charlotte. After the crash, the car at some point later, was re-bodied as a '63 1/2. It was painted and lettered as a Fireball Roberts #22 car, but the color was off..way off. When the Darlington museum opened at Darlington Raceway in SC, it wound up there, for almost thirty years. Lee Holman, son of Holman/Moody co-founder John Holman, retrieved the car in 2008 and redid it. The paint was corrected to the proper color grape that ran the second half of the 1963 season. This car would be like the one that Fireball destroyed the track record with at Darlington for the 1963 Labor Day Southern 500..which he won.
After the 50th anniversary at Charlotte this coming May, our eyes are upon Daytona Beach and the July 4th race. Fireball's LAST Daytona win..at a track he dominated.... was the 1963 Firecracker 400. Ironically, the following year, he would pass away that very 4th of July week..on the 2nd. This July marks 50 years ago, when the chapter of Fireball Roberts in NASCAR racing history was closed. But the records and memories remained ..even through today. A well deserving inductee into NASCAR'S Hall of Fame.
Well, that will do it for this lap and as always........
Galaxies are...XL'lent......... Wayne Haynes, Scenic Galaxieland Director.
COMING IN THE NEXT ISSUE:...........FIREBALL'S GALAXIE STORY. The last 18 months of Fireball's NASCAR career was in a Galaxie.
FIREBALL-ROBERTS.COM NOW UNDERWAY
Construction is now underway for the new, and FAMILY supported Fireball Roberts website. It is more that a book written from someone's opinion or a fantasy website with statistics and memories. It includes photos and items brought and shared by those that remembered and want to share their thoughts, as well as the family heirlooms and the tributes of all kinds from those abroad. This is a live website that is always open for criticism and corrections from facts, thus creating a never ending change. Please check out the ongoing work in progress as we have barely scratched the surface and lingering now in 1952 and the beach era.
Check Out THE STARLINER CONNECTION On Facebook.
ZACK STRAITS of Staunton, Va. has a COOL website on face book called the STARLINER CONNECTION. A must see for the 1960-61 Starliner folks..
NASCAR HALL OF FAME VOTING DAY
Richard Trivette (L) & Leonard Wood (C) at the 2013 HoF Voting day. In the left back ground, with his back turned is late model Sporstman/ Bush champion Jack Ingram.
The photo on the back of the Fireball Roberts Tower in Daytona Beach. A reminder that after four years, not to give up.
GALAXIELAND is EXPANDING. No longer covering the Florida area only, "Scenic" Galaxieland is now based out of north eastern NC. To increase GALAXIE member contacts and events further north in the southeast, Galaxieland is forming a group in the NORTHERN NC area, including WV, and VA. This is a SCENIC GALAXIELAND. For those interested in this chapter of the FORD GALAXIE CLUB of AMERICA, please contact us on this site.