Winston Cup Racing’s Triple Crown

By Orlena Miller

August 22, 2002

What does the word superspeedway bring to mind? To today’s fans it means restrictor plates and a white-knuckle day at the races waiting for the dreaded "big one." Of course, this has not always been the case. In the good old days prior to restrictor plates, superspeedway racing provided the best of everything NASCAR had to offer. Tremendous horsepower, incredible speeds and fearless drivers. There are three of these tracks on the Winston Cup circuit and their stories illustrate the evolution of stock car racing.

Though it is no longer considered a superspeedway, Darlington was the first. After attending the Indianapolis 500 Harold Brasington dreamed of a paved track that would accommodate a five hundred-mile stock car race. Nicknamed the "Lady in Black" because of the black asphalt surface, the old gal is showing her age a bit these days. However, she can still challenge the most seasoned driver and strikes fear in the hearts of rookies. In order to preserve a minnow pond that was dear to the lands original owner, the track was built as an egg-shaped oval. Turns one and two were narrower and more steeply banked than turns three and four. Over half a century later Darlington’s unique layout continues to challenge race teams.

Qualifying for the first Southern 500 at Darlington took fifteen days. Drivers from all across the nation arrived wanting a chance at the record $25,000 purse. Curtis Turner won the pole with a speed of 81.7 mph. On September 4, 1950 Turner led a field of seventy-five cars to the green flag. At the end of the five hundred miles there were thirty-two cars still on the track. It took in excess of 7 hours to complete the race and winner Johnny Mantz was the only car on the lead lap. Fireball Roberts finished second, nine laps down.

Over the years Darlington has earned its other nickname, "The track too tough to tame." Many drivers have tried to tame the infamous speedway but relatively few have succeeded. And it is considered a rite of passage for a new NASCAR driver to get their first "Darlington stripe," the distinctive mark that results when a car brushes the wall exiting one of the treacherous turns. In the early years rookies to the track were required to attend an orientation session, complete with film.

Recalling his 1977 rookie experience at Darlington Ricky Rudd said, "Back in those days you had a rookie orientation and had to go watch a film. Basically, you were scared to death by the time you went on the racetrack...it seemed like [the film] showed every wreck that ever happened at Darlington to scare you into the reality that this is a pretty tough place to drive."

Some critics would like to see one of Darlington’s dates go to a newer, shinier, state of the art facility. Let’s hope this never happens, NASCAR needs the old gal as a reminder of how it all began. And the world needs to be reminded that dreams can come true, even if there is a minnow pond in the way.

It was 1903 and the automobile was in its infancy. In Daytona, Florida two gentlemen made a friendly wager on who had the fastest "horseless carriage." When they took off down the hard-packed sands of Daytona Beach they began a long tradition of speed on that famous beach.

Bill France brought his new stock car circuit to the beach course in the late 1940’s. The unwieldy stock cars ran on a track comprised of 1.5 miles of beach and 1.5 miles of public highway connected by banked sand turns. Before NASCAR was five years old the rapidly growing local population and huge numbers of fans made it increasingly difficult to stage an orderly event on the road/beach course.

In 1954 the Racing and Recreation Facilities Corporation was created. Its first official act was to sign Big Bill France to build and operate the $2.5 million Daytona International Speedway. When a weak economy all but ended the sale of bonds to finance the project the search for private funding began. A deal was worked out to lease the land and construction began.

The ambitious plans called for a 2.5-mile tri-oval track with 31-degrees of banking in the sweeping turns and a racing surface forty feet wide. The first Daytona 500 was held at the "World Center of Racing" in February 1959. A fifty-nine-car field took the green flag before a crowd of over 41,000. It would be three days before an official winner was declared. Lee Petty and Johnny Beauchamp appeared to be dead even when they crossed the finish line. A newsreel film was used to determine that Petty had won the race, by approximately two feet! A lapped Joe Weatherly made it three wide at the line adding drama to the finish.

Like so many Hollywood scripts, Daytona has been the scene of the highest highs and the lowest lows in NASCAR history. For a NASCAR fan it doesn’t get any better than Bobby and Davey Allison finishing first and second in the 1988 Daytona 500. Or watching Dale Earnhardt finally win the 500 on his twentieth try. Nor will fans forget their shock and disbelief when Daytona claimed Neil Bonnet and Rodney Orr the same week in 1994. And the horrible, wracking pain of Dale Earnhardt’s death in 2001 may never go away. Yet, every year when February arrives fans return to Daytona eager to see what the track has in store for the new season.

Talladega truly puts the super in the word "superspeedway". At 2.66 miles the tri-oval shaped track is the longest on NASCAR’s schedule. The frontstretch is almost a mile in length and the wide turns are banked at a breathtaking 33 degrees. Designed by Charles Moneypenny, who also designed Daytona, Talladega is not only the longest but also the fastest track on the circuit.

Driving a Dodge Charger Charlie Glotzbach recorded a speed of 199.466 mph to win the pole for the first race at the big new tri-oval in 1969. However, the track’s surface was extremely rough and caused alarming tire wear. Either out of genuine concern for their safety or as a power play in support of a newly formed driver’s association, many of the drivers chose to boycott the race declaring the track unsafe.

Only 13 series regulars started the race, Richard Petty, David Pearson and many others chose to park or vacate their rides. Bill France was not going to be denied the inaugural event at his new showplace of speed. He simply fleshed out the field with drivers and cars from the Grand American series, the equivalent of today’s Busch series. Driving Charlie Glotzbach’s car Richard Brickhouse recorded his only Grand National victory. The tire problem was solved the following year and for the next seventeen years Talladega served up some of the best racing of the season.

Speeds at ‘Dega continued to increase with the evolution of more powerful and aerodynamic cars. In April of 1987 fearing he may not return from his qualifying run Bill Elliott said goodbye to his older brother, Ernie. Bill returned to his brother after he had logged the fasted qualifying lap in NASCAR history. At 212.809 mph, it’s a record that will probably stand forever. At the same event Bobby Allison’s wrecked car went airborne, tore through the catch fence and nearly ended up in the packed grandstands. Like a slingshot two support wires for the fence slung Allison’s car back onto the track and no spectators were seriously injured. However, the two events combined to effectively kill superspeedway racing.

In response to the events of ’87 NASCAR mandated carburetor restrictor plates be used at Daytona and Talladega. The plates restrict the flow of air to the carburetor, robbing the car of power and speed. The plates did exactly what NASCAR wanted; they slowed the cars down. Today, fifteen years later, speeds remain 30 mph slower than Elliott’s record. However because of the power zapping plates passing is almost impossible. The resulting huge, bunched up packs of cars are as unsafe as the higher speeds. The answer to this problem continues to elude NASCAR but not for lack of trying. The "Daytona Gang’s" latest attempt will be 13-gallon fuel cells at Talladega in October. When asked his opinion of this move Darrell Waltrip said, "…it is the most ridiculous idea I have ever heard…What are they going to come up with next? A staggered start? Odd numbered cars take the green flag first followed by even numbered cars?" Good ol’ DW, they didn’t call him Jaws for nothing.

A driver and team that wins at all three of these challenging tracks has achieved the pinnacle of the sport. Darlington, Daytona and Talladega are each indeed a super speedway in their own right. Each surpassing the other in length, banking and speed. The three remain the Triple Crown of Winston Cup racing.

TAKING THE HIGH ROAD: Instead of the customary trip to the woodshed, occasionally I will bestow a gold star on someone that chooses to take the "high road." Recipients will be individuals who refrain from the all too common practice of whining and moaning every time a microphone is stuck in their face.

The first big, shiny gold star goes to Ken Schrader, driver of the #36 Pontiac. This week it was announced the car’s present sponsor (who will not get a plug here) was deserting the #36 for another team (who also will not get a plug here) in 2003. When asked about the situation Schrader simply expressed his disappointment at losing a valued sponsor and then thanked said sponsor for remaining in the sport. What a guy, think of what he could have said! The man doesn’t even know if he will have a Winston Cup ride next year and he thanks the deserter for not going too far. This is pure class; there are more than a few in the sport that could learn a lesson from Schrader. ‘Atta boy, Kenny and thank you for taking the high road.

You can contact Orlena at: Insider Racing News

You can read other articles from Orlena Miller..

NASCAR: How It All Began!


The thoughts and ideas expressed by this writer or any other writer on Insider Racing News, are not necessarily the views of the staff and/or management of IRN. Although we may not always agree with what is said, we do feel like it's our duty to give a voice to those who have something relevant to say about the sport of auto racing.

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