1974 Nashville Late Model Sportsman practices

[@ixlr8677]

i was there every tue and sat nites in the late 60s. what a time.

[@MrChristopherHaas]

Thunder Road baby

[@confusedsay]

Thanks for sharing. Love the memories!

[@robertmagnuson8068]

Loved going to nashvlle, bir, huntsville and other tracks in the 70,s. racing was great back then.

[@alanmcmichen3500]

🏁👍I was lucky, got to go to some Nashville races as a kid. Love those original tapes.

[@tomt9543]

Boy this brought back the memories! Real Detroit cars, pickup trucks pulling home built OPEN trailers! The limited sportsman division had everything from 57 chevy’s to camaros! Gosh I miss those days!

[@ixlr8677]

and guys like us could aford to race.

[@MrChristopherHaas]

@@ixlr8677you mean the,um,”middle class”. Yes sir our family was in that bracket and our garage always housed our, or someone else’s, ride.

[@ixlr8677]

no i was a little below mid class. me an a bud raced a 54 ford at smyrna a few times in what was called cadet class. i was 18. mity fun.1973@@MrChristopherHaas

[@MrChristopherHaas]

@@ixlr8677 sounds like fun to me. My family used to race sportsman, then late model class in se Wisconsin beginning at the same time some young man named Kulwicki did. Hales Corners, Cedarburg, Slinger with about 200 other folks who, for the most part, had good paying factory jobs. You mean Florida? I have relatives out that way, saw Dick Trickle and others race there in late December 79’ and 80’

[@toomuchcountry]

4:25 and several others later on. Cool seeing the blue and gold Benward Construction Chevelle piloted by Steve Spencer. Car was built by Roy Counce, a friend and co-worker of my father.

[@counceoutside4256]

This is great. Thanks for sharing!

[@nicolewembley3093]

Awesome video... Thanks for sharing!

[@MrChristopherHaas]

Boy oh boy this has me wanting to see the actual RACE REAL BAD! The sportsman (xfinity,etc) division has ALWAYS been SO GOOD

[@MrChristopherHaas]

These cars were so gorgeous ya coulda just let em coast around the track all night and it would still have been a show worth seein

[@rickhancock3398]

I spent 100.s of Sat nights here growing up. Flookie Buford, D W, Binkley, Windell, Little Joe Mangrum, and many others. During this era it seems I remember Waltrip finally dominating after a couple of Buford Championships. It had gotten so bad that the promoter issued a bounty on D W. I think it was an additional 500 bucks for anyone that could best him on a Sat Feature race. Every time it got up to 2k Dave Marcus would zip over from his home town which I think was N. C. and mop the floor in that wickedly fast (and likely illegal) dodge , collect the purse and the bounty and not come back till it was back up to 2 k again.

[@MrChristopherHaas]

I notice the #63 Charger has Tiny Lund color and lettering on it. Was that previously the one he piloted? Nice tribute, just gorgeous

[@MrChristopherHaas]

Anyone know if that car with the Red Farmer livery that looks awfully similar to what he was racing in years previous indeed him? I’m thinking probably, Bobby Allison and Neil Bonnet are on the scene

[@Calhoun98]

That is indeed Red Farmer in the 97 Long Lewis Torino. Bobby Allison finished 3rd in this race, Red was 4th, and Neil fell out early and was 29th. Although there isn't film from the race itself you can see the photos I shot that night at this link: russthompsonracing.com/1974Permatex200race.html

[@MrChristopherHaas]

@@Calhoun98 awesome. Some really nice photos but oooh how I wish you had filmed the event. Sweet field, sweet cars on a sweet track

[@MrChristopherHaas]

@@Calhoun98 does Jack Ingrams history on this track go back to 67’? I thought I saw #11 with typical livery for a brief moment or two in that “Hell on Wheels” Marty Robbins flick lol

[@Calhoun98]

@@MrChristopherHaasThe first race I show Jack Ingram raced at the Nashville Fairgrounds was the 1966 Southern 300. He finished 5th in that race. That is also the race where the "action footage" for Hell On Wheels was shot. So yes, that's him you saw in Hell On Wheels in the brown #11.

[@MrChristopherHaas]

@@Calhoun98 thanks. Was Darrell Waltrip and CooCoo in that race? Pretty sure that was Coo Coo in the 711, right?

[@MrChristopherHaas]

How competitive was Jimmy Means at this level?

[@HonestCharley]

very

[@gary24fan]

Cripes! If that many cars showed up today for an Xfinity race NASCAR would probably turn half of them away. "Nope sorry can't have that many cars here. Would dilute the products. Sponsors wouldn't get their full TV exposure. You understand."

[@MrChristopherHaas]

You have to pay for a “charter” just to get started. Poof, American dream over. Unless you’re daddy has made it rich or inherited it or whatever

[@lancehurley9743]

15:36...2 legends

[@carpenter2833]

An era when everything was real unlike today….