NASCAR’s Forgotten Tragedy: Joe Weatherly

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The 1964 Motor Trend 500 at Riverside was one of NASCAR's darkest moments. An accident on lap 86 claimed the life of two-time Cup Series champion Joe Weatherly. Discover the tragic story of the 1964 Motor Trend 500, featuring Weatherly, Bud Moore, and many others. Learn about the events that unfolded during this historic race, and the life and career of Joe Weatherly.
Credit to: NASCAR, FOX, the NASCAR Hall of Fame, Getty Images, Bud Moore Engineering archive

[@rustyturner431]

Little Joe was my uncle Curtis' teammate for some time and his best friend in racing. Joe was gregarious and always had time for a young fellow who'd been bitten by the racing bug. In the early 1960s, I spent many hours at Curtis' big house on Freedom Drive in Charlotte listening to the tall tales these guys told about racing in the 1950s and Joe's exploits racing Harleys. He introduced me to Ralph Moody, and I wound up working at Holman & Moody for several years. He was funny and always had a good word, and he LOVED to party. Plus, he was the last NASCAR driver to win a championship employing more than one make of car in that year. He died at 42, but he did more living in those years than most 90-year olds. A great driver and an absolute magician on dirt...

[@Racer997]

No one who was around 60 years ago has forgotten Weatherly’s tragic end. It’s most fair to say that many NASCAR fans of today, or even if the last 20, maybe even 30 years, have never heard about Weatherly because they’ve never been told or learned of it on their own. It’s the way time is for most things, sadly.

[@danieljohnson9351]

Nobody used a window net in 1964. The window net didn't come about until 1970.

[@justinstallings7844]

Great video. Joe Weatherly drove a couple of races for my grandfather back in 51-52 in what would be a modified today. In the Norfolk area. So cool to learn more about him

[@JakeSimRacing]

Very cool!

[@seannolan9857]

My personal favorite story about Weatherly comes from the race at Wilson Speedway in 1960. Emanuel Zervakis was flagged as the winner, but Joe told the inspectors to check his fuel tank. Sure enough, it was oversized, Zervakis was disqualified and Weatherly was given the victory. When asked by a reporter a couple years later how he'd known his tank was illegal, Weatherly replied "because I was running the same tank he was"! Btw, if you think Weatherly's list of car owners looks crazy, check out Tiny Lund's sometime.

[@davidrice3337]

So he snitched the dude out ? That ain't cool - I don't like that shit

[@paulday5722]

I love those stories about the shady stuff went on back in the day. It gave the sport real character.

[@JeffSherlock]

This has not been forgotten.

[@18winsagin]

Bud Moore is a true American hero, back when men were men and America was strong because of men like Bud Moore.

[@bradsanders407]

America was strong when it was losing a war to a half a tiny 3rd world country with nearly all of europe helping?!?!

[@shanew.williams]

Nothing "forgotten" about this tragedy, by those of us who were around then & remember it well.

[@duckmangooo7376]

History worth remembering.

[@user-lz2wo6ri5t]

Thank You ! ! ! ! ! fantastic reporting.

[@user-zr5re4wt4t]

I sat with my parents in the Joe Weatherly section from 1970 - to the end of the original stands being torn down and replaced.

[@rustyturner431]

Addendum: My old friend Frank Gillman sponsored Joe's Pontiacs in 1961/2. Frank was a hard-nosed businessman and a VERY successful dealer. His description of Little Jo, "He was one crazy son of a bitch, and he could really put it away." Frank was NOT an easy man to impress.

[@billfisher4156]

Great video and content. Thanks.

[@toddfowler4017]

A job well done‼️ We cannot forget the founding fathers of stock car racing, and I consider Joe to be one of them‼️ They really were daredevils, weren't they?!🇺🇸🏁

[@BSNFabricating]

I should mention that he got that scar on his face in a motorcycle race...back when motorcycle racers wore open-face helmets. (Still that was an improvement over the leather helmets they wore a generation earlier.)

[@jameskim62]

Great Story!!!!!!!

[@barryspaar3538]

It wasn't that Joe didn't elect to use a window net or not....fact is they weren't invented until 1970 after Richard Petty had his crazy crash at Darlington.

[@RRaquello]

Two great drivers well known as jokesters off the track, and both known as “the Clown Prince of Racing”, one in NASCAR, the other in Indy Cars, both killed in crashes in 1964: Joe Weatherly and Eddie Sachs.

[@jj9487]

Joe Weatherly was one of the best drivers in the pioneer era. He’s a bit underrated imo. It’s a shame that this happened to him, if he didn’t die he probably could have won another championship or 2

[@bighand1530]

Indeed

[@jefferyrobertson7520]

I Like Riverside International Raceway In Riverside California From The 70s 80s And Early 90s In My Opinion NASCAR History Road Course

[@Chris-zk2wu]

Great Story

[@christophersanders5007]

The first time I ever went to Riverside Raceway was in 1980. If Riverside Raceway was out in the middle of nowhere back then it must have been waaaay out in the middle of nowhere back in 1964.

[@18winsagin]

That is so funny, I remember hearing that somewhere along the line 🤣 so it has to be true!

[@KevinHarvickisnothappy4]

Bro after you said “he died instantly” i got a Chevrolet truck ad no way 😭

[@JakeSimRacing]

Oh dear 😂

[@markwilliams5606]

When you ran Big Blocks and no stupid Stages. Ran a 55 Bel Air Dirt stock car. No power steering. 🇺🇸🏁

[@charleswaynewright2042]

Joe Weatherly Museum Darlington SC When the AH at nascar opened its commercial purpose Museum it robed the good stuff i think its now closed

[@philiphatfield5666]

Forgotten? It was national news when this great driver died. What was pathetic about this race concerned the brakes on the cars. The brakes were totally inadequate on most of the cars. His crash was similar to the John Nemecheck crash.

[@ldnwholesale8552]

You have to drive to the brakes, not past them. Oval trackers were and still are poor on braking and right turns. Shane Van Gisbergen!

[@drmnishikawa]

4:14 - There has been a car owner named Worth McMillion?!?!?!?!

[@rogeeeferrari]

Riverside isn't in the desert.

[@maxsdad538]

Riverside is smack dab in the middle of the desert, Slick. I guess to some of the more "ignorant" viewers, they forget that Riverside USED to be in the middle of nowhere, the city of Los Angeles has grown around the track.

[@rogeeeferrari]

@@maxsdad538 You are wrong pal, you have to drive an hour either East or North to reach the desert. Middle of nowhere doesn't mean it's in the desert. And you call me ignorant slick ?

[@Blackswan19874]

Nice job on the video , two minor points , He didn’t have a window net because they hadn’t been brought to NASCAR until Richard Petty’s Darlington wreck were he was partially hanging out of his window. Secondly you mentioned that the cars were “stock “ cars , well yes and no , yes initially chassis and body were factory but a lot of innovations, some legal and others not so legal hardly made them stock . Thanks for the video !

[@melvinhunt6976]

They were actually Men ! Now we’re filled with Punk’s who can drive but have No Backbone! That left in 2001 ! If lm wrong, please give me an Example!

[@thegoose858]

Sometimes I wonder if some of these young guys have ever actually turned a wrench in their lives (wont mention any names, but among others I'm thinking about a guy who happens to have a famous grandfather).