Dave Despain On Assignment: Talladega

[@maxsav007]

Watched this when it first aired, thanks for the upload

[@SiVlog1989]

What a mess that first race weekend at Talladega was. It almost makes the infamous F1 race at Indianapolis in 2005 look like a storm in a teacup

[@bloqk16]

Several of those voices are no longer around. I was into NASCAR back than, but being in California, print publications of Autoweek and Auto Racing Magazine were the two sources of stock car racing info I could get my hands on as a young teen. The contentious issues behind the scenes of this race, at the time, were glossed over by both publications. This presentation ventured into details that didn't make print [at least nationally] in 1969. Note the lack of video for the debut race. Even back in 1969, I was _very_ puzzled that the race was not picked up by ABC-TV (US) Wide World of Sports as a delayed broadcast. Back then ABC had delay broadcasts of both Daytona races, both Darlington races, the Atlanta race in Spring, and the Charlotte race in the Fall. But, now seeing how much of a shoestring the track and the race field, possibly NASCAR was a bit embarrassed with the product they had, so the less film/video of the debut event, the better.

[@forrest2457]

What a mess it was back then, it’s awesome seeing the racing legends on here, especially Richard Petty. He’s one of my favs, in my opinion, he reminds me of the late great Burt Reynolds

[@MrChristopherHaas]

There were still regional favorites and legendary drivers in this race. Tiny Lund drove Frances car and finished 9th, a mere 36 laps behind after the clutch went out. He alone would have been enough to keep me around. Buck Baker, Jim Hurtibese, Coo Coo Marlin, Roy Tyler,Dick and Earl Brooks, Dr. Don Tarr, Ben Arnold all raced Grand National. And then there was Ram Stott, the 3rd place finisher that gets left out of the race stories in spite of finishing 3rd and on the lead lap. I believe that there were no more than 8-10 race teams that had the tire problem based on speed while some others, guys like Wendell Scott, had to leave because there wasn’t enough spare parts to poach lol.

[@louislepage5111]

I miss Dave Despain😊

[@KK-ex5zu]

The way this 1st Talladega race went down was fucked up, the tires were coming apart 3 to 4 laps into a run. It reminds me of the Brickyard 400 a few years ago, how the hell do they expect drivers to race like that? Oh just drive slower, that's like having a foot solder fight a battle with one hand tied around his balls!

[@soul69charger]

Has ever anyone seen any MOVING pictures from that first race? I find it hard to believe that not a single movie or TV camera should have been there .. and nothing of it found its way onto KZbin ...

[@bloqk16]

Agreed! As a Californian back then, I was really into NASCAR, and even as a youth at the time, I was deeply puzzled it was not a televised event, especially so from ABC-TV (US) Wide World of Sports; as that TV sports anthology show back then ran broadcast delay of both Daytona races, the Spring Atlanta race, both Darlington races, and the Fall Charlotte race. Yet, ABC-TV could not negotiate a contract with NASCAR for the 1969 Talladega race. Ah! But they did in 1970.

[@bloqk16]

A postscript to my earlier comment: Possibly a reason no motion film/video of the race . . . NASCAR sensing discontent among the drivers didn't want to give those drivers a media platform that could have gotten widespread coverage prior to the race. So, _maybe_ NASCAR kept out the film/video crews from covering the race. Print journalists, on the other hand, would report after the fact of the race.

[@soul69charger]

@@bloqk16 That definitely makes sense! Still I'm hoping that in some attic or basement are some home movies that may or may not pop up on KZbin

[@bloqk16]

The 'elephant in the room' with this race was the lack of video and motion film. Giving it some thought, it could have been a strategy by NASCAR to keep out video/film crews, as such crews could have gotten soundbites from discontented drivers; and if film/video got widespread TV dispersal on the eve of the race, attendance could have suffered. Whereas with print journalists there, what they write in print may not show up for days; with spectator tickets already bought, so minimal damage to attendance turnout.

[@222billp]

what a story !

[@WildDiamond07]

37:51 Ray Fox says a swear word.

[@bloqk16]

Fox was an 'old' guy back in the 1960s, it surprised me to see him still alive when the film was made in 2009; especially so when considering all the hazardous chemicals/materials being exposed to working in the automotive field.

[@WildDiamond07]

@@bloqk16 And he still was foul mouthed by 2009, just like ole Smokey damn Yunick. LMAO

[@TURTLES_FOR_LIFEEE]

Wendell Scott at 18:50 to the left of Richard Petty.

[@dh2360]

Bring these cars back to racing! There are enough remanufactured parts to recreate these classic stock cars to currently race a new stock car circuit.

[@tp5776]

That’s Talladega - still rings true today.

[@mikeskidmore6754]

Bill France needed the gate money to pay on the Race Track ..

[@MrMiD.Life.Crisis]

Haha LeeRoy Yarbrough is the man. Sorry thats super disrespectful. He was the man until around about 1970. So sad what happened after that. It does pxss me off that he isnt often shown on nascar programs. And, as it seems to have been in the news for the last few years, i think he wouldve been a candidate for CTE. Concussions are poorly understood nowadays but after his 1970 wreck at Texas (i think) and then again at Indy in '71, his career was over and it is a dayumn shame. Im sure his head injuries had something to do with his attempted murder charge.

[@stansmad]

My favorite track to visit in the 90's by far. Crazy assed folks who loved to have fun !

[@RandyDubin]

Hey, man, sorry about what happened to tvspnd1228. FOM IS THE SUCK!!!!!! ;-D BTW, looks like you have A LOT of ReUL'ing to do in the offseason, eh? :-D

[@MrMiD.Life.Crisis]

I wonder how aware of formula 1 the top nascar drivers were at the time?? In f1 there was a massive safety campaign by the drivers around the same time.

[@mikeskidmore6754]

What an Experience for the Drivers sure need Roll cages and race seats with 6 way Harnesses Fire proof suits shoes and gloves..

[@MrMiD.Life.Crisis]

Blows my mind that they would put 'fake', wooden roll cages in the cars back then so they looked the part but saved on weight!! Hope youre good.

[@bugmandu1]

They should have ran 5 laps and parked them.

[@NVRAMboi]

'DIGGA!

[@j.d.b.pennamesonofharraant3367]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZqKuc6ubhdd_nsk ... Yeah technically y'all defaulted

[@davidallenroth]

sounds like an awful race

[@bloqk16]

I suspect Bill France and the rest of the NASCAR execs predicted problems for the race, hence, motion film and video cameras weren't around to record the debacle.