Throwback Thursday – October 20

– On this date in 1957 Ralph Moody won a USAC Stock Car race at Birmingham International Raceway (AL). The Dixie 200 featured a deep field with Moody beating out Jerry Unser and Bob Burdick for the victory. Birmingham was dirt in 1957 and this was the second and final time that USAC raced at the Alabama track.

– Back in 1968, Roy Wathen won a 500-lap race at Salem Speedway (IN) in the ARCA Series. The race was actually considered the second race of the 1969 schedule despite being run in 1968. Wathen started ninth and moved to the front to win the race by seven laps over Clyde Parker and 11 laps over Jim Robinson. Salem has hosted more ARCA races than anyone and has run the 500-lap distance several times, even into the late 1980s.

THE THIRD TURN: 1968 Salem 500 at Salem Speedway

– Also on this date in 1968 Joy Fair won the first Glass City 200 at Toledo Speedway (OH). Fair dominated the first race, leading 197 of the 200 laps run. The race was more of a template Late Model show before it became an Outlaw Late Model staple.

– David Pearson won the American 500 at the North Carolina Motor Speedway on this date in 1974. Pearson beat Cale Yarborough and Richard Petty for the win. Bobby Allison was fourth in the standings. In 1974, these four drivers won 29 of the 30 races with the only other win going to Earl Ross at Martinsville. Petty and Yarborough won 10 each with Pearson winning seven in a limited schedule and Bobby Allison adding a pair of wins.

THE THIRD TURN: 1974 American 500 at North Carolina Motor Speedway

– Darrell Waltrip wins the 1985 Nationwide 500 at Rockingham to extend his points lead to 35 points over Bill Elliott. If you remember, Elliott won 11 races in 1985, but lost the title to Waltrip in the late stages. Elliott would win the race at Atlanta, his home track the following week, but lost the title the next week at Riverside.

THE THIRD TURN: 1985 Nationwide 500 at North Carolina Motor Speedway

– Scott Hansen dominated the ASA National Tour race at Toledo Speedway (OH) to claim the win on this date in 1991. Hansen led 246 of the 400 laps to beat Mike Eddy for the win. Eddy would win a week later at Jennerstown to clinch the 1991 ASA Championship.

THE THIRD TURN: 1991 ASA ACDelco Challenge Series at Toledo Speedway

– A highly competitive season in the UARA-Stars ranks saw Ross Furr win his only race of the season on this date in 2007 at Concord Speedway. Furr would ultimately win the title by 20 points. Furr used 11 top-five runs and 14 top-10 runs in 15 starts. Perhaps the most jaw dropping fact was that Furr failed to make the main event at Hickory to start the year. He returned to be the runner up the next week and marched to the top of the points.

THE THIRD TURN: 2007 Fairborn Equipment 150 at Concord Speedway

-Photo credit: NASCAR