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By Tucker McLaughlin, Jr.
News & Record staff
50th ANNIVERSARY PARTY - South Boston Speedway celebrated its 50th
anniversary weekend with a reunion party Friday night, with some of the
top names from the past here. Shown in this group photo are some of the
participants. Kneeling, in front, Jerry Hipps, a racer from the mid-60s;
Lance Childress, former NASCAR official; Earl Brooks, early GN racer.
First row, from left, Melvin Creasy, driver from the early pavement days;
Alvin Turman, early dirt racer; Johnny Handy, raced on dirt and Grand
National; Johnny Pyron, early dirt racer; Bobby McGinnis, '65 co-champ; Frank Edwards, owner of the co-champion car in '65 and special assistant to Rick Hendrick; Dave Wesson, former NASCAR chief official; Brenda Harris, daughter of Runt Harris, one of the 4-H boys; Mary Scott, widow of NASCAR legend Wendell Scott; Wanda Lund early, widow of Tiny Lund, a NASCAR legend and a former winner at SBS; Jack Massie, former flagman at SVS; Billy Shaw, a racer in the early days; Earl Brooks' son Ervin; Jim Irby, a local businessman and owner of cars for Ray and Roy Hendrick; Rex White, NASCAR 1960 Grand National champ; Jack Tant, builder of the famed 'Flying 11' campaigned by Ray Hendrick; Cal Johnson, father of Eddie Johnson and part of three generations of family winners at SBS; former Speedway owner Mason Day, Jr.; two-time champion Wayne Patterson; Earl Rice of A&E Race cars; Jesse Spencer, Jr., part of three generations of racing Spencers here; Roy
Hendrick, son of NASCAR legend Ray and a track champion here; Bud
Moorefield, a local racer and competitor in the first race here. Row 3
(short) R.J. Turman, Sonny Miller, Carlton Pugh, all of whom raced in
the late 50s; Bubba Tatum; Roy 4, Bill Mangum, son of early dirt winner
Gordon and local race historian; Toby Nowlan, early dirt racer; Lafell Elliott,
raced in first event here; Bill Dyer, promoter, newspaper columnist,
local historian; 'Peanut Turman, early dirt racer; John Fowler, first PR
representative; Paul Radford, won both ends of a famed Martinsville
twinbill; Maurice Hill, former SBS champion; Barry Beggarly, SBS and
NASCAR national champion; David Blankenship, 7-time track champion at SBS; Joe Chandler, newspaperman and SBS public relations; Melissa Corbin, Mr. Mangum's granddaughter. Final row, Drew Herring, former SBS track
champion; SBS general manager Cathy Rice; team owner Dolly Fallen; Sandy Newton Waller, daughter of Garland Newton; Nick Woodward, former track
champion; Garland Ricketts, owned car driven by Ray Hendrick; Marion Johnson, flagman; Joe Thurman, national champion; T. Taylor Warren, second official NASCAR photographer who started in 1952; Paul Thuman, raced in early dirt days and Joe's brother.
anniversary weekend with a reunion party Friday night, with some of the
top names from the past here. Shown in this group photo are some of the
participants. Kneeling, in front, Jerry Hipps, a racer from the mid-60s;
Lance Childress, former NASCAR official; Earl Brooks, early GN racer.
First row, from left, Melvin Creasy, driver from the early pavement days;
Alvin Turman, early dirt racer; Johnny Handy, raced on dirt and Grand
National; Johnny Pyron, early dirt racer; Bobby McGinnis, '65 co-champ; Frank Edwards, owner of the co-champion car in '65 and special assistant to Rick Hendrick; Dave Wesson, former NASCAR chief official; Brenda Harris, daughter of Runt Harris, one of the 4-H boys; Mary Scott, widow of NASCAR legend Wendell Scott; Wanda Lund early, widow of Tiny Lund, a NASCAR legend and a former winner at SBS; Jack Massie, former flagman at SVS; Billy Shaw, a racer in the early days; Earl Brooks' son Ervin; Jim Irby, a local businessman and owner of cars for Ray and Roy Hendrick; Rex White, NASCAR 1960 Grand National champ; Jack Tant, builder of the famed 'Flying 11' campaigned by Ray Hendrick; Cal Johnson, father of Eddie Johnson and part of three generations of family winners at SBS; former Speedway owner Mason Day, Jr.; two-time champion Wayne Patterson; Earl Rice of A&E Race cars; Jesse Spencer, Jr., part of three generations of racing Spencers here; Roy
Hendrick, son of NASCAR legend Ray and a track champion here; Bud
Moorefield, a local racer and competitor in the first race here. Row 3
(short) R.J. Turman, Sonny Miller, Carlton Pugh, all of whom raced in
the late 50s; Bubba Tatum; Roy 4, Bill Mangum, son of early dirt winner
Gordon and local race historian; Toby Nowlan, early dirt racer; Lafell Elliott,
raced in first event here; Bill Dyer, promoter, newspaper columnist,
local historian; 'Peanut Turman, early dirt racer; John Fowler, first PR
representative; Paul Radford, won both ends of a famed Martinsville
twinbill; Maurice Hill, former SBS champion; Barry Beggarly, SBS and
NASCAR national champion; David Blankenship, 7-time track champion at SBS; Joe Chandler, newspaperman and SBS public relations; Melissa Corbin, Mr. Mangum's granddaughter. Final row, Drew Herring, former SBS track
champion; SBS general manager Cathy Rice; team owner Dolly Fallen; Sandy Newton Waller, daughter of Garland Newton; Nick Woodward, former track
champion; Garland Ricketts, owned car driven by Ray Hendrick; Marion Johnson, flagman; Joe Thurman, national champion; T. Taylor Warren, second official NASCAR photographer who started in 1952; Paul Thuman, raced in early dirt days and Joe's brother.