Through 1965 there wasn't a big race to open the season. It was just a normal 30-lap feature. After the grandstand fire caused the cancellation of the 1965 Southern 300, the decision was made to sort of make up for it by having a big race to open the 1966 season. To show that the track could overcome the effects of the fire the race was dubbed the "Flameless 300".
For the 1968 edition, Coo Coo Marlin qualified on the pole. Sterling would have been 10, almost 11 years old. And in those days women weren't allowed in the pits, so Sterling's mom Eula Faye was sitting in the stands with Sterling.
The race started and Coo Coo led the first 10 laps. He was passed for the lead, and 9 laps later at the end of the front straight the throttle stuck on his '62 Chevy. He slammed into the wall. As Tom Powell reported, "The car was almost totally wrecked."
As would be expected, when the safety crew arrived Coo Coo was in significant pain. He knew if Eula Faye saw the ambulance leave the accident scene and leave the track she would be alarmed, so he refused a ride in the ambulance.
After returning to the pits he got a wrecker to take him to the hospital where he was treated for a back injury. Of course, he returned to the track before the race was over and was one of the first people to congratulate race winner Freddy Fryar in victory lane.
It was a different time and a different breed.
Edited 2/10 because of additional information:
As I had hoped would happen, the telling of one story has led to another story that links to this one.
It seems there was a precedent for what might happen in the event of Coo Coo being involved in a bad wreck. Back in the coupe days, it was one of those races that ran on the half-mile on a Sunday afternoon. The racing program had been delayed, so in order to get the feature in before darkness fell, the officials decided to run the feature and if there was daylight left they would run the semi-Feature.
They got the feature in and had time left, so they lined up the Semi. Coo Coo happened to be driving P.B. Crowell's car that day. During the Semi, Coo Coo was involved in a wreck and went flipping down the backstraight.
Remember, this was the early 1960s. Women wore dresses and heels to the races. Eula Faye saw Coo Coo go flipping down the back straight and took off down through the stands. In her dress and heels.
When she got to the fence, she didn't wait for an official to open the gate. The way the story was told to me (and it was from a very reliable source) she leaped and hit the fence about halfway to the top, then it only took her about two steps and she was OVER the fence, heading across the infield towards Coo Coo.
So now we know why Coo Coo elected not to ride in the ambulance following the 1968 wreck. He knew how that story was going to end.
Russ,it sure was a different time and era..I think,this toughness was universal in folks from this era,and they get even tougher the further one chooses to look back..It too, amazes me at the number of drivers who didnt get hurt, while driving in T-shirts,and certain safety measures not even existing in their cars!
ReplyDeleteI had no idea about the origin of the "Flameless" race name-- just thought it was a cool name for a race. Great stuff here Russ!
ReplyDelete