How many of you rode in the two-seater with Bill Morton? Ah, I think I see quite a few hands!
For the 1971 and 1972 seasons Bill installed a second seat in the #101 Chevelle and gave rides during intermission for a lucky number drawing in the program.
For the 1971 and 1972 seasons Bill installed a second seat in the #101 Chevelle and gave rides during intermission for a lucky number drawing in the program.
Would you ride in this car at over 100mph?
Then he went one better. The week of the State Fair he gave rides for $5.00 a trip. Without doubt,
the best ride of the Fair!
You can bet I got right in line with my five dollars. You paid your money, signed the release form, strapped on a helmet, slid through the window and buckled up. They had the time clock on the scoreboard running and timed your fast lap. If I remember right, you got a warmup lap, the timed lap, and the cool down lap. And when it was over, you got a card making you an Official Member (who would want to be an unofficial member??) of the "Union 76 100 Mile Per Hour Club".
You can bet I got right in line with my five dollars. You paid your money, signed the release form, strapped on a helmet, slid through the window and buckled up. They had the time clock on the scoreboard running and timed your fast lap. If I remember right, you got a warmup lap, the timed lap, and the cool down lap. And when it was over, you got a card making you an Official Member (who would want to be an unofficial member??) of the "Union 76 100 Mile Per Hour Club".
Yep, that is my actual membership card. And knowing in 1971 I would be writing this 55 years later,
I recorded all the important information on the back: Date of ride was September 22, 1971. The time was 20.63 and the average
speed was 109.064 mph. That time would have been about six tenths off qualifying for the top 24 of the previous Southern 300.
Here's a secret. I think the statute of limitations has run out. I was only 14 at the time. I think you were supposed to be 16. I was a tall 14 and was friends with Bill, so they let me slide. It remains one of the coolest things I've ever done. And don't forget, this was on the 35 degree banks.
For those of you who weren't around back in the day, maybe here is the next best thing. Mr. Donoho saw the promotional value in that seat. He talked it over with Bill, and they decided they would let a photographer ride in the second seat during a heat race and film the race. And here are the results of that little experiment:
Here's a secret. I think the statute of limitations has run out. I was only 14 at the time. I think you were supposed to be 16. I was a tall 14 and was friends with Bill, so they let me slide. It remains one of the coolest things I've ever done. And don't forget, this was on the 35 degree banks.
For those of you who weren't around back in the day, maybe here is the next best thing. Mr. Donoho saw the promotional value in that seat. He talked it over with Bill, and they decided they would let a photographer ride in the second seat during a heat race and film the race. And here are the results of that little experiment:
You might notice about 24 seconds in that Bill falls off the pace. Bill and his crew were pretty sharp.
Among his crew members were Howard Johnson, Buster Lamb, Clayton Gentry, Dave Sellers, L.N. Kennedy, and Tommy Lee. (And
apologies if I left anyone out.) They won the "Pit Crew of the Year" award in 1970.
The 1970 Pit Crew of the Year
L-R: David Sellers, Clayton Gentry, Howard Johnson, Tommy Lee, L.N. Kennedy, and driver Bill Morton
L-R: David Sellers, Clayton Gentry, Howard Johnson, Tommy Lee, L.N. Kennedy, and driver Bill Morton
They decided if this photographer was going to be riding shotgun during a race that was going to be
quite a bit of extra weight. And not exactly where you want weight in a race car. So to help compensate, they thought they'd
run as little gas as they could. They missed it by just a little. When you see Bill fall back coming off turn two, he had
run out of gas. During a heat race.
And now you know...
And now you know...