Tabor City tribune. (Tabor City, N.C.) 1946-1991, 1956-05-09

Chrysler before the last South
fern 500 of ll2.O4l
In the actual run Goldsmith
set the fastest official lap at
ll4.2 all of which means
Darlington is faster than ever
ana Southern 500 records should
tumble this Labor Day while on
July 4th, with the Indianapolis
big cars, speeds should be in the
shakespeare.
Darlington. with a quarter
million dollar Improvement
nearly finished, was lighted all
night during the run driv-
ELS had chicken dinners but ate
little, taking on copious quanti-
ties of juices guard rail was
painted white as was a six inch
line around the track marking
the groove" top boss was
Mauri Rose, the tree-time In
dianapolis winner but acclaimed
hero was Smokey Yunick, the
super mechanic with a masters
degree who has master minded
Herb Thomas to three Southern
800 mile victories Rose tells
this story, Il called a meeting
of drivers and mechanics Just
before the start.
| named Yunick as the man
responsible for the actual opcr-
alton and put myself in his
charge. Yunick said, very well,
you wash windshields and keep
out of the way!" Rose con-
tinued. when the sign came
for the first car to come in l
looked around for the sponge
and water bucket, got it and
wet the sponge. I turned around
to service the car and it was
gone! Just "a seconds to re-
fuel and change tires and
there stood Yunick looking at
nc. Just where were you Mist
er Rose" he said and the infer
ence was obvious that from
the man who has won Indiana
polls three times and who, at
one time, didn't have to lift a
finger to put on a glove /!
Rose was high in his praise of
driver Goldsmith said he
was a natural and that he would
try to get him a ride at Indian
Yunick, too, adopted the mot
orcycle cham >ion and will mas
ter-mind his stock car driving
|. Experts agree it will take
a lot of luck to ever break this
mark a heavier car will be
handicapped by tire wear and
a lighter car from parts failure
. "a hours of continual speed
is a terrible pounding to man
and machine International
records are tricky in that there
are so many claSSificationS but
the mark Chevrolet was shoot
ing for was the popular "a hour
stock status of any elassiica-
ton" that was known as the
Stevens Trophy" StutZ set
the mark in 1927 at 1926 miles
Marmon beat this in 1881
with l834.2l5 miles and Cord
upped the mark TO l9O9.85l
miles in 1887 ChrySler re-
vivcd the trophy in 1858 going
2l57.5 miles all these re-
cords were set at Indianapolis.
Some of those connected with
the run did not sleep for as long
as 70 hours great secrecy
surrounded the preparations
with a security guard buttoning
up the big race plant tighter
than Fort Knox =. reasons were
plentiful.
Chevrolet did not want some
one else TO jump the gun with
a record attempt and, if their
try ended in failure they could
try again rain threatened
during most of the run but held
off the old record fell after
81 hours, saluted by an aeriel
bomb, the blowing of horns and
much back slapping.
Most disappointed were the
Flock brothers who, although
they broke the old record, could
not quite overcome the fourteen
minute adjustment stop
drivers changed every third fuel
stop o.. roll bars and door straps
were not permitted :. a speci-
al timing and scoring stand was
built, which you will see in pic
lures the stand will become
part of the official building in
front of new grandstand B"
air traffic was heavy all
the run as spectators, de-
MED admission, used this means
of witnessing the first world
record ever set in South Caro-
lima.
The fourth driver was jim
Reed, two-time national short
track stock car champion who