DAYTONA 500 QUALIFIER RACE 1961
Trouble Times Three
JUNIOR JOHNSON
RICHARD PETTY
MECHANIC BOB PUNZI & JIM HEDRICKSON
DAYTONA 500 QUALIFIER RACE 1961
Trouble Times Three
JUNIOR JOHNSON
RICHARD PETTY
MECHANIC BOB PUNZI & JIM HEDRICKSON
This 1961 race was always of special interest to me because of who was in it. Jim Hendrickson, my local hero from Islip Speedway on Long Island, NY. This was not Jim's first time at Daytona . He was there when it opened in 1959 with his Flying A '39 Ford Coupe #5 that ran in the Modified -Sportsman Division. He qualified well in that one 135 mph and started 8th. The engine let go early on though, because they didn't know how steep those banks at Daytona really were and oil starvation made for an early day.
Jim returned in 1960 with a 1957 Ford #47 that also ran in the modified division. The field was huge 68 cars! Not only did he finish this time, he got through the biggest wreck in NASCAR history unscathed (37 cars were destroyed on the first lap ) He actually finished much higher (around 10th ) than the 14th place he was credited for .
The biggest "BIG ONE" ever, totaly scrambled NASCARS scorers eyes. There is video of that wreck fest all over the internet. You can see it here
I tell you this because the following year 1961 (The only upside down year in the history of the world ) Jim entered the Really Big One .... The Daytona 500. Well when this fiasco below ensued, some of the very lazy press and more than one "big name" driver tried to pin on " Jim Hendrickson, a rookie from Merrick, NY " what you will see here with your own eyes did not happen the way they said.
Here was the line up :
THIS IS A BRIEF SUMMATION OF WHAT HAPPENED IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE. FROM THE DRIVERS SEAT OF #56
IT WAS TOLD TO ME WHEN I SAT WITH JIMMY DOING THE FIRST INTERVIEW FOR MY BOOK
"LONG RIDE ON A SHORT TRACK"
"Junior's engine let go spilling oil and parts all over the track. He spun and Richard hit him and started flying into the air. Now here I come doing about 150 and thinking Richard is going to come back down. I didn't think he was going out of the park! So I hit the brakes.... No one told me your not supposed to hit the brakes at Daytona. The brake light lit and now I'm flying through the air too.When I sailed into Junior. he was off the track. Had I not touched the brakes I would of gone right by him." ... Jim Hendrickson
THAT'S JUNIOR GOING BACWARDS & RICHARD GOING FORWARDS AND MAKING CONTACT
RICHARD IS NOW AIRBORNE
THERE HE GOES
RICHARD IS NOW HEADING OVER THE WALL
HERE COMES JIMMY
HE HAS HIT HIS BRAKES AND THE OIL
JIMMY IS NOW STARTING TO FLY UP IN THE REAR
(Those 59 & 60 Chevy Gull Wing Fins Really Helped Increase Your Flight Hours)
JUNIOR MIGHT BE THINKING AT THIS POINT OH NO ,,, NOT AGAIN ?
BY NOW THERE ARE PROBABLY OBSCENITIES BEING UTTERED OR THOUGHT
FROM BOTH JUNIOR & "GENTLEMAN JIM" AS HE WAS KNOWN
CLOSE YOUR EYES GUYS
THIS IS THE SHOT IN MY BOOK THAT HIT ALL THE PAPERS
AFTER THE SMOKE CLEARED
RIchard was taken to the infield hospital and released only to see his father Lee repeat the same stunt in the very next race with far more severe results, It nearly killed him and started the end of Lee's driving career and almost the end of Petty Enterprises. Those were the only two cars they had at the time. From his hospital bed Lee told Richard to go out and buy a new car and get it ready. The rest is history
LEE PETTY'S CAR
JUNIOR GOT A CUT ON THE CHIN
HE HAD TO USE A BACKUP CAR A 60 PONTIAC FOR THE 500
JIMMY WAS OK THAT'S HIM ON THE LEFT SIDE LOOKING THINGS OVER
HE WANTED TO PUT A NEW FRONT CLIP ON THE CAR AS HE QUALIFIED FOR THE 500 FINISHING 17th
BUT CHARLES FRENCH, THE CAR OWNER DID NOT WANT TO RISK ANY MORE TROUBLE.
IT WOULD BE JIM'S LAST APPEARANCE AT DAYTONA
THIS WHOLE STORY AND MANY MANY MORE LIKE IT
ARE IN THIS BOOK
