Racer, broadcaster, mentor, friend; you could use any of these words to describe Benjamin “Benny” Parsons. But his most endearing quality was that he was simply one of the most gracious and unpretentious people you could ever hope to meet. That’s a rare commodity in a sport as competitive as NASCAR.
Bobby Isaac possessed the one attribute that all NASCAR drivers crave. He was quite simply; fast. In 1969 he captured the record for most poles in a single season with 19. That record still stands today. In fact, only 38 drivers have achieved 19 or more poles throughout their entire career.
David Pearson was not only fast in a race car, he was also quick on his feet. NASCAR’s “Silver Fox,” could outrun and outthink most of his competitors on any given day.
With his tall, slender frame, signature feathered cowboy hat and sunglasses; he is easily one of the most recognizable figures in the racing world. His accomplishments on the track will likely never be equaled and a worthy successor may never be found. There has only been one king in NASCAR and that king is Richard Petty.
Rex White is a perfect example of what it takes to achieve success. He grew up while the country was in the grip of the Great Depression and spent much of his youth working long hours on a farm. He also suffered from polio as a child but none of this deterred him from his dream.
“He could do things in a race car I could only dream about,” he said. “Throughout the entire racing world, I don’t know of anybody who would have said he didn’t give 110% from the time they dropped the green flag until the race was over. He was the same way in life, too.”
Petty is one of the most recognized names in the history of NASCAR. But Lee Petty didn’t begin competing in NASCAR for fame or fortune. It was a means to an end. On a good day it was a way to put food on the table and pay the bills. His career bore little resemblance to the pampered lifestyle of today’s stock car racing elite.
Julius Timothy “Tim” Flock was born in Fort Payne, Alabama and grew up in one of the most famous racing families of early stock car racing. His two brothers, Bob and Fonty were both NASCAR drivers, as well as his sister Ethel Flock Mobley.
Matt Mills, Bayley Currey, and Kaden Honeycutt will all join in on the fun at the inaugural "Rockingham ThunderFest" event located in downtown Rockingham.
Four-wide racing became reality in 2010 and 15 years later, zMAX Dragway will play host to another significant moment when the 1,000th Top Fuel race in NHRA history takes place at the American Rebel Light NHRA 4-Wide Nationals on April 25-27.
