NASCAR Pioneers Share Their Stories

Travis Tiller and his courageous friends had stories to tell Thursday morning.
Their tales were fascinating, heroic and even tragic.

As usual, this group of pioneers were overshadowed by the current pop culture icons of the NASCAR Sprint Cup series.

While a steady flow of fans visited an event titled “The First Annual Racing Legends of the South,” the turnout paled in comparison to the thousands of star-searchers who packed downtown Bristol Thursday night for the Food City Family Race Night.

The 71-year-old Tiller, who made 51 starts in the old Winston Cup Series, wasn’t surprised.

“NASCAR is not a sport anymore, it’s all about commercials and entertainment,” Tiller said. “The large companies just want drivers who can talk well and look good to represent them.”

Ghost Riders

Around a dozen former drivers from the Mountain Empire showed up for Thursday’s event at Gray Tire and Automotive.

Debbie Moore, daughter of former Johnson City driving great Brownie King, organized the fundraising event with help from officials of the North Carolina Auto Racing Hall of Fame and Racers Reunion.com
The goal was to assist famed NASCAR photographer T. Taylor Warren, former crew chief “Suitcase’” Jake Elder and two-time Busch Series champion Sam Ard. Ard is suffering Alzheimer’s disease, while Elder and Warren are also battling serious illnesses.

Unlike other pro sports, NASCAR has no pension system to provide support for drivers who have sacrificed broken bones, concussions, and in some cases, their lives.

“The drivers are getting rich now, but the guys that really got NASCAR started didn’t make anything. We had it tough,” King said.

King, who competed in the first Daytona 500 on the old beach course, posted 27 top-10 finishes in 97 Grand National (now Sprint Cup) starts from 1956-1961. He now relies on Social Security.
“I get bitter sometimes, but there isn’t anything I can do about that,” said King, who has battled heart problems.

King would like to see more events designed to honor and raise funds for the pioneers of stock car racing.

“I’m sure there are lots of other former drivers in need,” King said. “Once you are down and out and on a fixed income, you don’t have anyway to pay your bills.”

Stage Setters

Paul Lewis is among the most successful drivers to emerge from the racing-rich hills of Northeast Tennessee.

The Johnson City resident earned 16 top-fives and one victory over 114 Grand National races in the 1960s. And Lewis did it the hard way as an independent.

“The independents were actually in the majority in the old days, and we had to run against those factory-backed cars,” Lewis said.
“This sport could not have grown like it has had we not been there as the backbone and driving force of this thing.”

There was no gold watch, let alone a pension plan, awaiting Lewis when he retired from driving.

“We were called private contractors, and that’s how NASCAR got around the [pension] situation,” Lewis said. “We weren’t on the company payroll so to speak.”

Like many of his peers, Lewis feels that NASCAR fans could use a history lesson.

“The sport has come a long way and I’m glad to see that growth, but nobody remembers the early drivers and the tough times we faced,” Lewis said.
“We represent the old school so to speak, the guys that raced two and three nights a week on dirt at tracks all over. Now, we’re sort or represent the forgotten people.”

Gary Potter knows the feeling. The Johnson City resident raced for 13 years with a family-based team.
Now, he feels lost in the fast shuffle away from the south.

“NASCAR and it fans really need to do a better job acknowledging the roots of racing,” Potter sad. “If it wasn’t for the people in the southeastern states, the sport wouldn’t be where it is today.”

King cited an example from this year’s Daytona 500.

“We took the original car the Brownie drove in the first Daytona, and nobody really paid attention it. That’s a shame.
“And all race fans really needs to remember the old-time racers, especially since a lot of those guys are hurting financially.”

Potter hopes Thursday’s can lead to a groundswell of respect and support.

“[NASCAR] and the current drivers do charity deals for children, such as the Victory Junction Gang, and that’s wonderful. They just need to do something for the guys who helped build the sport.”

Lewis echoed the comments of Potter.

“With the advent of groups like Racers Reunion, this maybe the baseline for helping all these guys who are struggling.”

Local Hero

Tiller helped to put Southwest Virginia on the NASCAR map.

For nine years, the businessman from Clintwood actually financed his own team before landing sponsorship from Abingdon-based Morgan McClure Motorsports in the early 1980s.
In between signing autographs Thursday, Tiller displayed a photo of he and county music ballad king Marty Robbins relaxing before a 1981 race.

“The sport was a lot of fun back then,” Tiller said. “I don’t watch the races anymore and I stopped going to the tracks because it got to be such a hassle.

“After a few years, they didn’t know me anymore and it seemed like they didn’t want me around. It just seems like folks have forgotten their roots.”

agregory@bristolnews.com | (276) 645-2544.