Curtis Turner

Curtis Turner (April 12, 1924 – October 4, 1970) was an American stock car racer. Throughout his life he developed a reputation for drinking and partying. In 1999, he was inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame.

Curtis Turner
Turner's 1967 Daytona 500 racecar
Born(1924-04-12)April 12, 1924
Floyd, Virginia, United States
DiedOctober 4, 1970(1970-10-04) (aged 46)
Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania
Cause of deathAirplane crash
Achievements1956 Southern 500 Winner

Inaugural winner at Rockingham Speedway (1965)
Led Grand National Series in wins one time (1950)
Holds record for most career NASCAR Convertible Division wins (38)
Holds record for most career NASCAR Convertible Division poles (23)
Holds record for most NASCAR Convertible Division wins in a season (22, 1956)

Holds record for most NASCAR Convertible Division poles in a season (16, 1956)
Awards1949 and 1956 Grand National Series Most Popular Driver

Named one of NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers (1998) International Motorsports Hall of Fame (1992) Motorsports Hall of Fame of America (2006)

NASCAR Hall of Fame (2016)
NASCAR Cup Series career
184 races run over 17 years
Best finish5th (1950)
First race1949 Race No. 1 (Charlotte)
Last race1968 Hillsboro 150 (Hillsboro)
First win1949 untitled race (Langhorne)
Last win1965 American 500 (Rockingham)
Wins Top tens Poles
17 73 16
NASCAR Convertible Division career
79 races run over 4 years
Best finish2nd (1956)
First race1956 Race #1 (Daytona Beach & Road Course)
Last race1959 Rebel 300 (Darlington)
First win1956 Race #1 (Daytona Beach & Road Course)
Last win1959 Catawba 250 (Hickory)
Wins Top tens Poles
38 53 23
Statistics current as of February 22, 2013.

History

He was born in Floyd, Virginia to Morton and Minnie Turner on April 12, 1924. Curtis grew up with a brother and two sisters. His father, Morton Turner, was into the moonshine business and having a productive still. Curtis was responsible for delivering his father's moonshine it to the customers. From a very early age, long before he was old enough for a driver’s license, Curtis developed his driving talents by running moonshine through the mountains from the law. He was never caught by anyone. Locals spoke of how Curtis would drive away from hot pursuit of revenuers and lawmen and his legendary ability to turn a car 180 degrees in a very small space.

He began his racing career in 1946 when he finished 18th in a field of 18 contestants in a race at Mount Airy, North Carolina. However, he rebounded and won his next race. He also was one of the founding members in the original group that met in Daytona Beach at the Streamline Hotel to discuss and support the formation of NASCAR. During his career, he won 360 races in several different racing series, including 22 in the NASCAR Convertible Division in 1956, and 17 wins in the NASCAR Grand National Series. From 1950 to 1954, he drove for Oldsmobile being billed as the Blond Blizzard of Virginia. He switched to driving Fords in 1954. He eventually acquired the nickname of Pops, allegedly because of the way he would "pop" other drivers on the track.

Turner drove a Holman Moody-prepared Studebaker Lark in the 2-hour compact car race accompanying the inaugural United States Grand Prix at Sebring, Florida, on December 12, 1959. He finished second overall, trailing the disc-brake equipped Jaguar 3.4 of Walt Hansgen.[1]

Accomplishments

He is noted for several other racing accomplishments:

  • The only NASCAR driver to win two Grand National races in a row from the pole by leading every lap (Rochester, New York and Charlotte, North Carolina in July 1950)
  • The only win in NASCAR for Nash — Charlotte 150 — April 1, 1951
  • The only driver to win 25 major NASCAR races in one season driving the same car in each of them (in 1956 — 22 were won as the #26 car in the convertible division, the other three, including the 1956 Southern 500, were with a top welded on.)
  • The only driver to win a major NASCAR race that was red-flagged because his car was the only one still running (at the Asheville-Weaverville, North Carolina track on September 30, 1956.)
  • Turner conceptualized, secured financing for, and built Charlotte Motor Speedway in 1960 before being forced out by his business partners.
  • The first driver to climb Pikes Peak in less than 15 minutes (in a 1962 Ralph Moody Ford — the actual time was 14 minutes 37 seconds for the 12.42-mile course.)
  • The first winner of the American 500 at Rockingham, North Carolina (in a 1965 Woods Brothers Ford.)
  • The first driver to qualify for a NASCAR Grand National race at a speed greater than 180 miles per hour (1967 Daytona 500, driving #13, a 1967 Smokey Yunick Chevrolet.)
  • 2006 inductee of the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America[2]
  • Turner's 1967 Daytona 500 car designed by Smokey Yunick, seen to the right, was the inspiration for the car driven by the Talladega Nights character Reese Bobby. The car was banned by NASCAR thus starting Smokey's tenuous relationship with NASCAR.
  • 2016 Inductee of the NASCAR Hall of Fame

Labor union

Needing money in order to support the newly constructed Charlotte Motor Speedway, Turner and his business partner Bruton Smith turned to the Teamsters Union to organize a union for them, the Federation of Professional Athletes, in 1961.[3] According to The Washington Post: "His aims are for better purses, a share in broadcasting rights and retirement benefits for the drivers."[4] NASCAR founder Bill France Sr. refused to let any driver who was a part of the union race, and eventually all the drivers except for Turner and Tim Flock sided with France. Turner and Flock were banned for life and Charlotte Motor Speedway went bankrupt before being saved by its board of directors.

Turner continued to race under other sanctioning bodies, including the Midwest Association for Race Cars (MARC),[5] even promoting his own 100-mile event on the dirt at Lakewood Speedway, Georgia, in October 1961. Tim Flock finished second in that event.[6] Turner and Flock sued NASCAR and France, "seeking $200,000 punitive damages each and restitution for loss of earnings."[7] "Attorneys for the drivers claim the ban represents a violation of state right to work laws because test driving contracts involving $150 a day plus expenses were canceled as a result of the action. NASCAR and France's attorneys contended the ban isn't a right to work violation because it doesn't involve an employer-employee relationship. They said Flock and Turner are individual contractors and not employees of NASCAR or any track."[8]

During his NASCAR ban, Turner attempted a few USAC Championship Cars races, in 1962, Turner attempted a race at Illinois State Fairgrounds but failed to qualify. In 1963 Turner competed in the season-opener at Trenton International Speedway and finished 12th. He also attempted the 1963 Indianapolis 500 but failed to qualify.[9]

NASCAR comeback

However, the ban was lifted after four years in 1965, and Turner returned to NASCAR racing. Bill France was in a bind and needed to mend some fences. 1962 and 1963 NASCAR-points champion Joe Weatherly was killed driving a Mercury at Riverside, California on January 19, 1964,[10] and his star driver Fireball Roberts had died following a fiery crash on May 24, 1964, at the World 600 in Charlotte.[11] The track owners wanted Turner back. "Turner was slated to drive for a newly-organized group, The Grand American Racing Association, organized July 31 in Sumter, S.C. Turner was due to compete in the first of 17 scheduled races at Concord, N.C. Aug 21."[12] France was also short of cars. The Chrysler factory were boycotting NASCAR over the organizing body's ban of the Hemi engine, and Richard Petty went drag racing in the first half of the 1965 season. The Ford factory were also in dispute with NASCAR over the SOHC engine, which faced a joint NASCAR-USAC ban on December 17, 1965.[13]

Turner, then 41, soon notched the first victory of his comeback in a Ford at the inaugural American 500, at the North Carolina Motor Speedway, Rockingham, North Carolina, on October 31, 1965, winning a purse of $13,090.[14] Turner lost his Ford ride in 1966 when: "Ford withdrew its factory backed racing teams from competition when the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing and the United States Auto Club ruled April 6 that Fords equipped with an overhead cam engine must carry 427 additional pounds."[15] Turner started the 1966 season in a Ford, but with the Ford-factory withdrawal, he signed to drive a Chevrolet for Smokey Yunick out of Daytona Beach, Florida.[16]

In 1968 he was the first NASCAR driver to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated.

Death and legacy

He died in an airplane crash near Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania on October 4, 1970; the crash also killed golfer Clarence King.[17] Police said the Aero Commander 500 piloted by Turner crashed shortly after taking off from the Dubois-Jefferson Airport en route to Roanoke, Virginia.[18] At the time of the crash, Turner was preparing to compete in that week's National 500 at Charlotte in a special one-off race.[19]

In December 2017, the Virginia Department of Historic Resources approved the erection of a historic marker denoting Turner's birthplace in Floyd County and detailing his accomplishments.[20]

Motorsports career results

NASCAR

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led. ** – All laps led.)

Grand National Series
NASCAR Grand National Series results
Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 NGNC Pts Ref
1949 Curtis Turner 41 Buick CLT
9		 DAB
25		 HBO
20		 6th 430 [21]
Hubert Westmoreland Olds LAN
1*		 HAM MAR
9		 HEI NWS
9
1950 Paul Roberts Lincoln DAB
11		 5th 1375.5 [22]
Eanes Motor Co. Olds CLT
15		 LAN
1*		 MAR
1*		 CAN
19*		 VER DSP
4*		 MCF
1**		 CLT
1**		 HBO
2*		 DSP
23		 HAM
3		 DAR
60		 LAN
24		 NWS
22		 VER MAR
17		 WIN HBO
29
1951 Nash Motors Nash DAB
7		 CLT
1*		 NMO
17		 GAR HBO
27		 ASF NA - [23]
Eanes Motor Co. Olds NWS
27		 MAR
1		 CAN CLS CLB DSP
1*		 GAR GRS BAI HEI AWS MCF ALS MSF
9*		 FMS MOR ABS
15		 DAR
57		 CLB CCS LAN CLT
19		 DSP WIL HBO TPN PGS MAR
14		 OAK NWS HMS JSP ATL GAR NMO
1952 PBS DAB
41		 JSP DAR
61		 CCS LAN DSP WIL HBO MAR NWS ATL PBS 50th 505 [24]
Hudson NWS
20		 MAR
12		 CLB ATL
13		 CCS LAN
37		 DAR DSP CAN
5		 HAY FMS HBO CLT MSF NIF OSW MON MOR PPS MCF AWS
1953 Lincoln PBS DAB
7		 10th 3373 [25]
Olds HAR
30		 NWS
22		 CLT
24		 RCH CCS LAN CLB HCY MAR
20		 PMS
4		 RSP
14		 LOU FFS LAN TCS WIL MCF PIF
16		 MOR ATL
14		 RVS LCF DAV HBO
1**		 AWS
18		 PAS
15		 HCY CCS
11		 LAN
7		 BLF WIL
11		 NWS
22		 MAR
24		 ATL
16
Griffin Motors 44 Olds DAR
3
1954 Frank Christian 14 Olds PBS DAB
3		 ATL
7		 OSP OAK NWS
4		 HBO
5		 CCS
5		 LAN WIL 9th 2994 [26]
Elmer Brooks 44 Olds JSP
13		 RSP
22		 CLT GAR CLB
1*		 LND HCY MCF WGS PIF AWS SFS GRS MOR OAK CLT SAN COR DAR
2*		 CCS CLT LAN MAS MAR NWS
Carmen Amica 21 Olds MAR
3		 SHA
1955 Raymond Parks 99 Olds TCS PBS JSP DAB
4		 OSP
11		 CLB HBO NWS
3		 MGY
4		 LAN CLT HCY ASF TUS MAR RCH NCF FOR LIN MCF FON AIR CLT PIF CLB AWS MOR ALS NYF SAN CLT FOR MAS RSP 34th 1120 [27]
Schwam Motors Ford DAR
58		 MGY LAN RSP
35		 GPS NWS
20		 HBO
2
95 MAS
36		 CLB MAR LVP
1956 99 HCY
2		 CLT
7		 WSS PBS
16		 ASF DAB
52		 PBS
20		 WIL ATL NWS LAN RCH CLB
17		 CON GPS
2		 HCY HBO
26		 MAR LIN CLT
18		 POR EUR NYF MER MAS CLT
2		 MCF POR AWS RSP PIF CSF CHI CCF MGY OKL DAR
1*		 CSH CLT LAN POR CLB HBO NWP CLT CCF 20th 2580 [28]
DePaolo Engineering 26 Ford ROA
24		 OBS SAN NOR PIF MYB POR MAR
28		 HCY WIL
1957 C22 WSS CON
21		 TIC
2		 22nd 2356 [29]
99 DAB
7		 CON
18		 WIL HBO AWS NWS LAN CLT PIF GBF POR CCF RCH MAR POR EUR LIN LCS ASP NWP CLB CPS PIF JAC
Holman-Moody 26 Ford RSP
14		 CLT MAS
10		 POR HCY
22		 NOR LCS GLN KPC LIN OBS MYB
Smokey Yunick 31 Ford DAR
11		 NYF AWS CSF SCF LAN CLB CCF CLT MAR NBR CON NWS
Bob Welborn 49 Chevy GBF
23
1958 Holman-Moody 26 Ford FAY DAB
2		 ATL
1*		 CLT
1**		 MAR
6		 ODS OBS STR
5		 NWS
7		 BGS TRN
12		 RSD CLB NBS REF LIN DAR
33		 CLT BIR CSF GAF RCH HBO SAS MAR NWS ATL 20th 2856 [30]
21 CON
2*		 FAY
1*		 WIL
13*		 HBO
5
126 FAY
4		 CLB PIF
2 GPS
19		 GBF
John Whitford 98 Ford HCY
24		 AWS RSP
19		 MCC SLS TOR BUF MCF BEL BRR CLB NSV AWS
Wood Brothers Racing 21 Ford BGS
22		 MBS
1959 Doc White 41 Ford FAY DAY
29		 DAY
13		 HBO
1*		 CON
1*		 ATL WIL
2*		 BGS
22		 24th 2088 [31]
Carl Rupert 59 Ford CLB
15		 NWS
11		 REF HCY MAR TRN CLT NSV ASP PIF GPS
W. J. Ridgeway 22 Chevy ATL
4		 CLB WIL RCH BGS AWS DAY HEI CLT MBS CLT NSV AWS BGS GPS CLB DAR HCY RCH CSF HBO MAR AWS NWS
Frank Hayworth 75 Ford CON
24
1960 Holman-Moody 26 Ford CLT CLB DAY DAY
31		 DAY
7		 CLT NWS PHO CLB MAR HCY WIL BGS GPS
16*		 AWS DAR CLT
39		 BGS DAY HEI MAB MBS CLT
32		 RCH ATL 36th 3300 [32]
W. J. Ridgeway 77 Ford PIF
21
Wood Brothers Racing 21 Ford HBO
17		 RCH HMS
Beau Morgan 15 Ford ATL
22		 BIR NSV AWS PIF CLB SBO BGS DAR HCY CSF GSP HBO MAR NWS
1961 Wood Brothers Racing 21 Ford CLT JSP DAY DAY
26		 DAY
55		 PIF AWS HMS ATL
20		 GPS HBO BGS MAR NWS
14		 CLB DAR
2		 CLT CLT
11*		 RSD ASP CLT
44		 PIF BIR GPS BGS NOR HAS STR DAY ATL CLB MBS BRI NSV BGS AWS RCH SBO DAR HCY RCH CSF ATL MAR NWS CLT BRI GPS HBO NA - [33]
Rex Lovette Pontiac HCY
10		 RCH MAR
1965 Petty Enterprises 43 Plymouth RSD DAY DAY DAY PIF AWS RCH HBO ATL GPS NWS MAR CLB BRI DAR LGY BGS HCY CLT CCF ASH HAR NSV BIR ATL GPS MBS VAL DAY ODS OBS ISP GLN BRI NSV CCF AWS SMR PIF
DNQ		 AUG CLB DTS BLV BGS 39th 5542 [34]
Sam Fletcher 14 Plymouth DAR
35
Junior Johnson & Associates 2 Ford HCY
22		 LIN ODS RCH
36
Wood Brothers Racing 47 Ford MAR
31		 NWS
5		 CLT
3		 HBO
41 CAR
1*		 DTS
1966 AUG RSD
4		 DAY
11		 DAY DAY
25		 CAR
18		 BRI ATL
13		 HCY
2		 CLB GPS BGS NWS MAR 24th 12266 [35]
Smokey Yunick 22 Chevy DAR
25		 LGY MGR MON RCH
23
Betty Lilly 24 Ford CLT
41		 DTS ASH PIF SMR AWS BLV GPS
Smokey Yunick 13 Chevy DAY
4		 ODS BRR OXF FON ISP ATL
24		 CLT
36		 CAR
34
Toy Bolton 47 Chevy BRI
30		 SMR NSV AWS
30		 BLV RCH
4		 HBO MAR
31		 NWS
6
Junior Johnson & Associates 26 Ford CLB
3*		 BGS
17		 DAR
14		 HCY
1967 Bill Stroppe 15 Mercury AUG RSD
37		 71st 1602 [36]
Yunick-Rich Racing 13 Chevy DAY
28		 DAY DAY
25		 AWS BRI GPS BGS ATL CLB HCY NWS MAR SVH RCH DAR BLV LGY
Turkey Minton 74 Chevy CLT
DNQ		 ASH MGR SMR BIR CAR GPS MGY DAY TRN OXF FDA ISP BRI SMR NSV ATL BGS CLB SVH DAR HCY RCH BLV HBO MAR NWS CLT
34		 CAR AWS
1968 Friedkin Enterprises 14 Plymouth MGR MGY RSD DAY BRI RCH ATL HCY GPS CLB NWS MAR AUG AWS DAR
15		 BLV LGY CLT
9		 ASH MGR
6		 SMR
4		 BIR CAR GPS DAY ISP OXF FDA TRN BRI SMR NSV ATL CLB BGS AWS SBO LGY DAR
6		 HCY RCH BLV 71st 1602 [37]
15 HBO
13		 MAR NWS AUG CLT CAR JFC
Daytona 500
Year Team Manufacturer Start Finish
1959 Doc White Ford 43 13
1960 Holman-Moody Ford 53 7
1961 Wood Brothers Racing Ford 33 55
1966 Wood Brothers Racing Ford 21 25
1967 Yunick-Rich Racing Chevrolet 1 25
gollark: So like RCEoR?
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gollark: <@160279332454006795> Skynet is not less secure. It just does fewer false secure-looking things.
gollark: Also wait for zen 2.
gollark: That one.

See also

References
  1. Competition Press, December 31, 1959, Page 4 (picture), Page 8 (report).
  2. Curtis Turner at the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America
  3. Augusta Chronicle, August 11, 1961, Page 13.
  4. The Washington Post, Times Herald, August 23, 1961, Page D9.
  5. Augusta Chronicle, October 25, 1961, Page 8.
  6. Augusta Chronicle, October 23, 1961, Page 7.
  7. Springfield Union, Sept 13, 1961, Page 27.
  8. Augusta Chronicle, October 23, 1961, Page 6.
  9. "Curtis Turner Indianapolis 1963". http://racersreunion.com/. Retrieved 11 May 2020. External link in |website= (help)
  10. Plain Dealer, January 20, 1964, Page 32.
  11. Dallas Morning News, July 3, 1964, Section 2, Page 3.
  12. Competition Press and Autoweek, August 28, 1965, Page 8.
  13. Competition Press and Autoweek, January 15, 1966, Pages 1, 11.
  14. Oregonian, Nov 1, 1965, Page 43.
  15. Springfield Union, April 16, 1966, Page 34.
  16. Augusta Chronicle, April 27, 1966, Section A, Page 6.
  17. New York Times, October 6, 1970, Page 50.
  18. Greensboro Record, October 5, 1970, Page 34.
  19. "Flamboyant Curtis Turner Was A Track Showman". Asheville Citizen. AP. October 6, 1970. Retrieved January 17, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. "Virginia Department of Historic Resources, 12 New State Historical Highway Markers Approved". dhr.virginia.gov. Retrieved 8 February 2018.
  21. "Curtis Turner – 1949 NASCAR Strictly Stock Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved May 29, 2019.
  22. "Curtis Turner – 1950 NASCAR Grand National Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved May 29, 2019.
  23. "Curtis Turner – 1951 NASCAR Grand National Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved May 29, 2019.
  24. "Curtis Turner – 1952 NASCAR Grand National Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved May 29, 2019.
  25. "Curtis Turner – 1953 NASCAR Grand National Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved May 29, 2019.
  26. "Curtis Turner – 1954 NASCAR Grand National Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved May 29, 2019.
  27. "Curtis Turner – 1955 NASCAR Grand National Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved May 29, 2019.
  28. "Curtis Turner – 1956 NASCAR Grand National Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved May 29, 2019.
  29. "Curtis Turner – 1957 NASCAR Grand National Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved May 29, 2019.
  30. "Curtis Turner – 1958 NASCAR Grand National Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved May 29, 2019.
  31. "Curtis Turner – 1959 NASCAR Grand National Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved May 29, 2019.
  32. "Curtis Turner – 1960 NASCAR Grand National Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved May 29, 2019.
  33. "Curtis Turner – 1961 NASCAR Grand National Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved May 29, 2019.
  34. "Curtis Turner – 1965 NASCAR Grand National Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved May 29, 2019.
  35. "Curtis Turner – 1966 NASCAR Grand National Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved May 29, 2019.
  36. "Curtis Turner – 1967 NASCAR Grand National Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved May 29, 2019.
  37. "Curtis Turner – 1968 NASCAR Grand National Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved May 29, 2019.
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