Joyce Wagner
In Motion Staff Writer
Race fans flocked to the Speedway recently to watch their favorite drivers compete. How did racing at Daytona get to be such a huge draw? Hoppin’ Rattlesnakes, a documentary of the history of NASCAR, the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, was presented by the Halifax Historical Society showing how it all began. Using footage from the original races held on the beach, the history from 1903-1958 was skillfully put together with interviews and commentaries.
Photo By: Photos by Lance Rothwell/In Motion
In attendance at the screening were some of the retired drivers, pit-crew and family members of racers who had told their stories for the locally produced film.
Vicki Wood, 94, the first female driver for NASCAR shared her experiences. Not interested in ‘Powder-puff Racing’, she instead yearned to “race with the boys.” Her husband jokingly arranged for her first race. She finished 9th out of ten cars running. She went on to win her 2nd race. She holds the record of 150.375 mph for one-way stock car speed, which she set in 1960, a record that stands to this day. “When I drove 150 mph on the sand, that was the biggest thrill of my life,” said Wood. Even though she had an encounter with the law once, she said, “My motto was always – speed is for the track, not the highway,” adding that he didn’t give her a ticket. She also wanted to meet Danica Patrick, another racing pioneer. She got her wish in February.
NASCAR Hall of Fame Historian, Buzz McKim said, “If you want to live a long, happy life, get involved in racing. Racing keeps you young.”
A lot of ‘firsts’ took place, some of which still hold records. Alexander Winton was the winner of the first sanctioned race on March 28, 1903. William K.Vanderbilt II, a wealthy yachtsman and racing enthusiast wanted to break 90 mph. He did so in 1904, driving a Mercedes at the Daytona Beach Road Course, setting a new land speed record of 92.2 mph. More than seven land speed records were eventually broken.
Considered a mechanical genius, Frank Lockhart won Indianapolis as a rookie. Although he could barely read or write, he could build cars and engines skillfully. He died at the age of 25 when his car flipped because of a tire blowout.
Driving a home-made car, Sig Haugdahl broke the 180 mph record with 180.27 mph, but it was not officially recognized since it occurred at a non-sanctioned event and was not timed by the American Automobile Association.
Wendell Scott was the first black driver certified by NASCAR. He had a shoe-string budget and raced in hand-me-down cars. He was also his own mechanic and often relied on his sons to work as his pit crew.
Completing 240 of the scheduled 250 miles, or 75 out of 78 laps, Milt Marion was declared the winner of the first stock car race on March 8, 1936. That ruling was contested then and continues to raise speculation. Bill France finished 5th. Out of the 27 cars that started that race, only ten were still running at the end which was called early due to rising tides. The remaining cars had gotten stuck in the deeply rutted soft sand at the turns. Marl, a mixture of sand and limestone was later used to stabilize the driving path. The city reportedly lost $22,000 on the event.
France started as a service station owner/ operator. He raced in several races, placing first in a couple of them. Racing was suspended from 1942 – 1945 because of WWII. After the war was over, France devoted his time to promoting racing instead of driving. In December of 1947, NASCAR was born. They held the first sanctioned race February 1948.
In an effort to keep spectators out of the grass, signs were posted warning people of rattlesnakes, which was the inspiration for the title of the documentary.
Known for being safety conscience, NASCAR mandated the use of seat belts and helmets. In the ‘30s, driver “Mad” Marion McDonald used a rope as a seat belt and taped a knife to the dashboard in case he needed to cut the rope in an emergency. NASCAR put regulations in place for the safety of the drivers and spectators and has continued to make improvements ever since.
The film is a permanent exhibit at the Halifax Historical Museum in Daytona Beach.