GJT

Yes Nick, thanks much for the site. I just ran across it a few weeks ago. FlatBlack84, yes Jim Culpepper's car was #70. They were best friends, he built my dad's engines for him - 327 Chevys. I have some fantastic black and white photos from the track photographers of them running side by side. I never have gotten to see Jason race. I can't believe I can't remember so many names, they were my childhood heroes - especially the modified and sprint car drivers. I do remember Charlie Bolton.

Thanks Bobby, that is awesome your mom remembers my dad. He ended up being a bit of a contender in the later years, he did things kind of unconventional like having a center mounted huge steering wheel from a bus, his seat straddled the trans hump with the throttle pedal on the right side! His thoughts being the big steering wheel it was less work than the other guys constantly working the smaller wheels and sitting in the center, his view was unobstructed by the roof pillar. Hey it worked for him! Hershal removed the center mount wheel much to the aggravation to my then 11 yr old self! I couldn't remember his name but I very much remember Johnny Huskey's crash on opening day that year. I remember seeing his head fall down between turns 3 and 4 and his car headed straight into the wall. It was horrible, took them forever to get him pulled out of there. I don't remember too many names, I heard Sleepy Nelson passed a few years ago, he was always one of my faves. Jim Culpepper was my dad's best friend and ran there. We still keep in touch, he still lives in Hereford. His son lives in Dallas and has always raced something or another. Great memories. Tim

My Daddy, Stacy Starrett, ran at Arena Park Raceway in the late 60's thru the '70 season, #37 in the stock car class. He was killed in a vehicle accident hauling the car back to our hometown Hereford, Tx after a Saturday night racing in June 1970. Our Mom moved us to Houston later that summer so couldn't keep up with the goings on there. Ahh the memories, Hershal Cook bought his car BTW and ran it the rest of that season.