NASCAR’s Forgotten Tragedy: Joe Weatherly 

Little Joe was my uncle Curtis' teammate for some time and his best friend in racing. Joe was gregarious and always had time for a young fellow who'd been bitten by the racing bug. In the early 1960s, I spent many hours at Curtis' big house on Freedom Drive in Charlotte listening to the tall tales these guys told about racing in the 1950s and Joe's exploits racing Harleys. He introduced me to Ralph Moody, and I wound up working at Holman & Moody for several years. He was funny and always had a good word, and he LOVED to party. Plus, he was the last NASCAR driver to win a championship employing more than one make of car in that year. He died at 42, but he did more living in those years than most 90-year olds. A great driver and an absolute magician on dirt...

Nobody used a window net in 1964. The window net didn't come about until 1970.

Bud Moore is a true American hero, back when men were men and America was strong because of men like Bud Moore.

No one who was around 60 years ago has forgotten Weatherly’s tragic end. It’s most fair to say that many NASCAR fans of today, or even if the last 20, maybe even 30 years, have never heard about Weatherly because they’ve never been told or learned of it on their own. It’s the way time is for most things, sadly.

This has not been forgotten.

Nothing "forgotten" about this tragedy, by those of us who were around then & remember it well.

Great video. Joe Weatherly drove a couple of races for my grandfather back in 51-52 in what would be a modified today. In the Norfolk area. So cool to learn more about him

My personal favorite story about Weatherly comes from the race at Wilson Speedway in 1960. Emanuel Zervakis was flagged as the winner, but Joe told the inspectors to check his fuel tank. Sure enough, it was oversized, Zervakis was disqualified and Weatherly was given the victory. When asked by a reporter a couple years later how he'd known his tank was illegal, Weatherly replied "because I was running the same tank he was"! Btw, if you think Weatherly's list of car owners looks crazy, check out Tiny Lund's sometime.

History worth remembering.

A job well done‼️ We cannot forget the founding fathers of stock car racing, and I consider Joe to be one of them‼️ They really were daredevils, weren't they?!🇺🇸🏁

I sat with my parents in the Joe Weatherly section from 1970 - to the end of the original stands being torn down and replaced.

Addendum: My old friend Frank Gillman sponsored Joe's Pontiacs in 1961/2. Frank was a hard-nosed businessman and a VERY successful dealer. His description of Little Jo, "He was one crazy son of a bitch, and he could really put it away." Frank was NOT an easy man to impress.

Thank You ! ! ! ! ! fantastic reporting.

Great video and content. Thanks.

I should mention that he got that scar on his face in a motorcycle race...back when motorcycle racers wore open-face helmets. (Still that was an improvement over the leather helmets they wore a generation earlier.)

It wasn't that Joe didn't elect to use a window net or not....fact is they weren't invented until 1970 after Richard Petty had his crazy crash at Darlington.

Great Story!!!!!!!

Two great drivers well known as jokesters off the track, and both known as “the Clown Prince of Racing”, one in NASCAR, the other in Indy Cars, both killed in crashes in 1964: Joe Weatherly and Eddie Sachs.

I Like Riverside International Raceway In Riverside California From The 70s 80s And Early 90s In My Opinion NASCAR History Road Course

Joe Weatherly was one of the best drivers in the pioneer era. He’s a bit underrated imo. It’s a shame that this happened to him, if he didn’t die he probably could have won another championship or 2

Bro after you said “he died instantly” i got a Chevrolet truck ad no way 😭

When you ran Big Blocks and no stupid Stages. Ran a 55 Bel Air Dirt stock car. No power steering. 🇺🇸🏁

The first time I ever went to Riverside Raceway was in 1980. If Riverside Raceway was out in the middle of nowhere back then it must have been waaaay out in the middle of nowhere back in 1964.

Great Story

I've always heard that Joe Weatherly was from Newport News.

Joe Weatherly Museum Darlington SC When the AH at nascar opened its commercial purpose Museum it robed the good stuff i think its now closed

Forgotten? It was national news when this great driver died. What was pathetic about this race concerned the brakes on the cars. The brakes were totally inadequate on most of the cars. His crash was similar to the John Nemecheck crash.

4:14 - There has been a car owner named Worth McMillion?!?!?!?!

I Remember When the TRUCK SIRES WAS, even when ""TWO BROTHERS OUT OF WISCONSIN WITH "" JEEP PICKUP TRUCKS ."" We're Beating " FORD, CHEVROLET, CHRYSLER HAD BIGGER OUTERS SACHING THEIR HEADS😮😮😂😂😅😅!!!!

Riverside isn't in the desert.

They were actually Men ! Now we’re filled with Punk’s who can drive but have No Backbone! That left in 2001 ! If lm wrong, please give me an Example!