Johnny Coy... Born ... ( His real name was John Barbaro) Coy raced everything from jalopies to modifieds, but it was in the midgets where he excelled. He started running midgets in the late '40's at Freeport. He drifted out to Oklahoma where they ran 6 nights a week. Returning to Long Island in the '50's he jumped into the stocks and ran both. He ran NASCAR Grand Nationals at Langhorne in 1957 , beating Buck Baker and the Keikhafer crew in his own "ill prepared" Chrysler 300. Coy passed his drivers test at Indianapolis in 1962, but the car broke during a qualifying run. He continued driving midgets with ARDC and TQ's with ATQMRA until arthritis got the best of his hands in 1984 and helped his two sons ARDC and NEMA Champion Joey Coy and Johnny Coy Jr.
1944
Bill Vukovich Jr. ... Born ... A former driver in the championship car division of USAC and CART Championship Car series.
He was named the 1968 Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year, a result of his 7th place finish. Vukovich raced in the 1965-1982 seasons, with 158 combined career starts, including the Indianapolis 500 in 1968-1977, 1979-1980. He finished in the top ten 85 times, with one victory in 1973 at Brooklyn. He also had 23 National midget car victories in his career, and drove for part of his career in Christopher J.C. Agajanian's midget car.
He was inducted in the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 1998. Bill Jr. is the son of 2-time Indy 500 Winner, Bill Vukovich and the father of Bill Vukovich III, both of whom were killed in racing accidents.
1946
Charles Glenn Howard... Died ... AAA driver from the 1920's.
1953
Herb Thomas took the lead from Dick Rathmann with 18 laps to go and went on to win the 125 mile NASCAR Grand National race on the .625 mile dirt North Wilkesboro Speedway (North Wilkesboro, North Carolina). Thomas and Rathmann both drove Hudson Hornets.
1954
Chip Robinson... Born ... A retired race car driver. He drove in the IMSA Camel GT series and won the 1987 24 Hours of Daytona (with Al Holbert, Derek Bell, and Al Unser, Jr. in a Porsche) and the 1989 12 Hours of Sebring (with Arie Luyendyk and Geoff Brabham) in a Nissan. He made 5 CART starts in 1986 and 1987 with a best finish of 6th at the 1987 Long Beach Grand Prix. Chip Robinson was invited to the International Race of Champions in 1988. During this time his best finish was second place, at Riverside International Raceway.
1959
Junior Johnson drove his Ford past Curtis Turner on the 177th lap and went on to take the checkered 3 seconds ahead of Turner's T-Bird in the 100 mile NASCAR GN race on the 1/2 mile dirt Wilson Speedway (Wilson, North Carolina). Before the race, the wooden main grandstand caught fire and burned to the ground. There were no injuries, but time trials were cancelled.
1961
Doug Heveron... Born ... An American race car driver from Liverpool, New York. He has driven supermodifieds, modifieds, Indy cars, NASCAR Winston Cup cars, NASCAR Busch Grand National cars, sprint cars, late models and midgets.
1970
Bobby Allison made up a lap with 10 laps to go and beat Cale Yarborough to win the NASCAR GN 'Atlanta 500'. Leader Yarborough was pulling away from second running Donnie Allison when he pitted the Wood Brothers Mercury for the final time with 10 laps left. As Yarborough stopped, D.Allison blew his motor, bringing out a yellow. Bobby was able to make up a lap and pit the Mario Rossi Dodge under yellow, taking on new tires. Bobby took the checkered 50 feet ahead of Yarborough.
1981
Darrell Waltrip won the 500 lap NASCAR GN race on the high banked .533 mile Bristol International Raceway. Waltrip "bumped" leader Dale Earnhardt on lap 118, sending Earnhardt into the wall and out of the race. Ricky Rudd was second, 2.5 seconds behind Waltrip's Junior Johnson Buick.
1987
Dale Earnhardt wins the TranSouth 500 over Bill Elliott at the Darlington Raceway , Darlington, SC.
1992
Bill Elliott wins the TranSouth 500 over Harry Gant at the Darlington Raceway , Darlington, SC.
1998
Jeff Gordon wins the Food City 500 over Terry Labonte at the Bristol Motor Speedway , Bristol, TN.
2006
Bob Veith... Died ... AAA and USAC driver. Ran the Championship Car series, racing from 1955 to 1968 with 63 starts. He finished in the top ten 37 times, with a best finish of 2nd twice, both in 1958. Veith qualified for his first Indianapolis 500 in 1956, finishing 7th that year to win the Rookie of the Year award. After another top 10 finish the next year, he qualified 4th in 1958 but was knocked out of the race in a first lap accident that killed Pat O'Connor. He competed in the 500 eight more times, with his last start coming in 1968.
ONE DAY
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