The Charlotte News from Charlotte, North Carolina • 6

'He Was The Greatest Of Roberts Stuns Racing Max Mulilcman A Mountain Is Gone ic) Curtis Turner (retired from racing) and Fireball "Now 1 in tiie only one left racing "This is pretty rough on everybody although most of us kind of expected it a 'ter we heard yesterday that he had taken a turn for the worse" A rOYT winner of the Indianapolis 500 race in which er who was once stiblemate on the Ford factory team ran with him for a long time and I know (See related story on Page 1-A) hard to say any tiling it's hard to understand We used to have a closely knit group drivers like Joe Weatherly (killed in a crash at Riverside Calif in January) Ralph Moody (now a mechan HANK IZQITERDO Three Safe Hits ris Frlcl technical director for NASCAR from Daytona Roberts who numbered three of the July 4 Daytona races among his many victories died at Memorial Hospital here this morning at 715 of complications resulting from burns received in 600 heie in May the Voitd "HE WAS THE said Marvin Panch a top dnv- wv i Bethea Bombs Red-Hot Hornets Face Cold Cold World On Road Fireball Roberts perhaps the most nearly perfect of all stock car drivers is dead and it is like awaking to find a mountain suddenly gone He was the one to whom it could not happen so skillful so strong so clever and so colorful that it seemed even old age would have a monumental job of removing him from this world The record books bulge with his accomplishments He was the Mickey Mantle the Johnny I'nitas the Bob Cousy of stock car racing To thousands from coast to coast in fact he was stock car racing itself He was greatest where the odds were steepest at the big ones No driver eer won more maior events set more records led more laps or won moie money in stock car premiere events 77ie Measure Of A Driver HE WAS a master craftsman in one of the world's most dangerous professions but he brought such talent and class to it that he seemed bevond the risks that others ran There are drivers who ran harder although precious few but raw speed is not the measure of a racing man Knowing when and how and how much is the intangible that separates the great from the near great on a track and on asphalt ovals on dirt on road courses in any kind of machinery Fireball Roberts was the one who consistently came up with the right answers most often He won races in virtually every kind of American automobile made Manufacturers sought his services eagerly for test work for Roberts could tell them things that were happening at speed that no one else seemed able to detect i By ROWED GREEN 1 i Charlotte New Sportj Editor Those Hornets did it again last night thanks largely to a frolicking freckled little Texan' named Bill Bethea but the party mav be over 1 Riding Bethea's two homers The Charlotte News Death By The News Staff The death of Glenn (Fireball' Roberts hung a pall of sadness over the Daytona Intel national Speedway today where the men who had raced with him and revered him wcie pieparmg to run again in the Fnccracker 400 Saturday "There are a lot of sad faces around here today' gald Nor one of them his second grand-slam in four days the Hornets bombed Chattanooga 10-6 at! Griffith Paik with a pride-1 swelled crowd of 1 125 cheering them on It was their sixth win in seven: games and further solidified their position in fourth place in the Southern League standings pick up his sixth win against three defeats Bethea a leathery little fellow who was hitting below 200 See HORNETS on page 7A THE CRASH THAT TOOK FIREBALL'S LIFE Was His Kind Of Fight IX HIS final race the one that ended at 7 15 a today he did not win but he ran far better than the experts predicted Yesterday about 2 pm doctors did not give him more than six hours He passed the six hours and then staged an incredible rally his fever dropping slightly and color returning to his gaunt cheeks But it was too much to ask even of Fireball Roberts! Infection and pneumonia and the ravages of his terrible burns took him at last His mother an incredibly brave person in her own right said yesterday when told of her son's failing condition matter what happens it has been a good courageous That is precisely what it was the only kind of fight Fireball Roberts ever fought yond the car near the wall with several men around him Junior Johnson's car which tangled with Ned Jarrctt's to trigger the crash sits backward on the track Jarrctt's flaming car is obscured bv the smoke This was the scene seconds after Fireball car crashed and burst into flames on the seventh lap of the World fiOO here in May The straight skid marks leading to the concrete abutment are those of car which is flaming in the foreground Roberts lies be Eddie Sachs and Dave MacDonald wcie killed on Memorial Day said "I didn't know Fueball real well I had met him at two or three races But I know he was a great race driver a real good one "I was hoping he would make it I thought he was mining along good "Racing has lo-t a good man 'Fireball had a lot of will That's about all I can say Its a shock" JOHN HOLMAN of the Holman A Moody racing shop that pi pared the lavendar Foid No 22 in which Robeits was engulfed in flames commented "The spoitmg woild has suffered the loss of a very great competitor certainly miss him going to "I think the doctors and the hospital did a niugntnent job of trying to get him well agan and they apparent'y just lo-t out on the odds I'm sorry be had io go through all the suffering 'Fiieba'J was an ou'stand-ing man Promoter Br-tnn Smith who estimates that Roberts drove as many as 150 races for bam on various tracks around the Carolina called Fireball "one of the bf't attractions racing had He added question he ranks as me of the greatest in worldwide racng circles He was my friend and I had great respect for as a man and as a HENRY A LMCK who buJt the cars raced by Roberts dinrg tee peak of hs career sad "As a drive Borer's was abnit as complicated as the ears he raced He was scarcely human on race days second or thrd was of ah-snlu'ely no m'erest to hm He always aimed for the front ard that is the mark of a great driver" Re: Sal Price tubelass 2305 1153 2455 1223 tubeless' 2430 1215 1305 tubeless 2705 I353 II23 tubeless 2245 NOW THOL'GH they must 'turn their torrid bats on the two' top teams in the league on the road They open a four-game I stand at second place Lynchburg I tonight then move in to chal lenge loop-ltading Birmingham in s- three I It is their biggest trip of the i I season but there is encourage-! ment for their followers in the! I fact that everything the scrap-1 ping Hornets have touched in I this six-game home stand has turned to gold For the half dozen games a they hit 364 as a team They scored a total of 44 runs and 1 snapped off 79 hits Their -squeeze Bunts clicked their base-stealing paid off their hit- 4 and-run plays meshed They made a bushel of niftv 1 unvTnnn aiding PiayS I The pitching was not nearly so 'spectacular but it was generally good 1 Summing up it was the best home stand the Hornets have' 'played in a long long while one is going to be said Manager A1 Evans of the road trip "but if we can I r-1 -tt r- Just maintain some of the mo- DAYTONA BEACH Fa rnentum we've picked up here If two-time Indianapolis 500 win-jat home we should do all ner A Foyt wins the Fire- right" 'cracker 400 this Saturday have to drive faster than he did in the Indy Classic I Foyt won Memorial Day 500 with a record jspeed of 147350 miles per hour in I an Offenhauser-powered roadster i qualifying 'speed was 154672 'mph FOYT THE HORNETS threatened for awhile to leave town on a sour note They fell behind 6-1 in1 the early innings last night as Garland Shifflett normally a con- trol artist had difficulty getting the ball over the plate and gave way to Joe Bomkowski Gporge Miller succeeded Bo-nikowski for the last five innings and gave up only three hits all bunt singles to Have Won Marichal Koufax Are At It Again Ned Jarrell the fellow Ford driver who pulled Roberts away from his burning car after he struggled free of It said in Daytona Bearh "It's such a shock just as if it all happened yesterday He was the most respected NASCAR driver who ever lived He was my idol and the Idol of a lot of other drivers lie had a keen appreciation of Pete Rose's homer in the 10th people who tried to do some-inning made Ellsworth a loser thing for race and no as Cincinnati edged the Cubs telling how 6-3 Farrell was tagged hard but escaped without a defeat as the New York Mets pounded thought might help other driv See MARICHAL on page 8A I crs He was a great Enjoyed Life's Fine Things Perhaps racing's greatest loss however is not Roberts the driver but Roberts the man At pre-race driver meetings no one was more attentive than he especially when safety regulations were discussed He frequently suggested additional measures many of which were obviously of more benefit to others than to himself He had a keen appreciation of life which included good books good music and art in any form He w-as a remarkably able speaker articulate and entertaining and always at ease In the off-season his principal diversions were hunting and fishing He was a close follower of college and professional football and major league baseball having been an outstanding athlete in high school and college himself His keen sense of humor was dampened only in the first hours immediately following a race which he failed to win because of a factor he could not control Then he preferred to be alone until he could get it out of his system Later he would joke about his misfortune It can safely be said that no man gave his profession more of himself than Fireball Roberts He ran only to win and he ran in manner that inspired respect as well as excitement There will never be another like him none By ASSOCIATED TRESS can't Sandy Koufax just shake Juan Marichai Or is it the other way Koufax had his greatest season in 1963 winning 25 games And so did Marichal Now Roufax with seven straight victories has brought his victory total for this season to 11 And so has Marichal Marichal the right handed ace of the National League leading San Francisco Giants got in a little earlier this time becoming the first 11-game winner in a 2-1 day game 1961 Won Firecracker 400 fastest qualifier and winner 0f Southern 500 second in Rebel 300 tourtn in National 400 second in Atlanta 500 won $67320 1964 Second in Rebel 300 second in Bristol 250 won $28345 (Roberts' last victory was scored in late 1963 at Auqusta Ga His earnings from 1960-1964 totaled $217175 He was named Florida "Professional Athlete of the Year" In 1958 He was the only stock car rarer ever to win the "Hickok as athlete the month 1 To oil compact cor owners Charlotte oreo Special prices on new Goodyear blemished tires Check your sixe and price But that's relative slow motion compared to what will be needed for the a race for late model stock cars The pole qualifier is expected to have to better 175 ph And the depending on i how long he will drive under the i caution flag probably will have to average more than 160 mph i In fact late model stocks are getting so fast that Junior John-i son of Ronda says: I they get any faster I won't 'run next year They've just about reached the ragged 1 AND THE 220-pouna Johnson is a driver who is known for one speed in a flat out Many of the 40 drivers ex pected to start the 400 got the The Line Held Many Records Here Are Highlights Of Fireball's Career Quan Size Type 1 BQO-13 Custom hfacK 20 650-13 Custom black 12 600-14 Custom black victory Wednesday over Pittsburgh Koufax the left-handed ace of the eight-place Los Angeles Dodgers followed suit in a 3-2 night game triumph over Philadelphia that dropped the second-place Phillies games behind the Giants Neither had an easy time of it Marichal 11-3 on the season with a 2 38 earned run average was touched for eight hits Koufax 11-4 with a 184 ERA allowed five including a two-run homer by John Caih- A MARICHAL son that provided the Phillies with an early lead KOUFAX HOWEVER had the more impressive statistics leaching still another plateau in strikeouts while continuing his winning streak against the Phillies who have been unable to beat the Dodger dandy since Sept 27 1961 Dowming the Phillies for the eighth straight time including last month's no-hitter Koufax struck out 10 the fifth time this season he has accomplished that feat and the 36th time in his career No 10 this time was Wes Covington No 10 also was No 1600 of career Besides Koufax and Marichal two other pitchers who BOULEVARD PHONE 3325204 16 600-14 Custom Nwhite 2355 1428 18 1 050-14 Custom black tubeless 2610 12 050-14 Custom Nwhite 3065 Billy Sixty Says Be Low At The sketch you see today is made from an action picture of match king Don Carter Few people can get down as far as he does at the foul line but to all beginners we say: "Get down as far as For this reason: By letting the ball swing of its own weight from the push-away to the follow through the momentum of the ball will keep footwork in a straight line and will hold the swing in a constant groove That is the reason for control and strike power that and a little lift of the arm in letting go of the ball that puts hook spin on it I say a little lift because Carter actually applies push as well The arm works somewhat like a piston and what could be more accurate? Of importance though is finishing low at the line For only then will you get lift and spin on the ball Finish too upright at the line the result BravesA Sure ST LOUS The Sporting News said Thursday it has earned "from an unimpeach-ble that the Milwaukee Braves will move to Atlanta in 1965 The copyrighted story by the ba-cball weekly's publisher THE STARS i WEDNESDAY'S STARS 1 By ASSOCIATED PRESS I BATTING Bob Allison Twins drove1 in three runs with two doubles In sev- enrun fourth inning uprising then hit) two-run homer ninth as Minnesota crushed Boston 14-3 i PITCHING Hank Aguirre Tiyrs won his first game since May 17 setting Cleveland down on three hits fori 3-1 Victory 1 The death this morning of Glenn (Fireball) Roberts ended the most successful career ever enjoyed by a stock car feel of the high-banked Daytona driver Here are some of the Speedway track Wednesday highlights: Richard Petty of Randleman N'C was clocked at 175438 miles an hour on one lap in a 1964 Plymouth This was faster than the record qualifying speed of 17191 set in February by Paul Goldsmith of Munster Ind There were indications that speeds will get even higher Several pit crews clocking their men! during practice reported unofficial laps of better than 1 The official track timer clocked the practice laps at random 1 FOYT WAS among those timed at more than 170 PH He toured the high-banked oval in a brand new 1964 Dodge at 171 461 Others were: 173 43 Paschal of High Point 172 744 in a 1964 Dodge and Bobby Isaac of Catawba 1959 Won Firecracker 350 end Rebel 300 fastest qualifier for Daytona 500 and Southern 500 1960 Fastesf qualifier for Daytona 500 World 600 at Charlotte National 400 at Charlotte Rebel 300 At- I lanta 500 and Dixit 400 won Dixit Goldsmith' in a Idfil Pk-mnnth- Ti-n1 6sft qualifier for Day- a 1J64 Ply mourn Jim fona Flcrackr 250 Southern 500 fifth In Firecracker 250 third In Dixit 400 second Southern 500 fifth in Rbel 300 second in World 600 won two Grand Nationals won 1949 Brgsn his racing caraar flmshmq second In race al Jacksonville Fie for best showing 1949 Drove moditieds except for two appearances in late model Olds 89 Wrecked in three consecutive races Finished second in Southern SOO ir Darlington 159 Finished second in NASCAR Grand National point standings 1951-55 Drove mostly in modified races with moderate success W56 Won five Grand Nationals seventh points 1957 Named NASCAR's most pop 151 Fastest qualifier and winner ef Southern 500 too money winner with record $34145 11th in points 700-14 Custom black 8 650-15 Safety black 0PE TIIIRSD1V FRIDAY MCIITS 9 pm (Saturday 'til 5 PJA) CARTER STAYS DOWU AT RELEASE of rushed footwork and you will dump the ball without any spin on it to speak of Always let the arm swing all the way through to finish the arc or the pendulum for accuracy and regulated speed Bet In Atlanta? Johnson Spink said no formal meeting of the National League has been held but the Braves are sure the nine other league clubs will approve the move Atlanta is building an $18 Ilion stadium 1 171 866 in a 1964 Dodge i um pons- I a ii a i 142 Fastest qualifier and winner At st uke in Saturday race is of Daytona soo won Firecracker 250 $11300 in first prize money as ('t qualifier in World 600 end Na- tmnal 400 finish'd second in National well as lO fnr each lap the no fas'est auehfipr for Southern 510 leader heud the pack Total 'n A'an soo f'st qualifier in Dune 400 won thee G-end Na- pill 36 money I5 00000 t-ona's $50 25 ghh pomtj All Prices Plus Tax and Old Tire Off Your Car SERVICE STORES South Tryon ot 5tonewol Store Only ED 3-3116 (Across from Observer-News Building) 2130 SOUTH CHARLOTTE NC.