The Charlotte News from Charlotte, North Carolina • 3

3LT Pit3Aqrdtvba1o3Nttin1Niuvbabat mmwv nm WrIMPORM 011111NAM1304 Amafoi '40m 640-om "1' 1' INIi2 1 m71 ii t-Nt tt 2 if ri) II (-4 :0 1 1) 0 to Curtis Turner's Dream Becomes Reality ts C) or Daytona 5poedway 'Daytona Beech Fla) 13 tS or Daytona Speedway (Daytona Beach Fla) 13 (He Hopes) May 29 0 usiness Boon By MAX News Sports Writer A dozen miles north of Char loges Independence Square lies 551acre tract of land from which Charlotte Motor Speed way must rise before Ilay 29 if an advertised 600-mile stock car race is to be run I that dale Since its idea by local timber executive-racing star Curtis Turner Charlotte Motor Speedway has been a subject of much controversy Turner and Bruton Smith the Speedway's vice-president and general manager fancy it a sparkling million-dollar-plus al lion dclegates in Charlotte last year counting groups of 50 or more was Q820 according to Chamber statistics 'P 70 Iv 'xg SATURDAY MARCH 26 1960-3-A 4it I rf4 At'4 i -T4 pt 1074 -F O' Listening Post '11tYc021vt' -e- 44: i 7 Ps: tr -z44430 0- 1: mg i 'Y '4' '000' 4 It 0 '001 4 4 '40 00 00 0 400 ''sr0 'z0i: :::5:: :1 4r it 11 t1 ri40 T4 eAL14'0 4 Vi 4Z 'f '-i i AlimAk 4 4 4 Igo 4 Tsics 4 iltA -4 1A: A 4 s- tigiti 404701te: "4" 4t411 44-I4 7 4t 4 A '104 -4 i'" I (774 1:: 4 -7 '0 'II At 4 Ifr 4' 'kV '1 '4 4 1 1 T71 11'-: s4j r' i II 15 tt 4: i4 1T64' '4 A s- 5Nflt 0 i-x-1 47- '4 41 'I P' ''''4 'i''''''''i 4 Is i k4A 'ts- 91 Ac''- -01s L''''I 74 ii' A0- 14 44 (4kle A l'''' "1 4- 4 44v it --0 :4 5:: 1 kv'k -kl 1 9piL 4A ki 07: f' 1 14t A kN 1 1 31 1: 1 44 ''r tV4 i cLk? l'gl 4 1 '1' i 'PC 1 itt r'''' 4 kfl jef)r $0' 0 i': t' iokrercs A i' 0 It ei :) --ori4 s' lit $th ic: 't" iA': 0 "r-4 's" r4 I 1r'- i 5 ttr'2efV 44'0'' 4 '11-41: 4't 1 i' '4rd x' 4 )L 4 1ItkoA It id 1 fo 7300 'A 21t4 't4t'Vir 14 C'''''9 149 i 040Z 4 OP! 'r' A tt4 -4'r Nt 4' 4 li c'' :4 5 At4 A lq 'CN IN ''IirJ4f NIT i lleV 1 iiA 0 1 Aiik-' '13 ne' '1 'Abe oAtiArill '9'4 $6a4 0 00 -4e k' SECRET: Plans for the controversial education center are ready for presentation to the County Commission at a secret meeting The meeting will be held late next week The session has already been postponed several times RADIO: The manager of a top local radio station will quit He'll go to a large station in another city with a better deal The move will surprise the local radio-television industry Like Now 0 "if others bold Lip their end veil make it" Over Munn in working capital was made available to the Speedway in a sale of pre-in corporation stock Short term loans made 'nosily by Speedway ofticials and directors hake provided an additional $165000 Ai a December of stockholders (of which there are more than 14001 an issue of 30t230 additional shares was old to he priced at not less than $2 per share A registration statement for this issue has been filed with the Federal Securities and Exchange Commission ALTHOUGH Speedway offi dais feel approval of the issue be granted shortly Turner says he is making arrangements for a loan as a security measure "We may not be able to dress up the track the way we mould like to" Turner concludes "but ve have cry reason to believe that vie will run our race" that is the only way we would have it" Indeed all would SCCITI in readiness except the track itself Tickets tor the 600 which will pay an unprecedented W0- 009 purse have been on sale for weeks A program is in the works Key man in the construction job is Owen Howe II I company Owen Howe Sons has the grading contract and completion of the track hinges on how fast his MildlineS move dirt hc next few weeks Howe does not deny that the project is a monumental one "If this had been a state or federal job they would have allowed two years to complete it he says "We got four moot Its 'This is the biggest grading job to he undertaken in North Carolina in several years Its bigger than any job for SeVeral stales around We have 45 pieces of heavy equipment running right now and none smaller than a bulldozer "MY MEN ARE working two II and one-half hour shifts day and night You could have blindfolded me and dropped me in Buncombe County tin mountainous western and I could have picked an easier spot to build a race track Of course as far as handling spec' tators is concerned this is the hest spot in the state" says lime ecording to Home the mud) died appearance of the track site is deceiving "Eighty per cent of my work is done" he says "niggest rcmaining job is to till in a hole here the backstretch mill lie hut three-quarters of the track is already cut and all but ready for paving "We lost a month in that bad weather siege I can finish my work in less than 30 days however If otivrs hold tin their end and there Are no changes in the plans we'll make it 'I would be very surprised if the race were not run It vould take a streak of unusually had weather" he says Veal her forecasts for the next 30 days call for higher I han avant' precipitation Weather bureau records show that April of 1939 saw 16 days of rain of two inches or more Sixteen days of rain of 27 of an inch or more were recorded in May iCIEfl SAYS there is no fast target date now however Original contracts called for How's on the track an infield tunnel a pit road and four grandstands to he finished by March 31 'If necessary we can work right up to time trials" Dir ner explains "which still leaves around 50 working days" Qualifying time trials rc scheduled at the Speedway May 21 22 25 26 and 27 It is conceivable that the race could be run without 'pal ifying trials pending approval by the Speedway and the tional Assn for Stock Car Auto 1 t0 i i 1 If Charlotte Motor Speedway olficials arc correct in anticipating a crowd of 70000 speckilors for their "World tiOit" inaugural May 291 Queen City businessmen figure to profit by more than a million dollars In an effort to approximate how many 'extra dollars" might be lured into Charlotte cotters by "World 6u0" tans Chamber of Commerce Public liclations Chairman Sherwood Canada referred to a survey of I nternational convention burea US -Fans drawn to Charlotte by this race could be most closely compared to convention dolegdes" Canada explained "and our survey figures show that a CI) nvention delegate spends an average of $3019 a day in his COnVentiOn cii Ilruton Smith Charlotte Motor Speedway general manager says Speedway officials are anticipating a crowd of "at least 70000 lor their May 29th 600 mile race -ProNdily half of these will hc out-ol-lowners" says Smith "We no figures on which we may base an estimate of the number of out fans to expect but we think probably hall or more will come from outside Charlotte" he explains Should the anticipated 70000 turn out it vould mean $11Xtl 150 in "tourist money" for Charlotte merchants lassuming hall or 35000 were according to the Chambers figures However qualifying time trials for the race have been announced for May 21 22 25 26 27 which means that many fans will likely be drawn for a nine-clay period Each out-of-town fan kvlin makes a nine-day affair of attending the "World 600" vould represent $27621 to local merchants Darlington So Raceway whose 'Southern 500" is a similar event says several thousand new faces populate the Darlington area for at least a week at race time Should the 70000 gate malerialize it would be a larger figure than the total number of delegates to attend major con' cntions in Charlotte during 1959 The total number of conven ttxttt AuWoolonamoo01 IL '14L 001- "I' '4'' Completed PMIS For lb 4 7' "7 A 44:1 TT hipkr2412050 MERGER: There is merger talk between a local insurance company and an outside insurance company operating in North Carolina It will be a big deal if the Charlotte-founded Tar Heel firm agrees Here's What It 11411 1 iI nction the 1Vorkt 600 Second hic'zest contractor inolved in the construction is McDevitt Street which will pour concrete for the infield tunnel grandstands and it The pourinz of the infield tunnel began Thursday with the main grandstand the next most likely project IF ALI Fo UR stands (Ford General Motors Chrysler and East are to he readied hy race day 76000 lineal feet of concrete must he poure Speedway officials say they haNe heen told this can he done at the rate of 2000 feet every 10 hours with night-and-day work anticipated here also The paving contract has nnt yet been let hut Smith says this is of minor consequence "All the asphalt necessary can be poured in two weeks" he reports It is apparent that several sacrifices may be made in order to have the track in racing condition by May 29 and that )14 0 )1 R-: 4 It 4 It l' 41v141 64-0 Ot 4 a 7 0 I Aqv 0 AVolA i :54 7 ti 0 to 0 1 4 0: Largrst roup was the Ichovahls Witnesses convenlion which drew more than 8- ono The Track Looks the Speedway Is ready to make them Howe points out that a section of the infield containing a large amount of rock may be allowed to stand as is if necesary A large amount of pit gravrt has been found in the infield also and it at present covers an estimated In acres It is possible that these 10 acres will he the only part of the lwacre infield suitable for spectators SHOULD ANY part of the grandstands he sacrificed for lack of time it would probably he the East stand This would leave a total grandstand scat tog of 3041 With the East stand grandstand seating would be 47000 If there is critical point it is the financing of such accelerated schedules as are necessary says his agreement calls for the Speedway to pay for SO per cent of the lk (Irk as it Is done It is this agreement he has in mind when he says 4s' 'ff i A CURTIS TURNER vets BRUTON SMITH fair which will embody the superlative in automobile racing veritable Indianapolis of the South But before this dream can become fact he fore the first "World 600" can hP staged an enormous bog of dirt and rock must be transformed into a mile and onehalf asphalt rare course flanked by four grandstands It is here that the major point of controversy is rooted can it he convicted in time? President Turner is highly optimistic: "We'll have the race if I have to go out and buy the equipment to finish the job The track might not be as pretty as we want it but well run May 29" TO FURTHER his point Till- tier adds "All the contractors ha been most cooperative Manufacturers have put more money on this race than they ever have at Darlinton clopittrNwpftit '-g' tf? 4' -44 14 ''I''' --'11- -ow I 4 it E' 2 :4:4 'vf-i'' k6 4 1 Ikek KItt lit 1044' rtvlp 4 i44: 4--747114403y 1111' JN it Itioioi L00 Irl 1'44' 5 A qt 1 ItitiO 0 t' 7'41' VS: :4 4 '''4: tt 44k710: VItt(Arnr wr 4' '4' x' 7 o) I i- 9r- 4 -43' A 3 t- 0'" W4 mittOINOMOOKIng'' ifStO''' e0'' 14 4 4 411118(A0404004441044440 dt 11011' de 001 404-444s 4 ors' ssitsipswAssoisoossassss46s4sosas' AIRLINES: Several airlines operating at Douglas Municipal Airport are willing to sit down and talk money with the city meaning they are willing to pay more dough for landing rights and office space ss tss sosss 414p 't a ff ss ssts itttatt Att ttivo I Nt 4 is 04 4 tOtt tkt te 4 1 I 44--' 5:54 4' Oft 'At tt tt St St Nk 7''': 0 or 7 $0 A i tic -471-4 iIte vv 14 n9P7i11i 0eyit-s044 44 A ow I INDUSTRY: Chances are good that the city's newest industry the distribution facility to be built by the Putnam will be much larger than most suspected An official of the company says We didn't buy 19 acres for nothing: And Here's What It'll Look Like When It's I He Risks Life As Fireman No Pay a BY JOHN 10160 Nevis Staff Writer 'I've been in the Hill trent since it started in 1952" said depart Woods 41Vc'e never been short of men on a night call ct" They say Andy Woods is a typical volunteer fireman in a county that has 22 active departments ''One of the by laws is that we have to pay our membership fee to the de partment just like other folks' Woods said 1 The night was cold that was falling outside night for sleeping It was 2 am and was sleeping soundly in in the Mint Hill section I and the soft rain made it a good Andy Woods 41 his modest house of Mecklenburg 'I like the idea of hying able to help other people One thing I really like is the leamork We work together and try to help each other That makes a man feel good" When Woods gets a fire call he ttally goes in his own car This means he uses his own gas If he owns any fire fightirr4 equipment he bou2h1 it tith his own money': NDY 1VOODS auto body repairman became a fireman So did forty other men in the Mint 11111 section The Mint Hill Volunteer Dept put the fire but and the 41 firemen went home For their efforts the men received no pay 'But got a little something more" said Andy Woods "We got the satisfaction of knowing we helped somebody who was in trouble" Why does a man become a VOILMtecr fireman? Ile risks his life receives no pay and is called on at all hours night and day Folks inMint lI11 Vill tell you that Andy Woods is a typical volunteer -711111111 1- 1 fy 140 i 11 i g'i-6 fl 'i 1 414'" c4t) ry 4' 'd'4' tOst it Yii1' 1 441i 4 41 i It 4r :) Iv 4 AP40 il 'qt! 1' I 4 a' I 11 4 5:3 1 A od 4 l' 44' '4' 74 criel 4 I 4 6 4t'' :1 i if i 1 4 4: i' Iv i'l '41 1- 44' 44 Kii404e -41 411 Our Man In The News ITS IMPOSSIBLE to tell how much the men like Andy Woods have meant to Mecklenburg County Police Chief Joe Whitley sums it up with one word: Invaluable" It's funny" Woods says "but once a man gets in a vol unteer unit he sticks it out I guess it just gets in a man's blood I'll tell you one thing I'll be a volunteer fireman as long as I live and the volunteers will be working long after I'm gone" Woods is an auto body repairman by day and he works hard The phone rang out on this night and shook Woods nut of bed 'We've got a fire" the voice said Woods put on his clothes jumped in his car and hurried to answer the call 'it'r ir NoT any different" 'Worlds Fdys -the other fellows have to do the same thin Nvorth it thouzh In see a II those men turn out in bad Nveather in the middle of the nipht because thcy to help wooDs DIDN'T WANT to bp ingicri out because all of the fellows do as much as I do" o'.