The Charlotte News du lieu suivant : Charlotte, North Carolina • 9

Wheeler: Speedway's New Dealer Greatest Challenge Huinpy Wheeler hood dream for Wheeler who is in appearance and speech the antithesis of Howard Howard Tough NO ONE REALIZES more than Wheeler the sue of his shoes wear suits and Wheeler said "but there is a lot of Richard Howard in me from a small town (Belmont) I also know the psychology behind the Good Old Boy syndrome as well as anybody else as it pertains to stock car racing "Following Richard I feci something like the guy who succeeded Knute Rockne must have felt and I even know who he was That and implementing the plans and innovations of Smith represent the biggest challenge of my Wheeler who had been out of racing for five years until he joined the speedway staff as development director last August and since he was heavily involved lor six years as racing field manager says strange how the roads have crossed known of Richard Howard for more than 20 he said mother is a super businesswoman If she were 25 now become a millionaire She once owned and ran three general stores in textile nulls bought a refrigerator from store (furniture and appliance in Denver NC) in 1953 She told me met the greatest salesman ever that he was country but he knew what to say to people country boy image was forte at the speedway He made the World 600 and other races a cultural tradition for Piedmont North Carolina This philosophy will continue and hopefully be expounded upon "There is no way Charlotte Motor Speedway will become a Country Club on Madison Ave" To Manage Track THE PATHS OF Wheeler and his new boss Smith the former promoter gotten rich in the automobile business crossed when the former was a kid "My home was located just six miles from old Charlotte Speedway (off Wilkinson Blvd) Bruton was the promoter of the firit race I ever saw rode my bicycle into the woods near the track that day Cotton Owens knocked the fence down in the second turn in time trials I was one of about 25 kids who made it inside the track before the hole was secured From that day I have been bananas about racing was fascinating to me He was the biggest promoter in the state at that time and since then wanted to run a race track I looked up to Wheeler said Wheeler waited patiently for the opportunity "When I quit Firestone 1970 I made up my mind not to get back into racing unless I could manage a major speedway turned down other jobs in racing since and I went to work for the Ervin Company in advertising public relations so that I could learn he said Oh Wheeler has owned and operated a race track He chuckles everytime he thinks about Robinwood Speedway an oval carved in a field near Gastonia in 1961 and where such heroes as Jungle Boy Lane knocked down light poles and ran through outhouses in their unwieldy jalopies the time there was only one track running weekly shows within a 60-mile radius of Gastonia and I firmly believe it helped bring weekly racing back to the area It was successful but I made one mistake It was located too close to Gaston Country Club The track not the country club had to Wheeler said BIG PLANS ARE in store for the speedway will be some firsts in auto racing here I mean just races but facilities as well track needs to be tougher redesigned in the third and fourth turns had five Grand National drivers consulted tell me I look at a race track as I do a golf course There are some easy We want one here and we want a highspeed boulevard either first priority is to give the fans a competitive race Another high on the list is to make the fans comfortable and to have easy access to the facilities And we want the white collar along with the blue collar Wheeler said Wheeler firmly believes the speedway can become the Indianapolis of stock car racing To that end he will strive certainly with some help from a good oP country boy named Richard Howard There was Richard Howard Handing not at the podium but sitting tn the rear tf the room his eyes filled with tears so emotional he could not address the stockholders sharing his final moments as the president and manager of Chai lotto Motor Speedway Howard his blue shirt ticless and his belt groaning under the girth of his 300-plus pounds had indeed resigned ending a 12-year laboi of love It ended with the stock car racing world fully aware that no one has contributed more to the unprecedented growth and success of a corpotation that was flat busted and a tpack on the rocks when he appeared Earlier on the last day a well-scrubbed well-groomed man in a dark suit and colorful tie 14 years junior at 37 had remarked: "I feel so sorry for Richard Getting through this is awfully tough on The man is A (Humpy) Wheeler Jr who succeeds the irrepressible Howard a heavy in the sport in more than pounds as the general manager An era ends and a new one begins at the speedway The new regime headed by the co-founder Bruton Smith has gained undisputed control and Howard felt it best to step down Fortunately he is not out and wall return to his present and newly-refurbished office out on Highway 29 North as a consultant after a vacation Of all the moves Bruton Smith has made since he relumed to power now as the board chairman and president retaining Howard ranks among the smartest Managing the speedway is the fulfillment of a boy The Charlotte- News fm I It 4 1 i Then Cooley Shuts Up Checker Goalie Shuts Out Foe "Starting next Wednesday we play nine games in 12 Kelly explained got four at home and live on the road could mean first Kelly would have liked an 11 point lead today but Hampton blitzed Greensboro 16 5 need to put some distance Continued On Page 2B Col 1 GRUNTS AND GROANS Olympic High wrestler Jeff Wortman is gripped with pain as South Iredell's Gary Troutman puts lock on his midsection (Photo by Tom Franklin) Comeback Kids Wrestle For itle By ED McGRANAHAN Nwj Staff Writer There are no charm no horseshoe over the bench no four leaf clover But Gaye Cooley insists So it came as no surprise last night when Cooley again refused to share the excitement of the Charlotte 3-0 shutout of Roanoke Valley It was fourth shutout of the season and the fifth But the Checkers goalie persists in remaining silent "I grant he replied politely to questioning see me after the season and give you a That means it may be mid-April befoie anyone hears from Cooley The Checkers responded again on the coliseum ice after Thursday night's loss at Winston-Salem turning back the Southern Hockey third place team in an exhibition of what Coach Pat Kelly called hockey Charlotte rode first period goals by Yvon Dupuis and Jack Wells to its 20th victory in 28 games at home Cooley recorded 37 saves includ ing 17 in the first period to score his second straight shutout of the Rebels here BUT IT enough for the stubborn goalie to break his silence so Kelly said it all for him was a helluva game The first and third periods were said the fiery coach should have had them down 5-0 in the first period And one of these nights going to open up and get 10 take a hundred 3-0 games Only 2954 watched the Checkers return to a nine game load over second place Hampton There were no fights nothing out of the ordinary to pump the autograph and camera night crowd to a sustained roar But it was the kind of hockey Kelly said his team must play over the next two weeks to retain their position atop the league Gauchos At UNCC Tonight By STAN OLSON News Staff Writer The California-Santa Barbara basketball team has already gotten a look at one of Mecklenburg two maior college teams with dire results The visitors from the west lost to Davidson in the coliseum Thursday night 74-67 Tonight they meet the other one This time UNC-Charlotte and the game will be in the cozy on campus Game time is 8 Davidson is also at home tonight meeting East Carolina 7-11 in an important Southern Conference game in Johnston Gym at 8 Johnson Smith is on the road and will meet Winston-Salem State tonight In Atlantic Coasi Conference Action NC State is at Virginia (2 pm Channel 3) Maryland is at Notre Dame (4 pm Channel 9) and Clemson is at North Carolina (8 pm Channel 36) Wake Forest travels to St Francis tonight and West Virginia visits Duke In another game involving area teams South Carolina travels to Continued On Page 215 Col 5 schools were one two three in team standings in the eight-school tourney South Iredell the defending champ has 52 Jj points North Rowan 38 and Statesville 31 Fast and Myers Park share fourth place with 30 Sigmon and Weeks both seniors encounter loo much resistance in their two matches yesterday Both won their opening match with a pin and the semifinals Sigmon stopped Chandler Armi stead of Statesville 9-1 and Weeks outpointed David Troutman of South Iredell 5-1 What makes the Sigmon-Weeks duel of particular interest is that both wrestlers are exceptionally strong for their weight Sigmon can bench-press 280 pounds while Weeks lifts 310 AND AS WOULD be expected both figure the match will be a tough one a slow-style wrestler said Sigmon of Weeks super After catching part of opening match Weeks said a pretty strong wrestler cry impressive he looks like a champion be mostly a muscle Weeks predicted With both 5-foot 7 and shorter than most of their opponents height could be a factor in the result Sigmon much prefers wrestling someone his own height while Weeks finds the taller wrestler more vulnerable to his style everybody I wrestle is said Sigmon rather wrestle somebody But not Weeks: like to wrestle someone taller because I can get under them easier for a Both coaches Jim Hayes of East Meek and Ralph Shatterly of North Rowan believe the match will be close with norther wrestler dominating By GERRY CARTE News Staff Writer Last year at this time Steve Sigmon of East Mecklenburg and Reginald Weeks of North Rowan where they wanted to be Both had started the season as wrestlers but a bum knee sidelined Sigmon and a nasty virus caught hold of Weeks After wrestling a few matches apiece both were out for the season But things have changed Both are healthy now and with records to match And match their spotless records Sigmon is 8 0 and Weeks is 12-0 tonight in the 138-pound class championship of the 8th annual East Mecklenburg Invitational Wrestling Tournament at East Mecklenburg High The consolation matches today were to begin at 1 pm The finals are at 7 Through last semifinal round the three out-of-town Troutmans-From Troutman pounder wrestles in consolations Unusual thing though None of the Troutmans is related And a(l are seniors When the two-day tournament concludes tonight the South Iredell Vikings will head home to Troutman South Iredell High comfortably ahead after the first day of the 8th annual East Mecklenburg Invitational Wrestling Tournament is well stocked with wrestlers named Troutman Rickey a 145-pounder and Gary a 167 pounder are in finals while David a 138- 'Scared7 Myers Park Scares Up A Victory DAVE PRICE South team loses close one games with Georgia State and Cali-tornia-Santa Barbara 2 pm Channel 18 Superstars Pro athletes compete in sports other than their specialties 3 30 pm Channel 18 ABC Wide World of Sports Auto racing at Riverside Cal US-USSR boxing taped at Moscow update on the upcoming Winter Olympics 3:30 pm Channel 7 (Cable 7) -NBA Basketball Washington Bullets vs Golden State Warriors at Oakland 5 pm Channel 18 Hawaiian Golf Final round at Honolulu 11 pm Channel 12 (Cable 12) Car! Tacy Highlights of Wake Forest basketball games with North Carolina and St Francis 11:30 pm Channel 3 Dean Smith Highlights of North Carolina's basketball games with Maryland Wake Forest arid Clemson TODAY 2 pm Channel 3 ACC Basketball NC State Wollpack vs Virginia Cavaliers at Charlottesville Va 2 pm Channel 18 Basketball Athletes in Action vs Cincinnati Bearcats at Cincinnati 2 pm Channels 10 (Cable 10) and 12 (Cable 12) College Basketball South Carolina Gamecocks vs Turman Paladins at Greenville SC 330 pm Channel 18 Pro Bowling $70000 King Louie Open at Overland Park Kan 4 pm Channel 9 College Basketball Maryland Terrapins vs Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Smith Bend Ind 5 pm Channel 18 ABC Wide World of Sports Surfing off Hawaii and skiing at Ber-chtesgaden West Germany 5 pm Channel 7 (Cable 7) CBS Sports Spectacular World Cup skiing at Kitzbuhel Austria the Brazilian Grand Pnx auto race the Millrose Games at Madison Square Garden 6 pm Channel 18 Hawaiian Golf Third round in $230000 Hawaiian Open at Honolulu 6:30 pm Channel 42 The Way It Was Recalling the Joe Louis-Tony Galento heavyweight championship fight in 1939 8 pm Channel 36 ACC Basketball North Carolina Tar Heels vs Clemson Tigers at Chapel Hill 1130 pm Channel 36 College Basketball Southern California Trojans vs UCLA Bruins at Los Angeles TOMORROW 12 noon Channel 9 Lee Rose Highlights of UNCC basketball Hartman had been agonizing on the bench while his squad cautiously passed the ball around the perimeter of its own basket hoping for an opening underneath and a bucket to tie the score Fact is nobody seemed to want to shoot for fear he might miss So Hartman ordered the timeout "This is such a big game they were playing scared the whole he said But time was running out I told them not to be scared and that they had to put the ball What resulted was a 15-foot jumper by guard Lee Whitfield to tie the score just one second after timeout ended But Whitfield By DALE GOWING News Staff Writer Myers Park High basketball ach Jim Hartman knows when to andon the and approach favor of a little common sense ist night with his Mustangs trail-g South Mecklenburg 52-50 with seconds left Hartman pleaded ith his legions in a timeout hud-e just said to them fellas gotta quit being scared out ere gotta shoot the he recounted after his big inter David Hughes finally tapped a rebound with one second maining to beat the Sabres 54-S before a screaming overflow bwd at South was called for a foul with 18 seconds left ANOTHER TIMEOUT More soothing words from Hartman Then Jerome Mobley who led all scorers with 24 points sank one of his two free throw tries for a 53-52 Sabre lead The final 18 seconds will not only haunt South Coach Dave Price but Hartman too The Mustangs used up 13 seconds before someone nobody really remembers who fired a jumper It missed but Whitfield Continued On Page 3B Col 1.