Former NACAR driver, Gene Hobby, in the house 6/20/08

[DoubleZero]

Former NASCAR Grand National driver, Gene Hobby, will be a special guest of team DoubleZero this Friday night 6/20/08. Gene and his #99 Dodge (Apex, NC) was one of NASCAR's true 'independent' drivers in the 1960's, back when dirt was for racing and asphalt was for getting there and for the "Southern 500". In later years, Gene has raced late models and the Goody's Dash cars, even at Daytona! Today, Gene keeps busy in the various racing reunion groups and is a very active member of the historic Orange/Oconeechee Speedway revival group of Hillsborough, NC.

So, how was it back then Gene?........ Dalington, SC, Southern 500 practice, mid 1960's:........"a bunch of us independents was trying to make the field at Darlington, and all of us had 23 gallon gas tanks, and NASCAR knew it. They also knew their rules specified 22 gallons.........so they had all of us take out our tanks and take them to a welding shop in Florence............the welding man flushed out all the tanks with water, he cut a hole in all of them and placed a ONE GALLON CAN inside our tanks, and then welded our tanks back up.........after that, NASCAR was satisfied that we could only hold 22 gallons of gas......we wuz legal!"....... LOL!!...

I just can't seem to picture that happening today! Gotta Love it!! http://www.carolinadirt.oli.us/Smileys/default/smiley.gif