We are already into the month of May, as the 2022 season rolls along. Before we go into another weekend of racing, let's look at some past racing landmarks from May 5.
1956 - On this date in 1956, Red Farmer locked down a NASCAR Modified National Championship race. The venue for this win was the short-lived Hollywood Speedway in Hollywood, Florida. The quarter-mile track opened in 1955, but it was closed in 1969. The race held several NASCAR Modified events and Late Model Sportsman shows. Red Farmer won there 15 times, as did Rod Perry, in regional events that have been counted. In 1960, these two had a dead heat at this venue.
1974 - Beaver Dragon wins the Spring Green 75 at Catamount Speedway (VT) under the NASCAR Late Model Sportsman National Championship banner. This was the first running of the historic Spring Green event. Beaver Dragon would win again in 1977 and 1979. The Catamount track was closed in 1987.
1979 - It's hard to imagine this, but the Late Models of the era in 1979 ran the high banks of Talladega Superspeedway (AL) with John Anderson picking up the win. Dave Marcis was second with Bobby Allison, Rusty Wallace and Lennie Pond making up the top five. L.D. Ottinger was 10th, seven laps off the pace.
THE THIRD TURN: 1979 Sportsman 300 at Talladega Superspeedway
1990 - Local hero Jerry Goodwin won a 400-lap race with the ALL PRO Super Series at Birmingham Motor Speedway (AL) on this date in 1990. The 400-lap race took three and a half hours to run, as only 12 cars finished the race with the top four on the lead lap. Jeff Purvis led 167 laps before he went by the wayside on lap 256. Clay Brown then took control but lost an oil pump with a dozen laps to go, giving the win to Goodwin.
THE THIRD TURN: 1990 ALL Pro Super Series at Birmingham Motor Speedway
1996 - Andy Santerre picked up his first win of the 1996 season at Jennerstown Speedway (PA) in the old Busch North Series. 1996 really put Santerre on the map, as he won four times that year before finishing second in points behind Dave Dion. Santerre would later go on to win four titles in the series.
THE THIRD TURN: 1996 Sunoco 150 at Jennerstown Speedway
2001 - The short-lived ARA Southern Thunder Series had a race on this date back in 2001. The 12-race series had their second race at Peach State Speedway on May 5th of that year. Gary Helton won the event over Michael Lance and Stephen Leicht. Paul Kelley finished 17th but would rebound to score three more wins to take the series.
THE THIRD TURN: 2001 RS Trucking 125 at Peach State Speedway
2019 - This weekend, Super Late Model stars head to Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway for the North/South Super Late Model Challenge. In 2019, we had to wait an extra day thanks to Mother Nature, but it was worth the wait for Josh Brock. Brock scored the win in the 100-lap Super Late Model event ahead of Donnie Wilson and Matt Craig.
THE THIRD TURN: 2019 North-South Super Late Model Challenge 100 at Fairgrounds Speedway Nashville.
NORTH/SOUTH SLM CHALLENGE