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27 | Connecting the Dots T he pattern of suspected cheating occurred over several years until the uncontrolled, wild days of NASCAR came to an end in the 1960s.The compromised scoring system provided opportunity to cheat, and the evidence that people took advantage of that opportunity makes the official outcome of the first Daytona 500 look dubious. After that race, Bill France must have wondered if Lee Petty had ended up with an extra lap on his scorecard, because France and his flagman had already heard the rumors about Elizabeth Petty’s scoring and dealt with a barrage of complaints after a race the previous year. On March 2, 1958, 12,000 fans and NASCAR officials watched Curtis Turner lead every lap at an event in Concord, North Carolina. There was a caution two laps before the end of the race, slowing the cars down. When the race resumed, Petty sped around Turner.Turner was certain Petty was a full lap behind and so was everyone else, including the officials who flagged Turner the winner, Speedy Thompson second, and Petty third. Then Petty protested, and France reviewed the scorecards. Four days later he announced Petty was the winner. Turner angrily responded: “The entire audience of 12,000 and other competitors know the real outcome.”1 And he said he knew how the race was stolen and who did it: “That Mama Elizabeth has the fastest pencil in NASCAR.”2 If Turner was upset, Speedy Thompson was furious.Thompson had finished second but was bumped down to third by France’s decision, losing $175 in prize money. It was not the loss of the money that Thompson objected to so much as the fact that the race outcomes could be sabotaged and stolen by behind the scenes manipulation.Threatening to quit racing, he pointed out, “If they can whip you once like this and get away with it, they’ll do it again.”3 Less than one year later, at the 1959 Daytona 500, the Beauchamp pit crew believed they were the victims of an almost identical injustice. Connecting the Dots | 143 And it didn’t stop there. Four months later, on June 14, 1959, in Atlanta, there was yet another bizarre scoring occurrence. The contest was loaded with top competitors: Lee Petty, Richard Petty, Buck Baker, Curtis Turner, Jack Smith, and Fireball Roberts. In addition, Bob Burdick, who had completed his military duty, piloted his father’s 1959 T-­ bird, the same car that Beauchamp had driven at Daytona. Tiny Lund was there, too, behind the wheel of a 1957 Chevrolet convertible. The race was chaotic, and officials stopped it twice because of dust.This was precisely the kind of event—with limited visibility and interrupted racing—that encouraged dishonesty and errors with scoring. After other drivers suffered wrecks and mechanical failures, Richard Petty grabbed first place, followed by his father, Lee Petty. Young Richard was jubilant because thevictorycameon his twenty-­first birthday, and it was his first win. Fans, particularly young fans, crowded around their new hero. He signed autographs and basked in his triumph and newfound popularity. But his success was short lived. Richard’s own father, Lee, protested the outcome, claiming he had one more lap than his son and demanding that the scorecards be checked. Flagman Johnny Bruner examined the scorecards and found that, indeed, Lee Petty had one more lap than officials believed. Though usually not involved in the details of the competition, Donna Richter, Beauchamp’s longtime companion, was still angry over the Daytona race and chastised Lee Petty: “You are so bad; you even take races away from your son.”4 Lee Petty defended himself by arguing that his son should “earn” his victory. “This wouldn’t be the right way for him to get his first victory.”5 The reality was that Lee’s winning earned $100 more than Richard’s victory . NASCAR paid this extra amount if the winner was driving a current model, and Lee Petty was driving a 1959 Plymouth while his son was driving a 1957 Oldsmobile. Lee Petty’s protest earned an extra $100. His son seemed not to mind. One hour after being acclaimed the victor, Richard was told he had not won after all. Admiring teenagers then asked Richard who won. “Either Pop or me,” he answered with a smile.6 “Where’s Lee?” asked a bystander. “Over there wherever the money is,” laughed Richard. “Don’t get me wrong, I’d like to win...

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