Photo ID # e11.15.08_007_ROB_WES_0060S_1
Car #: #7
Driver (s) : Johnny Roberts
Location: Westport Stadium, Baltimore, Md.
Date: 6-4-1960 & 7-9-1960
Photographer: Bob Williams
Photo provided by: Larry Jendras Jr.
Comments:

Johnny Roberts – 1960 & 1961 NASCAR Modified Champion

Even though Johnny Roberts lived in Brooklyn, Md. just south of Baltimore, we did not see much of him in 1960 and 1961. After teaming up with Tiny Slayton in 1959 and finishing 2nd in the NASCAR National Modified points chase, they set a goal to win the 1960 title.

In order to accomplish this, Johnny, Tiny and crew were on the road from February at Daytona thru the summer until he clinched the Modified title. Starting off at Daytona, they took a 1957 Ford for the Sportsman-Modified race but unfortunately got tangled up in the big 37 car wreck.

The photos were taken in 1960 at tiny Westport Stadium, a 1/5 mile dirt track built around a baseball diamond. Johnny grabbed 5 wins there in early 1960 including one in the #0 Chevy coupe of Art Hopson after the #7 got some heat race damage. After July they were on the road for the rest of summer.

The Baltimore Sun paper did a multi page spread in their Sunday pictorial section at the end of the year. They even assigned the nationally known photographer A. Aubrey Bodine to do the shoot.

Hard to believe it was 48 years ago when this all happened.

 
Visitor's Comments To add your comments about THIS PHOTO - Click Here
Date: Visitor's  Name:

Comment:
11/16/08 Russ Dodge Some reflections on Johnny Roberts. I thought of Johnny last week when a discussion of drivers using “body English” or how they positioned themselves behind the wheel, appeared on the message board. The action photo of Johnny at Westport shows the picture that came to mind, Johnny with his head on an angle to the side, as shown. This was his standard racing position.

Alcyon Speedway was a “d” shaped track with a “dog leg” shape coming out of the second turn. Mastering that “dog leg” on the back stretch was a key to the success of a driver at Alcyon. Phil Gemenden, known as Bob Gemenden back then, readily adapted to the speedway, even though he began his career as a high school senior. Phil was a natural with his sportsman 404 and learned the “hot line” for the dog leg quickly. Early in the season, Phil was following Johnny in a heat race. From his position behind Johnny, who was leading, he saw Roberts was not running the hot line in the “dog leg”. On the last lap, Phil made the move and blew by Johnny to win the heat! What a great feeling he had from making that move and winning the heat.
Some of the sparkle however began to fade when a smiling Johnny Roberts walked down to his pit, shook Phil’s hand congratulating him and said, “boy, I was having trouble getting through that “dog leg”, thanks for showing me how to do it!” As Roberts went on to win the feature, Phil realized that “move” probably should have been not wasted for a second spot in a heat.

My final reflection on Johnny was the open show on asphalt at Vineland Speedway in April of 1961. Johnny had the 7 sedan pictured, there that day and won the opening show. It was a great drive with Johnny “Bicycling” the dirt track set up sedan, out of the turns. A side note is that over the years I’ve never passed up a chance to kid Elton “Wild Man” Hildreth, who won 13 features the year before at Vineland, for having Johnny, in a dirt track sedan, KICK HIS BUTT! Another notable driver in that race was a young Bobby Allison in his #312, ’36 Chevy sedan.

Thanks Larry for the great Memory. Russ Dodge
11/20/08 Charlie Miller Great to see these pictures of the late great Johnny Roberts. They sure bring back more then a few memories. I'm very glad I wasn't there at Lincoln Speedway the night he left us, for some reason I can't remember ,we didn't go that night. Westport Stadium used to televise the races and would pay "roll-over" money if you rolled-over in front of the camera.  My old pal Dizzy Dean said with a few extra bars welded in the right places, you could make more money like that then winning the race. Westport being only a 1/5 mile track, it wasn't unusual for the car on the pole to have the last place starter right in front of him.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

Back