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Senior Moment from Russ Dodge:
Lincoln Tales
This is one of
my favorite photos and some stories related by the “Iron Man” of his NASCAR
years.
Mike (real name Charles Edward) Magill was a life long resident of
Haddonfield N.J. A Pearl Harbor veteran, he began his driving career after
WWII in “Big Cars” (pre-sprints) and stock cars at Alcyon Speedway.
Establishing himself with URC and a modified championship by 1952, he worked
his way into a factory sponsorship of a 1953 Lincoln to run NASCAR. Mike
spent a week at the shop of Bill Stroppe, known for fast Lincolns used in
the famous Mexican Road Races, to gain some knowledge of set-ups.
After bringing the car home, Mike installed the role bar and finished
prepping the car for competition. Racing at Langhorne Speedway with limited
success that year, he ended the summer by racing in the Southern 500 at
Darlington.
During the race the right front tire gave out and Mike ended up outside the
1st turn, over the guardrail. “They said no one could do it but I did!” Mike
remembered. “When the car came to a stop I looked up and could see some
light where part of the roof used to be! The only thing that could be saved
from the Lincoln was the back window, which popped out during impact!”
A hospital stay did not fit well into Mike’s plans so before the next
weekend, he had signed himself out of the hospital in South Carolina! A
visit to his local doctor/friend resulted in the advice to sit out the URC
races scheduled Middletown N.Y., for the coming weekend. His doctor, noting
Mike was wearing his racing boots, said “I know you’re going to race anyway.
So if you’re that damn stupid, I’m going with you to watch! Which, he did!”
Fortunately rain postponed the race from Saturday to Sunday! Requiring some
help to get into the sprinter, Mike added that it helped if he held his hand
over one eye, “because then I only saw one track!”
That was it for NASCAR! Mike won a co-championship with URC that year. A few
years later he qualified and ran in the INDY 500 in 1957, ’58 and ’59.
I miss you Buddy.
Senior Moment by Russ Dodge |
