Taking in the sight and sounds this week at Daytona, Jeremy T. Sellers from Jerm’s Joint Racing Pub dons his “Bump Drafts correspondent” on and generously offers up a little slice of NASCAR history on Vicki Wood, one of a select group of women to compete in Cup competition. As you’ll see- this little lady had no problem holding her own with the boys:
On the Friday before the Daytona 500, The Living Legends of Auto Racing gather at the Ponce Inlet Lighthouse in Ponce Inlet, FL to show time-period race cars, sign autographs, and tell stories of racing’s hay-day. It’s an event I have now attended three years straight, and am never disappointed from what I take away. This year is no exception. Though I did arrive later in the day than usual, and missed the autograph signing, I was able to hob-knob with perhaps, one of the unknown legends in the current NASCAR record books. Since I am on location, my in-depth research is limited due to the fact that this, after all, is my vacation! (insert laugh here)
Vicki Wood (no relation to the famous Wood Brothers Racing) is one of the spunkiest ladies I have had the pleasure of meeting. I felt as if I towered over her, as I asked if it would be proper for me to pose with her while my step son snapped a picture. She happily agreed, telling me to “Get on over here!”. A frail lady of almost 90 years, she still has a gleam in her eye and a passion for racing which dates back to 1958 at the Beach Road Course once here in Daytona. Today, she donned the same outfit as in the pictures she was signing of herself in a much younger day, standing beside her hot rod. Her only complaint? She couldn’t remember things as clearly as she once did. Looking closely, you could see the bilateral hearing aids which obviously helped her with perfection. I did not once have to raise my voice. With this said, I will include an excerpt from the Living Legends of Auto Racing website describing Vicki’s accomplishments:
“At the beach in 1958 Vicki drove the same car as a well known male driver. He drove the 
car to an average speed of 139 miles per hour with a one-way run of 142 mph. Then came Vicki’s turn. Her average speed was only 136 miles per hour, but her top one-way run was 143.
Between 1955 and 1960 Vicki set records on the beach-road course. In three of those years she recorded times faster than any of the men. In 1960 she drove a one-way record speed of 150.375 miles per hour.
Vicki’s name is still in the NASCAR record books. She was third in the two-way flying mile in 1955 with an average speed of 125.838. In 1956 she was second with a speed of 136.081. That same year she had the fastest one-way run in measured mile history — 143.827. In 1958 and 1959 she won the Pure Oil Performance Trials in the passing test against male competition, and in 1959 set a new (all drivers) measured mile record of 147.420. She holds the woman’s record for the measured mile (150.375), the woman’s record at Daytona International Speedway (130.379) and the woman’s record at Atlanta International Raceway (121.30).”
I also was able to visit once again with Russ Truelove, and “Mad” Marion MacDonald, who at 94, was doubtful he would be present at next year’s event. Gaining his nickname from eating a hamburger during one of the beach races, and not for any other on-track antics, Marion still drove a replica of the car he once raced to the lighthouse today. Appearing much more frail and fatigued than last year, he still had a passion for years gone. I obtained his autograph last season, and he loves to tell his stories of how racing use to be.
If I am not mistaken, Russ Truelove would be 87 this year and he hails from Danbury, Connecticut. He makes the trip down ever year from the northeast with with his replica number 226 Mercury. Hunched over, and scuffling his feet, he still speaks clearly and smiles for every fan who approaches him. Gladly, he signs a picture of him sitting in his orange bird from a year on the beach long forgotten. Though with a sideways smile, he promises to be at next year’s event.
