Patrick County High School - Archive Yearbook (Stuart, VA)

Page 21 text:

Dressed in layers of clothing and wrapped in several blankets and quilts, these racing fans braved bitter cold temperatures during late autumn to catch the action at the final race of the season at 311 Speedway. In car number fifteen, Phil Hall, along with a couple crew members, waves the checkered flag to the crowd of fans in the stands. Racing 17

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Dirt Tracks Add To Patrick’s Racing Tradition As Well As Being A Start For Young Drivers On a smaller scale than NASCAR are the dirt tracks where aspiring race car drivers make their debut. Most drivers start out in the hobby division at local or clay tracks. Two such people are seniors, Billy Vaden from Drypond, and Jay Foley, from Elamsville. In¬ sp ired by his older brother who races in Calloway, Va., and late model sportsman driver. Bud¬ dy Smith, Jay Foley finally has his own race car. His older brother has been racing for ten years and Jay has often helped him. This year. Jay plans to race his 1974 Camaro at Log Cabin Speedway. Billy Vaden got his first taste of racing when he attended Martinsville Speedway. After that, he went to some races at 311 Speedway and his interest began to grow. Although the only racing experience Billy has had is with motorcycles, he plans to race his ’64 Comet in the hobby divisions at 311 and Log Cabin Speedways. One Patrick County driver who has already made a name for himself is driver of car num¬ ber seven in the late model divi¬ sion at 311 and Log Cabin Speedways — Phil Hall of Claudville. Phil has been racing for eleven years now and has received many awards and vic¬ tories. Last season, in his Hed- gecock Builder’s Supply spon¬ sored Camaro, Phil finished fifth in the points race at 311 Car number seven. Phil Hall, prepares to pass Herbie Poole in car number twenty-eight as they go into the third turn. and fourth in the points for Log Cabin. For the upcoming sea¬ son, Phil will be driving for the Gene Hester team at both 311 and Log Cabin. One thing that is very impor¬ tant to young aspiring drivers as well as established drivers, is fan support. Although there are many fans of NASCAR drivers, the fans of local driv¬ ers get more of a chance to see their favorite drivers in action. Scores of fans attend the local dirt tracks to cheer for their fa¬ vorites. Some fans are so loyal they are willing to brave the most extreme weather, bitter cold and scorching heat, to be on hand for the racing action. In Patrick County, there are all kinds of racing at all differ¬ ent levels. The Wood Brothers have established a nationally- known racing team and have achieved much success since their start in 1957. Local driv¬ ers such as Phil Hall have a good start in their racing ca¬ reers. For Jay Foley and Billy Vaden, they have a long way to go before they are out there with Neil Bonnett, but with hard work and dedication, it is not too awfully far to victory at the local dirt tracks. With his ’74 Camaro that he plans to race this season. Jay Foley is making his dream of racing a reality. Teressa Cox, a number one fan of Frank Fleming, shares a post-victory celebration with none other than Frank himself. 16 Racing

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a night of magical memories An atmosphere of romance was created as students, at¬ tired in formal gowns and tux¬ edos, stepped into the fairytale world of ‘Fantasy’, A curved bridge led students into the camouflaged gymnasium, where a miniature castle was set under moon and stars, and a water fountain was placed be¬ fore the castle. This setting cre¬ ated the mood for an evening of magical memories. Three songs were chosen to represent this theme of ‘Fanta¬ sy’: “Living in a Fantasy” by Leo Sayer, “It’s Just a Fantasy” by Billy Joel, and “Fantasy” by Earth, Wind, and Fire. The band “Shuffle” from Lexing¬ ton, N. C. performed. Under the direction of Patty Lewis, junior class president, Glenda Martin, and Amy She- lor, junior class sponsors, a committee of fourteen juniors worked diligently to produce an unforgettable prom for the senior class. Duane Hylton was largely responsible for the con¬ struction and artwork done for this occasion. One student comments: “The prom was a total success — the band, the food, and the decorations were perfect. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. Anyone who helped with the prom deserves a lot of credit.” An event which took place that is not usually recognized at PCHS is the selection of a prom king and queen and a prom prince and princess. Vo¬ ting was done by juniors and seniors prior to the day of the prom and the names of those chosen were announced during the prom. Seniors Jon Flippin and Carolyn Stutphin were vot¬ ed king and queen, and juniors Timmy Bowers and Annette Smith were chosen prince and princess. After returning from having prom pictures made, Linda Mae Hairston and Danny Carter take a few of their ov as a keepsake of this special night. Leigh Moss and Roger Wilson swing to the beat of the music performed by the band ‘ShuffL )8 Prom