Page 1 - Combined_164_OCR
P. 1

ie       “I still think I was safe at ho

                                       PDA STIRS                 In
                                                                 TC
                                                                of Ij
                                       FRANCE                   the
                                                                day
                                                                nadi
                                      TO 'WAR'



                                          Continued from Page 1-D
                                     as I’m concerned, those drivers
                                     who didn’t race today quit.
                                    ! “The boys who raced today
                                     won a major victory for stock
                                     car racing. The guys who pulled
                                     out owe the bright future to the
                                     fellows who raced here today, if
                                     those who quit have a future.”
                                       Only factory driver left in
                                     Sunday’s race was Bobby Isaac
                                     in a Dodge. The rest left the
                                     track Saturday at sundown. In
                                     all, some 30 PDA drivers boy­
                                     cotted the race.
                                      The PDA, headed by president
                                     Richard Petty, claimed the
                                     .66-mile track was unsafe at
                                     speeds in excess of 190 m.p.h.
                                     because of a rough surface and
                                     excessive tire wear. One driver
                                >1   termedit, “suicide.”
                                 1-
                                      France disagreed and said,
                                 1-
                                     “all you boys that don’t want to
                                  ?  race can pack up and leave.”
                                 '5   The race went off as sched­
                                 - s  uled with a field of 12 Grand Na­
                                     tional cars and 24 fill-in Grand
                                     Touring cars from Saturday’s
                                     ’Barna 400 race. France figured
                                    it was a success.
                                      “I think the fans enjoyed the
                                     race and have a good feeling
                                     about the speedway,” he said.
   1