Changing Times
Mincey with one of the look-alike Chevrolets that Leon Sells and Ed Massey put on the dirt tracks of North Georgia in the late 1960s. Photo courtesy GARHOFA
Charlie Mincey changed with the times and continued to race, but now he competed in late models. They started with 1955 Chevrolets, but quickly evolved to Chevelles and then Camaros.
Charlie at first teamed with Leon Sells and Leon’s brother in law, Ed Massey, with a 1955 Chevy, until the end of the season. Over the winter, Ed built another 1955 Chevy that was just like the first one. Quality Motors sponsored both cars and they were both blue and numbered 77.
On Friday, Charlie would go in one direction and Sells would go in another. At the end of the weekend, they would meet back at the shop. They tried to work it so they wouldn’t race against each other. Two first places paid more than a first and a second.
During this time, Charlie made friends with Webb Whitfield of Yorkville, Georgia. Webb built a 1955 Chevrolet that Charlie drove some but was mostly driven by Charlie Padgett.
Mincey also drove for Jimmy Summerour at the Peach Bowl on Sunday nights in a 1955 Chevrolet. Charlie would run one car on Sunday afternoon on dirt and meet Jimmy at the Peach Bowl that night.
Mincey swapped rides with Buck Simmons, with Charlie taking the seat of Speedy Evans' Chevelle. The two raced head-to-head 10 times, with Mincey coming out on top eight of those times.
Towards the end of the 1968 season, Charlie and Buck Simmons swapped rides. Simmons took Charlie’s ride in the 1955 Chevy and Charlie started driving a 1964 Chevelle owned by Speedy Evans out of Cumming, Georgia.
“I only ran about ten races for Speedy, but we beat Buck eight out of 10 times,” Charlie said.
The reason Charlie didn’t stay with Speedy was he had already agreed to drive for Day Chevrolet and Jack Diemer.
“Billy McConnell built that first Chevelle, but Web set the car up to race at different tracks,” Charlie said. “We held the track record and won the features wherever we raced that Chevelle. That was the best handling car I ever drove. We raced on dirt and asphalt and won both. Then they sold the car to Anthony Curt from Mableton. He was running the B-class but wanted to move up. I drove the car for about seven races for Anthony before the new Chevelle was finished. I think I won five of those and came in second twice. Soon after, Anthony totaled the car at Dixie (Speedway).”