Plugging Along

Katron Sosebee's super modified was tough to beat at the Peach Bowl in the early 60s.

Shoemaker was still running his circular Sportsman cars and Jalopy racers (who were also eligible to run in the Figure 8 events) on Friday, and the Jalopies and Supers on Sundays.

The Sportsman class consisted of cars dating back to 1937, but also allowed Late Models.  Some of the Late Models that ran against the NASCAR modifieds included Red Cruce and T.C. Hunt.  Jack Jackson stuck with his 1937 Ford and overhead V-8 engines for the Friday night shows.

Curly Allison was a regular winner in the Jalopies, as was James Barnes, Calvin Bagley, Billy Allen, Wayne Peebles, R.H. White, Ronnie Sanders, Johnny Hunt and Don Hatcher.

The Super-Modifieds ran on Sundays.  T.C. Hunt, Harold Fryar, Red Cruce, Howard Corbin, Bill Hemby, Cabbage Pendley and Johnny Suddeth chased Katron Sosebee all year.  Sosebee won most of the races and the championship.

The next year was almost a carbon copy of the year before, except Bob Leach of Tucker was the Sportsman champion.  The Figure 8 races became so popular that Shoemaker ran them on Fridays with the Sportsman and Jalopies and on Sunday’s with the “Skeeters” (a local name for the Super Modfieds) and Jalopies.

In late summer, the Skeeters faded from the Peach Bowl.  Red Cruce, Charlie Mincey, Herman Wise and Katron Sosebee won most of the races.