By Scott Adamson
Scripps Howard News Service
NASCAR and Las Vegas Motor Speedway last weekend honored the late Wendell Scott by placing stickers bearing Scottís likeness on all the cars competing in the Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series.
Scott, the first African-American driver to compete ó and win ó in what was then known as the Grand National Division, made his NASCAR debut 50 years ago right up the road here in Spartanburg, S.C. His first race took place at the old Piedmont Interstate Fairgrounds on March 4, 1961.
His only win would come two years later at Speedway Park in Jacksonville, Fla., although track officials refused to immediately recognize his achievement.
In the era of Jim Crow a non-white driver winning in NASCAR wasnít the way things were supposed to go, so it was only after the crowds left that Scott was ěhonoredî with a second-rate trophy. Besides, they didnít want a black man cozying up to a white beauty queen in victory lane.
These and other issues surrounding Scott are addressed in ěWendell Scott: A Race Story,î a docu-drama that debuted on ESPN following last monthís Daytona 500.
My ěintroductionî to Scott came with the 1977 theatrical release of the movie ěGreased Lightning.î Of course I went to the movie because it starred Richard Pryor; Iíd never heard of Scott.
By 1999, however, I had become fascinated with this driverís amazing story. That year he was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame and I had a chance to talk to one of his sons, Wendell Scott Jr.
As it turned out, ěGreased Lightningî was more Hollywood than reality.
ěThe initial script of the movie I thought was better,î Scott Jr. said. ěIt was more accurate. They tried to get Bill Cosby, but he was too expensive, then they tried to get Issac Hayes, and dad definitely didnít want him playing the part. Then they decided on Richard Pryor, and even though dad had a great sense of humor, the movie became too much of a comedy. There was enough about him to make it interesting, but it certainly didnít tell the story that we really think needs to be told.î
Scott began his racing career in 1947 in his hometown of Danville, Va. In the next few years he won 128 hobby, amateur and modified races, and in 1959 he grabbed 22 checkers and claimed both the Richmond track championship as well as Virginia State Sportsman title.
He moved up to Grand National in 1961.
Scott Jr., along with brother Frankie, went along for more than just the ride.
ěIn the early days Frankie and I were his pit crew,î Scott Jr. said. ěMy first paycheck was when I was 9-years-old, and dad gave me $5 for working the pits. Over time we had six or seven other people working with us, and that helped keep us competitive. I was crew chief and Frankie handled the chassis.
ěYouíll hear people talk about how dad never had a pit crew, but you donít win as many races as he did by yourself. From 1966-69, we finished in the top 10 in points, and you canít do that without a true pit crew.î
Sounds like the makings of a great movie.