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Covers the career of Baldwin, Georgia's, Charles
Leroy Simmons, "The Living Legend" of dirt racing.
By his mid-teens he was racing against some of the best drivers
in the South, in jalopies, modifieds, skeeters, and then dirt
late models. Simmons went on to score 1,012 career wins, and
a place in the National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame. Features
100 photographs is color and black&white. |
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Library of Congress Control Number:
2017903833
Cover, type and design by Karen
Paul Stone
SPO028000 Sports & Recreation - Motor Sports
SPO019000 Sports & Recreation - History
TRA001050 Transportation: Automotive - History
HIS036120 History: United States - South
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. . In the early 1960's a teenager
by the name of Charles Leroy Simmons began driving the water
truck on Satur-days at the Banks County (GA) Speedway. A short
while later he began his journey, as a driver, into the dirt
rac-ing world. Simmons drove jalopies, modifieds, super modifieds,
skeeters, and dirt late models to 1,012 check-ered flags.
. . In 2001 he was inducted into the inaugural class of the National
Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame. The year 2003 saw him climb out
of his famous #41 for the last time. By then he was known to
the dirt racing world as "The living Legend."
. . Buck Simmons: The Living Legend includes many pictures
by award winning photographers such as David Allio, Gene Lefler,
Robert Turner, and Tony Hammett.
About the Author:
Gary Parker racing historian,
has been around the sport of dirt late model racing for over
50 years. He is a voting member of the National Dirt Late Model
Hall of Fame and is a contributor to the Georgia Racing Hall
of Fame. He holds a masters degree in anthropology from Vermont
College and a PhD. in anthropology from City University of Los
Angeles. He lives with his wife, Elaine, in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Bill Holder, a writer and founder
of The National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame, says Parker's first
book, RED CLAY AND DUST is the "Holy Grail"
of books on the evolution of the dirt late model.
Parker's second book, THE
ROCK-EM, SOCK-EM, TRAVELIN' SIDEWAYS DIRT SHOW, is a history
of the first national touring series for dirt late models. The
National Dirt Racing Association (NDRA) was the dream of Kingsport,
Tennessee's Robert Smawley, a visionary racing promoter who was
clearly years ahead of his time. This is a must read for any
dirt race fan.
HERB "TOOTLE" ESTES:
THE LITTLE ENGINE THAT COULD, is
Parker's third book. It follows the career of a unique racing
legend, Knoxville, Tennessee's Herb "Tootle" Estes. |
