The Auto Racing Digest Archive 7/77

July 1977

This is a good week to thumb through an old issue of Auto Racing Digest, with the 2025 NASCAR season just getting underway and the first race of the new IndyCar season taking place this upcoming weekend. 1977 was a different time in racing, a fact which is clearly reflected in the majority of content in this issue. It’s not just that this edition, which doubles as an Indy 500 preview, focuses so heavily on the then more popular open wheel racing with little mention of NASCAR. It’s also that racing itself has changed so drastically in the years since.

The lead article is a good example. It discusses the affects that newer technology will have on the sport, more specifically the advances in computer technology. It’s striking to remember how heavily analog motorsports used to be. When I first started following racing, there was limited radio communication between driver and pit road. The crew would have to hold up signs in the pit stall to signal to the driver that it was time to come in. Even odder, officials weren’t always certain on which drivers were on the lead lap and which ones had fallen a lap or more behind the field.

There was a big difference from then to now with regards to the visibility of racing series. NASCAR was significantly less prominent than IndyCar (at the time run under the USAC banner.) If casual fans could name any professional race car drivers chances are that they would be Andretti, Foyt, and Unser. The average fan MAYBE knew Richard Petty, but that was it for NASCAR. That would soon change, but this issue kind of explains that coming flip in fortunes. An article discusses the importance of experience in Indy Car racing, pointing out that many of the drivers in the series were in their mid-to-late thirties or in their forties. That was a big deal; as that generation of drivers aged out for some reason the drivers that followed didn’t connect with the general public in the same way. The next generation of NASCAR drivers went on to become the racers who found mainstream fame.

The 1977 edition of the 500 which was previewed in this issue turned out to be a historic race for two reasons. First, as was speculated in one of the articles, Janet Guthrie fulfilled her expectations and qualified for the race, becoming the first female driver in the field. And cover subject A.J. Foyt went on to win that year’s race, becoming the first 4-time winner of the 500.

Lastly, the one NASCAR themed article this month came in the recurring The Race I’ll Never Forget feature. The subject was Junior Johnson, who as a driver and owner was one of the most significant figures in the sport’s history. (He was even name dropped in the lyrics to Bruce Springsteen’s Cadillac Ranch.) The race in question was his victory in the 1960 Daytona 500. In those days there was a huge disparity in the speed of the cars, and he drove a vehicle which ran several MPH slower than the faster cars in the field. But during practice he noticed that when he closely trailed other cars he was suddenly ramping up his speed. He understood that this meant the airflow from the leading car was pulling his forward and therefore he inadvertently discovered the concept of drafting. That would become his path to winning the race and the rest is history.

The Hall Of Fame Cap Project - AL East

Time for the grand finale of my look through the divisions to see which caps truly belong on which plaques. It comes as no surprise that the Yankees are the club with the most Hall of Famers. On the flip side is the Rays, who along with the Marlins are the only team without a Famer. Also, like the Marlins I am hard pressed to see that changing any time soon. There is no retired Ray who is a future candidate (Evan Longoria was a hell of a player, but he falls well short) nor do I see a current Ray who is anywhere close to a Hall path. The Orioles tally also includes the St. Louis Browns, and as a sign of how checkered the Browns history was, there are only 2 Browns in their 50+ year history. So, here is what the plaques would look like were it my decision.

Baltimore Orioles (7): Eddie Murray, Mike Mussina, Jim Palmer, Cal Ripken Jr., Brooks Robinson, George Sisler, Bobby Wallace

Boston Red Sox (11): Wade Boggs, Jimmy Collins, Bobby Doerr, Rick Ferrell, Carlton Fisk, Harry Hooper, Pedro Martinez, David Ortiz, Jim Rice, Ted Williams, Carl Yastrzemski

New York Yankees (20): Yogi Berra, Jack Chesbro, Earle Combs, Bill Dickey, Joe DiMaggio, Whitey Ford, Lou Gehrig, Lefty Gomez, Joe Gordon, Goose Gossage, Waite Hoyt, Derek Jeter, Tony Lazzeri, Mickey Mantle, Herb Pennock, Mariano Rivera, Phil Rizzuto, Red Ruffing, Babe Ruth, CC Sabathia

Tampa Bay Rays (0):

Toronto Blue Jays (3): Roberto Alomar, Roy Halladay, Fred McGriff

Differences: My choices aren’t far off from the real ones. Almost of the players from this division with blank caps come from the time when that was common. From the Orioles, former Browns Sisler & Wallace have blank caps. Same with Collins & Hopper from the Red Sox. Ditto with Chesbro and Pennock from the Yankees. Then there are the players who starred for multiple teams and went blank rather than making a choice. That is the case with Halladay, McGriff, and Mussina. That leaves one eyebrow raiser. Yogi Berra has a blank cap. Once again, older plaques sometimes depicted players with a slight head turn, but it’s still bizarre that the NY is not prominent on Yogi’s plaque.

Explanations: Not much explanation is necessary this time around. I reasoned out why I chose an A’s cap rather than a Yankees one for Reggie Jackson when I covered the AL West. I should also mention that I realize I had omitted one player in my NL West rundown; Joe McGinnity, whose real life plaque is blank, should be included among the Giants. That wraps up this public service of mine. Now it’s up to the Hall to work on redoing those plaques so that they accurately connect each inductee with one team. Maybe at the same time sculptors can add beards to Yankee plaques. (See item below.)

Meet The Nominees - The Black Crowes

A complaint that I make ad nauseam concerns the Hall’s tendency to nominate second tier rock bands from the 1970’s. With a nomination for The Black Crowes they are now turning their attention to second tier bands from the 1990’s. Progress? I suppose one can make an argument for the Crowes years down the road after the Hall has exhausted that decade, but now? When there are so many other worthy bands from that era yet to be honored? It’s premature for the Crowes to cut ahead in that line.

I understand their appeal. Their type of music is relatable to the large contingent of Baby Boomer voters. The Black Crowes sound like what The Faces would have had they been raised in the American South rather than in England. Their throwback image extends to the visuals as well as to the music. Chris Robinson’s flares and corduroy evoke a vintage vibe. Place the Crowes in a DeLorean with a functioning flux capacitor and they could have easily been pencilled in as the third billed act on day 2 of California Jam.

Even though they were not a particularly original band, Robinson was a charismatic singer with a commanding stage presence, and his brother Rich was a solid guitarist. In addition, the natural sibling rivalry between the two made for a strong narrative. Overall, though, my feelings for the Black Crowes is not all that different from my feelings for Bad Company. I can listen to any of their numerous hits that are part of the rock radio canon and enjoy them, but I’m not very passionate about any of them either. At their best they are a good, solid rock band, to which I say good for them. It’s just not Hall worthy.

Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hit: Hard To Handle

My Personal Favorite: Nothing really jumps out, I guess I’ll go with Jealous Again

If elected, will they perform at the ceremony?: Absolutely. After years of standard bickering, the brothers Robinson are in a good position of harmony at the moment. In fact, last year they released their first new album in over a decade. Just last month they were one of the performers in the Fire Aid benefit concert. They are an active band and would certainly perform.

A Bold New Era In MLB Times Two

Spring training games, especially those in the first couple of weeks, are pretty much a waste of time. No one is in regular season form yet, the major league players all check out early, and the late innings are mostly played by prospects who will soon be on the way to AA ball. Still, it’s a welcome sight to have the game back and I always make it a point to tune in to the first game. It’s a treat to once again hear the voices of Gary, Keith, and Ron. And oh yeah, Juan Soto hit an opposite field home run in his first at bat. Should I carve out a spot for myself on the World Series parade route already?

At the same time there is something different to spring training this season. MLB is experimenting with the Automated Ball Strike system this year with the hope that it will be instituted in regular season games as soon as the 2026 season. Those that have seen minor league games that have tested the system have been in agreement that it works perfectly, and more importantly, instantaneously. My initial impression is that I agree with that assessment. The challenge process is quick and unobtrusive. Everyone is still in the trial and error phase; in the game I watched the Astros hilariously used up all of their challenges by the second inning. I suspect that when MLB uses the system in the regular season players will be judicious enough to save those challenges (2 per game) for later in the game, in the same way that you don’t waste your timeouts in a basketball game. Save ‘em for when you need ‘em.

But that isn’t the biggest game changing news in baseball this week. The Yankees have finally put the kibosh on one of the most absurd team policies in sports. Their players are now allowed to grow beards! It’s not enough to make up for the most grievous sin that George Steinbrenner ever committed - his demand that Oscar Gamble cut his iconic Afro, but at least it’s an acknowledgment that this is actually 2025 and forcing the players to conform as if they are members of the Borg collective is futile.

Part of it is the wannabe militant side of my personality, but this policy never sat right with me. I attended Catholic grammar school, and this always brought back memories of the nuns lining up all the boys so that they could check to make sure our hair had not grown too long. To treat adult professionals the same way? Nope. It reached a level of absurdity when the team hired Sean Casey as hitting coach and forced a grown ass man to shed his goatee. It wasn’t just that this gave the franchise an overly corporate feel; it also projected the idea of a terminally uptight organization.

In his remarks Hal Steinbrenner hinted that he was fearful that the policy might one day prevent the team from signing a player. Who knows if grooming requirements are the reason why Bryce Harper is not a Yankee, but it’s certainly possibly that this was a factor in his decision. It’s not 2002 anymore. There was a time when the Yankees outspent everyone without much competition and they could make whatever demands they wished on prospective free agents. That’s not the case anymore, they are only one of several teams with deep pockets. In an earlier age a player could have stated at the negotiating table that it is personally important to wear a beard. The Yankees could have then responded “fine, you can admire your facial hair while sitting at home and watching us play in October.” Now this hypothetical player has more options and can walk away from the Yankees and still make big money with a reasonable chance to play in the postseason.

It’s worth noting that the new policy explicitly mentioned “well groomed beards.” It doesn’t appear that they have eased up on restrictions on hair length, so don’t expect to see a Yankee looking like Brandon Marsh by July. So there is still a chance to replicate this transaction from a few seasons ago that really bothered me. It’s one thing for Jason Giambi or Johnny Damon to sign big free agent deals with the knowledge that it also meant a trip to the barber. But in 2018 the Yankees acquired Andrew McCutchen in a trade deadline deal. He had no say in the matter, but the trade meant that he had to shear the dreadlocks that he had been wearing for years, even though he was a rental who all parties knew would depart via free agency that offseason. Dreads aren’t like a beard, a guy can regrow his beard in only a few weeks. Dreads take time. Not cool.

There goes one of my favorite traditions; the introductory press conference of a former Yankee with his new team in which he is inevitably wearing a beard. That sure seemed like a subtle message there. Looks like Hal finally read the tea leaves. Now Michael Kay will need to find a new topic that will send him to the fainting couch.

Victory #100

Mikaela Shiffrin has long since obliterated the record for most career World Cup victories by any alpine skier, male or female. The only question is how far out of reach she would set the mark before her career ends. We do love our round number milestones, so she has drawn a lot of attention as she neared her 100th win. Even better, she was standing at 99 when the World Cup circuit visited Killington, Vermont late last year. It would have been awesome to reach the century mark in her home country.

Unfortunately, in alpine skiing the question isn’t IF you will suffer a serious injury but WHEN and it was Shiffrin’s turn last November. She crashed in Killington, resulting in a puncture wound to her abdomen which placed her out of commission for months. She made a tentative return to the slopes earlier this month, winning a gold medal in the recent World Championships as part of a team event, but falling short of the podium in her signature individual event, the slalom.

Wait no more for #100; Shiffrin won a slalom race in Italy yesterday to reach that historic achievement. In addition, the race was her 155th career podium finish (top 3) which matches the record held by Swedish legend Ingemar Stenmark. With her next top 3 finish she will stand alone there as well. Because alpine skiing is one of those sports that a lot of people don’t pay much attention to in the years between Olympics the most recent memory most sports fans have of Shiffrin is her shockingly disappointing set of results in the 2022 Beijing Games. This is a reminder that she remains as great as ever, and next year she will have a lot of motivation to cleanse herself of that Beijing distaste.

On a related note Lindsey Vonn’s comeback is still a work in progress. She also competed in World Championships but was not a serious medal contender. Her chief goal is to ski well enough to qualify for next year’s Olympics. The US women’s alpine team is strong and deep, so it’s not a sure thing. Consider the fact that she has been able to return to the slopes while still building up her results mildly encouraging.

50 Years Ago - Picnic At Hanging Rock

In a 1996 poll Picnic At Hanging Rock was named the best Australian film of all time. I’m not certain if it would still rank that high if a similar poll were to be taken today, but it is an indication of how highly regarded this film is. At the time of its release Australian cinema had a relatively low profile in the Northern Hemisphere, but this movie played a big role in increasing the nation’s visibility in the film world.

Directed by Peter Weir, the movie was set at the turn of the century and told the haunting story of a school field trip gone terribly wrong. Set at a girl’s boarding school, before shifting the scene to the titular Hanging Rock the audience is introduced to a set of stock characters. There is the harsh battle ax of a headmistress, there is the poor girl whom others look down on, there is the nerdy girl, there is the flirt, there is the cool teacher, etc. Most of the class goes on a Valentine’s Day trip to Hanging Rock, where things take a tragic turn.

The film is shot to make the rock look like an eerie, foreboding place. A few of the girls break away to further explore the rock on their own, and when all is said and done three students and one teacher mysteriously vanish without explanation. The rest of the movie deals with the aftermath. What happened to these girls? What effect is this going to have on the school and to the surrounding town? And what about the stopped watches and why did everyone suddenly fall asleep?

No spoilers, but the movie shows little interest in solving the mystery, or even deciding if the disappearance is due to a supernatural cause or to a natural one. That helps make the movie feel even more haunting. The movie was a big hit in Australia and eventually became a modest art house hit worldwide. Weir would go on to make movies in Hollywood and he had a most impressive track record.

Closing Laughs

All right, all right, all right. That will do it for today. Thanks as always for being part of the Tending the Herd family. Enjoy your day, and I will see you on Wednesday.