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NASCAR History: Car Number 47 and Jack Beebe

by JamesJ, Special To NASCAR commentary and driver pictures, 2012 NASCAR schedule, video, Bench Racing With Steve and Charlie

Sundays of my youth consisted of NASCAR racing and cold bottles of Mountain Dew. Thirty years later not much has changed for me. However, nearly everything has changed in NASCAR.

December 29, 2009 3:52 pm UTC No Comments

Over the next several weeks we’ll be featuring car numbers in NASCAR history. We started with #50 and are working our way down the line. With each car number we’ll take a brief look at a couple stats related to the featured car number, but we’ll primarily spotlight either a driver, sponsor, car owner, manufacturer or other significant subject closely tied to the car number of the day.

I found myself with a bit of challenge for number 47. Instead of putting the spotlight on a driver named Jack with the most Cup success in the #47 (Jack Smith, who has twenty-one career wins), I’m going to direct the attention to a car owner named Jack Beebe. Ron Bouchard's car number 47.

Stats for cars running the #47

Number of Races: 753
Number of Wins: 24
Number of Top 5s: 131
Number of Top 10s: 258
Number of Poles: 29
Number of Drivers: 58

Check out current NASCAR race statistics here at On Pit Row!

Spotlight Subject: Car Owner Jack Beebe

From 1978 to 1986 car owner Jack Beebe fielded a car in 211 Cup races resulting in 2 wins, 32 top fives, and 82 top tens. In his 9 years of car ownership he employed only 5 different drivers, but he ran only one car number, the #47.

Of those 5 drivers, 4 of them are pretty well known. Can you guess who they are?

One is now also known for his work with bobsleds.
One was considered a “handsome” “high line runner.”
One has a brother, and both of them won Winston Cup Rookie of the Year.
The final driver is a roller-skating veteran who races for Jesus.

I’m betting most of you readers figured them all out except for the brothers. Am I right?

If you guessed Geoff Bodine (Bo-Dyn Bobsled project), Harry Gant, Ron Bouchard (brother is Ken Bouchard), and Morgan Shepherd, then you’re good!

Geoff Bodine’s stay in the car was the shortest of all drivers (only 3 races vs. Satch Worley’s 4 races in the Beebe owned #47). From what I’ve been able to find, Beebe was somehow in the school bus business in Connecticut prior to his venture into NASCAR and was giving Bodine his Winston Cup debut in his cars. It seems that Bodine expressed some negative comments about the Beebe organization. Bodine was let go after only 3 races, he wouldn’t return to a full time Winston Cup ride for another 3 years.

Harry Gant in the number 47 car. Enter driver Harry Gant. The opportunity to race for Jack Beebe’s ride would be Gant’s first full season in Winston Cup. He would contend for Rookie of the Year honors, but the rookie competition was stiff that year with Terry Labonte and eventual Rookie of the Year winner Dale Earnhardt.

Sticking with a similar pattern as Bodine and Gant, next would be rookie Ron Bouchard’s debut in Winston Cup competition. Unlike Bodine, Ron would keep the ride full time. And unlike Gant, Bouchard would claim the Rookie of the Year title. Although Ron only had one career victory, it came in grand style, at a grand track, by sneaking the win from two drivers who eventually became Winston Cup champions. The race was at Talladega and the win came down to the last turn of the last lap. Terry Labonte and Darrell Waltrip battled for the lead as NASCAR driver Morgan Shepherd Bouchard cut under both of them and took the win in an exciting photo finish!

In 1986 Morgan Shepherd’s name was above the driver’s window net. He would race in what would become Jack Beebe’s final 12 races in Winston Cup competition. But of those 12 races, Morgan Shepherd would take the car to 6 top 10 finishes and 1 win for Jack Beebe. The win would come at the beginning of the 1986 season at Atlanta and it would be Morgan’s second of four career victories to date, and Jack Beebe’s final victory as car owner.

Filed under: Dale Earnhardt, NASCAR, NASCAR History, Terry Labonte

Tagged with: Dale Earnhardt, Geoffrey Bodine, Harry Gant, Jack Beebe, Jack Smith, Ken Bouchard, Morgan Shepherd, Ron Bouchard, Terry Labonte

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We Get By with a Little Help from our Friends

by Charlie Turner

Thanks for stopping by OnPitRow.com and the Bench Racing with Steve and Charlie blog. The best NASCAR and IndyCar news and opinion, exclusive pictures and video. I'm Charlie Turner. Follow me on Twitter @onpitrow

June 7, 2009 11:43 am UTC 1 Comment

Everybody likes free stuff right?

We couldn’t do what we do with the On Pit Row radio show or OnPitRow.com without a whole bunch free contributions from our friends. So it’s shout out time for me.

But first a couple of opportunities for free swag for you, kind reader.

One of my favorite blogs is NASCAR-ista. It’s a terrific blog and she’s got a contest going. Here’s the deal. Just send NASCAR-ista a picture of the dream car YOU would buy if you were Tony Stewart, with a brief note about why this is THE car for you and you’ll be entered to win one of two Armor All Prize Packs. Free stuff!

If you’d like a shot to be On Pit Row’s Shell Nitrogen Enriched Call of the Day, just call us On Pit Row any Tuesday from 5 to 7 PM ET and talk NASCAR with us. It’s that simple. And you win more free stuff! Here’s the number - 800-645-2946. It’s really easy to remember. Here’s how;

800 – it’s an “old-school” free call, hence the 800 prefix
6 – David Ragan. Duh.
45 – Kyle Petty - “old -school” no. 45
29 – Kevin Harvick – hell this thing is sponsored by Shell Gasolines!
46 – This one’s a little tougher, maybe. It’s Matt Carter from ARCA in 2008. Hey Matt’s cool!

OK, now for the thanks part. I’m gonna miss some, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t notice.

Everyone who voted in the 64 Greatest NASCAR Drivers tourney. The response has blown us away.
Specifically those folks we put on the spot on the radio show. I know some were uncomfortable – right Patrick Donahue? – but a few really got into it. Like Geoffrey Bodine and James Hylton.
And I can’t forget Dustin Long. Dustin was on his honeymoon and still sent us a message on Twitter that he’d vote when he got back. Too much.
Our writers and contributors – new and veteran – here at OnPitRow. It’s a great site and show and it’s because them.
Bruce’s NASCAR Bits
Tall Glass of Milk
DieCast Dude
Full Throttle Marc
Darren Fauth of OneBadWheel
Everybody who has help us promote our One and Done free NASCAR fantasy game. See – more free stuff.

I have to stop. It’s almost race-time. Enjoy the day.

Photo credit: Round Girl Jen by BethAnne Heisler

Filed under: NASCAR, NASCAR 64 Greatest Driver Tourney, On Pit Row The Fastest Two Hours on Radio, One and Done NASCAR Fantasy Racing, Pocono Raceway, Tony Stewart

Tagged with: Geoffrey Bodine, James Hylton, NASCAR contests, One and Done NASCAR Fantasy Racing, Shell Gasolines, Tony Stewart

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Stop Jeff Gordon Or Not: Last Day to Vote in the Sweet 16 Greatest NASCAR Drivers

by Charlie Turner

April 22, 2009 10:42 am UTC 2 Comments

Mindy Monday says pu-lease don’t let Jeff Gordon win. But you can vote your bias any way you want. Here’s the recap of the Sweet 16 in the NASCAR 64 Greatest Drivers Tournament at Bench Racing with Steve and Charlie.

We’ll leave the voting open until midnight PST. Join Bootie Barker, Geoff Bodine, Bobby Labonte and many others and let us know who you like.

Filed under: Bill Elliott, Bobby Labonte, Dale Earnhardt, Darrell Waltrip, Jeff Gordon, Jimmy Johnson, Modified Racing, NASCAR, NASCAR 64 Greatest Driver Tourney, Nascar Legends, Terry Labonte, The King, The Pettys

Tagged with: Bobby Allison, Booty Barker, Cale Yarborough, David Pearson, Fireball Roberts, Geoffrey Bodine, Herb Thomas, Joe Weatherly, Junior Johnson, Mindy Monday, NASCAR 64 Greatest Driver Tourney, Ned Jarrett, Richard Petty, Tim Flock

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Cale Yarborough vs Dale Jarrett: 64 Greatest NASCAR Drivers Round 2

by Charlie Turner

April 10, 2009 7:55 pm UTC 11 Comments

In the final second round pairing of the NASCAR 64 Greatest Drivers Tournament at Bench Racing with Steve and Charlie two drivers with five Cup championships and 115 Cup wins between them tip it off for the honor of making the Sweet Sixteen.

Cale Yarborough was the first driver to win three consecutive Cup Series championships -’76 – ’78. His 83 victories (562 starts) are fifth best all-time and 69 poles are third best. Was the Series runner-up three times and was Daytona 500 winner four times. Holds the record for most overall poles at Daytona with 12. Named one of NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers.

Dale Jarrett started kind of slow. But once he got to Robert Yates Racing in 1995, D J’s career took off. He is the only driver to win the Daytona 500 and Brickyard 400 in the same year (1996) and also won the ’93 and 2000 Daytona 500′s and the Brickyard in ’99. In all, he won 32 times in 668 starts and was the 1999 Series champion.

D J defeated Geoffrey Bodine in his first round match and Cale disposed of Dale Earnhardt Jr in his. Two great ones go head to head in a Fast Lap region prelude to the matches to come. Tell us who you like in the comments section.

Filed under: Dale Jarrett, Daytona 500, NASCAR, NASCAR 64 Greatest Driver Tourney, Nascar Legends

Tagged with: Brickyard 400, Cale Yarborough, Geoffrey Bodine, NASCAR 64 Greatest Driver Tourney, NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers

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Dale Jarrett vs Geoffrey Bodine: NASCAR’s 64 Greatest Drivers Match Up

by Charlie Turner

March 20, 2009 1:11 pm UTC 6 Comments

Two members of successful NASCAR racing families square-off in this first round match of the NASCAR 64 Greatest Drivers Tournament at Bench Racing with Steve and Charlie.

Dale Jarrett started kind of slow. But once he got to Robert Yates Racing in 1995, D J’s career took off. He is the only driver to win the Daytona 500 and Brickyard 400 in the same year (1996) and also won the ’93 and 2000 Daytona 500′s and the Brickyard in ’99. In all, he won 32 times in 668 starts and was the 1999 Series champion.

Geoffrey Bodine is another of NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers who made his early reputation in modifieds. He was Winston Cup Rookie of the Year in ’82. Bodine was the winner of the ’86 Daytona 500, and finished with 18 wins and 37 poles. He purchased the late Alan Kulwicki’s team in 1993 and went on to win three wins the following season.