One particular of the initial famous “Alabama Gang” Charles Lawrence “Pink” Farmer was born on the 15th October 1932 (his birth 12 months is unsure) in Nashville, Tennessee, shifting to Miami, Florida with his mom in the mid 1940s’ soon after his moms and dads divided.
It was not until 1958 that Red moved to Hueytown on a element time basis with Bobbie and Donnie Allison, racing there throughout the summer time months and returning in the winter season to his household to get the job done as an electrician. All through this time construction work was gradual and often Red had to assist his wife, young children and his mother in regulation on unemployment revenue. Eventually, in 1962 Red took his spouse and children to live in Hueytown, Alabama and that is wherever they have settled, taking into consideration it their house city.
His 1st race was in 1948 at Opa-locka Speedway in Florida, driving an outdated 1934 Ford Coupe for a friend’s father. He received his to start with prize income of all around $300 at the Dixie Speedway at Midfield in a 1936 coup and the subsequent day won once again in the characteristic at Montgomery, offering him close to $600, giving him extra money than he experienced had in a very long time.
Right after moving to Hueytown Purple ongoing to perform as an electrician until right after a couple a long time he gave it up to focus on racing entire time and so commenced an unbelievable journey more than the following sixty or so decades. Ray has accrued an outstanding believed 700 to 900 victories on dirt, asphalt and superspeedways, has received the NASCAR Modified championship in 1956, and then claimed 3 Late Design Sportsman (now Busch Sequence) titles in 1967-70-71. 4 situations he was voted NASCAR’S Most Well known Driver and he’s been inducted into the Talladega/Texaco Wander of Fame, the Alabama Athletics Hall of Fame, the National Grime Late Model Corridor of Fame and the International Motorsports Hall of Fame.
Farmer was the 1999 recipient of the Alabama Governor’s Award, annually provided to an unique or firm for their contribution to car racing. Probably the most prestigious award that Farmer has acquired was currently being named in 2000 as a person of NASCAR’S 50 Biggest Drivers of all time.
He has been married to wife, Joan for over 55 yrs and has 3 little ones, two daughters, Cindy and Bonnie and 1 son, Michael. He also has 9 grandchildren and 4 terrific grandchildren. Pink is however active as a NASCAR racing driver and routinely races at the Talladega Short Keep track of and also is effective as advisor with ARCA workforce.
Alabama Gang legend Pink Farmer will be honoured at the keep track of where by he nevertheless races at age 77. It has been introduced that Talladega Quick Track will host the Pink Farmer Vintage on the 15th of May, 2011 at the dust monitor in Eastaboga throughout from Talladega Super-speedway. In honour of Red’s selection – 97- the super late product race will be 97 laps and will shell out $9,700 to get. Purple replied to this honour by indicating,”Owning a race named just after him “is really an honour, primarily because they want to do it every single yr” when requested during an interview for the Inventory Vehicle Journal. When requested if any keep track of stood out as his favourite Purple replied
“Any observe I gain on is my favourite. But I guess Daytona and Talladega have been two of my favourite tracks. Which is unconventional for a shorter track driver. Of system, I cherished Birmingham and Huntsville and Montgomery, tracks we ran Thursday, Friday and Saturday for 20 years. We ran Huntsville on Thursday evening, Birmingham, Friday night and Montgomery on Saturday evening. Then we would go discover a major race someplace. In some cases we would go all the way up to Manassas, Virginia, and operate on Sunday, or up in Tennessee someplace. We ran four nights a week a whole lot of situations. Mainly, I was generally a quick observe driver, but I like Daytona and Talladega. I like the super-speedways”.
He was questioned if he most popular grime or asphalt tracks and he replied
“Absolutely nothing but dirt. That is 1 detail I actually delight in any longer. It can be just a whole lot more entertaining. I have received two grime vehicles, Tremendous Late Design dirt vehicles, suitable now. I have received a GRT and a C.J. Rayburn chassis. I’m setting up a new engine for up coming yr. I am going to be starting up my 58th calendar year in 2006. My grandson has a automobile. We’re creating him a crate motor course to begin operating with. I do not even treatment nearly anything about quick track asphalt racing anymore. To me it is boring in contrast to a superior dust monitor race. You go see a Planet of Outlaws Super Late Design race with Scott Bloomquist, Billy Moyer, Rick Eckerd, Darrell Lanigan, and Dale McDowell and all those guys operate on a half-mile dirt track and you will by no means go again and watch another asphalt race. You observe those people men place on a clearly show and that are what I actually delight in it. I just really like the dust tracks sideways, broadside, managing up the cushion and it’s a lot extra fun racing to me than asphalt is. On asphalt you can set up a automobile and go back the upcoming year and never have to adjust it. It truly is the very same just about every 7 days. But you go to a dirt track and you’ve received to perform on it all the time. Just one time it really is moist, sometime it is dry slick, from time to time it blacks in excess of, and you have to continually function all night time long to retain up with the track. It’s just a good deal a lot more appealing to me.“
