EPISODE 171 -- RICK WILSON PART 1




The Down & Dirty Radio Show show

Summary: We share the first of what will be a three-part interview with Rick Wilson in this week's episode. Rick talks about his start in the sport; his relationship with Dick Hutcherson and A.J. Foyt; how a tragic accident during qualifying for the Indianapolis changed the trajectory of his career; the impact his win in the 1984 ARCA race at Daytona had on him; and finally, how a ride with Morgan-McClure Motorsports came down to Rick and a youngster by the name of Davey Allison. The February 16, 1984 Grand National Scene featured a short story at the FRONT of the paper on Rick Wilson’s Daytona ARCA victory; Cale Yarborough OFFICIALLY becoming the first person to qualify for the Daytona with a speed of more than 200 mph; Neil Bonnett’s win in the Busch Clash; and Ricky Rudd’s infamous end-over-end, side-over-side series of barrel rolls in that event. There were a also couple of great columns in this issue on a brand-new owner coming into the sport and the doubts he was having about the team’s chances at success right out of the box and a volunteer crewman for Jimmy Means by the name of Junior Johnson … but not THAT Junior Johnson.