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“Barney Hall’s Tales from Trackside”
By Barney Hall
With Ben White
Review by Gregg Leary
Category:NASCAR -> Sprint Cup
“Barney Hall’s Tales from Trackside” is a delightful little book that tells 42 short tales from Hall’s half century career behind the microphone announcing auto races. Barney tells stories about Junior Johnson, Fireball Roberts, Curtis Turner, David Pearson, Banjo Matthews, Bobby Allison, Fred Lorenzen, Buddy Baker, Cale Yarborough, Darrell Waltrip, Dale Earnhardt, Neil Bonnett, Richard Petty, Marty Robbins and many others.
Barney’s first trip to a racetrack was NOT pleasant. He was hit between the eyes with a clod of dirt and fell down a hill into a ditch. (Jonesville, NC near Elkin)
Hall’s first interview with Buddy Baker did not go well. Baker thought Barney was making fun of his lisp and said, “Boy, it you don’t quit doing that, I’m going to stick that microphone where you’re going to have trouble talking to anybody!”
Barney was hired by NASCAR to announce at the 1960 Daytona Speedweeks.
In 1961 Barney worked with Bob Montgomery at Bristol. Bob’s low key style influenced Barney. Bob “didn’t scream and holler and try to make things bigger than they really were. I always thought that if you are a good announcer, you can get excited without screaming at people.” (Good advice that should be heeded by many of the current crop of TV and radio racing broadcasters.)
Barney learned “meticulous attention to detail” from Ken Squier.
Hall was at Elkin Airport when Junior Johnson took his first and last solo flight. The engine quit on the solo and Junior crashed into a pasture. Junior ran from the crash to his car and sped off. That was it for Junior and flying.
A revenuer told Barney about a time he tried to get Junior Johnson to tell him where his moonshine making Daddy was. He told Junior he’d give him $5 after he got back from seeing Junior’s dad. Junior said, “You might as well give me the $5 now, because if you go up there you ain’t coming back.”
Barney had at least two runs in with the police at Daytona International Speedway. One time a Highway Patrolman arrested him for driving his personal car on the racetrack…on the way to his broadcasting position… and was taking him to jail about 25 minutes before the race. The cop was instructed to do a U-Turn and give Barney a “police escort” to his post. Another time during the Paul Revere Sports Car race Barney was clubbed with a nightstick… which made broadcasting difficult.
Barney gives second hand stories of Curtis Turner landing his airplane in downtown Easley, SC to pick up some liquor…and putting the plane on auto-pilot and going into the back for a nap. Hall tells of the time David Pearson took off from the parking lot at Charlotte Motor Speedway and hit a spectator’s car during his takeoff roll. David flew on to Spartanburg, SC despite damage to his aircraft.
Barney used to fly to races with David Pearson a lot. In the mid-70s they encountered some terrible weather en route to Michigan International Speedway. He, David and Dick Brooks had a serious discussion about life and death that day.
Hall tells a humorous anecdote about broadcaster Chris Economaki, who corrected Ken Squire on the air. Ken had said a car came into the pits with its motor “busted.” Chris said, “There is no such thing as a ‘busted’ motor. Linda Vaughn is ‘busted.’” Enough said.
Racing rental cars. Darlington was the location. David Pearson was racing Banjo Matthews back to the hotel in separate cars. David “rubbed” Banjo and Matthews lost control and hit a tree. Banjo called the rental car company and said he needed another car because the motor wouldn’t run.”
“Why?”
“Because the motor is stuck all the way back in the front seat.” Banjo said a dog had run out in front of him and he swerved to miss it. Those were the days.
After a huge wreck at Talladega in May 1973….many cars were totaled and several drivers were injured. Ken Squire asked, “Barney are any of those guys ambulatory?”
Barney replied, “Yeah, Ken, there are several of them being picked up by ambulances….there are plenty of ambulances here on the scene right now.”
Bobby Allison was the best pilot Barney ever saw. Bobby actually took off in a twin engine plane on one engine and flew it from Winston-Salem to Hueytown, AL because it would cost too much to get it fixed in Winston-Salem. Bobby also did a snap roll in a twin-engined Piper Aerostar with David Pearson and Barney on board. Barney was drinking coffee at the time and didn’t spill a drop…that’s how smooth Bobby was.
Bobby Allison and Curtis Turner had a real demolition derby at Bowman-Gray in 1965. They slammed into each other on the racetrack then continued to knock the crap out of each other’s cars in the infield. Barney was there to tell the story.
In 1962 at Bristol, David Pearson had the provisional pole, but Bobby Isaac waited for a cloud to cool the track and went out for his run. Pearson hid in some bushes at the edge of the track and jumped out and motioned for Bobby to slow down. He did…and later found out it was NOT a NASCAR official...but David. They tangled but later became great friends.
Fred Lorenzen ran over Barney in the pits at Daytona in 1962.
David Pearson was a “color commentator” with Buddy Baker in a race at Rockingham. Buddy asked David how many races he won at “The Rock.”
Pearson said he didn’t remember.
Buddy accused him of fibbing because Buddy remembered every race he ever won.
Pearson replied, “Well Buddy, if I hadn’t won any more than you did, I could, too.”
Henry Benfield, longtime crew member for Junior Johnson gave Barney a handful of home made chocolate chip cookies…laced with Ex-Lax. “Cookies for people on the run,” said Henry. (He was also famous for spiked lemonade and a rubber snake.)
Barney broadcast Richard Petty’s 200th win at Daytona on July 4, 1984.
Jimmy Carter’s brother, Billy gave Barney and David Pearson a totally unauthorized tour of the White House. (Barney has interviewed Reagan and both Presidents Bush.)
President George W. Bush called the start of the 2004 Daytona 500 with Barney in the MRN booth. Off air they asked Dave Moody what he thought of the President’s call. “He ain’t no Barney Hall.” The President, who still had his headset on, agreed.
Barney was riding back to the hotel with Tim Richmond and Harry Hyde. Tim was driving and was stopped for speeding. The cop told Tim he was going 80 in a 55 zone. Tim argued that he wasn’t going that fast…Harry told the cop not to argue with Tim when he’s been drinking. The cop was NOT amused.
Barney was hit by a motor home outside the Richmond track in 1990, breaking several bones. He got a call while in the hospital…from Dale Earnhardt. “How can you sit in the booth and call all those races if you’re so blind you can’t see something as big as a motor home?”
Barney’s advice to Neil Bonnett about broadcasting: “Don’t change anything. Just be Neil Bonnett.” Neil took the advice and became a very good broadcaster.
“Barney Hall’s Tales from Trackside” is 182 pages full of wonderful stories and arbitrage conspiracy. It rates three out of five lug nuts. Pick up a copy at your local book store.