This week, we share the first installment of our interview with legendary crew chief and team owner Travis Carter. Travis tells us about his humble beginnings in the sport in his hometown of Ellerbe, N.C., where he first went to work for L.G. DeWitt and Benny Parsons. Travis also describes the day Benny and John A. Utsman tag-teamed their way to victory lane at Bristol and the day in which basically the entire garage tag-teamed to help Travis and Benny repair their car and clinch the 1973 Winston Cup championship at Rockingham. Travis worked for Roger Penske for a couple of years, before moving back South to join Junior Johnson & Associates as a co-crew chief for Cale Yarborough. While there, Travis and the rest of the team won the 1978 title going away. Finally, Travis told us about the three races that really got away and how he wound up joining a team fielded by Hal Needham and Burt Reynolds. Hosts Rick Houston and Steve Waid then dig into the November 5, 1981 issue of Grand National Scene, which featured coverage of Darrell Waltrip's win at Rockingham, a track made treacherous that weekend by the application of bear grease. The issue also carried a column about Travis Carter and his laid-back ways, and news features on Tim Flock's participation in a brand-new team that never actually came to be and Bobby Allison's decision to leave Ranier Racing ... with possible replacements by Richard Petty and Mark Martin.

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