The Library Muse

This month’s blurb will be a re-run of sorts. I have talked about this topic before. For the past three years we have had a short quiz at the spring tune-up. One question that has appeared each time is “who is Smokey Cook?” This time two people got it right. Smokey Cook was the last person to run a foreign car in NASCAR, until the recent appearance of Toyota. He had two starts in an MGA, both at Bowman Gray International Stadium, a ¼ mile short track.

In 1960 he started 17th and lasted one lap until his steering went out. Did he check the oil in the steering rack? We do at the tune-up. The race was won by Glen Wood in a 1958 Ford. In 1963 he returned for the 200 lap race. He dropped in the grid to 18th, but completed 12 whole laps this time, until his car overheated. That’s 3 miles, which seems about right for an MGA. Maybe Barney should have been his pit boss. Junior Johnson won that one in a Chevy.

So now you know. There should be no excuse for missing this question if it should appear again in the future. By the way, the winner of this year’s tune-up quiz and the recipient of a complete MG roadside repair kit was Ann Snyder, with Jim Evans being runner-up.

-- ~~ Bill Mennell