SIXTH IN A SERIES CELEBERATING THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FRANKLIN COUNTY SPEEDWAY
ROCKY MOUNT, VA – One of the area’s most prominent car owners edged forward in his seat and grew animated when asked about the level of competition during his heyday at Franklin County Speedway.
“Man it was the place where every body wanted to run,” said James Arrington, better known to legions of Virginia race fans by his boyhood nickname of Chubby. “All of the drivers loved it, especially the Modified guys. They couldn’t believe how fast it was for a little old short track.”
The retired owner of the Longwood Restaurant (now the Sea Captain) in Rocky Mount was a part of the Virginia short track racing scene for part of five decades.
“Sometimes, I wish I had back all the money I spent,” said the diminutive Arrington, pausing to chuckle. “But you’re going to spend money with just about any sport, whether it’s golf or hunting or whatever. Everybody does something for fun and racing was it for me.”
Arrington and several of his former drivers will be among hundreds of special guests returning to Franklin County Speedway for the track’s 50th Anniversary Reunion on May 5th.
“There’s a lot of great fans around here and I am happy for them the track’s still going,” said Arrington, who celebrated his 80th birthday in January. “The secret is (Promoter) Whitey Taylor has kept his purses in line and always made sure the fans got an entertaining show. That’s how the place has survived in my opinion.”
Arrington estimated he had more than 80 drivers who competed across the Southeast in his cars, starting locally and working his way up to what is now known as the NASCAR Xfinity Series.
“I’m getting old, so I can’t remember them all,” said Arrington. “I was privileged to have a lot of great drivers race my cars. We won a ton of races, too.”
A partial list of drivers who competed for Arrington included: Donnie Allison, Johnny Bryant, Gerald Compton, Stacy Compton, Billy and Jimmie Hensley, Tommy Houston, James Hylton, J. D. McDuffie, Joe Millikan, Bobby and Paul Radford, Tink Reedy, Michael Ritch, Joe Thurman and Satch Worley.
Arrington is best remembered for fielding cars, primarily Dodges, painted black and yellow, with the number 29. The yellow paint scheme started when Arrington had friends give him “some leftover paint from where they fixed the school buses around here.” When the supply ran out, Arrington “brightened up the yellow a little bit and stuck with it.”
He added: “I ran Chevrolets when I first started in 1967, but the Dodges and Fords were dominating everything. So I built me a Dodge, too. I stuck with Dodges most of my time as a car owner because I just liked them.”
Championships in local Late Model competition, Arrington said, stood out the most among the many highlights of his career as a car owner.
“Paul Radford won the track championship with my cars at Franklin County,” said Arrington. “Paul was one of the all-time greats. And his nephew (Bobby Radford) won over 80 races and two Late Model championships at FCS for us.”
Michael Ritch split time driving his own cars and Arrington’s en route to winning the 1992 the NASCAR Winston Racing Series Mid-Atlantic Region points championship.
“Michael was young and very talented when he came my way,” Arrington recalled. “My regular driver Johnny Rumley got mad about something and quit. So we worked out a deal for Michael to drive some for us. It was a pretty special deal to help him win that Mid-Atlantic title.”
Arrington eventually retired from racing to spend more time with his family. With the loss of his wife Arlene three years ago, Arrington said he shifted his focus to helping others. He acquired a dog named Oreo, training her as a service animal.
“Oreo and I visit hospitals and nursing homes in the area,” Arrington explained. “She is trained to work with cancer patients, the elderly and special needs children. We just go in there and try to cheer them up a bit. I guess it cheers me up, too.”
Arrington is also active in the restoration and showing of antique Military vehicles. “I was a medic in the US Army,” he said. “I served between the Korean War and Vietnam. We enjoy bringing those vehicles back to life as a way to honor all of those who served.”
