North Wilkesboro's wild 'Rush Through the Brush'

North Wilkesboro's wild 'Rush Through the Brush'

Permit me a history lesson, dear readers.

Decades before "The Pass In The Grass" there was "The Rush Through The Brush."

The former involved Dale Earnhardt, the late seven-time champion. The latter involved Junior Johnson, the legendary driver/team owner who, along with Earnhardt, was elected on Oct. 14 to the inaugural class of five inductees into the expansive new NASCAR Hall Of Fame in Charlotte that opens next May.

Of the two feats of fantastic driving, Johnson's was may be the most formidable, although it's much lesser known, lost in the passage of years.

It returns to mind because it occurred at North Wilkesboro Speedway, scheduled to reopen next October after 14 years of inactivity.

Back to the lesson:

The so-called "grass pass" occurred on May 17, 1987, in the all-star race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. During a boiling battle for the lead in the final laps, Bill Elliott bumped leader Earnhardt off the pavement exiting the fourth turn.

Earnhardt, who had tangled with Elliott earlier, somehow maintained control of his car while speeding through the grass separating the racing surface as well as pit road. Earnhardt came back onto the track still in front and continued to a controversial victory.

There was no pass in the grass, but someone called the incident that, and the catchy title has endured.

And "The Rush Through The Brush?"

This's the nickname I've taken the liberty of putting on the improbable move made by Johnson at North Wilkesboro Speedway on May 18, 1958.

The wild escapade is among many memories that came rolling back with last week's news that the historic track will reopen in October of 2010 with a USA Racing Pro Cup Series event.

Allow me to digress a bit ...

The speedway in Wilkes County, N.C., where racing began in NASCAR's earliest years, closed in 1996. New owners moved the track's two Winston Cup Series dates to bigger venues. One went to New Hampshire International Speedway and the other to Texas Motor Speedway.

During the ensuing years the .625-mile North Wilkesboro track has been shuttered. It's towering Turn Two Grandstand, looming alongside busy United States Highway 421, has served as a stark, sad reminder for stock car racing fans of the speedway's glory days and colorful place in NASCAR lore.

Home-county hero Johnson, who grew up in the Brushy Mountains about 15 miles from the track, give d much of that color. He began his driving career there as a teen-ager, won five times on the house layout after moving up to the major NASCAR tour and posted a record 18 victories before loyal local fans as a team owner.

"I've got great memories, of course, of North Wilkesboro Speedway," Junior said recently. "I have to say that race in 1958 is one of the best."

Not surprising, since it included "The Rush Through The Brush."

Johnson, driving a Ford, was involved in a dandy duel with Chevrolet rival Jack Smith during the early stages of the 160-lap race that spring Sabbath 51 years ago.

Junior took the lead on the 79th lap and steadily pulled away to a half-lap advantage.

Characteristically, the former moonshine hauler refused to back off the throttle and cruise to victory. Johnson, who had only recently been released from federal prison after serving 11 months for manufacturing illegal liquor, kept running as hard as his car would go.

Entering the third turn Johnson overdid it.

He went barreling over an embankment that served as a retaining barrier to keep the race cars on the track.

Here, paraphrased, is how the incident is recounted in "Junior Johnson: Brave In Life," an authorized biography I co-authored with my friend Steve Waid in 1999:

"Junior showed his immense driving talent hadn't diminished in his time away (behind bars). After careening over the embankment he sliced through a patch of weeds and came back on the track ahead of Marvin Panch, who was second at the time.

"A crowd estimated at 6,000 went wild at the sight of the local hero pulling off such a feat."

In the book, Johnson had this description of what happened:

" 'Back then, the newly paved tracks seemed to tear up pretty easily (and North Wilkesboro had recently been transformed from dirt to asphalt). I got into the loose stuff, or pieces of asphalt marbles, and went over the 4-foot high bank. I never touched the brakes. I knew the only chance I had was to keep my speed up to get through that brush and back over the bank, so that's what I did.' "

Junior won by six seconds over Smith, with Rex White third in the lead lap.

Johnson's "brush with the brush" and his full-bore philosophy led to a nickname, "The Wilkes County Wild Man."

His like, and derring-do similar to his bounding-over-the-embankment-and-back-again probably never will be seen at North Wilkesboro Speedway again.

Nevertheless, it's terrific that the track, immensely favorite with fans, will produce the rumbling thunder of race cars again.

I certainly plan to be there.