The Nite Crawlers Racing Team
The 1960s ushered in a new era for the Putty Hill Garage. In 1960 and 1961, the team were back to back NASCAR Modified Champions with Johnny Roberts behind the wheel. Roy “Tiny” Slayton was now a the car owner. With a new car owner and a new driver, the team had a new number, 7. Some say that the font choice for the number 7 was inspired by Jack Daniels Old No. 7 Tennessee Whiskey.
Paul Ewers was a new member of the team in 1960 too. The other crew members largely remained the same: Jim Bunty, George Williams, Joe Westerman, Richard Young, and Wally Isennock. With Tiny in charge as the car owner, Jim Bunty was second. The crew chief, if you will. The rest of the team referred to him as “the brains”.
The team had three cars. Two of them were 1937 Fords used for short tracks. The third was a 1957 Ford used for longer tracks like Daytona International Speedway.
The team huddles around the 1937 Ford Sedan. The 1957 Ford is off to the right of the frame, awaiting repairs from the accident in Daytona. More on that below.
Pictured from left to right: George Williams, Jim Bunty (behind the car), Tiny Slayton, Johnny Roberts (in the car), Joe Westerman, Paul Ewers, Richard Young
This photo appeared in an article in the Baltimore Sun newspaper about the team in May 1960. The article was titled “700 Hours and $5,500 Make a Racer” and was written by William C. Costello. Photo credits go to A. Aubrey Bodine.
The Love of Racing
This team called themselves the Nite Crawlers. They spent almost every night of the week either working on the cars or racing. This was after their regular jobs. Only Jim, George, and Paul were mechanics during the day. Joe was a plumber. So was Johnny. Richard was a machinist. Tiny owned an auto body shop.
Most of the team was not paid. Only Tiny and Johnny split winnings. The winnings they did earn were just enough to keep racing. None of them raced for the money. They raced because they loved racing.
Neither Johnny or Tiny continued with the Putty Hill Garage Racing Team after 1961. But both did continue racing. Johnny Roberts tragically perished in a racing accident on July 24, 1965. During a heat race, Johnny took over for another driver in another car instead of racing his own. He collided with the back of another car before hitting a guard rail at Lincoln Speedway in New Oxford, Pennsylvania. Johnny Roberts is the only racing athlete to be inducted into Maryland Sports Hall of Fame. My grandfather, Jim Bunty, had the honor of introducing him during his posthumous induction ceremony in 1990.
Side view of the Nite Crawlers Racing Team’s 1957 Ford used for longer tracks
Famous Crash at Daytona in 1960
The Modified-Sportsman race at Daytona International Speedway on February 13, 1960. The now-famous 37-car pileup occurred right after the race began. The initial field consisted of 68 cars. According to the Bristol Motor Speedway program, the cars “were running approximately 150 miles an hour” when the crash happened.
NascarAllOut has a fantastic video of the broadcast of this race. In it, you can see Johnny Roberts slide into the infield grass at about the 12:34 mark. It remains in center frame for the majority of about 15 seconds.
Note: Since color was added to the video later, the flames on the car look blue. They were actually a bright red.
Broadcast of the NASCAR Modified-Sportsman Race on February 13,1960
Damage to the 1957 Ford from the 37-car pileup at Daytona
The 1957 Ford under repair after the crash at Daytona
1960 NASCAR Modified Champions
The Nite Crawlers Racing Team went on the win the NASCAR Modified Championship in 1960 with 4,514 points. Bobby Allison came in second with 3,760 points. This was the largest gap in the standings that year by far.
Jim Bunty’s 1960 NASCAR Modified Champions jacket
Johnny Roberts in action at Alcyon Speedway in Pitman, New Jersey
Back at Daytona in 1961
The 1957 Ford and the team truck get ready in a parking lot in Daytona Beach
The next Modified-Sportsman race at Daytona International Speedway was held on February 25, 1961. The team returned to try again. Unfortunately, they did not do well in this race either. But avoiding a major crash is a better result than in 1960.
Closeups of the high-performance Mercury engine in the 1957 Ford. It had a three-carburetor intake and a magneto distributor. The team pioneered equal-length exhaust headers as one of their innovative edges against their opponents.
Jim Bunty sits next to the 1957 Ford at Daytona International Speedway
The 1957 Ford sits on the track ready to start the race in Daytona in 1961
Photos taken during the Modified Sportsman race in 1961 by a member of the Nite Crawlers Racing Team
1961 NASCAR Modified Champions
Once again, the Nite Crawlers Racing Team went on to win the 1961 NASCAR Modified Championship with 5,572 points. This time, they won by an even wider margin. Ed Flemke was runner up with 1,518 points less than Johnny Roberts. Again, the widest margin in the standings that year.
Nite Crawlers Racing Team helps to haul Banjo Matthews’s Number 49
Explore the Eras of the Putty Hill Garage Racing Team
Just Getting Started
From 1952 to 1953, Pete Kantorski was the car owner and driver of the Number 23. The team was the Free State Stock Car Racing Association Champion in 1953.
A Pair of Champion Drivers
From 1954 to 1957, championship drivers Ralph Smith and Ken Marriott raced the Number 88 and 88A, respectively, to earn the team’s first titles.
Dominating Alcyon Speedway
From 1958 to 1959, Ed “Fireball” Lindsay took over the Number 88, racking up his share of wins, particularly at Alcyon Speedway in New Jersey.
The Nite Crawlers
In 1960 and 1961, the team won back-to-back NASCAR Modified Championships with car owner Tiny Slayton and driver Johnny Roberts.
Gastrock Special
1962 to 1964 saw a few drivers for the team. With Gastrock Towing as the new car owner, the car was now the Number 12 and a Buick Special with a Nailhead engine.
