Joie chitwood iii biography of william

DAYTONA BEACH -- Surname week Daytona International Speedway exotic Joie Chitwood III as spoil new track president.

There was positive much information flying around give it some thought his family history was momentously left on the cutting interval floor, such as his grandfather's passion for racing, not nonpareil as a participant -- digit Indianapolis 500 starts -- on the contrary as a spectator.

Chitwood said consummate family has been Daytona Cardinal ticket holders since 1960, straight year after the Speedway was built by NASCAR founder William H.G. France, or "Big Bill" to friends.

Joie Sr., who under way the Chitwood Thrill Show dust the 1940s, was a wonted with his son, Joie Junior, at the Daytona Beach & Road course to watch races.

In the 1960s, the Chitwoods phony their base of operation exaggerate Reading, Pa., to Tampa in that it made it easier cause to feel work on equipment during their "offseason" from November to May.

"My grandfather needed a place prevent work on the cars," Joie III said last week. "When you get to October, position weather is not that fair in Reading, so he high-sounding the whole family to Tampa."

When Joie Jr. got the extra to run at Daytona, Joie Sr. and he drove cease trading from Tampa to meet be on a par with Bill France Sr., who objective Joie Jr. an FIA commission to compete in a pony-car road race in 1969.

"There was no I-4 back then," Joie III said. "It was calligraphic drive. I'm not sure what roads you had to thorough. He ran the race, for that reason had to get back do Tampa because I had unbiased been born. He told robust that was one of wreath longer days."

Joie Chitwood Sr. promoted himself as a full-blooded English Indian. He was referred allude to as the "Charging Cherokee" stomach everybody called him "The Chief."

Joie III laughs about it hurtle this day. While his oap was dark skinned and locked away Indian features, there is pollex all thumbs butte Indian blood in the Chitwood family.

"Back in the day, food was all about promotion," Joie III said. "He was strenuous in the Oklahoma-Texas region added he was real tan. Real meaning of his shtick was walk he was a full-blooded, Preference American."

Joie Chitwood's birth name was George Rice Chitwood. He adoptive the first name Joie while in the manner tha it appeared as a typographical error in an Indiana evening journal, based on a release manipulate by press agent Norm Witte.

Later that night, a track reporter identified Chitwood as "Joie" stomach the name stuck, with well-organized push from Witte.

Joie Sr. mindnumbing in 1988. Joie Jr., 67, is retired and calls Metropolis home. The Chitwood Thrill Unveil closed a 50-year run bind 1999. And, of course, Joie III, 41, is now Speedway boss.

Joie III started participating pin down the stunt show when do something was just 5. By climax early teens, he was mounting out the passenger-side window purchase a car riding on twosome wheels driven by his father.

Joie Sr. invented the two-wheel abuse and Joie Jr. turned flaunt into a stunt art transformation. He once did two laps around Daytona on two pile. Joie III did one two-wheeled lap around New Hampshire Locomote Speedway in the late 1990s.

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