Saturday’s NASCAR XFINITY Series race at Talladega Superspeedway is a sweet one for Charlie Brock, not only because Bit-O-Honey again graces the hood of the No. 60 Ford Mustang, but Brock shares family ties to the 2.66-mile Superspeedway.
Brock, who for the second consecutive season serves as the car chief for Chris Buescher in the NASCAR XFINITY Series, is the grandson of Red Farmer.
One year ago, the backstretch at Talladega Superspeedway was renamed “The Alabama Gang Superstretch” in honor of a notable group of drivers who left home in search of a better place to race. After setting up shop in Hueytown, Ala., brothers Bobby and Donnie Allison along with Farmer dominated the racing circuit in the south throughout the 1960’s and 1970’s making the Alabama town and trio synonymous with stock car racing.
“It’s nice to get to come back home and spend time with my grandfather,” said Brock. “I look forward to telling old stories and talking fishing. I enjoy going dirt racing with him and am excited to get back to the Talladega Short Track on Friday and Saturday, and hopefully watching him win.”
Farmer is a three-time champion in what is now the NASCAR XFINITY Series. His best finish in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) is a pair of fourth-place results in the 1968 Middle Georgia 500 and the 1972 Talladega 500. He won several championships at local tracks and made a few NSCS starts, but focused his attention on the Late Model Sportsman Series.
Farmer, who is now in his ‘80’s, is still pursuing his passion and will once again take to the short tracks of Alabama when he visits Talladega this week. He is set to run his Super Late Model at the Talladega Short Track this Friday and Saturday night. Brock will not miss the chance to spend time with his grandfather.
“I think it’s really great that Charlie shares that family tie,” said Buescher. “Red and the Alabama Gang were pioneers for racing in the south, so I have an appreciation for the history that is there. We are planning on heading to the short track this weekend to watch, so it should be pretty cool.”
Buescher and the No. 60 team enter this weekend third in the NASCAR XFINITY Series point standings. In his first start at the 2.66-mile track last season, Buescher started eighth and finished second. In the first restrictor plate race of the 2015 season, Buescher also earned a second-place finish, while pushing Roush Fenway teammate Ryan Reed to his first victory.
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