My Summer at the Southside Speedway

By Tom Erb

It was the summer of 1962. I was eight years old. Up to this

point in my young life, I was solely influenced by my parent’s

music. They played it every day in the same order—Johnny Cash,

Patsy Cline, Hank Williams and Porter Wagoner. However, there

was new music coming out of the West: A new musical group called

The Beach Boys. It was exciting, new “beach” music that was

bringing surfing, beach parties, and fun in the sun into a new

light. I liked this new sound, so I begged my mother to buy me

the 45 ​Surfin’ Safari​. Music was becoming a very big part of my

life.

So, this is where my story begins: My father was a mechanic in

the Navy, and his hobby was working on cars. I didn’t realize

just how good he was at it until he took me with him to the

stock car races at the ​Southside Speedway​ in Chesterfield

County, VA. He was a mechanic for what I imagine now to be a

NASCAR-type circuit race car team.

I worked in the pit stop on the car alongside my father. I

cleaned windshields and put tools away, and I quickly made

 Tom Erb / Summer At South Side Speedway / Page 2

friendships with the sons of the drivers and mechanics. To be

honest, I don’t remember which make, model, or car it was, but I

do remember some of the winners and driver’s names from my days

at the Southside Speedway.

I was young and so was the sport, and these drivers were not

household names like the NASCAR drivers of today. I was a

crew-cut kid, and all the drivers would rub my head every time

they came near me. The drivers were Junior Johnson, Rex White,

Jimmy Pardue, Cliff Stewart and Richard Petty.

In the garage, there was one record player and the drivers would

play the usual country music: Johnny Cash, Hank Williams, and

Patsy Cline; but they would also let their sons put on their

music. One Saturday, I brought my Beach Boys 45, and I played

Surfin’ Safari​ and the B-Side ​409​. Wouldn’t you know, the B-Side

became a popular favorite?

This was the first time I was part of a group of boys and men

making similar choices about music. The times and the music were

changing so fast. Our parents didn’t like the music we were

listening to, and they were listening to music their parents

didn’t like.
 Tom Erb / Summer At South Side Speedway / Page 3

Looking back, I realize that the generation gap was wide in the

beginning of the new sound that was called rock and roll. But in

reality, it wasn’t that much different. The new sound told

stories of lost and found love, peace and having fun. The main

difference was that rock and roll was a visual media. Elvis

moved his hips, Jerry Lee beat on his piano, and The Beatles had

long hair and everybody wanted to not just hear them, but also

see them.

So this is why, standing in the garage listening to ​409​ and

watching the generation gap melt away, even if it was just for

the length of the 45 record, I realized that music must be a

part of my life.