Nashville Speedways First Champion
Bob with sponsor Marty Robbins around 1958
You can almost read Marty's mind ......
Gee Bob Let Me Take It For A Spin
Bob Shows Marty It's Not As Easy As It Looks
And Sometimes You Can Get Pretty P***** Off!
Bob climbing out and being talked out of going over to Speak to another driver by "Preacher" Hamilton. Looking on is track promoter Mitch Parrish.
Bob Reuther started racing in 1948. In the mid '50's he teamed up with Charles "Preacher" Hamilton and Bud Hamilton. Bobby's grandpa and father. Bobby is his godson.
He ran bullrings all over Tenn, Ala, Ga, Ky,Indiana, and some of NASCARS most famous tracks up until late 1963 ,when he retired. He won 8 track championships in the state of Tennessee and was Nashville Motor Speedways First Track Champ in 1958.
As a frequent competitor on the old Daytona Beach Road course, he set a speed record in a modified stock car that still stands.
In the 1990's he came out of retirement to become Bobby Hamilton's personal pilot and returned to tracks he used to run on like Darlington and Daytona and visited speedways that were not even built when he stopped driving.
Look for a feature story on Bob's career in an upcoming issue of Stock Car Racing Magazine.
Lining up on the beach in 1955 Bob is in #51
Bob (outside front) in an IMCA Sprint on the old mile and a furlong Nashville Fairgrounds horse track. Notice all the folks on the hill in the cheap seats. Bobs car had an Oldsmobile V8 most were Offy powered.
Look at him kick up the sand in a '38 Plymouth coupe on Daytona . It was Feb 14th 1957 when he passed through the timers the speed recorded was 150.25 mph!
One Happy Fella with his trophy that put him on the pole.
The Start.... That's Tim Flock On The Outside
Second From The Bottom Is The Name Bob Reuther . He's there with racing immortals such as Barney Oldfield, Sir Malcom Campbell, Ralph DePalma etc. The Sign Is Gone but The Record Still Stands.
Holdin' His line in 1949.... the '39 Ford started out as his road car.
They were good friends. Bob was gassing up the plane to go visit Glenn "Fireball" Roberts in the hospital when he got the bad news.
BOB IS FEATURED IN THE DEC 2000 OF STOCK CAR RACING MAGAZINE
BOB WAS FEATURED IN THE MAY 1957 ISSUE OF HOT ROD MAGAZINE
