Author's note: Jack Etheridge raced for about 20 years. He retired in 1954 to find a real job.
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Jack at home in 1998
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Samples: Tell us a little about the pre-war racing days.
Etheridge: Well, as a kid I would always go to Lakewood Speedway in Atlanta and watch them race. I fell in love with it and would just about do anything to drive one. Raymond Parks had Red Vogt fix up a car owned by Gilbert Daniels. AAA sanctioned a race at Lakewood with all of the big names. This little ole car did good and Daniels sold it on the spot for $700.
Samples: Speaking of Raymond Parks, did you ever drive for him?
Etheridge: I drove a midget at Lakewood for him once. His regular drivers, Bob Flock and Red Byron, had no interest in driving it. That car really flew just to have a Ford engine in it. Beat a many Offy's that day.
Samples: Offenhausers were the class of the day?
Etheridge: Pretty much so. The Ford engines could wind up pretty good though.
Samples: So Red Byron drove Indy type cars?
Etheridge: Yeah, they fooled around with them over at Vogt's Garage. Back in the 1930's those things were two seaters and the mechanics would ride with them. I know in the 1940's Byron went to Indianapolis a couple of times but never qualified.
Samples: What do you remember about starting in stocks?
Etheridge: I grew up with a bunch of those guys in Atlanta. I raced for Airline Auto Service over on Spring Street some of the time. A bunch of us guys would be there or over at Red Vogt's Garage on West Marietta Street. All the trippers and drivers and mechanics had some link with both places. They always worked on trip cars at Vogt's and it just overflowed over to Airline. Trippers and racers were in those days much one of the same.
Samples: What exactly is tripping?
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