From time to time, Inside Dirt Racing will be offering some stories on racing from days gone by called “Flashback”. This edition is by Gary Parker on the race team of Leon Sells and Charlie Mincey. Parker interviewed Mincey shortly before his passing.
“YOU GO NORTH AND I’LL GO SOUTH”
The story of the Leon Sells and Charlie Mincey Race Team
by Gary l. Parker
During the mid-60’s, as the modified race cars were beginning their twilight years on the Southern dirt racing scene; two future Hall of Fame drivers from Georgia would form one of the most successful dirt late model race teams in the state’s racing history. The drivers were, National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame (2015) star, Leon Sells; and the (2004) Georgia Racing Hall of Fame driver, Charlie Mincey.
Mincey said, “Leon was driving modifieds at the time for his brother-in-law, Mapleton, Georgia’s, Ed Massey.” He continued, “Leon had military service to deal with and Ed wanted to know if I would drive for him during the times Leon would be away.” Charlie then said,” I told him I would and that is how the story began.”
It was just a few months later, that Massey purchased a 1955 Chevy race car for Leon to drive. Like so many drivers and car owners, they were starting to race what would become known as dirt late models. Sells continued to be absent a lot because of military duty, and Charlie continued in his role as back-up driver. During a two weekend period at the old half mile dirt track at Phenix City, Alabama, Leon won two races the first week. Then, the following week, Mincey won two races in Leon’s absence. According to Charlie, “Ed Massey had seen enough. It was around 1968 that Massey bought another ’55 Chevy, and so the Sells-Mincey racing team was born.”
The two ’55 Chevy were identical, both blue and white, with the same #77 on their sides. Massey knew he had two of the South’s best late model dirt warriors and decided to race them at different tracks. This is how the “You go North and I’ll go South” idea came about. According to Mincey, “Ed knew that both his cars and drivers were capable of winning at almost any track they competed on.” Charlie went on to say, “Massey decided to split the two race teams up and have them go in different directions to try for the most wins and money.” Mincey continued, “Ed would usually go with me to the tracks South of Atlanta like, Senoia, Lagrange, Newnan, and Phenix City, Alabama. While Leon and his crew chief, Wayne Carroll, would race the tracks North of Atlanta such as, Cumming, Canton, and Rome.” Charlie then said, “If we raced each other at all, it was usually at the Rome Speedway on Sunday nights.”
Mincey said, “Our cars had several great sponsors, among them were, Quality Motor Sales, and Hunter Tire Company. The engines were some of the best around at the time. They were built by another area racing legend, Gainsville, Georgia’s, Bud Lunsford.”
Both, Ed and Leon would work at their regular jobs during the day and work on the race cars on week nights. According to Charlie, “We usually raced Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights. Neither of us was very big on keeping up with win totals. However, I know we won a lot of races and made a lot of money in the little over two years (1968-69) we were a team. In addition to the 55 Chevy’s, we also drove identical Chevelles, and finally 68 Camaros.”
Mincey told me he enjoyed the years he drove for Leon and Ed. He said, “They always had top notch equipment. I left the team around the end of ’69 and signed a racing contract with Day Chevrolet in Acworth, Georgia.” Charlie finished by saying, “I drove for Day for pretty much the rest of my late model career. My buddy Leon continued to drive for Ed until Ed’s son, Stan Massey, began his racing career. After Leon and Ed split up Sells drove for about a year with Day Chevrolet and finished his career with L.C. Smith. So, in the end we both enjoyed our time together and we both ended up with a lot of wins and a lot of great memories.”
Leon Sells (National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame photo)
Gary L. Parker is a writer and racing historian who has been a race fan for over fifty years. He has worked as a pit crew member for such iconic racing stars as Jody Ridley and National Dirt Late Model Hall of Famer, H.E. Vineyard. Gary is the author of the books, RED CLAY AND DUST; that tells the evolution of the dirt late model. Also, THE ROCK’EM, SOCK’EM, TRAVELIN’ SIDEWAYS DIRT SHOW; that presents a detailed history of Robert Smawley’s NDRA. Parker has also written historical articles for DIRT LATE MODEL MAGAZINE and other racing papers.
