Marshall Grant

**Duke Johnson** · 11-29-2005

Duke, Bill Seebold Sr, Bill Seebold Jr, Jerry, Marshall Grant, 2 friends of Marshall's & Carl Perkins

**Master Oil Racing Team** · 11-29-2005

What's the story behind the lineup besides Billy bringing home the gold for Marshall? Billy won six the previous year, but I don't seem to have any Alexandria Town Talk clips from 1971.

**Duke Johnson** · 11-29-2005

Wayne, it was the year Billy won 6 championships, so that would make it 72. We are standing in front of Ring of Fire 2.

**OLEGATORXX** · 11-29-2005

Fluke Wanted A Dune Buggy I Had. We Had Everything Worked Out Eccept How To Get It From My Home In Orlando To Jackson Tn Where He Lived. He Called Me And Said They Had A New Tractor/trailer Rig To Haul The Equipment To The Shows And They Were Doing A Show Somewhere In South Fl. The Driver Was To Stop By Orlando On The Way Back. When The Driver Got To A Easy Point To Find, I Met Him And Led Him To My House. It Was In The Middle Of The Afternoon And You Can Imagine What Happen When A Big Semi Pulled Up In Front Of My House With Johnny Cash Show Painted On The Side. All The Nosey Women Within Site Were Hanging Out Their Front Doors Wondering What's Going On. I Got Out In The Middle Of The Street And Yelled, We're Having A Show Tonite At 7:30, We Will Start Selling Tickets At 6:30. Then The Driver And I Loaded The Dune Buggy In The Trailer And He Headed Out To Tn.

**Master Oil Racing Team** · 12-01-2005

I can picture that scene.

Joe Rome was going to post this some day about Papa Smith, but I couldn't wait. He can tell it again.

Our friend Louis Williams is an undertaker (retired) by trade. Mama Smith used to love it when Louis came to see them in his hearse. Mama Smith would ask, "Louis could you back it in the driveway? That will give the old biddies something to talk about for a month."

Back to Marshall

Marshall, Tim Butts and my Dad were promoting an annual race at Hot Springs, Arkansas based on a three to four hour show with top competitors from around the U.S. They were not promoters in the sense to make money, but to bring a good show to the spectators and to have some great racing. It was a challenge series pitting North, South, East and West against one another and the teams combining point totals for the Championship.

Jerry Waldman was captain for the North at the first event in which he was killed in one of the final races. He garnered enough points himself to lead the North to victory. Tim Butts was North Captain for the 2nd event in 1973, My Dad and Marshall were for the second time Captains for the South and East respectfully. I forgot who was Captain for the West this second year. I don't think we had any participation from the West Coast on the second one.
In fact, the overall turnout was poor because somehow it got past everyone that the Eastern Divisionals were on for the same weekend. I think the scheduling error occurred because of last minute changes by one or both parties.

So here are a few photos of Marshall's rigs with Dan Kirts driving, and an excerpt of a letter from my Dad.

**F-12** · 12-01-2005

You can always tell which one Dan Kirts is..........he's the one in the fast boat with the farmer's tan. Guess it goes with living in Indiana.............

**Master Oil Racing Team** · 12-04-2005

That is probably the most accurate representation of a musician's story that ever came out of Hollywood. Probably because it is like a film version of Johnny Cash's autobiography. What a great movie. It does a very good job of boiling down a portion of Johnny's life without seeming segmented. A very good story line. You could tell the writers watched the BBC documentary from San Quentin and listened to the album, because the movie has the same lighting and almost identical dialogue with the documentary. The actor who portrayed Marshall I thought did an excellent job, except Marshall didn't move around on stage like that. It is uncanny how the actors were able to so closely mimic the voices and facial expressions of Johnny and June. And Joaquin Phoenix slung his guitar around like the real thing.

**David Weaver** · 07-04-2017

All, I am spending considerable time in Austin, TX for work. I have found a "watering hole" named the Mean Eyed Cat. It is all about Johnny Cash and his band. But, there is nothing in the place about Marshall's Race Boat. I showed them some photo's from the internet. Does anyone have access to a good copy of Ring of Fire with Johnny and the associated article? I wold love to hang copies of them in the Mean Eyed Cat. Thanks, David