I was so struck by Charlie Harville’s marvelous “Ballad of Fireball” poem that I literally jumped through hoops on the Internet to find and reprint it, about ten months after the original article ran at Insider Racing News. I’m most pleased to find the Ballad listed on your “Music” page; it should be available for all to see.  Though I never met Charlie Harville, I think he’d be smiling down from Heaven to know that his work was once again being read and appreciated.
~PattyKay
Staff Writer
Insider Racing News
http://insiderracingnews.com
See a great Patty Kay Article on Fireball HERE.

The Ballad of Fireball - by Charlie Harville

They gathered there at the Charlotte track,
The boldest drivers in the pack.
The men of nerve, the men of speed,
To see which one would take the lead.
And the boldest of them all
Was Fireball.

Racing's legends were there that May,
Men whose memory lives today.
Their valiant deeds we still recall,
Enshrined now in fame's hallowed hall.
Most honored of all
Was Fireball.

There was Richard and David and Jimmy Pardue,
(What fate held for him he never knew),
And Buddy and Buck and Junior and Cale,
Men whose nerve would never fail.
And bravest of them all
Was Fireball.

Pardue's Plymouth was the fastest ride.
He sat on the pole, with Lorenzen outside.
Lined up behind them, two by two,
Some of the greatest the sport ever knew.
And greatest of all
Was Fireball.

The green flag dropped, they started to race
Through the high banks at a frantic pace.
Down the back straight, through turns three and four,
The grandstands shook to the engines' roar.
In the midst of it all
Was Fireball.

Seven was the fateful lap, running at top speed,
Screaming down the back stretch, going for the lead.
Cars started spinning, sparks flew and flashed,
The blaze shot high as they madly crashed.
Flaming into the wall
Went Fireball.

Struggling out from his own burning ride,
Brave Ned Jarrett ran to this friend's side.
Pulling him free, as flames leaped higher,
Hearing his plea, "Help me, Ned, I'm on fire."
That was the anguished call
Of Fireball.

Six thousand grew still as they learned
That Roberts was badly hurt and burned.
He was carried away to a healing place,
While forty men stayed to finish the race.
With thoughts that were all
Of Fireball.

His valiant spirit strove his body to mend
For forty long days, then it came to the end.
For muscle and bone just could not abide
The terrible hurt - it was his last ride.
The last long haul
For Fireball.

But his deeds and triumphs stayed in the mind
Of friends and old rivals left there behind.
A host of brave men who still ran the track,
But sometimes their memories drifted back
In silent recall
To Fireball.

And memories of him still are alive
At those Southern tracks where he used to drive.
With other men of nerve and speed
He raced into history, taking the lead.
The legend stands tall
....Fireball.

EPILOGUE - 1994
Now Davey and Alan and Neil and J.D.
Are together again, wherever they be.
Curtis and Tiny and the Myers brothers,
Gone, all gone ....and many others.
Now they are all
With Fireball.

EMI 7C 062-82631  20 GREAT TRUCK HITS  (LP)  1983 US
Six Days On The Road/Counterfield Cowboy/Rollin' On Your Track/Me And Old C.B./Wave At 'Em Billy Boy/I Have Been Known Not To Go Home/One More Plane/Fireball Rolled A Seven/Let Me Dream/Denims And Diamonds/ Texas Ruby/Rollin' Rig/Seventeen Seventy-Six (1776)/Big Stuff/Truckin' Dad/Rooster Hill/Been Around The Horn/Sentimental Journey/My Sunny Overgrown Country Town/Sugarland U.S.A.

'Fireball' - Johnny ReB: Never forgotten, Doris Roberts personally authorized this modern country rock tune about Fireball.

"The song 'Fireball' is a celebration to the memory of NASCAR's first superstar, Glenn "Fireball" Roberts, who ruled the superspeedways throughout the south and beyond with his inate ability and tenacity. Johnny ReB, My thanks to you for capturing the spirit and excitement of a very special era in auto racing."  
-------Doris Roberts

Fireball  -  by Johnny ReB

well i seen a cloud of dust/come roarin' down the
track/movin' like a freight train/runnin' from the}
pack/faster than a comet it flew past up all/the smell of
burnin tiresmixed with motor oil/heard'em all cryin'/there
goes a fireball!

well he came from daytona/to the carolina hills, bound and
determined/addicted to the thrills/where the speed is the
king/when the track is clear/you put the pedal to the
metal/and you swallow your fear/better step back ya'll/here
comes the fireball!

he gave a rebel yell/he's headed for the checker/he's just
propelled/born to raise hell/gonna win it all/if he don't
wreck her/

tells his wife and his daughter when he said goodbye/don't
worry about me/i'm too mean to die/i love to hold ya and
and to kiss ya/but it's a close call/it just ain't as good as
huggin't that wall/when i hear the crowd crying get on
fireball!

well the way the story goes/around the charlotte
track sometimes around midnight his spirit comes
back/start your engines boys/you can hear him call/knock
down drag out crash burn or brawl/tonight your gonna be
racin'/but with the fireball/tonight you're gonna be
racin'/but with the fireball/he's a fireball/, yeah he's a
fireball/well he's a fireball/he's a fireball!

Johnny ReB - Fireball CAV005 - 2002

'Fireball' - Deep Purple: Has nothing to do with Fireball Roberts really, this is just a personal favorite because of the title and great drum track. Offered on their greatest hits album.

Add your favorite race music. Send Here.

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