THE FLAGMAN AND THE SNAKE

Red Pugh was the Track Superintendent at Daytona International Speedway (DIS) in addition he headed the track clean-up crews at all of International Speedway Corporation’s (ISC’s) tracks.  In the late 1970’s Red was driving to the Spring Cup race at Talladega.  To take a break he stopped at a Stucky’s.  While wandering around the store he spotted a live looking rubber rattle snake that was coiled ready to strike.  The snake was almost four feet long.  Red had no idea as what to do with the snake; it should be good for a laugh, so he bought it. 

As Red was checking into the motel, where many of the NASCAR officials stayed, he ran into Harold Kinder also checking in.  In addition to being the Chief Flagman for NASCAR Harold drove the NASCAR hauler.  Harold and Red were good friends and both enjoyed a good laugh.  After checking in, Red and Harold went out to dinner together.

The next morning while doing his chores at the track Red was thinking what to do with the snake.  During the lunch break, Red drove to the motel.  He found a maid that he knew and gave her $10.00 to let him into Harold’s room.  Red turned the bedspread down and carefully place the coiled snake under the sheet, ready to strike.

After practice Harold went to the motel showered and dressed to go to dinner with several other NASCAR officials.  He never noticed the lump under the sheet.  After dinner the group sat and talked about things that were going on and the latest garage rumors.  Since Harold was not driving he had a couple of drinks, but was by no means intoxicated. 

When they got back to the motel Harold went straight to his room, got undressed down to his skivvies, brushed his teeth and started to get in bed.  He pulled back the sheet.  With one foot and leg on the bed and the other foot on the floor he saw the snake.  He panicked, rolled out of bed onto the floor.  In the process he slammed the night table knocking the radio to the floor.  He then got to his feet, ran across the room and into the dresser almost knocking the TV over. He careened off the dresser to the sliding glass door.  In the process of trying to get the door unlocked he pulled down half the curtain. At that point he regained some of his senses.  He ran back across the room, through the door and into the hallway. 

As a result of all of the noise a group was gathering in the hallway.  Harold, in his skivvies, explained that there was a rattle snake in his bed.  One brave sole went into the room to investigate.  In just a moment he came out holding the snake behind the head as snake handlers do.  In seconds everyone realized that it was a rubber snake.  All had a good laugh.  Harold was not amused.

Harold had a difficult time sleeping that night.  Early the next morning he went to the track operations office to talk to Red.  When Harold told Red about the snake in his bed, Red could not believe it.  Everybody knew that Harold was deathly afraid of snakes; it was a dirty, mean trick.  Harold was so distraught that he talked about quitting NASCAR.  He could not believe that there was someone who disliked him so much that they would play such a dirty trick on him.  Red tried to calm him down.  He told him that no one disliked him and that the person who did it may not have known of his fear of snakes.  Harold was not convinced.  Red then said the best thing to do was to figure out who did it and go from there.  Harold agreed and Red volunteered to help.  The first thing they did was to make a list, as best remembered, of those who were in the motel hall.  It turned out that there was not a good suspect in the bunch.  It was such a good prank that by the end of the day everyone in the garage knew about it and had a laugh.  Red was convinced and convinced Harold that who ever did it would not be able to keep it to themselves.  On Sunday after the race Red went to the NASCAR hauler to talk with Harold. Red told him that he had not found out a thing.  However, he had figured out that Charlie Carr, head of DIS security, was the most likely person to be able to get a key to the motel room.  Charlie was the prime suspect.

After practice at the 4^th of July race in Daytona Red, Harold, two other fellows and me were in Red’s very small air-conditioned office trying to cool down.  The door opened and in walks Charlie Carr.  Everyone says: Hi, How ya doing? What’s up?—–etc except Harold.  Harold got up to leave.  Charlie asked: “Harold, What’s wrong with you?”  Harold says: “You know what’s wrong; you put that snake in my bed at Talladega.”  Charlie said: “I didn’t put a snake in your bed, Red did”.  Red started laughing so hard he nearly fell out of his chair.  Harold wanted Red to go outside and have it out right then.  Charlie said if you fight on speedway property, I will have to arrest both of you and take you to jail.  Over the next few minutes things simmered down and all were friends again, but Harold still did not think it was funny.

After the snake was taken out of Harold’s room it disappeared.  I’m sure that it found it’s way to another bed, truck, tool box or some other location to surprise some unsuspecting soul.

I heard this story from both Red and Harold so I assume it to be mostly true.

Don W Wolfe

1/23/2025