Lloyd Seay
Encyclopedia
Carl D. "Lightning" Lloyd Seay (December 14, 1919 – September 2, 1941) was an early stock car racing
driver from Georgia
. NASCAR
founder Bill France, Sr. described Seay as the "best pure race driver I ever saw". He was shot to death by his cousin over a moonshine
operation. His last name was pronounced as "See".
Seay came from a racing family. His cousin Roy Hall was a racer who was the subject of the Jim Croce
song "Rapid Roy, that Stock Car Boy". Another cousin, Raymond Parks
, was the owner of NASCAR's first Strictly Stock (now Sprint Cup) championship car.
driving a 1934 Ford owned by his cousin Raymond Parks
and tuned by Red Vogt when he was 18 years old. On November 21, 1938, Seay won a 150-mile darkness shortened national championship stock car race at Lakewood.
He flipped his car twice during the July 27, 1941 race at the Daytona Beach Road Course
and finished fourth. He returned to the track later that year on August 24, 1941 against his cousin Roy Hall in Parks' cars. After starting fifteenth, he led all 50 laps in the race. He won his next race on August 31 at High Point, and left immediately for the Labor Day
race at Lakewood Speedway
on the following day. He arrived late at the event, missing qualifying. He had to start last, and he passed into the lead on lap 35. He battled Bob Flock
all afternoon before winning the $450 race. It was his last race. He had won three races in 15 days.
, Tim Flock
, Red Byron
, and Seay's cousins Parks and Hall.
Stock car racing
Stock car racing is a form of automobile racing found mainly in the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Great Britain, Brazil and Argentina. Traditionally, races are run on oval tracks measuring approximately in length...
driver from Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
. NASCAR
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
founder Bill France, Sr. described Seay as the "best pure race driver I ever saw". He was shot to death by his cousin over a moonshine
Moonshine
Moonshine is an illegally produced distilled beverage...
operation. His last name was pronounced as "See".
Seay came from a racing family. His cousin Roy Hall was a racer who was the subject of the Jim Croce
Jim Croce
James Joseph "Jim" Croce January 10, 1943 – September 20, 1973 was an American singer-songwriter. Between 1966 and 1973, Croce released five studio albums and 11 singles...
song "Rapid Roy, that Stock Car Boy". Another cousin, Raymond Parks
Raymond Parks (auto racing)
Raymond Parks was the owner of Red Byron's car which won NASCAR's first Strictly Stock championship in 1949.-Background:...
, was the owner of NASCAR's first Strictly Stock (now Sprint Cup) championship car.
Moonshine runner
A Georgia deputy described Seay, "He was without a doubt the best automobile driver of this time. He was absolutely fearless, and an excellent driver on those dusty, dirt roads. I caught him eight times and had to shoot his tires off every time." A different deputy described another night when he pulled Seay over for speeding as he was transporting a load of moonshine through a city north of Atlanta. After he gave the deputy two five dollar bills, the officer said, "Dammit Lloyd, you know the fine for speedin' ain't but five dollars" Seay replied, "Yeah, but I'm gon' be in a hurry comin' back, so I'm payin' an advance."Racing career
Lloyd began racing in 1938, winning in his first stock car race at Lakewood SpeedwayLakewood Speedway
Lakewood Speedway was a race track located south of Atlanta, Georgia, in Lakewood, Georgia, just north of the eastern arm of Langford Parkway . The track held many kinds of races between 1919 and 1979, including events sanctioned by AAA/USAC, IMCA, and NASCAR. It was a one-mile dirt track which...
driving a 1934 Ford owned by his cousin Raymond Parks
Raymond Parks (auto racing)
Raymond Parks was the owner of Red Byron's car which won NASCAR's first Strictly Stock championship in 1949.-Background:...
and tuned by Red Vogt when he was 18 years old. On November 21, 1938, Seay won a 150-mile darkness shortened national championship stock car race at Lakewood.
He flipped his car twice during the July 27, 1941 race at the Daytona Beach Road Course
Daytona Beach Road Course
Daytona Beach Road Course was a race track that was instrumental in the formation of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, or NASCAR. It originally became famous as the location where fifteen world land speed records were set...
and finished fourth. He returned to the track later that year on August 24, 1941 against his cousin Roy Hall in Parks' cars. After starting fifteenth, he led all 50 laps in the race. He won his next race on August 31 at High Point, and left immediately for the Labor Day
Labor Day
Labor Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September that celebrates the economic and social contributions of workers.-History:...
race at Lakewood Speedway
Lakewood Speedway
Lakewood Speedway was a race track located south of Atlanta, Georgia, in Lakewood, Georgia, just north of the eastern arm of Langford Parkway . The track held many kinds of races between 1919 and 1979, including events sanctioned by AAA/USAC, IMCA, and NASCAR. It was a one-mile dirt track which...
on the following day. He arrived late at the event, missing qualifying. He had to start last, and he passed into the lead on lap 35. He battled Bob Flock
Bob Flock
Robert Newman Flock of Fort Payne, Alabama, USA was an early NASCAR driver. He qualified on the pole position for NASCAR's first Strictly Stock race.-Flock family:...
all afternoon before winning the $450 race. It was his last race. He had won three races in 15 days.
Death
After winning the Lakewood race, he drove to his brother Jim's house in Burlsboro, Georgia to sleep overnight. The next morning, their cousin Woodrow Anderson came to the house to settle a dispute over sugar that Lloyd had charged to Woodrow's account. Lloyd, Jim, and Woodrow went to Woodrow's father's house to settle the dispute, and Lloyd was shot by Woodrow Anderson. He was buried in Dawsonville Cemetery. The November 2, 1941 race at Lakewood Speedway was dedicated to Seay.Awards
He was one of eight drivers inducted in the first class of the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame in 2002, along with his Bill ElliottBill Elliott
William Clyde "Bill" Elliott , also known as Awesome Bill from Dawsonville or Million Dollar Bill, is a part-time driver and former champion of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Elliott was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America on August 15, 2007. He won the 1988 NASCAR Winston Cup...
, Tim Flock
Tim Flock
Julius Timothy Flock was one of NASCAR's early pioneers, and a two time series champion. He was a brother to NASCAR's second female driver Ethel Mobley and NASCAR pioneers Bob Flock and Fonty Flock.- NASCAR career :...
, Red Byron
Red Byron
Robert "Red" Byron was a NASCAR driver who was successful in the sanctioning body's first years. He was NASCAR's first Modified champion in 1948 and its first Strictly Stock champion in 1949.-Background:Born in Colorado he moved to Anniston, Alabama at an early age, Byron began...
, and Seay's cousins Parks and Hall.