Cecil Boyd is a name which probably is not noticed by a majority of the fans at the track but it is still worthy of recognition. Althought he is not one who the average fan would expect to be leading a race whenever he runs, Cecil does do the best he can with the equipment that he's got. Without Cecl and others like him who support racing week anfter week, the fans wouldn't get their moneys worth when they came to see a race. You can put all the hot-dogs together in a field but it would lack a good deal of excitment without the men who race as a hobby and fill out the field.

Cecil Boyd races mainly as a hobby. He is a man who is deeply dedicated to the sport and will do anything he can to make it better even though he does not really benefit personally. He began racing back in 1970 at Metrolina Speedway in Charlotte. He got his start in the Semi-Modfied division. During the 1971 season he switched to Sportsman and has been racing in that division since then. In 71,72, and 73 he ran mostly at Monroe and managed to get in a few races at other tracks during that period. 1974 took him to the asphalt tracks but he returned to his first love - dirt tracks - the following year.

He likes the Concord track more than the others he has run on because he feels that the track surface and layout are superior to the other tracks. Cecil also feels that he has been treated better by Henry Furr as far as the size of the purses and the condition of the track. He also had quite a few kind comments on the top notch organization at Concord. He says that it doesn't matter if a man is a hot-dog or an also ran, the Concord rules are applied equally and fairly to all competitors.

Cecil Boyd likes to be able to run with the leaders but it is not always able to do so because racing is just a hobby with him and his crew. They do it in their spare time and after they get done with their regular jobs. They often don't get to spend time working on the #10 which would help to make it into a more consistently running racer. The top teams are able to spend many hours a week working on their cars compared to the few hours Boyd's team is able to give. But they are there in spite of this, doing the best job possible with the time they do have to devote.

This season Cecil is running a 65 Chevelle which is powered by a 355ci Chevy engine. He has owned four other cars in the past. The machine work on the 10 is done by Precision Engine Service. Cecil takes care of the fine tuning of the engine at the track. Dearcy Jones and Woody Gibson do all the body work, painting and lettering. Woody also handles the chassis set up. Joining the others in taking care of the regular maintenance are Ricky Barber and Fred Hardison. Cecil is really appreciative of the fact that he has Dura Service of Charlotte as a sponsor. He says that if it weren't for their help he would not be able to race as much as he has this year. He also gives Dura Service and his pit crew a lot of credit for his being in the top 10 in points.

One of the accomplishments that Cecil is proud of is the fact that he finished 8th in points at Lancaster and Monroe even though he only competed there for half of the season that year. There have been a few occasions when he was able to run and finish in the top five spots here at Concord this year. Cecil has also been able to notch a number of finishes in the top ten also. His consistency and effort are paying off because he has been able to keep in the top ten in points this year at Concord. One of his goals is to try to improve his position in points by the end of the season.

Cecil Boyd is 33 years old and resides in Charlotte with his wife Gloria and his two step-children, Johnny (8) and Kim (6). He also has three children by a previous marriage, Kem(15), Kevin (13), and Kelly (12).

Cecil is self employed as a carpet layer. He own's Boyd's Carpet Service.

Motorsports Newsletter 1975