1969 Extravaganza Series Champion Caravan Hayes would've turned 85 today. He was one of the greatest drivers ever to wheel a racecar, dominating the short track circuits in the early 1960's. He would work on Tree Hastings' #27 Extravaganza Ford to make ends meet, before he and Tree entered the circuit full-time in 1966. Both drivers were up to par for the competition, but Caravan rose the ranks to become one of the of the Big-5 "Brash Brothers" of the early 70's. He retired after the 1981 season, leaving behind a decade of dominance (1967-1976) that was nearly unmatched. An injury at Rockingham in 1978 nearly ended his career, flipping over the pit lane. The lingering back injuries forced him to call it quits at age 45. He would come to the race track from time to time, but preferred to stay out of the spotlight and stay at his ranch in Lawrence Creek, Oklahoma. He died in 2007 due to complications of lung cancer.

The top-left is he and his wife Suzanne at one of his Oklahoma ranches in 1967. The top-right shows Caravan at a banquet after his 1969 Championship season. On the bottom is he and Doom Gleason enjoying the scenery in 1984 before a race at Martinsville.