Notes:
A series of races wae held at the Fairgrounds Speedway at Nashville, a one-mile dirt oval, on 27 September 1937. The feature event was the twenty-five mile sweepstakes for big cars, a category that later became sprint car racing.

During that feature event James Howard Cox, commonly known as Howdy Cox, was about to be lapped when he spun out in front of leader Duke Nalon. Nalon's view was impaired by the dust thrown up by Cox, leading to a collision; other three cars also became entangled in the wreckage. Cox was killed in the accident; Nalon, Ted Horn, and Vern Orenduff were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.

Cox's body was sent back to his hometown of Dallas, Texas and buried in Forest Lawn Cemetery there. A image of a race car and checkered flags adorn his tombstone. He was the son of Jerry M. and Florence Cox, and had brothers Arba and Milledge, and a sister Winifred.

An interesting anecdote is told about this accident and the superstitions that drivers had in those times. According to the story, Ted Horn had recently bought a pick-up truck that was green - a color considered then considered unlucky by many American racing drivers. Horn did not have time to get it repainted before the race at Nashville, and several other drivers made jokes about it that weekend. The conversation about racing superstitions got particularly lively just before the race began, including about eating peanuts before a race, something considered to "attract bad luck". It is said that a person at the pits, dismissing these tales and, "wanting to prove how screwy the drivers were", broke peanut shells over the first five cars in line to take to the track. The same five cars were those involved in the crash that cost Howdy Cox's life.

Howdy Cox is easily confused with drivers Howdy Wilcox, and Howdy Wilcox II, who were active several years earlier.

• United States Federal Census Record, Year: 1920;Census Place: Longview Ward 2, Gregg, Texas; Roll T625_1807; Page: 11B; Enumeration District: 3; Image: 301.
• United States Federal Census Record, Year: 1930; Census Place: Dallas, Dallas, Texas; Roll 2318; Page: 50A; Enumeration District: 71; Image: 584.0.
• Book "The Tribute Project", edited by Ed Watson, 1997, page 11.
• Book "The History of America's Speedways - Past & Present", by Allan E. Brown, third edition, first printing, November 2003, America's Speedways, Comstock Park, IN, United States, ISBN 0-931105-61-7, page 671.
• Book "Midget Auto Racing History, Volume One, 1934 - 1942", by Crocky Wright, 1979, pages 16 and 17 [C1].
• Book "Racers At Rest: The Checkered Flag: 1905 – 2008," by Rose, Heiseler, Chaparro and Sharpe, Rose Racing Publications, 2008, page 124, printing article titled "Race Fraternity Pays Respects To Deceased Star" by M.H. Carothers from unknown newspaper.
• Newspaper The Washington Post (Washington, DC, United States), issue of 28 September 1937, page 19, Associated Press wire service.
• Newspaper Chicago Tribune (Chicago, IL, United States), issue of 28 September 1937, page 21, Associated Press wire service.
• Newspaper Dallas Morning News (Dallas, TX, United States), issue of 28 September 1937, section II, page 1, Associated Press wire service.
• Newspaper Dallas Morning News, (Dallas, TX, United States), issue of 30 September 1937, page 16, article "Funeral Set Thursday For Dallas Auto Racer Who Died in Crash".
• Website Find-A-Grave http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=24354507.
• The Wilson Howard Davis archives.
• E-mail by Richard Cole, dated 26 August 2005, citing [C1].