Racing History Minute - May 26, 1957

Today we are going to travel all the way to the left coast for a 75 mile race on a half mile asphalt track. This particular race was number 18 of the 1957 season and I'm sure many of the names won't be easily recognizeable to most fans. Nevertheless, one name, Lloyd Dane, should be noted is the oldest living NASCAR Champion (my understanding) whom I had the pleasure of meeting at an event with RacersReunion last year. He was the West Coast Champion for the equivalent Cup Division there but I can't recall what year it was and I don't have much time for research this morning. I'm sure someone with post that information as a follow up.

Portland, Oregon's half mile track was the scene for the race on this day in 1957. Art Watts started a Ford from the pole and Lloyd Dane in another Ford would start to the outside. Information for this race from my source (Forty Years of Stock Car Racing by Greg Fielden) is limited as there is no information as to lap leaders, margin of victory or attendance. Information does include the fact that 23 cars started the event and 14 were running at the end of 75 laps.

West Coast drivers Ed Negre and Parnelli Jones didn't fare well that day as Negre fell out of the race on lap 60 with transmission failure and Jones ended his day on lap 55 when his Ford experienced overheating problems. Many of you will remember Negre coming East and being a fixture in Cup racing for several years. Others of you will no doubt think of Parnelli Jones and his efforts in the big race at that track in Indiana today.

The race came down to a battle of the Fords of Eddie Pagan (also came East to race later) and Lloyd Dane. In the end, it was Eddie Pagan winning for the second time in his Grand National career.

Top five finishers were:

1. Eddie Pagan, Pagan Ford, winning $930.00

2. Lloyd Dane, Dane Ford, winning $600.00

3. Clyde Palmer, Hugh Babb Chevrolet, winning $470.00

4. Scotty Cain, Cain Mercury, winning $345.00

5. Dick Getty, Betty Getty Chevrolet, winning $270.00

Sixth through tenth were Bud Emra, Danny Letner, Don Porter, Marvin Porter and Chuck Meekins. Ed Negre is credited with 19th place and Parnelli Jones with 22nd place.

As I sit here writing this on a Sunday morning, I try to imagine what it would have been like to tow a race car from North Carolina to Oregon on the 1957 roads. That, in itself, would have been an adventure. I know that many of the East Coast guys would run West Coast events back in those days but I believe that after racing Martinsville, VA on May 19th and having a race in New Oxford, PA coming up on May 30th, guys running for the Championship in 1957 weighed their options carefully. But it does give one much to think about for "back in the day" and how things were then for the pioneers of this sport.

Honor the past, embrace the present, dream for the future.

Tim

I see a Hugh Babb Chevy made it to 3rd place. Must have been close to the end of the fuel injected Black Widows.

Looking at the map it does seem a heck of a long way from Georgia up to Oregon even for today's drivers. Or am I looking through European eyes??

Andrew

It is indeed a long haul, Andrew.. and as Tim pointed out, the roads from the American southeast to the northwest in 1957 were not the modern multi-laned ones we've come to take for granted here.

Link to the Eddie Pagan page at Legends of NASCAR site:

http://www.legendsofnascar.com/Eddie_Pagan.htm

Andrew, my friend, European eyes, or Georga Redneck eyes, it's STILL a long way. But that Hugh Babb Chevy made the trip.

Thanks for the link Dave! I really appreciate what you do to help me out here. These little minutes are becoming quite a record of some pretty extraordinary history thanks to you and Chase and to others who contribute from time to time.

When I think back to the days I drove round Europe in my little Citroen Deux Chevaux (all of 602cc) I shake my head in disbelief. Still I was young then!!! I drove round France, Belgium, Holland and even to Monaco - sometimes just for a weekend with that little motor sounding like an egg beater in my ears! I could still hear it after I got home and put the car in the garage!

Ahh, happy days

Andrew

Better day for Pagan than a year later at Darlington (from David Hawkins collection):

Though he did post a 4th place finish in the Spring '58 Darlington Rebel 300 Convertible race and started on the pole for the '58 Southern 500 before the huge crash you've documented.