Racing History Minute - March 28, 1954

As we are winding down our History Minutes (the first one ran April 5, 2013) I am looking for events that have been mostly lost to history and even my source (Greg Fielden's "Forty Years of Stock Car Racing") has limited information. Today we go to Oglethorpe Speedway, a half-mile dirt track just outside of Savannah, Georgia. The race was 100 miles/200 laps, as were so many of the events of such tracks.

The only qualifying information available is that Herb Thomas qualified his FABULOUS Hudson Hornet on the pole with a speed of 63.202 mph. It is also pointed out in the text of the article that the "highly regarded" Number 3, yep, bears repeating, NUMBER THREE, John Ditz Hudson to be driven by Donald Thomas. The regular driver for the number 3 Pure Sensitized Hudson, Dick Rathmann, was driving in a Grand National race on the west coast at Oakland Stadium. Rathmann was driving a Ray Erickson Hudson in the same day event as won the 125 mile race on that half-mile dirt track in California. But, back to Oglethorpe.

Herb Thomas had run a very competitive race and was running a solid fourth place when he broke a right front hub taking him out of competition at virtually the last minute. Al Keller would win the race in his George Miller Hudson. Keller would also win another race of historic significance on a road course when he drove a Jaguar to the win, but for this report, it was a half mile dirt track and a Hudson Hornet.

Finishing Order:

1. Al Keller, George Miller Hudson, $1,000.00

2. Buck Baker, Griffin Motors Oldsmobile, $650.00 (1 lap down)

3. Gober Sosebee, Cherokee Garage Oldsmobile $450.00 (6 laps down)

4. Donald Thomas, Pure Sensitized Hudson, $350.00 (11 laps down)

5. Joe Eubanks, Oates Motor Company Hudson, $300.00 (12 laps down)

6. Ralph Liguori

7. Jim Paschal

8. Tommy Elliott

9. Eddie Skinner

10. Herb Thomas

11. Fonty Flock

12. Bob Flock

13. Emory Lewis

14. Ted Rambo

15. Dave Terrell

16.Ted Chamberlain

17. Bill Irvin

18. Jimmie Lewallen

19. Jack Smith

20. Bob Welborn

21. Artie Mitchell

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

Race report from Daytona Beach Morning Journal

Other significant stock car events were scheduled for the same day. NASCAR scheduled a second GN event in Oakland, CA, and it was won by Dick Rathman. And occasional NASCAR participants Marshall Teague, Johnny Mantz and Frank Mundy participated in the AAA stock car race in Phoenix - the forerunner I suppose of USAC's stock car division. from DBMJ

The pace lap before the start of the race at Oglethorpe. Herb and Donald Thomas are on the front row. Looks like #28 Eddie Skinner started fourth.

And Al Keller gets to enjoy his win with a cold... what? ... Pepsi? or is that one of those 6-1/2 ounce Coke bottles?

17th place finisher Billy Irvin made his 5th of 7 career starts - all in 1954. The Savannah race was his 2nd of 3 starts for owner Julian Petty. Irvin raced ... a #43 Dodge. VROOM!

Really good stuff here in this post. Great additions by Chase chronicling 3 big stock car races on the date.

Bump