What is the first Nascar race you attended

2010 Southern 500. Left after 282 laps. Now I'm going to the Nationwide races there because those Nascar races are too long.

I believe, for me it was Strawberry Hill Raceway, summer of 1961. Richard Petty won on the half mile dirt track. Lee Petty was not there, having been injured earlier that season at Daytona. Rex White was there in a '60 Chevrolet. Ned Jarrett was driving a '61 Chevrolet convertible. Herman Beam was in his powder blue '60 Ford. We parked in the infield after I was smuggled in the gate in the trunk of a black '57 Chevy. It was so damn hot I nearly passed out waiting for the track to clear so we could cross to the infield. I can't recall what other notable drivers were there that day. Dave Fulton can probably add to (and correct) some of this post. I just remember leaving there wearing a lot of the track.

sounds like a wonderful day Richard. memories like that are ones we keep forever.

Richard, I can only say I wish I had been there with you in 1961. My first race didn't come until 3 years later at the same Strawberry Hill track in Richmond - the spring Richmond 250 won by David Pearson in a Cotton Owens Dodge. I was completely and thoroughly hooked during practice the very first time Tiny Lund came broadsliding out of turn 4 throwing a roostertail of dirt up into the $5 bleachers where I was sitting. That race started Sunday afternoon and finished under the lights on Tuesday night after rain before the half-way mark.

1981 Firecracker 400.

Huh?

Jay's driver, Bill Elliott finished 34th that day and mine, Dale Earnhardt right behind him in 35th.

Well, Woody, J.T. had at least 3 of us pulling for him that day... you, me and my buddy, Frank. Frank shot 8mm film of me sitting in J.T.'s #19 car after that race that was lost by Dave Lindeman at Car & Track Productions in a 1997 fire. Dick flipped in the spring Richmond 250 that was aired by ABC's Wide World of Sports.

1st NASCAR race? That would be sometime in 1974 - can't remember exact date or race. But it was at Nashville Fairgrounds, and I think it was one of the many NASCAR-sanctioned 200 lap features the track had for the touring Late Model Sportsman division. My uncle stopped by our house and took my dad and me. Pretty sure another uncle and my cousin went as well.

My first NASCAR Winston Cup race was the Music City USA 420 at Nashville on June 3, 1978. Cale led every dadgum lap - but I did get to meet a teenage Petty Enterprises crewman, Kyle Petty AND get my picture made by the famed 43.

Oh wow!

Spring of 1949 HILLSBORO Modified.

June 21, 1964, Birmingham Alabama. Ned Jarrett won the 200 lap race. I just wish I was able to remember that day. I was only 16 months old!

Yep- both victims of an early wreck in the trioval. My seventeen year old brother at the time went to the pits after that race, and Jimmy Means told him to tag along and he would walk him around to see some of the cars up close. I still have the pictures he took from that tour.

First NASCAR race was the modified race at Columbia Speedway, September, 1952. First Grand National Race was at Columbia Speedway in 1953. First Darlington, spring, 1957. First Charlotte, June, 1960. First Daytona, February 1962, First Atlanta, March, 1962, First Rockingham, October 1965, First Talladega, the spring race of 1970. Throw in races at Martinsville, Bristol, North Wilkesboro, Augusta, Savannah, Jacksonville, Bowman-Gray, Hillsboro, Pocono and even the short-lived track in Trenton, NJ. I have been one very, very fortunate man. Thank you, Uncle Bobby for getting me into this. Thanks to my Mom and Dad for becoming huge fans and keeping up the tradition.

You're so freakin lucky

We need 'em!

Columbia Speedway Cayce SC 1964

August 11---1957---Martinsville,Va

Thanks--Harlow Reynolds--Lynchburg,Va...

Harlow, You brought Glen Wood some pretty good luck at Martinsville in 1955, considering he blew up on lap 17 and was credited with a last place finish, but got in teammate Jimmy Massey's car and brought it home in 2nd place! Hope y'all had a good birthday celebration for Glen this past Friday.

Old Dominion 500

NASCAR Convertible race
Martinsville Speedway, Martinsville, VA
August 11, 1957
500 laps on 0.5 mile paved oval; 250 miles

Fin St Driver # Owner Car Laps Money Status Laps Led
1 1 Bill Amick 97 Bill Amick 1957 Ford Convertible 500 3,150 running 274
2 3 Jimmy Massey 11 Wood Brothers 1956 Ford Convertible 499 1,925 running 144
3 29 Dick Beaty 39 Dick Beaty 1956 Ford Convertible 498 1,250 running 0
4 31 Lee Petty 42 Petty Engineering 1957 Oldsmobile Convertible 498 975 running 0
5 28 Jack Smith 46 Jack Smith 1957 Chevrolet Convertible 497 600 running 0
6 9 Curtis Turner 26 Holman Moody 1957 Ford Convertible 497 450 running 0
7 13 Possum Jones 48 Bob Welborn 1957 Chevrolet Convertible 495 400 running 0
8 27 Buck Baker 87 Buck Baker 1957 Ford Convertible 494 350 running 0
9 6 Ken Rush 75 Frank Hayworth 1956 Mercury Convertible 487 300 running 0
10 14 Larry Frank 76 Lonnie Fish 1956 Chevrolet Convertible 486 300 running 0
11 12 Paul Goldsmith 3 Slim Rominger 1957 Ford Convertible 486 250 running 0
12 16 Don Gray 77 Lonnie Fish 1956 Chevrolet Convertible 467 250 running 0
13 4 Bob Welborn 49 Bob Welborn 1957 Chevrolet Convertible 465 350 running 0
14 15 Roger Baldwin 10 Roger Baldwin 1956 Ford Convertible 454 225 running 0
15 23 Shep Langdon 78 Lonnie Fish 1956 Chevrolet Convertible 445 225 running 0
16 30 Billy Rafter 41 C.M. Julian 1956 Dodge Convertible 440 225 running 0
17 20 Bill Poor 4 Art Binkley 1956 Plymouth Convertible 440 225 running 0
18 10 Ray Hendrick 90 J.S. Rice 1957 Chevrolet Convertible 438 200 running 0
19 19 Dave Terrell 9 Dave Terrell 1957 Chevrolet Convertible 436 200 running 0
20 22 Neil Castles 55 Neil Castles 1956 Ford Convertible 425 200 running 0
21 18 E.J. Brewer 2 1956 Chevrolet Convertible 366 200 running 0
22 21 Raymond Carter 32 1956 Chevrolet Convertible 349 200 radiator hose 0
23 34 Ted Chamberlain 93 Ted Chamberlain 1956 Plymouth Convertible 340 200 running 0
24 35 Cannonball Brown 56 Cannonball Brown 1956 Chrysler Convertible 334 150 running 0
25 8 Fireball Roberts 22 Fireball Roberts 1957 Ford Convertible 332 150 rear end 0
26 11 Gwyn Staley 38 Julian Petty 1957 Chevrolet Convertible 302 100 engine 0
27 5 Joe Weatherly 12 Holman Moody 1957 Ford Convertible 284 100 engine 65
28 7 Billy Myers 14 Billy Myers 1957 Mercury Convertible 252 100 rear end 0
29 32 Jim Paschal 17 Jim Paschal 1957 Mercury Convertible 249 100 engine 0
30 33 James Jones 19 James Jones 1956 Chevrolet Convertible 223 100 accident 0
31 24 Whitey Norman 1A Whitey Norman 1956 Ford Convertible 222 oil leak 0
32 25 Sherman Utsman 8 1956 Ford Convertible 187 tire 0
33 26 Brownie King 31 Jess Potter 1956 Chevrolet Convertible 136 oil leak 0
34 17 Tiny Lund 5 1957 Pontiac Convertible 18 engine 0
35 2 Glen Wood 21 Wood Brothers 1957 Ford Convertible 17 engine 17

Notes: Paul Goldsmith and Curtis Turner switched cars in the middle of the race.
They are listed here in the cars in which they started the race.
Bill Myers relieved Dick Beaty.
Glen Wood relieved Jim Massey.
Time of race: 04:00:54
Average Speed: 62.267 MPH
Pole Speed: 27.11 seconds
4 cautions
Attendance: 10,000

Source: Ultimate Racing History

Yes, Eric, very, very fortunate.

Wow, there's race fans older than I posting here. Ha! Let me correct an earlier statement first. Ned Jarrett was not driving a convertible in the April '61 race. It was the number 11 Holloway entry, a '61 hardtop Chevrolet. I did not have the good fortune to attend races at most of the tracks mentioned here, but have had an interest in Nascar racing as far back as I can recall, even watching late night delayed broadcasts of racing on the beach when my cousin and I were pre-teens. My very limited list would include Southside, South Boston, Langley, Trenton for the annual modified spectacular, one visit to the old Columbia S.C. dirt track, maybe another one or two, and these tracks and events were to watch the (love 'em) modifieds and late model cars, not necessarily even Nascar events. (Side note...Daddy let me drive for the first time ever in a '53 Chevrolet on part of the beach course at Daytona....I was nine years old. Daddy worked the pedals....I steered....Mama screamed...seagulls beware)

My first race was a 100 mile NASCAR GN event at (dirt) RAMBI Raceway, Myrtle Beach, SC, in 1962. Richard Petty, Joe Weatherly, and Jack Smith were in the field, but the winner was Ned Jarrett, driving the familiar #11 '62 Chevrolet. I remember, in practice when the track was still wet, 'little' Joe would begin throwing his car ('62 Pontiac #8) into the first turn as soon as he passed the flag-stand. Jack Smith's (#47 '62 Pontiac) seemed to be the loudest car in the race.

I somehow forgot to include Greenville-Pickens, Myrtle Beach, Metrolina in Charlotte, Newberry, and probably others. Truly, there was hardly a weekend that passed in my life from 1952 through 1990 that I wasn't at a race somewhere. There were some of the '67 and '68 season I missed because I was sailing around the ocean with the Navy.