Racing History Minute - July 19, 1958 part 2

A couple of years ago, Tim Leeming posted about the July 19, 1958 GN race at Buffalo's Civic Stadium.

http://racersreunion.com/community/forum/stock-car-racing-history/25514/racing-history-minute-july-19-1958

The same day, NASCAR's convertible division raced at Greenville-Pickens Speedway in South Carolina.

Car owner Julian Petty fielded three cars in the 1958 race. Two-time convertible division champion Bob Welborn drove his customary #49. Ken Rush belted into a #44 Chevy, and Jim Paschal started 9th in #49A.

In looking at the finishing order, one might think the race was uneventful. The top 10 starters finished in the same order except for the third and fourth place finishers who swapped spots from where they began the race.

The race, however, did have some late race drama. Knoxville, TN's Tootle Estes made a late race pit stop with about a dozen laps to go. Ken Rush was leading and headed towards the win. Instead of taking the checkers, however, Rush clipped Estes' car as he pulled back onto the racing surface after completing his stop. The collision caused Rush to hit a dirt bank, and the hit negated his chances for victory.

Welborn assumed the lead and led the remaining laps to claim his fifth convertible win of the season. Teammate Rush recovered from his late race encounter with Estes to finish 3rd - albeit 3 laps down to the winner.

http://bench-racing.blogspot.com/2015/07/july-19-1958-bob-welborn-grabs.html

Fin	#	Driver	Car
1	49	Bob Welborn	'57 Chevrolet
2	76	Larry Frank	'57 Chevrolet
3	44	Ken Rush	'57 Chevrolet
4	87	Buck Baker	'58 Chevrolet
5	21	Glen Wood	'57 Ford
6	36	Tootle Estes	'58 Ford
7	41	Whitey Norman	'57 Chevrolet
8	66	Roy Tyner	'58 Plymouth
9	49A	Jim Paschal	'57 Chevrolet
10	999	Wilbur Rakestraw	'57 Mercury
11	78	Shep Langdon	'56 Ford
12	37	Tiny Lund	'56 Ford
13	202	Johnny Gardner	'56 Ford
14	86	Neil Castles	'56 Ford
15	97	Barney Shore	'57 Chevrolet
16	30	Doug Cox	'57 Ford
17	34	Joe Weatherly	'57 Ford
18	17	Fred Harb	'57 Mercury

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Schaefer: It's not just for racing anymore.
updated by @tmc-chase: 07/19/17 10:04:04AM

What a bunch of Stars in this race !

I found this race report in the archives of the Greenville News. It made the race sound far more entertaining than the blurb I found a few years ago.

Welborn Goes Ahead In Late Laps For Race Win

By FRANK BALLENGER

Bob Welborn, national convertible point leader, gunned his way into first place after Ken Rush, High Point, N.C., wrecked with a little more than five miles remaining, and went on to win last night’s 100-mile National convertible race here at the Greenville-Pickens Speedway before about 5,000 fans.

Welborn, driving a ‘57 Chevrolet, spun his way around the 100-mile distance in one hour, 42 minutes and 20 seconds for an average speed of 58.63 mph. Rush, piloting a ‘57 Chevrolet, had taken the lead and held about a half-track margin until he wrecked with Greenville’s Herb (Tootle) Estes, who was pulling out of the pits, with only 11 laps left around the half-mile oval.

Larry Frank, Angier, N. C. was second in a ‘57 Chevrolet. Buck Baker, driving for Greenville’s Bob Jolley Jr., was third in his 1958 Chevrolet. Rush finished fourth and Glen Wood, Stuart, Va. was fifth in a ‘57 Ford. Estes wound up in sixth position. Baker also hit a spinning car but managed to stay in the race with just a few laps remaining.

Curtis Turner, the wealthy stock car racing veteran from Roanoke, Va., flew into town along with Weatherly, who hails from Norfolk, Va. But Turner, injured several weeks ago, was advised by his doctor against driving in last night’s race. Weatherly started in 8th spot on the inside, piloting a 1957 Ford owned by Red Kalajainen, Charlotte.

Whitey Norman, Winston-Salem, N. C. in a 1957 Ford, turned in the best qualifying time of 29.54 seconds, edging Buck Baker, who turned in 29.55 in his 1958 Ford, for the pole position. Baker started on the outside pole in a field of 18 late model cars. Estes, driving a 1958 Ford, turned the track in 29.87, starting fourth on the outside. Doug Cox, the other Greenville entry in a ‘58 Ford, posted 30.45 seconds to start 7th inside.

Welborn, the national point leader, started 6th inside and was kept well back in the pack as Baker roared out front. Rush, starting second inside, finally jumped into the lead 30 laps as Baker appeared to develop motor troubles. Greenville’s Cox lost a lot of time in the pits as he had tire trouble after 45 laps. Welborn was beginning to gain on Rush at 50 laps, and Larry Frank had moved up to third position.

Jim Paschal, Atlanta, was fourth and Baker had slipped into fifth place. Around the 80 lap mark Weatherly pushed his way to sixth place and appeared to be moving on the field. But then he was forced into the pits with transmission trouble and lost three or four laps. Midway Rush continued to hold a half-track margin over Welborn, and Frank, Paschal and Baker followed in order.

After 125 laps it was Rush, Paschal, Welborn, Frank and Baker. Tiny Lund lost a wheel and was forced out of the race. Welborn and Baker, although in different laps, locked fenders coming into the stretch In front of the grandstand but came out without any difficulty.

I did a double-take on the name of Weatherly's car owner Red Kalajainen. I've never heard of him before. I'm unsure if he was involved as an owner or driver in other races - NASCAR sanctioned or not.

However, I did find he made one GN start as a driver in the Buddy Shuman 250 on June 28, 1958 at Hickory. He started 27th and finished 28th in a #34 car in the race won by Lee Petty.

http://racersreunion.com/community/forum/stock-car-racing-history/24900/june-28-1958-lee-petty-horse-collars-hickory

Racing-Reference indicates the car Red raced at Hickory as a Chevrolet. However, it notes the car Weatherly raced at Greenville as a #34 Ford fielded by Buck Brigance vs. Red. So the accuracy of the car owner and make for Weatherly and Red may be lost to history.

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Schaefer: It's not just for racing anymore.