As NASCAR's convertible division headed through turns 3 and 4 of its 1957 36-race schedule, the ragtops raced back to back times in the commonwealth of Virginia during early August. Portland, Oregon's Bill Amick won in Norfolk on August 6 and backed up his win from 4 days earlier in Raleigh, NC.The drivers rolled into Martinsville for the second annual Old Dominion 500 on August 11, 1957 with Amick hoping to threepeat.
Clay Earles and Bill France arranged a pretty sweet promotion for a lucky fan. A 1957 Oldsmobile Delta 88 was to be given away - one that apparently looked about like this one. - Getty
Amick got off to a good start. He won the pole in his #97 Ford. Glen Wood made it an all FoMoCo front row as he qualified his family-supported car second. Wood's teammate Jimmy Massey and eventual season champion Bob Welborn made up the second row. Joe Weatherly rounded out the top 5 starters.
Of particular interest to Dave Fulton perhaps, Ray Hendrick qualified 10th in what turned out to be the last of his three career starts in the convertible division - all in 1957 - and all in that early August period of Raleigh, Norfolk and Martinsville.
The field consisted of 35 cars. At the time, it was the largest field in the two-year history of the convertible division. Over its remaining two years, the only races that topped it were 36-car shows at Martinsville in 1958 and 1959 and at Charlotte's fairgrounds in 1959.
The day was apparently a brutally hot summer day. Despite the cars running without roofs, at least six drivers had to be treated for heat exhaustion.
The cars line up 2x2 on the pace lap as they await the green flag. - Getty
At the start, Wood got the jump from his outside, front row starting spot. He led the first 17 laps. His engine suddenly let go, and the famed 21 car was done for the day. The 2nd place starter went home with a 35th place and dead last finish.
Pic of Wood leading early followed by Bill Amick and Bob Welborn. - Getty
Weatherly then took this time out front and led the field for almost 30 laps. After a pit stop miscue, Weatherly was late getting back to the action. The delay benefited the second Wood Brothers Ford of Massey who then began to assert his dominance. He led a solid 144 laps to monopolize most of the first half of the race.
Weatherly wasn't done though. He recaptured the lead at lap 190 and towed the field around for the next 37 laps.But his Holman Moody Ford started developing engine problems, and he fell out of the race after 284 laps.
Pic of Weatherly racing Welborn with Jimmy Massey trailing in #11. - Getty
The visiting West Coast Racer then reminded the field that the month of August was his. Amick grabbed the lead at 227 and proceeded as the lap bully. He was untouched the rest of the afternoon, and he indeed nabbed his third consecutive convertible win with a one-lap victory over the second place finisher.
Massey had a solid day. The winner of the first OD500 in 1956 qualified third, led almost 150 laps, but came up a lap and a position short to Amick. Dick Beaty - who'd later carve out a long career as NASCAR's chief inspector - finished third after starting 29th. The finish was his best in a career of 56 combined GN and convertible starts.
Lee Petty had a day similar to Beaty. He started 31st and rallied to finish 4th. Curtis Turner was credited with a sixth place finish but with Paul Goldsmith at the wheel. During the race, Goldsmith took over in relief for Curtis in Pop's Holman Moody Ford. Interestingly, Turner then got in GOLDSMITH's Ford and brought it home with an 11th place finish.
Hendrick finished 18th many laps down to Amick - but was still running!
A few years ago, Russ Thompson shared some remarkable color (but soundless) video from the race on YouTube.
Amick's win turned out to be his final one in GN and Convertible races. He won a GN race in Sacramento in June 1957 and then he hit the 3-race winning streak in the convertible division in August. But those were the only trophies he collected from the two series.
Race report from The Bee of Danville, VA.
Race report from The Robesonian.
| Fin | Driver | Car |
| 1 | Bill Amick | '57 Ford |
| 2 | Jimmy Massey | '56 Ford |
| 3 | Dick Beaty | '56 Ford |
| 4 | Lee Petty | '57 Oldsmobile |
| 5 | Jack Smith | '57 Chevrolet |
| 6 | Curtis Turner | '57 Ford |
| 7 | Possum Jones | '57 Chevrolet |
| 8 | Buck Baker | '57 Ford |
| 9 | Ken Rush | '56 Mercury |
| 10 | Larry Frank | '56 Chevrolet |
| 11 | Paul Goldsmith | '57 Ford |
| 12 | Don Gray | '56 Chevrolet |
| 13 | Bob Welborn | '57 Chevrolet |
| 14 | Roger Baldwin | '56 Ford |
| 15 | Shep Langdon | '56 Chevrolet |
| 16 | Billy Rafter | '56 Dodge |
| 17 | Bill Poor | '56 Plymouth |
| 18 | Ray Hendrick | '57 Chevrolet |
| 19 | Dave Terrell | '57 Chevrolet |
| 20 | Neil Castles | '56 Ford |
| 21 | E.J. Brewer | '56 Chevrolet |
| 22 | Raymond Carter | '56 Chevrolet |
| 23 | Ted Chamberlain | '56 Plymouth |
| 24 | Cannonball Brown | '56 Chrysler |
| 25 | Fireball Roberts | '57 Ford |
| 26 | Gwyn Staley | '57 Chevrolet |
| 27 | Joe Weatherly | '57 Ford |
| 28 | Billy Myers | '57 Mercury |
| 29 | Jim Paschal | '57 Mercury |
| 30 | James Jones | '56 Chevrolet |
| 31 | Whitey Norman | '56 Ford |
| 32 | Sherman Utsman | '56 Ford |
| 33 | Brownie King | '56 Chevrolet |
| 34 | Tiny Lund | '57 Pontiac |
| 35 | Glen Wood | '57 Ford |
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Schaefer: It's not just for racing anymore.
updated by @tmc-chase: 12/05/16 04:00:58PM
