Racing History Minute - August 21, 1959

Recently, my good friend and contributor to this History series made the statement that he learns something he didn't know from almost everypost. I have learned so much I sometimes wonder if I EVER knew anything about stock car racing. Not long ago, I posteda History Minute about and "International" race where foreign sports cars were allowed (not the New Jersey event won by Al Keller in a Jaguar). Prior to that post, I was not aware of any "International" NASCAR races.

This morning, I came across an event held at the quarter-mile Bowman-Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, NC, which was called at "Sweepstakes" race. Further reading told me that it was a "Sweepstakes" race because the regular Grand National hardtop cars were racing againt convertibles. But wait! In addition, a designation was included for NASCAR "short track" cars. What? There was a difference in "short track" and regular "Grand National" cars? I have never heard of this, or if I have, it is long filed away in that part of my mind no longer accessible to me. In any event, here we go to Bowman-Gray for a 200 lap/50 mile "Sweepstakes" race on this date in 1959.

Rex White, driving a "short track" 1959 Chevrolet qualified on the pole with a speed of 47.443 mph. Rex was driving one of four "short track" cars entered. The other three short trackers were Jim Reed, Dave White and Marvin Porter. Glen Wood in a 1958 Ford Convertible would start second. Lee Petty's Grand National Plymouth would start third with Joe Weatherly in a 1958 Ford Convertible fourth. Jim Reed in a 1957 Ford "stock track" car would start fifth. Got that?

Rex flat out jumped the field on the start and would never lose the lead. Lee Petty mounted a challenge and was running strong until just past the half way point when he started to fade to his eventual third place finish. Only two caution flags slowed the pace allowing Rex to average 44.085 for the race. Twenty of the twenty-four starters finished the race to the delight of the 11,500 fans in attendance, a record crowd, at the time, for Bowman-Gray.

Top five finishers:

1. Rex White, White short track Chevrolet, winning $1125.00

2. Glen Wood, Wood Brothers Ford Convertible, winning $600.00

3. Lee Petty, Petty Engineering Grand National Plymouth, winning $595.00

4. Bob Welborn, Welborn Chevrolet Convertible, winning $425.00

5. Jim Reed, Reed Ford short track Ford, winning $290.00

Sixth through tenth were Ken Rush, Joe Weatherly, Roy Tyner, Tiger Tom Pistone and Fred Harb. G.C. Spencer would finish 11th, R. L. Combs 16th, Marvin Porter 17th, Brownie King 18th, Jim Paschal 21st, and Shep Langdon was in the 24th and final position.

If you would like to read a "Personal History Minute" go on down the page to the BLOG posts and look for my Personal History Minute for August 21, 1969. If you do read it, hope you enjoy it. Thanks.

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

Julian Petty fielded two Chevys for this race. Jim Paschal raced a #48 Chevy for him, and Ermon Rush finished 13th in the 2nd one - a #40X Chevy. Dave White raced a #40, so I guess Petty just slapped an X on his Chevy to distinguish in scoring. I've never heard of Ermon Rush. He ran 4 GN races: 1 in 1953 and his 4th and final one at Bowman Gray in 1959. Would truly be interesting to know how a driver who hasn't raced in 6 years ends up running a car at Bowman Gray in a one-off deal with Julian.

Also, Tiger Tom raced in a #5 Chevy (not a #59 Ford) owned by his friend, Tiny Lund.

Race report. (source: Spartanburg Herald )

Tim, I was reading just the other day about NASCAR "Short Track Division" races promoted by Ed Otto at New York City's Polo Grounds and Yankee Stadium as well as Chicago's Comiskey Park.

Jim Reed was the master of the short track division. Here's a brief excerpt from a Gary London story that appeared several years ago in National Speed Sport News:

France started the short-track division to run more races at tracks the Grand National division didnt run. In 1956, a convertible division was added. These actually werent ragtops; the hard tops were cut off, but were often put back on.

There were also races when the cars with tops ran with those without them. With the short-track circuit, drivers were free to pick their spots.

Reed was a short-track demon. Whether dirt or asphalt, he was hard to beat. Not just a bull-ring expert, he followed a fourth- and a second-place finish in the Southern 500 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway with a win in 1959. He was champion of the short tracks from 1953-57. Like other drivers of the day, Reed was a first-rate mechanic.

Tim, I shared the Reading (PA) Eagle photo below previously with TMC-Chase. It shows the winning car of Junior Johnson at the Sunday, April 26, 1959 Reading (PA) Fairgrounds NASCAR Grand National race. The story itself mentions that the passenger side sheet metal on Johnson's winning '57 Ford had been sheared off the previous night at the Ed Otto promoted NASCAR Short Track Division Race (Saturday night, April 25, 1959) at New York's Polo Grounds won by Jim Reed.

This race was originally scheduled for July 25th. Rex and Glen Wood both set qualifying records before rain arrived to wash out the night's events. It was rescheduled for Friday, August 21st.

Preview for August 21 race mentioning the July rainout. FromStatesville Record and Landmark.

Original preview for July 25 race from Statesville paper.

Race report from Charlotte race won by Jack Smith on Sunday, July 26th with mention of rainout at Bowman Gray on Saturday the 25th. From Burlington Times News.

Rex Still has all that money--

Thanks--Harlow--21

Regarding the suspension of Bobby Isaac by NASCAR's Pat Purcell, mentioned in the original Statesville preview clip, here's what Pat Purcell had to say some years later about Isaac and his multiple NASCAR suspensions as recounted in a 1973 Sumter Daily Item column: