Racing History Minute - October 7, 1951

When choosing a story for today's "Minute", I could not pass up the 150 mile event run as the 31st event on NASCAR's 1951 Grand National schedule. Twenty-four cars pulled into the Occoneechee Speedway in Hillsboro (way it was spelled then), NC for 150 laps around the 1 mile dirt track. As it is with so many of the early events, my source (Greg Fielden's "Forty Years of Stock Car Racing")does not include much detail but still the event should not be overlooked for that reason.

We do know that Herb Thomas in that FABULOUS Hudson Hornet started on the pole with a qualifying speed of 79.628 mph. I am guessing Fonty Flock started on the outside front row because he usually qualified very well AND because the record shows he led the first 85 laps before his engine began to go south, finally forcing his withdrawal from the race on lap 88. It was at that point that Herb Thomas took over and would lead to the checkered flag. Leonard Trippett, also driving a Hudson Hornet would finish second for his best effort in Grand National Racing.

Herb averaged 72.454 mph in the win and maintained his lead in the points standing. It was the Herb's sixth win of the season and lengthened his lead in the points.

Top five finishers were:

1. Herb Thomas, FABULOUS Hudson Hornet, winning $1,000.00

2. Leonard Tripplett, Hudson Hornet, winning $700.00 (1 lap down)

3. Joe Eubanks, Oates Motor Co. Oldsmobile, winning $450.00 (2 laps down)

4. Jim Paschal, Julian Buesink Ford, winning $350.00 (3 laps down)

5. Lee Petty, Petty Special Plymouth, winning $150.00 (3 laps down)

Sixth through tenth were Donald Thomas, Furman Lancaster, Alton Haddock, Bill Blair, and Coleman Lawerence. J.C. White would finish 11th, Billy Myers 12th, Jimmie Lewallen 13th, Del Pearson 14th and Fonty Flock 15th. Sixteenth would go to Leon Sales with Roscoe Thompson 17th. Eighteenth through twenty-fourth were Buck Baker, Jerry Wimbish, Gober Sosebee, Slick Smith, Clyde Minter and Curtis Hunt.

PERSONAL NOTE: My Uncle Bobby told me that he and I went to two races at Occoneechee, he thinks, 1962 and 1963, and I do have some memory of those trips. I do remember that back in those days there were no interstate highways so the trips were long, mostly two lane blacktop through little towns. I really think part of the adventure of going to races back then was seeing all the small southern towns we would pass through on those trips.

When I was standing in the infield of Occoneechee two weeks ago watching 41 (or 43 by some count) race cars of the past rolling on that track I was impressed. As the supposedly "controlled laps" got faster and faster, the dust began to rise and got quite heavy. Some of the "boys" would come by the stands and get down on those cars causing the rear tires to spin and kick up more dust. I was loving that.

As the dust began to settle and events at the track wound down, I hicked a ride on the back seat of a golf cart driven by Peanut Turman (yes, I still have a spirt of adventure in me at times) and as the track disappeared through the trees and the dust was settling back to the ground. once more silence fell upon the historic track. But, thanks to the efforts of The Historic Speedway Group, this scene will be repeated each year. A part of history lives at that track.

When I got home Saturday evening and was changing clothes, Ann made the comment that I had surely managed to get dusty and dirty. I sort of smiled at the thought of "that's how it used to be in my youth" when I would come in from the race tracks wherever Uncle Bobby took me. My Mama used to say pretty much the same thing. You know, it's sort of like the dust I never want to shake off. It's a part of history. It is a part of racing. It is a Part of me.

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

A great History Minute. Our folks who've come along since the advent of the Interstate Highway System in the late 50s can't imagine those trips down the two lane roads.

I can stiil remember at age 3 travelling from Richmond down old U.S. 1, mostly two-lane, to Columbia in the hot August of 1951, just before my 4th birthday. We left in dad's 1950 Plymouth before dawn in those pre-air conditioning days with the windows rolled down. Trips like that were an adventure, even on the main North/South highway.

Tim, your Uncle Bobby may have used one of these to plot his route from Columbia to Hillsboro:

tim i too really got excited when those race cars were rumbled around that track i plan to attend every year as long as im able to go and as usual another great minute thanks tim

May have followed these signs Dave. He did, for several years, drive a tanker truck hauling gas to Pure stations around the midlands of South Carolina.

Thanks for reading and commenting Charles Ray. Let's keep the excitement going!!!

Probably like these I posted yesterday at Darlington in 1953.

Race ad, preview and report from Burlington NC Daily Times News