Racing History Minute - October 16, 1949

Today we go back to the very first season of the NASCAR Strictly Stock/Grand National/Cup/Premier Division. Yes, folks, "division" need not be used as plural as those names all encompass the one division which remains the best of the best (NASCAR's thoughts) of stock car racing. Things were different in 1949, of course but the racing was stock car against stock car and driver against driver. This was the 8th and final race of the season for the newly formed Strictly Stock Division which had first run an official race in Charlotte in June. There were two other races run at Lakewood Speedway in Atlanta, promoted by Sam Nunis, but those were non-points paying races not included in NASCAR's official first season records.

There were 22 entries for the 200 lap/100 mile race on the half-mile dirt track in North Wilkesboro, NC. Ken Wagner (remember him?) snagged the pole with a lap speed of 57.563 mph. Bill Blair, driving a Cadillac owned by Sam Rice. started second. My source has no other information as to starting positions. Bill jumped into the lead when the green flag was displayed and he stayed in front until lap 180 when the engine in the Caddy began to come apart and Bill once more was denied a sure victory.

With Bill Blair in the pits and out of the race, Bob Flock assumed the lead in an Oldsmobile and he would stay there the remaining 19 laps to win by 100 yards over a Plymouth wheeled by Lee Petty. As this was the last race of the season, Red Byron would become the first ever Strictly Stock/Grand National/Cup/ Premier Division champion with a lead of 117.5 points over Lee Petty.

Finishing order:

1. Bob Flock, Bob Flock Garage Oldsmobile, winning $1,000.00

2. Lee Petty, Petty Brothers Plymouth, winning $750.00

3. Fonty Flock, Ed Lawrence Buick, winning $400.00 (1 lap down)

4. Clyde Minter, Ford, winning $300.00 (1 lap down)

5. Herb Thomas, Ford, winning $200.00 (3 laps down)

6. Roy Hall

7. Ray Erickson

8. Raymond Lewis

9. Curtis Turner

10. Bill Blair

11. Bob Apperson

12. Sarah Christain

13. Slick Smith

14.H. F. Stickleather

15. Ken Wagner

16. Red Byron

17. Bobby Greene

18. Bill Greever

19. Tim Flock

20. Dick Linder

21. Otis Martin

22. Frank Mundy

Please note that all three of the brothers Flock, competed in this race as they did in several races in the early years. A true family affair. You may also want to note that Sarah Christain, finished 12th, a mere 12 laps behind the winner, in an Oldsmobile owned by her husband Frank.

Bill Blair, the pole started and the guy who led the first 180 laps of this race was truly one of the pioneers and early legends of the sport. We are most fortunate to have his son, Bill Blair, Jr., available to us to share his memories of the early days. Bill, Jr. was around the races from the earliest laps ever run and was involved in the sport deeply as a mechanic for some really fine drivers. I, along with other members of RacersReunion, have been honored to sit with Bill while he shares stories of those early days with such clarity as to rival watching those races on television. Bill attends many of the RacersReunion and other events and is currently deeply involved in a project to honor the early pioneers of stock car racing. When you have an opportunity, you need to meet Bill, Jr. and get him talking about those early days. That is a great and wonderful experience. My only problem is that everytime we get together, I don't want him to stop!

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

Interesting Lee Petty's car was fielded under the name of Petty Brothers. Fits perfectly with my re-designed Pabst Blue Ribbon logo:

11th place North Wilkesboro finisher, Bob Apperson of Charlottesville, Virginia - who won $50 for his efforts - drove the first NASCAR modified in 1949 built by Richmond's Junie Donlavey. In 1950, Donlavey would prepare Apperson's car for the inaugural Southern 500 at Darlington.

The excerpt below is from a 1999 Al Pearce story in the Newport News (Va.) Daily Press:

The 1950 Southern 500 was the first long-distance NASCAR race and its first on a paved superspeedway. Qualifying was spread over two weeks, and the 75 cars took the green flag in 25 rows of three cars, similar to the Indianapolis 500.

Starting 49th that Labor Day - on the inside of the 17th row - was a 1949 Oldsmobile owned and tuned by Richmond native Junie Donlavey. Because 500 miles seemed too much for one man, he recruited local hotshots Bob Apperson and Runt Harris to share the driving duties.

On Thursday, Donlavey once again will head for Darlington, this time for Sunday's 50th annual Southern 500. Now that Bud Moore has sold his team and Hershel McGriff has retired, Donlavey is only competitor from that 1950 race still active in NASCAR.

"Back then, we were racing Modifieds on short dirt tracks,'' he said during a Tuesday test session at Richmond International Raceway. "To us, a half- mile track was a superspeedway. When we heard about this new place in South Carolina, we had to go down there to see what it was all about. At the time, it was the biggest race track we'd ever seen.''

Preparation was fairly simple: Donlavey bought a wrecked Olds from a junkyard and fixed it up. He banged out the dents and replaced the broken parts, then towed it to Darlington. After going through tech inspection at a downtown garage, Donlavey towed the car back to Richmond.

"We went back a few days later and qualified,'' Donlavey said. "They didn't even look at us again except to make sure we weren't running Modified stuff. Everything was stock: wheels, axles, spindles - stuff like that. Really, nobody knew what to expect because nobody had ever tried what we were trying.

"The thing is, we didn't think much about it. It was a happening, and we had to be there. The full- time racers knew what they were doing and were ready. Us? We were out in left field, but we were still having a good time.''

Apperson started and ran to the first pit stop. From then on, he and Harris swapped off during each stop. Finally, the car quit after 249 of the 400 laps. Apperson was scored 61st, behind Curtis Turner and ahead of Tommy Thompson.

AND.... Amen and a second to Tim not wanting Bill Blair, Jr. to stop telling about the early days of stock car racing. It is absolutely mesmerizing to hear him talk of those days and show you tidbits on the cars in the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

Found a few NASCAR photos in Getty's on-line archive.

The start - with Ken Wagner on the pole. Interestingly, the photo caption says Curtis Turner started 2nd in a 1949 Olds vs. Bill Blair. Caption also says Lee Petty started 3rd in a Plymouth.

Turner (41) and Sara Christian (71) doing battle during the race.

And I liked this one of all sorts of racing happening on the dirt. H.F. Stickleather (20), Red Byron (22) and Bill Blair (44). Apparently that is pole-winner Wagner side-by-side with Stickleather. And in the 14 is ROY HALL in his 1st of only two career NASCAR Strictly Stock / GN starts.

i just love these racing minutes

Wonderful photos that you found.

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