The eighth race of the 1957 season was to be contested on the half-mile dirt track known as Asheville-Weaverville Speedway. Eighteen cars showed up that day with 6,000 spectators to witness the 100 mile/200 lap event.
Marvin Panch, the current points leader at the time, qualified the DePaolo Ford (one of four DePaolo entries) on the pole with a speed of 73.649 mph.It was Marvin's second pole in 8 races. Fireball Roberts in another DePaolo Ford qualified second, Buck Baker in a Hugh Babb Chevy third, Jim Paschal in a Bill Stroppe Mercury fourth and Paul Goldsmith in yet another DePaolo Ford would roll off fifth.
The DePaolo Fords looked to be the class of the field as Panch roared off into the lead on the green and held that lead for the first 54 laps before yielding to DePaolo teammate, Fireball Roberts. Fireball stayed out front from lap 55 to 104 when a sour engine forced him out of the race. Buck Baker took his Hugh Babb Chevy to the lead when Fireball parked and Buck would lead the rest of the way.
The DePaolo Fords, so strong at first, were all out of the race with Fireball's departure. Ralph Moody, driving the number 12 Ford was out on lap 17 with engine failure. Marvin Panch in the number 99 was out on lap 54 with rear end failure. Paul Goldsmith's Ford also experienced rear end failure and was parked on lap 64. Fireball's demise was caused by a piston failure on lap 104.
Ralph Earnhardt was tapped to drive for Lee Petty Engineering in an Oldsmobile and completed 71 laps before overheating problems forced him out of the race. He had started 9th and had run a consistent race until the over heating situation ended his day.
March, 1957, was a good month for Buck Baker. He had placed second in races at Concord, NC on March 5th, and at Wilson Speedway in NC on March 17th. He won he race at Hillsboro, NC on March 24th and won again on March 31st at Asheville-Weaverville. Even so, after the Asheville-Weaverville race Baker was 216 points behind point leader Marvin Panch. Baker would go on to claim the 1957 Grand National Championship at the end of 53 race season.
Average speed for the race was 65.693 mph.
Finishing order:
1. Buck Baker, Hugh Babb Chevrolet, $850.00
2. Speedy Thompson, Hugh Babb Chevrolet, $625.00 (1 lap down)
3. Jim Paschal, Bill Stroppe Mercury, $350.00 (2 laps down)
4. Jack Smith no further info on Jack in this race. Overlooked in rundown
5. Dick Beaty, Beaty Ford, $310.00 (12 laps down)
6. Johnny Allen
7. Bill Morton
8. Billy Myers
9. L. D. Austin
10. Lee Petty
11. Brownie King
12. Clarence DeZalia
13. Fireball Roberts
14. Ralph Earnhardt
15. Paul Goldsmith
16. Marvin Panch
17. Ralph Moody
18. George Green
Honor the past, embrace the present, dream for the future
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What a change! It's been awhile since I've checked in and I'm quite surprised. It may take me awhile to figure it our but first look it's really great.
updated by @tim-leeming: 12/05/16 04:00:58PM
