Unique Ads
Dennis Andrews
Friday March 18 2016, 2:30 PM

I ran across the following ads for the Cleveland County Speedway in Shelby, NC from 1957. At first I thought they were posted in the paper by fans commenting on events that took place at the speedway but the more I found it seemed clear they were track sponsored ads. Thought it would be fun to see your comments on the ads.

bill mcpeek
@bill-mcpeek   8 years ago
great find Dennis, very funny stuff.
Dennis Andrews
@dennis-andrews   8 years ago
I would like to know if these little ads have a back story or if they are just the product of the writer's imagination.
Dave Fulton
@dave-fulton   8 years ago
I'd love to also hear the back story to these gag ads. Very humorous.
Dennis  Garrett
@dennis-garrett   8 years ago
IN 1957, RALPH EARNHARDT AND LEE PETTY RACED IN LEE PETTY'S OLDS ROCKET POWERED RACE CARS.
IN 1957, RALPH EARNHARDT DROVE IN LEE PETTY'S OLDS ROCKET POWERED RACE CARS IN (8) NASCAR GRAND NAIIONAL RACES AND (1) CONVERTIBLE SERIES RACE. Ralph Earnhardt 1957 NASCAR Grand National Results
http://racing-reference.info/drivdet/earnhra01/1957/W
Ralph Earnhardt 1957 NASCAR Convertible Series Results
http://racing-reference.info/drivdet/earnhra01/1957/V

Cleveland County Speedway in Shelby, NC 1957 RACE ADS ? WAS THIS AN LOST NASCAR RACE DATE ?
Dennis Andrews
@dennis-andrews   8 years ago
That is pretty good bet that the ads were referring to the Olds 88, nice find Dennis. The ads ran in The Gastonia Gazette on May 2nd and 3rd of 1957.
TMC Chase
@tmc-chase   8 years ago
Not a lost race. The GN race was held on May 4, 1957. http://racing-reference.info/race/1957-15/W Earnhardt was expected to participate but apparently did not. Haven't found anything yet as to why Ralph didn't race. A possible explanation though. The convertible division raced a week earlier in Norfolk. Johnny Dodson crashed the Petty Engineering #88 Olds. On May 5th, the day after the Shelby GN race, the convertibles raced at Langhorne. Dodson raced in it (as did Lee Petty who made the overnight trip from Shelby). It's possible the Petty bunch took the top off Earnhardt's #188 GN car and sent it to Langhorne for Dodson to race as the #88 convertible while the wrecked one was being repaired. If so, Ralph would have been left without a ride for the Shelby race.
TMC Chase
@tmc-chase   8 years ago