Forum Activity for @robert-mitchell

Help Decipher The Mysteries Of The First NASCAR Season

Stock Car Racing History

I'm starting to believe "the list" of 52 races of 1948 is right. Of the other races in question, none of them I've seenhad an advertisment or race article that mentioned NASCAR or Bill France being involved.

Also, every race advertisment from any of the 52 races on the list of 1948 that I've seenused this official ad image -

The other races didget the big name drivers, but were under another sanction or a track rules race.

In 1949 NASCAR used this ad image -

Help Decipher The Mysteries Of The First NASCAR Season

Stock Car Racing History

Perry,great tip on the Google Newspapers.I found the July 5, 1948race results for Spartanburg. You didn't scroll far enough!

Help Decipher The Mysteries Of The First NASCAR Season

Stock Car Racing History

Dennis, that probably was Ted Swaim just misspelled. He raced everywhere from Langhorne to Daytona, and Bennett was relatively close to his home inWinston-Salem so I wouldn't doubt he raced there a few times. I don't think he was related to Mike Swaim though, but it's certainly possible. North Carolina has lots of Swaims, a Scottish name I believe. There's a bunch of Swaims in W-S.

And again, your Bennett Speedway research was great stuff. If I ever come across anything on Bennett I'll let you know.

Help Decipher The Mysteries Of The First NASCAR Season

Stock Car Racing History

Perry, thanksfor bringing this race up. The July 5, 1948 Spartanburg race makes 3 big stock car races that day that were supposed to have many big names. Habersham Speedway in Georgia, Peace Haven Speedway in NC, and Spartanburg in SC. It seems all these tracks were fighting over the big name drivers to come to their track, but none ended up getting a NASCAR sanction.

Check out the Habersham Speedway page at Georgia Racing History.com - http://georgiaracinghistory.com/habersham-speedway/

And here is the ad and race results article for Peace Haven (Winston-Salem Speedway) -

I'm thinking there's no way any of these drivers could have made it to more than one of these races, but decided which one to go to depending on how much appearance money they were paid?

Help Decipher The Mysteries Of The First NASCAR Season

Stock Car Racing History

Come to think of it, a good friend of mine's father got a football scholarship to UNC Chapel Hill in 1948 but caught Polio from someone in the school cafeteria before he ever played his first game. He recovered but had to wear leg braces for the rest of his life. He never complained andwent on to becomea successful business man and an inspiration to everyone that knew him.

Help Decipher The Mysteries Of The First NASCAR Season

Stock Car Racing History

Very interesting, Laverne. I've never heard of this.

Help Decipher The Mysteries Of The First NASCAR Season

Stock Car Racing History

Here's a great pic of Gooney Bird sliding through turn 4 at Greensboro -

Help Decipher The Mysteries Of The First NASCAR Season

Stock Car Racing History

Dave, I would guess no relation. Ted died of cancer around late 1990. He did have kids, and I've talked to a few of his close friends from his racing days but no one mentioned any other racers in his family. I was told "Gooney Bird" as his friends called him, got out of racing in the late 50's to raise horses, his other passion. Everyone I've spoken to about Ted said the same thing - he was one of the best drivers they'd ever seen, and the nicest, funniest guy you'd ever meet.

One of my favorite photos of Ted at Daytona mid 50'sfrom Clyde Mangum's collection -

Help Decipher The Mysteries Of The First NASCAR Season

Stock Car Racing History

Yes I saw that, Dave. As you're aware,I'm a fanatic about Peace Haven artifactsso I appreciate you looking out for me! Laverne posted it twice and I replied about it on the other. It is a misspelling by I'm guessing Herb himself. He drove in the Sportsman race of a Modified & Sportsman event.Here is the race results out of the 1952 NASCAR yearbook -

Also, notice that Billy Myers won the Sportsman race, got into the Modified race, and just about won that one too driving his Sportsman car. What an awesomeracer he was.

Help Decipher The Mysteries Of The First NASCAR Season

Stock Car Racing History

Cody, do you know who drove the 14A in 1947? I've seen a photo from 1947 of cars lined up for a start at an unidentified track that shows both the #14 Parks car and the #14A Parks car. Both had similar two color paint schemes. The 14A had red on top and white on the bottom with red numbers, and the 14 had white on top, red on the bottom with gold numbers. I'm assuming Red Byron was driving the #22 but I don't see it in the photo.

Also, do you or anyone else here know the list of tracks the NSCRA and NCSCA raced at in 1946 & 47?