Looks like Mr. Torbol would have been right at home, too, with the upcoming Winter Olympics. When he returned home to Duluth from his duties as gunner on B-24s during WWII, Mr. Torbol also found time to be on the Bagley Cup Curling Championship Team of 1948-1949!
I believe this is the obit of the photographer in question judging from his membership in the Proctor Racing Association:
| Robert Frank "Torbs" Torbol | ||||||||||||
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I found a Robert Torb o l in Duluth, Minnesota in the 1940 U.S. Census who would have been around age 39 in 1959:
It would indeed be interesting to know what became of Mr. Torbal. Here's the Benny Kahn article announcing the winner in the Daytona paper:
France announces his decision after studying photos
By Bernard Kahn, News-Journal Sports Editor
Its official and final! Lee Petty won the baffling Daytona 500 Sunday.
Johnny Beauchamp was second.
The final decision was announced last night at 6 p.m., 61 hours after Petty in his 1959 Oldsmobile and Beauchamp in his 1959 Thunderbird had raced across the yellow finish line with no more than 24 inches separating their front bumpers.
Bill France, president of NASCAR and of the magnificent Daytona International Speedway, announced the verdict after a lengthy study of photographic evidence which irrefutably proved Petty in car No. 42 was ahead of Beauchamp in car No. 73 at the payoff finish line. They averaged 135.42 mph for the distance.
It was France, as leader of NASCAR which sanctioned the international sweepstakes stock car race, who had ruled immediately after the unbelievably close 500 mile race that Beauchamp was the winner. Five hours later, as a mass of evidence pointed to Petty as the victor, France declared first and second places unofficial.
That was the status of the contest until 6 p.m. yesterday, when France in concurrence with other NASCAR officials ruled Petty winner of the $19,000 first place money and Beauchamp winner of the $8,000 runner-up purse.
Petty received the news of his triumph in a telephone call from this writer. He was eating supper with his wife at a beach motel.
I was never worried, replied Petty, but sure am happy to get it over with. I knew the photographs would prove who was the man who got there first. I want to thank you for reporting the facts.
Did Petty plan to rush down to NASCAR headquarters and pick up the winning check and trophy?
Im still eating my supper and Im going to finish it, said Lee. This is a pretty good piece of ham and, man, Im hungry. Then Ill be down town.
France took the phone. Congratulations, Lee, said Bill. From the angle I saw that finish I thought Beauchamp had won
Throughout the hassle, tall, raw boned Petty refused to get excited, and insisted that the weight of official evidence would prove his victory. The 44 year old Randleman, N.C. one time farmer didnt start racing until he was 35. He is one of the rare race drivers who is also an ace mechanic, and helps set up his own car. He was assisted by his two sons and Red Myler, all fine mechs.
Petty chauffeured the only Oldsmobile sedan in the field of 59 starters Sunday, and his feat was considered all the more remarkable because there were eight 1959 Thunderbirds racing. And Beauchamp was driving one of them almost as close to Petty as Siamese twins.
It had been the bone tired France and John Bruner, the fatigued chief steward, who had called it for Beauchamp in the now epic on the spot decision Sunday. They were at the flag stand, almost atop the blurring white cars of Petty and Beauchamp, which were traveling over 220 feet per second as they sped over the line. From the outset France and Bruner were almost alone, however, as every piece of photographic evidence and all expert testimony by newsmen and other responsible eyewitnesses at the finish called it for Petty.
France, under NASCAR bylaws, could have stuck to his original decision and closed the books on the race right there. But he admitted the strong possibility of human error, and decided to collect all available still photographs and newsreel films until he could be positive.
I have to be in the position to prove to Beauchamp that he was wrong, and that he didnt finish first, said France.
The proof piled up. The first pictures France had examined were The News-Journal finish line shots Sunday night showing Petty ahead. NASCAR pictures taken by Taylor Warren also showed Petty ahead (these were the pictures published in The Morning Journal Monday).
Other photographs also were submitted, showing the two cars just before and just after they blazed over the finish. Included were photos by Bob Torbal, Duluth, Minn., Tom Kirkland, Florence, SC, Ray Brock, Los Angeles and CV Haschel, Indianapolis. Torbals was right to the lip of the payoff line, and like all the others it showed Petty in front.
The Petty verdict was cemented by Hearst Metrotone News of the Week newsreel films planed here yesterday from New York. This sequel of pictures supported The News-Journal and other photographs.
The newsreel substantiated that the cars of Petty and Beauchamp did not change positions from the time those other still photographs were taken just before and just after the finish, said France, Petty is the winner.
Bruner called Beauchamp to inform him of the official news.
I hate to be the guy who has to tell you, Johnny, said Bruner, but it was Petty who won it. I cant argue with the pictures. The cameras have better eyes than I have. I admit I was wrong.
Bruner said Beauchamp took the announcement calmly. Beauchamp, 35, a star speedster from Harlan, Iowa, was not available for comment shortly thereafter.
When all the film evidence was assembled yesterday, it was studied by France along with vice president Ed Otto, executive manager Pat Purcell, chief timer Joe Epton, Commissioner E.G. (Cannonball) Baker and other NASCAR officials.
Otto had stated Monday that Beauchamp had driven to the pits after the hectic finish, knowing in his own mind he did not win. Otto said Beauchamp made no attempt to drive to the winners circle then. The NASCAR vice president opined Petty won.
Bob Sall, NASCAR field representative in the East, said last night: Petty pulled his car into the victory lane after completing his 200th lap and the extra lap for safety, not even bothering to drive through to pit road. Beauchamp went straight to the pits and started to climb out of his car. He didnt go to the winners circle until he became evident there was confusion over who was first at the flag stand where France and Bruner stood.
Peter DePaolo, Los Angeles, 1925 winner of the Indianapolis 500, was an interested onlooker yesterday as the films were being studied. After looking at all the still photographs and the newsreel, DePaolo said: This is conclusive enough proof for me that Petty won.
During the 61 hour stalemate between the finish Sunday and the official announcement last night, the 47,000 fans who attended the race and millions of other racing followers all over the country were kept on pins and needles repeating over and over Who won the Daytona 500?
France also announced a decision in the dispute over fourth place. It went to Everett (Cotton) Owens, Spartanburg, S.C., and Joe Weatherly, Norfolk, Va., was fifth. Owens will bank $2,000 and Weatherly $1,500. This was decided by a restudy of the tape on the laps and confirmed the decision made immediately after the race.
Its official and final, but fans will probably never stop talking about the incredible Daytona 500.
The Sunday, February 1, 1959 Daytona paper was full of anticipation for the opening of the new Speedway. Several stories were on the front page, including ther two below. I particularly enjoyed the Fireball Roberts interview by Daytona Sports Editor, Benny Kahn. Take a good look at the last line of that interview with Fireball. Do you reckon a driver named Busch or Dillon has ever had to tape a steering wheel?
On Tuesday morning, February 3, 1959, the front page of the Daytona Beach Morning Journal viewed the thoughts of famed racing mechanic, Red Vogt regarding the new Daytona speed plant and its upcoming inaugural February 1959 events:
Here's an e-mail address from Meridian Behavioral Health you might try, where as Bill has noted, Dr. Kim Franklin is listed as Clinical Director.
I'll step on a lot of toes here, but many folks have short memories and others have no memory at all.
For all the warm, fuzzy, feel good things written in recent years about Benny Parsons clinching the Cup points championship at Rockingham in 1973 with help from other teams, there was a tremendous amount of negative publicity about NASCAR having a Champion with just one win, that having come in race #18 at Bristol. The fans were not happy and the media panned NASCAR.
Ned Jarrett won only once in his 1961 Championship year. After that and up until Benny in 1973, the NASCAR Champion had multiple wins.
Year Champ Wins
1962 Joe Weatherly 9
1963 Joe Weatherly 3
1964 Richard Petty 9
1965 Ned Jarrett 13
1966 David Pearson 15
1967 Richard Petty 27
1968 David Pearson 16
1969 David Pearson 11
1970 Bobby Isaac 11
1971 Richard Petty 21
1972 Richard Petty 8
30 years after Benny Parson's 1-win 1973 Championship, we had another 1-win Champion in 2003 when Matt Kenseth earned the title with just 1 win. Fans screamed and NASCAR reacted with The Chase.
As my old friend, Paul Sawyer told RJR's Ralph Seagraves at the 1981 NMPA Convention in Myrtle Beach "Nobody ever came to a stock car race to see drivers earn points and nobody ever came to a track to talk about cigarettes. They come to watch drivers beat and bang for wins!"
Paul Sawyer's assertion still holds true 33 years after he said it to Seagraves in January 1981. We want to see drivers race for wins. We don't want to see a 1-win Champion today any more than we did in 1973 when Benny generated so much negative publicity as a 1-time winner.
I am all for placing the emphasis back on winning. Will this format work? Time will tell. However, let's hope we'll see drivers settling for a "decent finish" become past history and that more drivers will compete for wins throughout the season. This is a start. I'm sure there will be more tweaks.
The February 1, 1950 edition of the Daytona Beach Morning Journal revealed that driver Fireball Roberts had sworn off any more pre-race kisses from a blonde Tar Heel fan. She'd kissed him 3 times before a race and he'd crashed 3 times.
Three days after the article, Fireball finished 2nd behind Gober Sosebee in the NASCAR Modified race on the beach at Daytona, followed by Bob Flock , Joe Jernigan , Fonty Flock , Curtis Turner and Dick Blackwell .
Duluth News-Tribune (MN) - May 16, 1998