Greg Fielden's Rumblin' Ragtops book includes a recap of the first major race at Rambi Speedway in Myrtle Beach on July 27, 1958. Problem is, the race was actually on July 26th.
Fielden likely got his info from NASCAR sources. In turn, Racing-Reference.info, UltimateRacingHistory.com, and scads of other websites who have referenced Greg's books for years continue to use July 27th as the date of the race. Because of South Carolina's blue laws, NASCAR didn't race on Sundays in that state. The convertible division race was held on Saturday night. It's likely the race ended a bit after midnight. NASCAR's scoring officials likely dated the race based on its conclusion rather than its beginning.
I blogged about the race today and wanted to share part of it on RR. Full blog post is here:
http://bench-racing.blogspot.com/2015/07/july-26-1958-bob-welborn-wins-myrtle.html
Curtis Turner was more than just a driver in NASCAR-sanctioned races or a thorn in Bill France's side. He was also a businessman away from the track - as well as within the sport. In 1958 for instance, he and France worked together to promote races at Starkey Speedway in Roanoke, VA. However, as Greg Fielden notes in his book, Rumblin' Ragtops: The History of NASCAR's Fabulous Convertible Division :
The event at Roanoke was scrapped when Curtis Turner, who was co-promoting the event with Bill France and Alvin Hawkins, was seriously injured in a crash at the Charlotte Fairgrounds. While attempting to qualify for a July 6 Modified-Sportsman race, the throttle on Turner's Ford coupe hung open and he crashed through the guard rail. The popular driver suffered seven broken ribs in the mishap. While he was confined to his bed, Turner felt it would be best to cancel the Roanoke race. ~ p. 103
The cancellation at Starkey became an opportunity for the owners of the new track in Myrtle Beach, SC. The owners seized the opportunity to have Rambi's debut be a NASCAR convertible event to replace Turner's cancelled one. A 200-lap race was slated for Saturday night, July 26th.
Tootle Estes from Knoxville, TN started from the pole in his second of four career NASCAR convertible races - all in 1958.
Tiny Lund started on the front row with Estes. Larry Frank and Bob Welborn in Julian Petty's #49 Chevy comprised the second row. Ken Rush started 16th in the 19-car field in a second #44 Julian Petty Chevrolet. Starting shotgun on the field was a driver with one of the most unfortunate names not just in racing but life in general: Richard Spittle.
As was so often the case in 1958, Welborn was first to receive the checkered flag. The victory was Welborn's sixth convertible division win of the season and third in a row - all in Julian Petty's cars. Rush rallied from his poor starting spot to finish 4th in Julian's second car behind Lund and Frank. And poor Mr. Spittle? He finished where he started: 19th and dead last in car #0.
| Fin | Driver | Sponsor / Owner | Car |
| 1 | Bob Welborn | J.H. Petty | '57 Chevrolet |
| 2 | Tiny Lund | Don Angel | '56 Ford |
| 3 | Larry Frank | Larry Frank | '57 Chevrolet |
| 4 | Ken Rush | J.H. Petty | '57 Chevrolet |
| 5 | Doug Cox | '57 Ford | |
| 6 | Tootle Estes | Herbert Estes | '58 Ford |
| 7 | Roy Tyner | Spook Crawford | '58 Plymouth |
| 8 | Glen Wood | Wood Brothers | '57 Ford |
| 9 | Bennie Rakestraw | '57 Mercury | |
| 10 | Neil Castles | Neil Castles | '56 Ford |
| 11 | Shep Langdon | Shep Langdon | '56 Ford |
| 12 | Johnny Gardner | Johnny Gardner | '56 Ford |
| 13 | Barney Shore | Barney Shore | '57 Chevrolet |
| 14 | Fred Harb | Fred Harb | '57 Mercury |
| 15 | John Hamby | Leland Colvin | '56 Chevrolet |
| 16 | Doug Yates | '57 Chevrolet | |
| 17 | Joe Weatherly | '57 Chevrolet | |
| 18 | Brownie King | Jess Potter | '57 Chevrolet |
| 19 | Richard Spittle | '57 Chevrolet |
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Schaefer: It's not just for racing anymore.
updated by @tmc-chase: 07/25/17 10:59:40AM
