A Racing History Minute - April 7, 1957

This morning we will travel back to April 7, 1957, to the great track at North Wilkesboro, North Carolina. NASCAR abandoned North Wilkesboro when two money grabbers bought the track to split the dates between two other tracks currently on the circuit. A couple of attemtps have been made in recent years to bring at least some form of racing back to the facility, but it just hasn't happened. Sad, although it is attributed to "progress" that a track with such a rich history could be discarded and fall into such disrepair. When I was there two years ago it was hard to see the Junior Johnson grandstands fallen down with trees growing through the rotting bleachers.

There is very little written about the 1957 race in the reference I am using so I'm having to throw in some of that "Legend Imagination". In 1957, North Wilkesboro was a .625 mile dirt track. The race was scheduled for 160 laps which equates to 100 miles as was a common race length on the shorter tracks in that era.

I can imagine that such an early date in April would have the Brushy Mountains of N. Wilkesboro budding the green of spring and coming back to life after a drab winter season so common to that country side. I can't imagine the weather being warm that day but there was one driver who was HOT. Fireball Roberts started from the pole in a Pete DePaolo Ford and would lead all 160 laps. DePaolo, combining his talents with John Holman (later the first name in the Holman-Moody stable) fielded the cars for the top four finishers.

Note is made that only FIVE laps were run under caution, with the first caution attributed to Dick Beaty (recognize that name) hitting the guardrail and Speedy Thompson breaking an A-frame on his Chevy.

Although Fireball led every lap, second place was hotly contested throughout the event between Speedy Thompson, Jim Pashcal, Jack Smith, Ralph Earnhardt and Billy Myers, all of whom failed to finish the event for one reason or another.

There were 8,000 fans in attendance watching the race that took 1 hour, 19 minutes and 59 seconds to complete for an average speed of 75.015 mph. Top five finishers were:

1. Fireball Roberts, Ford, winning $850.00

2. Paul Goldsmith, Ford, winning $625.00

3. Ralph Moody, Ford, winning $450.00

4. Marvin Panch, Ford, winning $350.00

5. Buck Baker, Chevrolet, winning $310.00

Only 20 cars started the event and 15 of those finished. Other notables in the race were Lee Petty 7th, Johnny Allen 9th,, Brownie King 10th, Tiny Lund 11th, Speedy Thompson 16th, Billy Myers 17th, Jack Smith 18th, Ralph Earnhardt 19th and Jim Pashcal 20th.

In later years, after the track was paved and NASCAR racing moved into the "big time", N. Wilkesboro was a stop along the circuit twice a year which was popular with fans and drivers. The track seemed to breed to super competitive races and was also known for some real "rubbing is racing" driving. It is one of those "ghost tracks" now that Bopper talks about on our Tuesday night radio show but for those of us who remember going to a race or two there, or even if it was just listening to the radio races in the 60s and 70s and then the televised races in later years.

I do recall, with much fondness, how the glow would come to Benny Parson's voice as he would provide color coverage for the television broadcast of those races. The North Wilkesboro area was his home and the pride he felt in that track would always come through. Benny was truly someone worth accolades for driving, announcing, and most of all, for being one truly awesome human being. I miss you Benny Parsons. I miss you North Wilkesboro. But, at least, we are able to take a minute to go back in time and see what was happening there all those years ago.

Tim

Thank you, Tim, for another great look back at our stock car racing heritage.

When I think of Fireball Roberts, I always think of the great asphalt superspeedway hero Bill France, Sr. ferociously promoted.

However, Fireball must of been pretty darned good on the dirt, too.

His win you recap at N. Wilkesboro was the 2nd of eight wins he scored in the 1957 Grand National campaign - the most of any year in his career.

His first win of that 1957 season came the only time NASCAR held a Grand National race at Florida's Titusville-Cocoa 1.6-mile road course.

The other 7 wins he racked up in the 1957 GN season all came on dirt ovals - the one you recapped at N. Wilkesboro, as well as at Langhorne, Pa., Charlotte's Southern States Fairgrounds, Shelby, NC, Newport, Tn., Newberry, SC, and Concord, NC.

Fireball also earned 4 pole positions that year - all on dirt - twice at N. Wilkesboro and also at Wilson, NC and the Occoneechee track at Hillsboro, NC.

You pointed out the caution at N. Wilkesboro brought out by Dick Beaty, who'd go on to become one of NASCAR's best liked and most respected officials. In looking at Fireball's 1957 campaign, it is of interest to see that on July 12th he finished 5th at Charlotte's Southern States Fairgrounds in the 1956 Ford #34 owned by Beaty.

The more great historical things folks like you post here at RR, the more I want to go find more stuff I never knew.

Thanks, Legend.

As you noted, Dale Jr's grandpappy - Ralph Earnhardt - ran the race and was apparently competitive early. But he burned a rear-end and finished 19th in the 20th car field. As a Petty fan, why is an Earnhardt finish relevant to me? Because Ralph was driving a 2nd Oldsmobile for Petty Engineering - #188. Here is a pic of the the 1957 Olds [ Don Smyle shared here ] many moons ago. Its from the race at Asheville-Weaverville a week earlier vs. Wilkesboro, but you get the idea.

Another 3 digit number, too.

Dave, Chase, thank you both for adding so much to this post. I was hoping, when I came up with hair-brained idea, posting the little history snippets would cause some others to remember or research things to further enchance what I posted. It remains one of my priorities to do all I can to ensure the beginnings of this sport are not lost in all the glitz and glamour of today's racing.

Chase, I noticed that Ralph was driving a Petty car but I did not designate that. Shame on me!! Thank you for bringing it up AND for getting a picture to post as well. Someday (in my dreams) will be computer literate enough to do things like that. I did, just yesterday, establish a "Public Figure" page on FB under "Tim Leeming aka The Legend". Shocked the daylights out of me when it worked!

Again, thank you both for reading and for contributing so much to my Forum posts and to RacersReunion. What an awesome group of folks we have on this site.

Tim

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