Racing History Minute - May 25, 1956

Today we travel North of the Mason-Dixon Line to a half mile dirt track located in Abbottstown, PA for a 100 mile race. The year of 1956, if you remember from previous History Minutes, was one of the two years when Carl Kiekhaefer was running rough-shod over the competition. This race in Abbottstown, while still dominated by Kiekhaefer cars, was a really competitive event.

Speedy Thompson started his Kiekhaefer Dodge on the pole with Herb Thomas in another Kiekhaefer Dodge to his outside. It was third place starter, Billy Myers, however, that threw his Mercury into the lead on lap one and he would hold that lead until lap 44 when Herb Thomas took over. Buck Baker, who had been running second to Thomas, took the lead with 19 laps to go whenThomas had to make a pit stop. But Baker wouldn't have it easy as Jim Paschal and Lee Petty chased him to the finish line in what was almost a three way photo finish. A remarkable fact about this finish was that Lee Petty had spun out on lap 21 of the race and got back on the lead lap with sheer speed and driving ability. A timely caution flag allowed Lee to make up the remaining deficit to make a run for the win. It was noted that this was one of the very few races of the 1955 and 1956 season where a Kiekhaefer car was not the fastest car on the track. This was, however, Buck Baker's 8th win of the 1956 season and third in a row.

Top five finishers were:

1. Buck Baker, Kiekhaefer Dodge, winning $1,100.00

2. Jim Paschal, C.U. Later Alligator Mercury, winning $700.00

3. Lee Petty, Petty Engineering Dodge, winning $475.00

4. Herb Thomas, Kiekhaefer Dodge, winning $365.00

5. Nace Mattingly, Ford, winning $310.00

Sixth through tenth, in order, were Frank Jamison, Carl Anderson, Blackie Pitt, Jim Rhoades and Harvery Henderson. Remaining seven finishers were Speedy Thompson, Billy Myers, who fell out with fuel pump issues, Hank Trice, Emauel Zervakis, Curley Hatfield, Johnny Roberts and Cy Spencer. Only 17 cars started the event.

Honor the past, embrace the present, dream for the future.

Thank, Tim. I find it especially interesting to hear tales of races at tracks with which I am not familiar, such as Abbottstown.

I note from the track's web site, that Lincoln Speedway in Abbottstown, Pennsylvania is still operating and observing its 60th anniversary season in 2013. Here are two photos from that web site - one of the track and the other an article from its 1953 opening:

The late William H. "BLACKIE" Pitt of Rocky Mount, NC - NASCAR's first named Rookie of the Year in 1954 - posted an 8th place finish in his brother, W.W. "BROWNIE" Pitt's '56 Buick at the Abbottstown event.

Wonder if the Pitt boys might have had any other brothers, perhaps a "Whitey" or "Red?!"

Here's a 1958 T.Taylor Warren photo of Blackie Pitt from the Studebaker racing site. He finished 10th at Occonnochee in 1958 in this car.

Bob Coolidge has a good write-up of Blackie Pitt's career, beginning in Modifieds at Wilson County (NC) Speedway on his Studebaker racing site:

http://www.studebakerracing.com/biography3.html#William%20H.%20%22B...

The write-up includes a neat photo of a check written by NASCAR Director of Competition, John Bruner's wife on her personal Wachovia Bank checking account in Winston-Salem, NC after NASCAR disqualified Joe Weatherly and Jim Reed following a 1955 race at West Palm Beach. Ole Johnny Mallonee and Tommie Clinard probably saw her write the check!