Racing History MInute - October 17, 1956
Stock Car Racing History
Yes, 3rd guy is Tiny Lund who also drove several races for the Petty team in that era.
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Stock Car Racing History
Racing History MInute - October 17, 1956
Stock Car Racing History
DOH! I said September. I meant OCTOBER. Sorry.
Racing History MInute - October 17, 1956
Stock Car Racing History
Also, the notes column from The Dispatch references a Curtis Turner win in the convertible series race at Hillsboro Speedway - aka Occoneechee - on the same date, October 14, 1956. Here is the race report for it from the News and Courier .
Bill Lutz who had the rough accident raced convertibles for Petty Engineering in a handful of races in 1957...
...and a Petty 43 hard top in the 1957 Daytona beach race.
updated by @tmc-chase: 10/17/17 10:32:25AM
Racing History MInute - October 17, 1956
Stock Car Racing History
Great race recap as always Tim. But I think another discrepancy has been discovered about the race date.
The race is recapped in the Monday, September 15, 1956 edition of the News and Courier meaning the race was on Sunday, September 14. 
And in this notes column from the October 18, 1956 edition of The Dispatch , the race is referenced as having been run on Sunday.
updated by @tmc-chase: 10/17/17 10:32:05AM
October 17, 1954 - Lee Petty Masters Martinsville
Stock Car Racing History
There were two Petty wins on October 17th. One was The King's victory in the Delaware 500 at Dover. I blogged about it and posted a recap on RacersReunion back in 2011 here:
http://racersreunion.com/community/forum/stock-car-racing-history/9487/october-17-1971-petty-wins-delaware-500
And on October 17, 1954, Lee Petty wins at Martinsville Speedway in Virginia after starting from the pole in his #42 Chrysler. The race was scheduled for 200 laps and 100 miles; however, officials displayed the checkered flag at 165 laps because of darkness.
The record books indicate Petty won the pole; however, the rest of the starting line-up is unknown. Papa Lee dominated the shortened race by leading 157 of the 165 laps. The remaining 8 laps were led by ageless Hershel McGriff who finished second.
The victory was also meaningful for Petty because it clinched him his first of three NASCAR Grand National series championships.
Read on for more:
https://bench-racing.blogspot.com/2013/10/october-17-1954-lee-petty-masters.html
| Fin | Driver | Car |
| 1 | Lee Petty | '54 Chrysler |
| 2 | Hershel McGriff | '54 Oldsmobile |
| 3 | Buck Baker | '54 Oldsmobile |
| 4 | Dick Rathman | '54 Hudson |
| 5 | Jim Reed | '52 Hudson |
| 6 | Jim Paschal | '53 Oldsmobile |
| 7 | Don Oldenberg | '54 Mercury |
| 8 | John Dodd, Jr. | '51 Hudson |
| 9 | Lou Figaro | '54 Hudson |
| 10 | Bill Blair | '53 Hudson |
| 11 | Bob Welborn | '53 Oldsmobile |
| 12 | Clyde Minter | '50 Mercury |
| 13 | Joe Eubanks | '51 Hudson |
| 14 | Bud Harless | '53 Hudson |
| 15 | Eddie Skinner | '53 Oldsmobile |
| 16 | Herb Thomas | '54 Hudson |
| 17 | Arden Mounts | '53 Hudson |
| 18 | Jimmie Lewallen | '54 Mercury |
| 19 | Marvin Panch | '53 Oldsmobile |
| 20 | Gifford Wood | '49 Hudson |
| 21 | Carl Burris | '53 Packard |
| 22 | Ted Chamberlain | '50 Plymouth |
| 23 | Gober Sosebee | '52 Oldsmobile |
| 24 | Jim Gillette | '52 Plymouth |
| 25 | Joe Bill O'Dell | '49 Ford |
| 26 | Jim Cooper | '49 Ford |
| 27 | Dick Ross | '51 Studebaker |
| 28 | Ken Pace | '49 Hudson |
| 29 | Fred Dove | '51 Hudson |
| 30 | Joel Million | '53 Oldsmobile |
| 31 | Ray Duhigg | '50 Plymouth |
| 32 | Dave Terrell | '54 Dodge |
| 33 | Junior Johnson | Cadillac |
| 34 | Chuck Hansen | '53 Oldsmobile |
| 35 | Ralph Liguori | '54 Dodge |
| 36 | Hassell Reid | '50 Plymouth |
| 37 | George Parrish | '53 Studebaker |
| 38 | Billy Minter | '54 Chevrolet |
| 39 | Blackie Pitt | '53 Oldsmobile |
| 40 | Dink Widenhouse | '53 Oldsmobile |
| 41 | Glen Wood | '50 Oldsmobile |
| 42 | Cotton Owens | '50 Oldsmobile |
| 43 | Bill Widenhouse | '53 Oldsmobile |
| 44 | Walt Flinchum | '51 Plymouth |
updated by @tmc-chase: 10/17/20 01:30:06PM
Humpy Wheeler visits Motor Week LIVE! on November 11th
-RacersReunion® RADIO
I somehow managed to snag this shot in 1992 just before the King suited up for his final Charlotte start. I had pit passes. Pretty sure I was supposed to stay BEHIND the pit wall. But as the cars were pushed to their starting spots, I occasionally stepped over for a closer photo. The 43 was pushed to the head of the line where he led a ceremonial pace lap. Journalists and photographers had Richard surrounded. I got as close as I could, lifted my film camera, snapped and hoped for the best. When I had the film developed, I couldn't believe I got this shot of RP talking to Humpy. I had it enlarged and autographed by the King. Maybe I'll request Wheeler to add his Humpy Hancock.
Racing History Minute - October 16, 1949
Stock Car Racing History
Found a few NASCAR photos in Getty's on-line archive.
The start - with Ken Wagner on the pole. Interestingly, the photo caption says Curtis Turner started 2nd in a 1949 Olds vs. Bill Blair. Caption also says Lee Petty started 3rd in a Plymouth.
Turner (41) and Sara Christian (71) doing battle during the race.
And I liked this one of all sorts of racing happening on the dirt. H.F. Stickleather (20), Red Byron (22) and Bill Blair (44). Apparently that is pole-winner Wagner side-by-side with Stickleather. And in the 14 is ROY HALL in his 1st of only two career NASCAR Strictly Stock / GN starts.
updated by @tmc-chase: 10/16/17 11:59:54AM
Racing History Minute - October 16, 1949
Stock Car Racing History
Interesting Lee Petty's car was fielded under the name of Petty Brothers. Fits perfectly with my re-designed Pabst Blue Ribbon logo:
October 15: Some firsts and some lasts
Stock Car Racing History
Update: Once I got home, I figured I may as well turn the following into a Bench Racing blog post.
http://bench-racing.blogspot.com/2013/10/october-15-some-nascar-firsts-and-lasts.html
Original post:
1950 - Herb Thomas leads more than half the race and claims his first career Grand National win in a 200-lap race at Martinsville.
1967 - Buddy Baker wins his first Grand National race by capturing the National 500 at Charlotte in Ray Fox's Dodge.
Baker's win was coupled with Richard Petty's early exit. Petty's engine problem relegated him to an 18th place finish and ended his consecutive winning streak at 10 races. (Interestingly, the highest finishing Petty Enterprises entry was G.C. Spencer who finished 5th in a #42 Petty Plymouth in the 2nd of his 3 starts for the team.)
1989 - The King lasts only 124 laps, crashes, and finishes 32nd and last in the Holly Farms 400 at North Wilkesboro. Painfully, Kyle develops faulty distributor / ignition problems, goes out the same lap, and finishes 31st - next to last . Ricky Rudd and Dale Earnhardt waged a classic battle in the waning laps to see who would finish first . Instead, they BOTH wrecked giving first place to Geoff Bodine.
Coincidentally, Bodine was in his last season with Hendrick Motorsports & would be replaced by Rudd. The race was also the first race for Winston Cup cars to run Goodyear radial tires.
2000 - Dale Earnhardt comes from deep in the field with just a few laps remaining to win the Winston 500 at Talladega. Though he finished first , it was his last Winston Cup victory.
updated by @tmc-chase: 10/15/17 10:28:00AM