Forum Activity for @tmc-chase

TMC Chase
@tmc-chase
07/18/13 03:42:09PM
4,073 posts

July 18, 1958: The King's era begins
Stock Car Racing History


I've got the 8 bottle set from 1992's Fan Appreciation Tour. (Though for some reason, the 8 bottle set has a 6 bottle carrier. Kind of like mismatched hotdog and bun packaging.)

I do not have the first round of Pepsi bottles.

However, I do have an unopened can of World's Fair Beer from Knoxville in 1980.

I assure you - I have opened neither the Pepsi bottles nor the beer to see if the taste has improved or worsened over the years. Nor do I intend to.


updated by @tmc-chase: 07/17/17 05:10:13PM
TMC Chase
@tmc-chase
07/18/13 10:42:46AM
4,073 posts

July 18, 1958: The King's era begins
Stock Car Racing History


Last weekend, two of the more memorable races on TV were the dual IndyCar races on the street course through Toronto's Exhibition Place. Indy racing has been a staple in Toronto for many years dating back to the mid 1980s with CART.

But back in 1958, NASCAR's Grand National series raced at Toronto's old Canadian National Exposition stadium for the first and only time. The race was also the second and last time the GN cars rumbled in Canada. Buddy Shuman won the first time the series went north of the border in 1952. Tim Leeming wrote about that race here:

http://racersreunion.com/community/forum/stock-car-racing-history/24995/racing-history-minute-july-1-1952

Not a lot is known about the 1958 Toronto race. Few articles are readily available. Even the local media paid it little attention. The race has become known as the Jim Mideon 500. I have my doubts though since no one knows anything about Jim Mideon, and the race wasn't 500 miles, kilometers, laps, minutes, or anything else 500-related.

Rex White won the pole driving for Julian Petty, and Papa Lee Petty took the checkers. These results ensured the Petty family is connected to yet another NASCAR trivia question.

Interestingly, the race isn't really remembered for Lee's win. Instead, the race is known as the debut Grand National start by a driver who got booted out of the way by Lee on his way to the win: son Richard Petty.

Richard had made his first professional racing start a few days earlier in a ragtop race at Columbia. But the Toronto race is considered his first Grand National series start.

Though I didn't learn a lot of new info about the race itself, I did find several photos of the old stadium and how it was used after racing at CNE stopped.

Read on for more:

http://bench-racing.blogspot.com/2013/07/july-18-1958-petty-scores-in-canada-eh.html

And as a re-run of a blog entry I posted a year ago about this race as "special edition" part of my Richard Petty 200 Wins, I thought I'd include the link:

http://bench-racing.blogspot.com/2012/07/july-18-this-day-in-petty-history-part-2.html


updated by @tmc-chase: 07/17/17 05:09:45PM
TMC Chase
@tmc-chase
07/18/13 07:10:40PM
4,073 posts

Racing History Minute - July 18, 1965
Stock Car Racing History

Qualifying was rained out, and the line-up was set by points.

From Daytona Beach Morning Journal

TMC Chase
@tmc-chase
07/18/13 12:29:30PM
4,073 posts

Racing History Minute - July 18, 1965
Stock Car Racing History

Here is the link to a blog post re-run that covers Richard Petty's first GN start at Toronto in 1958 - and his first win (convertible) at Columbia in 1959, one year later to the day.

http://bench-racing.blogspot.com/2012/07/july-18-this-day-in-petty-history-part-2.html

TMC Chase
@tmc-chase
07/17/13 12:26:19PM
4,073 posts

Racing History Minute - July 17, 1960
Stock Car Racing History

And from the Spartanburg Herald Journal

One nugget that caught my eye about this one is the reference to two Canadian races passed up by the Pettys and Rex White. I find no record of Grand National or Convertible races in either city in 1960. I'm guessing it must have been some sort of Canadian series late model race or other "outlaw" series. Its likely why the 3 of them skipped over it.

TMC Chase
@tmc-chase
07/15/15 10:19:25PM
4,073 posts

Racing History Minute - July 16, 1958
Stock Car Racing History

From Jamestown Post-Journal

Looks like Lee Petty led the first 30 laps. Then local shoe Squirt Johns got by Petty's 42 and led the field through lap 71. Then on lap 71, Johns blew a tire while leading which gave the lead back to Lee.

For a number of laps - at least through 138, it sounds like the front was contested amongst Petty, Carl Tyler, Bob Duell and Emory Mahan.

Somewhere just past mid-race, Lee Petty lost a wheel and obviously the lead. But he returned to finish 8th. Carl Tyler ran over Lee's errant wheel, and that derailed his shot at the win.

With Petty, Tyler and Squirt having issues, Shorty then took over and was apparently in front the rest of the way. The local guys pursued Rollins to the end, but they couldn't pass Shorty's #99 Ford.

(Click article to read larger version in a separate tab.)

  263