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Racing History Minute - May 1, 1955

Stock Car Racing History

That would have been fantastic if PA announcers drew the crowd's attention to "Arden Mount's Hudson Horsepower!"

Racing History Minute - May 1, 1955

Stock Car Racing History

The Grand National drivers and their limited crews had an exhausting April in 1955. Over a month's time, the cars were trailered from North Wilkesboro to Montgomery Alabama to Langhorne Pennsylvania and back down to Charlotte.

That stretch of races equaled about 2,000 miles. And that was just the travel miles. Additional mileage was banked for the races themselves plus any side trips from any of those races back to a home place or trips to a local garage or parts store between races for needed service. (I mapped the distance without highways as many interstates were not fully built in 1955.)

On May 1, the teams completed the grueling travel schedule with a 133-lap, 100-mile race at Charlotte Speedway. Two time Grand National champion Herb Thomas won the pole in his #92 Buick. The GN champion from 1952 - and eventual 1955 champ - Tim Flock started second. Junior Johnson and Speedy Thompson timed 3rd and 4th. Dink Widenhouse and Jim Paschal rounded out the first three rows. - Jim Wilmore

The early-race attrition was pretty heavy with 5 cars exiting the race by lap 40 - including Junior Johnson. On lap 42, however, a serious accident affected not only the pole winner but also his career.

Herb Thomas apparently hooked a rut in the dirt surface. Doing so caused him to lose his car. He flipped badly and suffered serious injuries - enough to cause him to miss several summer races. - Getty

Despite Thomas' serious accident, the race continued. Tim Flock dominated the majority of the race leading all of the first 112 laps. But with only 21 laps to go, Buck Baker got by Tim and ran the point to the checkers.

Jim Ord wrecked on lap 110. Unlike Thomas, he wasn't seriously injured. But my guess is that Baker got by Flock following what would have been a caution period for Ord's accident.

Baker's victory is believed to have been the first Grand National win for General Motors' Buick brand. Flock finished second - the only other car on the lead lap with Buck. Dave Terrell finished third, two laps down to Baker.

Thomas was badly injured yet seemed committed to getting well again to return to racing. Three months after the accident, he declared he would return on August 7 for the GN event at the Forsyth County Fairgrounds in Winston-Salem.

Thomas did return on August 7 though he exited early with a failed clutch. He did a bit better with a mid-pack finish the next race at Memphis-Arkansas Speedway. And then, his healing was completed with a win in his third race back at Raleigh Speedway, a race Tim Leeming [ posted about here ].

Unfortunately, Thomas was seriously injured again about a year later in a controversial incident with Speedy Thompson in Shelby, NC. - a race [ Tim also posted about ].

Finishing order for May 1, 1955 Charlotte race.

Fin	Driver	Sponsor / Owner	Car
1	Buck Baker	Buck Baker	'55 Buick
2	Tim Flock	Carl Kiekhaefer	'55 Chrysler
3	Dave Terrell	Dave Terrell	'55 Oldsmobile
4	Gober Sosebee	Gober Sosebee	'55 Oldsmobile
5	Bob Welborn	Julian Petty	'55 Chevrolet
6	John Dodd, Jr.	John Dodd, Sr.	'55 Dodge
7	Ralph Liguori	Ralph Liguori	'54 Dodge
8	Harvey Henderson	Harvey Henderson	'53 Hudson
9	Eddie Skinner	Frank Dodge	'53 Oldsmobile
10	Ken Fisher	Ken Fisher	'55 Chrysler
11	Gene Simpson	Brooks Brothers	'55 Plymouth
12	Dink Widenhouse	Dink Widenhouse	'53 Oldsmobile
13	Jim Ord	Hank Salat	'55 Packard
14	Arden Mounts	Arden Mounts	'54 Hudson
15	Lee Petty	Petty Enterprises	'55 Chrysler
16	George Parrish	George Parrish	'53 Studebaker
17	Speedy Thompson	Bob Griffin	'54 Oldsmobile
18	Dick Rathman	John Ditz	'54 Hudson
19	Jim Paschal	Ernest Woods	'54 Oldsmobile
20	Junior Johnson	Jim Lowe / Carl Beckham	'55 Oldsmobile
21	Herb Thomas	Herb Thomas	'55 Buick
22	Joel Million	Ernest Woods	'55 Oldsmobile
23	Fonty Flock	Frank Christian	'55 Chevrolet
24	Bud Harless	Edgar Clay	'53 Hudson
25	Bill Blair	J.M. Fitzgibbons	'54 Oldsmobile
26	Ed Cole		'54 Ford

updated by @tmc-chase: 05/01/17 11:55:09PM

Go Daddy is GONE Daddy

Current NASCAR

Aric is of Cuban descent, yes. And Gibbs development driver, Daniel Suarez, is from Mexico as well.

Go Daddy is GONE Daddy

Current NASCAR

One of them has already been in racing - albeit for only 1 event. Vegas 2010. And just like that bunch in 'real life', the 36 was a wreck when the day ended.

Go Daddy is GONE Daddy

Current NASCAR

While I've been done with Danica as a novelty act since the day it was announced she was coming to NASCAR, I'm not sure I'll attribute it to The Waltrip Mentality.

TV coverage for racing transformed for me in early 2001. Sure, the death of Earnhardt was THE story of that period and for months to come. But a couple of other things happened. Early in the year, FOX used generic graphics for the car numbers on their crawl. Fans inexplicably lost their ever-loving, short-sighted minds. They demanded FOX return to using graphics that matched the designs of the actual numbers on the cars as had been done by ESPN, TBS, TNN, etc. Otherwise, it was a sign FOX wasn't "all in" with NASCAR and its fan base.

Then that spring, Cracker Barrel sponsored the Atlanta race. They sponsored the race - not the telecast. FOX didn't get a cut of the action as ad revenue; therefore, they didn't name drop Cracker Barrel throughout the afternoon. Again, fans and viewers launched into a frothy frenzy.

Within a race or two, FOX and NASCAR execs met. It seemed from that point forward FOX's production efforts were again in lockstep with the NASCAR message. And that has been pretty much the case for the following 14 or so years.

NASCAR defines its 'stars'. Sure, on-track performance will ultimately make it easier for fans to latch onto a fave. But when that isn't happening, NASCAR is more than willing to leverage its TV 'partner' or its limited media corps to do its bidding.

"We need to expand racing to the Hispanic community."

"But we don't have a Hispanic driver."

"Go get one. How about that Montoya guy. He's available I've heard."

"But he isn't Hispanic. He is from South America."

"Ah, no one will care. Get him anyway and DEMAND it be reported he is for the Hispanics."

Don't get me wrong. Montoya had plenty of racing credentials. And quite frankly, he did OK I suppose in his limited time in NASCAR - certainly better than some other recent crossovers. But he wasn't Hispanic.

Same is true for Danica. She had one good run at Indy. She was attractive. She had already begun to attract a marketing vibe exclusive of racing. So in that respect, I don't blame NASCAR or her for wanting to maximize the opportunity. But when it turned out that she has been more like Dario and Hornish vs. Foyt and Montoya, the marketing emphasis continued. And a lot of that was driven by the FOX suits via a strong emphasis from the Beach suits.

Around 92-93, a buddy of mine and I took a rookie with us to Talladega. He knew little about racing and didn't have a favorite. He was from Owensboro and said "Isn't there a guy named Waltrip from there?" My bud and I looked at each other, smiled and chirped up "Yep, Michael."

At the track, we took him to the souvenir trailers in the hopes they could drain his wallet for Michael gear. (Good friends we were, huh?) We searched high and low for a bright yellow Pennzoil trailer without success. Finally, we asked at a Kyle Petty Mello Yello trailer. I'll never forget the reply as the guy told us there was no MW trailer. He said "Ya know, Michael's got some good looking stuff. He just ain't got any fans." Of course, we roared - though our bud got easy by not having to buy any shirts, hats, etc.

Fast forward 20+ years, and on-track results have little to do with whether one has a merch hauler or not. For her Nationwide and first 2 Cup years, I shook my head in amazement about how many folks were buying her products.

The 2 decades that have elapsed have also shown what Kyle Petty says frequently. NASCAR is no longer a sport - it's a business. The Frances make boocoodles of money from having Danica in their camp - regardless of where she places. And they want to keep that cash stream flowing - and are clearly willing to hold FOX's and ESPN's feet to the fire to make that happens.

If the GoDaddy departure means Danica will be sponsor-challenged - meaning her merch sales might decline - they'll quickly dump the hype. If a replacement sponsor isn't named by Darlington, my bet is we'll hear less of her on TV - an indication NASCAR has moved on to plans for over-milking another possible cash cow.

Racing History Minute - April 26, 1959

Stock Car Racing History

That's some good stuff Jack. Will what I can to track down news clippings for those.

Racing History Minute - April 26, 1959

Stock Car Racing History

Compiling the Short Track Division races year by year seems to be a project tailor-made for RacersReunion. Could obviously be a gradual effort - much like working on an old car in the garage from time to time.

I honestly very little about the short track series. Hadn't even heard of it until a couple of years ago. Last year, I bought an old issue of Illustrated Speedway News on ebay because it had a pic of Lee Petty and Bob Welborn. When I got it & started comparing the issue to websites, I realized the pics weren't from a GN race but from a Short Track race. It'll be tough to know if one gets 'em all since there are so few records to compare against.

The 1959 GN schedule supposedly only had 3 races in the northeast: Reading, Trenton and Heidelberg near Pittsburgh. While it's possible the Polo Grounds was a GN race, I tend to believe it was indeed part of the S-T division. The race had GN regulars in it - with cars raced the next day in a GN race at Reading - and was likely promoted by Otto as having "NASCAR's top GN drivers" participate - even though it may technically not have been a GN event. Otto wasn't above working in the gray from a promotional standpoint. And who from New York City was going to correct him when most knew so little about NASCAR anyway?

Racing History Minute - April 26, 1959

Stock Car Racing History

Good memory Dave. I'd forgotten about it, and searches via Google and RR failed to take me to that page. May have been because I was searching for images vs. text. Either way - good recall to link back to it.

I found this archived New York Times article today covering the Polo Grounds race. (Wait - this post was SUPPOSED to be about the Reading Fairgrounds race, right? Anyway...) Interesting that it was referred to as a Grand National race. Found shorter snippets in Daytona and Sarasota FL papers referring to it simply as a "late model" race. So much for any branding of the division. The article mentions the race had several cautions but not one involving Junior specifically.

Racing History Minute - April 26, 1959

Stock Car Racing History

Found what I believe to be a bit more about the Saturday night race in New York. Ed Otto promoted a race at the Polo Grounds in New York City - the stadium once home to teams as varied as the New York Giants, New York Yankees, and New York Titans (the football team that became the Jets with the Titans name going to Tennessee's team ~50 years later).

When the Giants relocated to San Francisco, the Polo Grounds had no primary tenant. In 1958-1959, Otto promoted midget races at the Polo Grounds - just as he had at tons of tracks from as west as Chicago to as north as Toronto and Buffalo.

In the book The Ghosts of NASCAR: The Harlan Boys and the First Daytona 500 , I found this excerpt referencing the Saturday, April 25 race. It doesn't mention Junior's wreck. But it does mention Jim Reed as the winner - just as noted in the Reading Eagle article. And though I still haven't found the specifics, my bet is the race was part of NASCAR's Short Track Division schedule.

Racing History Minute - April 26, 1959

Stock Car Racing History

The Grand National teams had a hectic schedule in late March through early April 1959. They raced 4 times in an 8-day period:

• March 29 - Wilson NC
• March 30 - Bowman Gray
• April 4 - Columbia
• April 5 - North Wilkesboro

But then the drivers and crews got some "whew" time away from the track. The next race didn't take place until April 26 for a 200-lap, 100-mile race at the Reading Fairgrounds in Pennsylvania. The event turned out to be the second of only two GN races ever held at the Fairgrounds track.

In the days leading up to the race, Pat Purcell was apparently dispatched up north to assist with race promotion. Though I haven't found anything yet to prove it, my hunch is Ed Otto likely had a hand in the logistics of the race based on all the track connections he developed in the northeastern part of the US and Toronto, Ontario.

Some of "advertised" drivers included...

Johnny Beauchamp

Elmo Langley

Tom Pistone, Lee Petty, 1958 Reading winner Junior Johnson and Speedy Thompson

I think we now know where the producers of the sitcom The Brady Bunch got their idea for the opening of their show.

Tiny Lund was also expected to race. For reasons I'm unclear about, Tiny apparently didn't race. He isn't listed in any finishing order I've seen.

Race preview from Reading Eagle

The race was scheduled as a one-day event with qualifying held right before the race. Mother Nature interfered a bit and brought rain to the area. Imagine that - rain at a Pennsylvania race. (*cough* Pocono).

With qualifying rained out, the drivers drew for starting positions. I'm guessing the drawing part was orderly and understood. The documentation of the draw, however, was not. I can't find who started where.

Regardless of where he started, Lee Petty let it be known early that the race was his. He set sail on lap 1 and kept everyone behind him for the first 173 laps. Problem for him was that the race was scheduled for 200 laps.

Petty led lap after lap even while being pursed by Pistone, Cotton Owens and Johnson. Lee's time out front likely doomed his pit strategy - and ultimately cost him a trip to victory lane. He had planned to race the full 100-miles without a stop. But with the 42 Oldsmobile being pushed by his 3 challengers, he likely burned more gas than he'd expected. On lap 174, Johnson finally got past Petty - who perhaps had gone into conservation mode. But Lee then realized he had to make a stop to finish the race. He ducked into the pits with 12 laps to go but then snapped an axle as he headed back to the track. One lap later, he was done despite the dominating performance.

By the time the race had reached its late stages, Cotton had exited the race and Thompson had passed Pistone for 2nd. Petty and Johnson had built a comfortable lead over the field. With Petty off the track at lap 189, Junior won by 4 laps over 2nd place Thompson and 3rd place Tiger.

The above victory lane photo shows Junior's car void of a right side door. The caption says he lost it in an accident in a New York race the previous night. A GN race wasn't scheduled so I wonder if perhaps a NASCAR Short Track Division race was held.

Just to even things up a bit, Junior ran the [ Volunteer 500 at Bristol ] two years later with his LEFT side door missing. - Getty

Race report from Reading Eagle

Though Ed Otto's involvement with the promotion of the race is debatable, his connection to the higher-ups in NASCAR is not. Another point that may be debatable is whether having a dog named after you is an honor ... or an insult.

Fin	Driver	Sponsor / Owner	Car
1	Junior Johnson	Paul Spaulding	'57 Ford
2	Speedy Thompson	Steve Pierce	'57 Chevrolet
3	Tom Pistone	Carl Rupert	'59 T-Bird
4	Tommy Irwin	Tommy Irwin	'59 T-Bird
5	Buzz Woodward	Buzz Woodward	'57 Ford
6	Lee Petty	Petty Enterprises	'57 Oldsmobile
7	Tiny Benson	Tiny Benson	'57 Chevrolet
8	Jim Parsley	Jim Parsley	'57 Chevrolet
9	Ben Benz	Bernard Friedland	'57 Chevrolet
10	Shorty Rollins	Shorty Rollins	'58 Ford
11	John Seeley		'57 Chevrolet
12	Reds Kagle	Hoss Kagle	'57 Chevrolet
13	Al White	Al White	'58 Ford
14	Cotton Owens	W.H. Watson	'58 Pontiac
15	Ken Johnson	Ken Johnson	'57 Ford
16	Ray Fanning		'57 Chevrolet
17	John Findlay	Jim Findley	'57 Chevrolet
18	Gus Wilson	Gus Wilson	'57 Chevrolet
19	Rex White	Rex White	'59 Chevrolet
20	Bobby Johns	Shorty Johns	'57 Chevrolet
21	Johnny Beauchamp	Jim Reed	'57 Ford
22	Elmo Langley	Ratus Walters	'57 Ford
23	Don Angel	Don Angel	'58 Ford
24	Jim Reed	Jim Reed	'57 Ford
25	Dave Marburger		'57 Ford

updated by @tmc-chase: 12/05/16 04:00:58PM