Thanks for correcting that error on date Chase. I went back and checked, and the date listed in my source is the 13th. I thought, with this failing vision of mine, I may have missed the date. It is not often there is an error in what Greg put together. I can only imagine the effort he expended to put those records together. I appreciate the assistance.
Martinsville, Virginia will soon host the 7th race of The Chase for 2013. On this date, in 1953, a half-mile dirt track there, now the current paved half-mile, held a 200 lap/100 mile race as the 36th Grand National Race of the 1953 season.
Fonty Flock put his Frank Christain Hudson on the pole at a speed of 58.986 mph. My source does not include any further starting positions. My source does provide the information that Buck Baker took the lead on the first lap and would stay there until lap 127 when a wheel bearing failed in the Hudson and put Baker out of the race. It was at that time that Jim Paschal, a veteran of 60 previous Grand National races and always a strong challenger, but never a winner, took over to lead the rest of the way.
Paschal averaged 56.013 mph in the win before 8,500 fans. Dick Rathmann had split with car owner Walt Chapman and Russ Hepler was assigned the Rathmann car. However, the Chapman team elected not to run Martinsville, opting for an "outlaw" event in New Castle, PA where Hepler won.
Top five finishers were:
1. Jim Paschal, Big Bear Dodge, winning $1,000.00
2. Lee Petty, Petty Engineering Dodge. winning $700.00
3. Bill Blair, Blair Olds 88, winning $450.00 (1 lap down)
4. Fonty Flock, Frank Christain Hudson, winning $350.00 (1 lap down)
5. Carl Burris, Plymouth, winning $200.00 (6 laps down).
Remaining finishers were:
6. Emory Lewis
7.Bob Welborn
8. Bill Morgan
9. Clyde Minter
10.Bill Odell
11.Bob Walden
12. Jimmie Lewallen
13. Bob Sampson
14. Johnny Patterson
15.Fred Dove
16. Bud Harless
17. George Osborne
18. Gifford Wood
19. Parks Surrat
20. Buck Baker
21. Arden Mounts
22. Eldon Hildreth
23. Joe Eubanks
24. Curtis Turner
25. Ralph Dutton
26. Herb Thomas
Previously, in these History Minutes, I have listed only the names of finishers I recognized, omitting many names that have historic significance to others. I appreciate Dave Fulton pointing that out with yesterday's Minute. I have decided, going forward, that I will list all finishers in every race in an effort to give exposure to some of those guys who ran only five or ten races in their careers but who may have a special place in the memory of others. This should be interesting in an on-going basis.
Honor the past, embrace the present, dream for the future
Well stated Bobby. Well stated.
I totally agree Blane. Things just haven't been the same since The Southern 500 is not run on Labor Day weekend. The only "tradition" NASCAR cares about is the first President of the United States and how many "portraits" of him they can gather on any weekend.
Andy, don't rule out the casino issue with the state. For years, as you know, SC wouldn't allow racing on Sunday. Finally, Darlington management had enough and told the religiously controlled (guess what demonination) said they would close Darlington and run in North Carolina. Seems the "blue laws" as to Darlington couldn't be changed quickly enough. In fact, the laws were changes specifying venues with only a certain seating capacity (almost exactly what Darlington had) could hold Sunday sporting events.Never rule out the politicians figuring ways to get around laws and get what they want and what they want is more of a tax base for their wasteful spending.
A crowd of 12,000 fans turned out to watch 29 drivers compete fora win on the One mile dirt track for 150 laps. The track was Occoneechee Speedway in Hillsboro (Hillsborough) NC. The track always seemed to draw huge crowds for the era and the racing was always exciting.
Bill Blair won the pole in an Oldsmobile with a speed of 75.901 mph. Jimmie Lewallen would start second in a Hudson, Herb Thomas third in another Hudson, Fonty Flock fourth in an Oldsmobile and Tim Flock fifth in yet another Hudson.
Blair would lead the first six laps before giving way to Fonty Flock. Flock would lead the remaining 144 laps to take the win at an average speed of 73.489 mph after two caution flags slowed the race. It was Flock's 11th career win in the Grand National Division. Donald Thomas (brother of Herb) is credited with finishing second although Herb took over in relief early after Herb's Hudson broke a hub and was out of the race. In the 1952 season, a driver in relief would gain a pro-rata share of points for the finishing position of the car based upon the percentage of the race the relief driver was in the car. In this instance, Herb received 200 of the 240 points awarded to the Donald Thomas Hudson. After the race, Tim Flock had a 194 point lead over Herb Thomas.
In reading the report on this race in Greg Fielden's "Forty Years of Stock Car Racing", I noted that Fonty credited the "quick" pit work when he had to stop for gas on lap 110, for enabling him to win. The "quick" pit work, for gas only, was 45 seconds long! Things were so much different 61 years ago!
Top five finishers:
1. Fonty Flock, Air Lift Olds 88, winning $1,200.00
2.Donald Thomas (Herb in relief), FABULOUS Hudson Hornet, winning $700.00
3.Bill Blair, George Hutchins Olds 88, winning $500.00
4.Tim Flock, Ted Chester Hudson, winning $450.00 (1 lap down)
5.Lee Petty, Petty Engineering Plymouth, winning $400.00 (3 laps down)
Sixth through tenth were Bub King, Ray Duhigg, Slick Smith, Fred Dove, and George Bush. Clyde Minter was 11th, Ted Chamberlin 12th, Elton Hildreth 13th, Ewell Weddle 14th, and Chris Martin 15th.
Other notable finishers were Jim Paschal in 17th, Jimmie Lewallen in 20th, Joe Eubanks 21st, Dick Rathman 25th, Herb Thomas (his own car) 27th, and Cotton Owens 29th and final position after parking his Ford on lap 12 with gas tank issues.
Honor the past, embrace the present, dream for the future
It was a great race. Kyle Larson certainly looks like he is going to come on strong. Will be interesting to see how he does tonight in the Cup. I am thinking NASCAR will be rooting for him too. We will see.
Most race fans who can remember North Wilkesboro, remember a .625 mile track, paved and fast, located in the Brushy Mountains of North Carolina. A beautiful drive from Charlotte to the track down highway 421. Races there were usually 400 laps with the cars running uphill on one straightaway and downhill on the other. Many race fans will remember that the track was around from the beginning of NASCAR's Grand National debut but for today, the guys are racing on a .625 mile dirt track and the race there in 1953 was to be 100 miles/160 laps on the fast dirt track.
Thirty-one cars would show up to race, but, unfortunately, only 2,000 fans ventured out to the track that day to see what turned out to be an exciting race. Buck Baker put his Griffin Motors Oldsmobile on the pole with a speed of 78.288 mph. Remaining qualifying positions are missing from my reference material but we can assume Curtis Turner started somewhere in the first four positions because he would take the lead on lap one. Turner led 6 laps, then it was Baker for a lap, then Turner for a lap. For the first 70 laps Turner and Baker traded the lead every few laps In fact, the lead changed hands 5 times in the first 11 laps. Fonty Flock took the lead on lap 70 but could only hold off Baker for 18 laps. Flock went back into the lead on lap 104 for ONE lap, then it was Turner again for 3 laps. Flock and Turner traded the lead position (and a little paint) back and forth until 25 laps from the end when Speedy Thompson, who had been bideing his time, watching the fierce battle for the lead, litterally "hammered" his Oldsmobile around then leader Flock, and Thompson would take the checkers. This was Thompson's second win of the season now driving for the Buckshot Morris Oldsmobile team.
Amazingly, Ray Duhigg, driving a Julian Petty Plymouth, making his first start since breaking his neck in an accident at Langhorne Speedway on June 21st, finished third.
Top five finishers:
1. Speedy Thompson, Buckshot Morris Oldsmobile, winning $1,000.00
2. Fonty Flock, Vogt Special Hudson, winning $700.00 (1 lap down)
3. Ray Duhigg, Julian Petty Plymouth, winning $400.00 (4 laps down)
4. Bob Welborn, J. O.Goode Plymouth, winning $350.00 (4 laps down)
5. Lee Petty, Petty Engineering Dodge, winning $200.00 (5 laps down)
Sixth through tenth were Buck Baker, Bill Blair, Joe Eubanks, Jimmie Lewallen and Bub King. Tim Flock was 12th, Gober Sosebee 14th, Curtis Turner 22nd, Jim Paschal 23rd, Dick Rathmann 24th, and Elton Hildreth 28th. Ralph Dutton would finish 31st (last) in a Dodge.
Honor the past, embrace the present, dream for the future
I loved the 1959 season! Guess it started with Lee's win in February at Daytona and Richard's first win in that convertible in Columbia in July. Or maybe it is because that was the year i became a teenager!
Bill, please extend my best wishes to William for a quick and complete recovery. Also, please tell him I wish him a very Happy Birthday!!!! Thanks for letting us know.
Hope you are well.
