History “Stock” Cars of the 1950s

I've been known to build a model car now and then.

 

Johnny Beauchamp. He was the one that had a photo finish with Lee Petty at the 1st Daytona race. It took them 2 days to determine the winner. IIRC, it was the next year when the 2 cars went over the wall at the same track. Both drivers were hurt, Lee Petty was never the same after. Beauchamp went on to win for years after.

 

Jeff posted an epic picture. All the BIG factory teams with their highly modified "stock" cars. Front row most likely is 2 Blown 57 Fords, paxton super chargers. 2nd row "Mermaid Merc" 2 four's I think with a Fuel Injected "Black Widow" Chevy from SEDCO in Atlanta. 3rd row and another Black Widow and I bet a Blown Ford, same for the 4th row. Then a Factory Merc outside of the 5th . All the factory heavy hitters with all the "Heavy duty/Export/Off Road" parts they can get and on DIRT!!! how cool Eventually the Chevys went to Carburetors. The Fords lost the blowers(rules) and Chrysler was gone by now (a shame) We need more color pictures from this race.. there has to be more somewhere ??

 

beautiful collection!

 

Portlands' Hershel McGriff was on the scene as early as any of them!



"McGriff's racing career spans four decades of NASCAR competition from the rough-and-tumble 1950s to the finely tuned 90s. He was the winner of the first Carrera Panamericana in 1950, where he met NASCAR founder Bill France Sr. France convinced McGriff to come south and race in NASCAR races at Daytona Beach, the first Southern 500 race at Darlington Raceway.
France convinced McGriff to race full-time in NASCAR in 1954. He had his four wins that year in the Grand National series. He had 17 Top 10 finishes in 24 events, and finished sixth in the final points standings. McGriff's average finishing position was higher than points champion Lee Petty."
http://lacarrera2007.blogspot.com/2008/04/phone-call-from-hershel-mcgriff.html



"What if he’d accepted NASCAR founder Bill France’s invitation in the early 1950s to relocate from Oregon to race in the Southeast? What if he’d taken greater advantage of that hot streak of four Cup Series victories in nine starts in 1954 that brought some fame? What if he’d agreed to that full-season offer from wealthy owner Carl Kiekhaefer—the Chrysler 300 ride that went to Tim Flock?"
https://www.autoweek.com/racing/nascar/a37169621/nascar-hall-fame-hershel-mcgriff/

 

Some cool pics here:

http://www.kansashistory.us/racing/

 

Boo ed them Chryslers right out of NASCAR for stinking up the show..There was a lot of beer thrown all over them.

 

56 convertible series was won by a Ford. Nobody could out run the Chryslers on the long tracks but short tracks Chev, Ford, and Dodge were pretty equal.

 

The Injected Chevrolets had there hands full with the supercharged Fords….NASCAR mandated a single 4 barrel in April as I’ve heard. Chevrolet was stuck with single WCFB and Ford got Holleys…cars were out running the tires available too.

 

Driven by Will Cagle .

 

My choice based on local legend and the stories I’ve heard about the racer Jimmy Florian.

 

Maybe. Beauchamp went to his grave insisting that he won the 1st Daytona 500. The photo finish shows Petty ahead at the line but many people stated that Petty was one or even two laps behind. Petty's wife was his lap counter and she said he was on the lead lap but many impartial witnesses said otherwise. It took two days for Bill France to decide and the longer he took the more publicity the race and his newly formed NASCAR received. And many people said it was to France's advantage to have a good old southern boy win the race instead of the upstart from Iowa.

 

My '54 Lincoln project...still missing the full race livery but hopefully will be finished this coming winter and can be used for racing next year...

 

I have a book on Beauchamp somewhere, I have to read it again. Scoring was not always accurate then. Even when I raced I had a few surprises when we had to line up again for a restart.

France was known for siding with the good old boys and Beauchamp was an outsider being from Iowa. His Thunderbird was a Holman Moody car.

 

Moody car equipped by Roy Burdick Garage in Omaha Nebraska

 

NASCAR- rigging race results since 1959.

 

I contacted Parnelli about his first NASCAR win in a 1957 Ford and asked about the three cars that Vel's Ford campaigned. He said when Vel did not attend the race he would take out a 1956 because he thought it was a better car, I was hurt but later I met him and he did sign the dash of my tribute to his white Custom 300.
Here are a couple more finds.

 

On my book shelves is a copy of Wendall Scott's book and the complete series on the early days of NASCAR. Wendall was one of the true "little guys", who used junk yard and second hand racing parts, to compile an amazing record. He was inducted into the NASCAR hall of fame, as part of the first class.
He was known to haul his Ford to races with his wrecker, pull the engine out of it and put it into the race car, run the race, and then swap the engine back into the truck for the tow home. Talk about conserving your equipment!

 

NASCAR was 10 years old when Daytona opened. Can't argue with the rest of the sentence.

 

How about this bigass Lincoln Wes shot at the Bonneville Golden Nugget Friday Very Panamerica-ish....I like itttt