1949 NASCAR Strictly Stock Series inaugural race

The NASCAR Strictly Stock Series inaugural race was the first stock car race sanctioned by the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR). Held on June 19, 1949 at the Charlotte Speedway in Charlotte, North Carolina, the race comprised 200 laps on a 0.75-mile (1.21 km) dirt oval. Bob Flock won the pole position for the race with a top speed of 67.958 mph (109.368 km/h). Glenn Dunaway initially claimed the victory in his 1947 Ford, but was later disqualified because his car had spread rear springs. The win was instead awarded to Jim Roper, driver of a 1949 Lincoln.[2]

1949 Strictly Stock Race 1

Race details[1]
Race 1 of 8 in the 1949 NASCAR Strictly Stock Series season
Date	June 19, 1949 (1949-06-19)
Location	Charlotte Speedway, Charlotte, North Carolina
Course	Permanent racing facility 0.75 mi (1.2 km)
Distance	200 laps, 150 mi (241.402 km)
Weather	Hot with temperatures reaching up to 89.1 °F (31.7 °C); with winds being sustained up to 7 miles per hour (11 km/h)
Pole position
Driver	Bob Flock	Davis Brothers
Most laps led
Driver	Bill Blair	R.B. McIntosh
Laps	145
Winner
No. 34	Jim Roper	R.B. McIntosh

Race organization

The race was run on the same day as competitor NSCRA, operated by NASCAR founder Bill France, Sr.'s rival Bruton Smith, held a race in Atlanta. In an attempt to attract drivers from the opposing series, France offered prize money totaling $5,000, with $2,000 going to the race winner.[3][4][5] Attendance for the race totaled approximately 13,000, with Houston Lawing, NASCAR's publicity director, stating that over 5,000 fans were not allowed into the stands because the grandstands could not accommodate them.[6] As a result, spectators crossed the track into the infield to watch the race,[5] and state police had to appear to control them.[3]

Race

Pole position was held by Bob Flock, who led for the first five laps before his engine malfunctioned,[3] and Bill Blair took the lead, which he held for 145 laps until Jim Roper took the lead on lap 151.[2] In the end, Glenn Dunaway won, but officials had expressed suspicion over Dunaway's car remaining steady while entering the rugged turns,[7] and it was eventually discovered that car owner Hubert Westmoreland had spread the car's rear springs, a method commonly used by bootleggers to improve handling. Roper, who had finished three laps down, was given the victory,[8] while Dunaway was scored as finishing last. Fonty Flock, Red Byron, Sam Rice and Tim Flock closed out the top five, while the top ten consisted of Archie Smith, Sterling Long, Slick Smith, Curtis Turner and Jimmy Thompson.[2] Westmoreland then sued NASCAR[9] for $10,000, but lost after judge Johnson Jay Hayes tossed it out of court.[7]

Results

Pos	Grid	No.	Driver	Owner	Manufacturer	Laps	Status
1	12	34	Jim Roper	R.B. McIntosh	Lincoln	197	Running
2	5	47	Fonty Flock	Grady Cole / Bruce Griffin	Hudson		Running
3	3	22	Red Byron	Raymond Parks	Oldsmobile		Running
4	14	2	Sam Rice	Sam Rice	Oldsmobile		Running
5	2	90	Tim Flock	Buddy Elliott	Oldsmobile		Running
6		37	Archie Smith	Frank Smith	Ford
7		31	Sterling Long	Sterling Long	Hudson
8		28	Slick Smith	Slick Smith	Oldsmobile
9	6	41	Curtis Turner	Curtis Turner	Buick
10		36	Jimmy Thompson	Bruce Thompson	Chrysler
11		87	Buck Baker	Penny Mullis	Kaiser
12	8	44	Bill Blair	R.B. McIntosh	Lincoln	150	Overheating
13			Jack Smith	Bishop Brothers	Ford		Overheating
14	13	71	Sara Christian	Frank Christian	Ford		Overheating
15			John Barker	Unknown	Kaiser
16		0	Jimmie Lewallen	Jimmie Lewallen	Ford
17	9	38	Lee Petty	Glimer Goode	Buick	105	Crash
18		11	Skimp Hersey	Skimp Hershey	Ford
19		25	Bob Smith	Unknown	Oldsmobile
20	4	19	Otis Martin	Pee Wee Martin	Ford		Overheating
21		37	Frank Smith	Frank Smith	Chrysler
22		16	Bill Snowden	Bill Snowden	Mercury		Overheating
23			Jim Paschal	Jim Paschal	Ford		Overheating
24		1	B. E. Renfro	B. E. Renfro	Hudson
25		10	Fred Johnson	Fred Johnson	Ford
26		88	George Mantooth	George Mantooth	Ford
27		5	Felix Wilkes	Felix Wilkes	Lincoln		Overheating
28	10	9	Pee Wee Martin	Pee Wee Martin	Oldsmobile
29		93	Herb Thomas	Herb Thomas	Ford		Springs
30		4	Frank Mundy	Sam Rice	Cadillac		Rear-front spindle
31		29	Clarence Benton	Clarence Benton	Ford
32	1	7	Bob Flock	Davis Brothers	Hudson	38	Engine
33	7	25	Glenn Dunaway	Hubert Westmoreland	Ford	200	Disqualified
Source:[2]

References

1. "Weather information for the First NASCAR Strictly Stock Series racing event". The Old Farmers' Almanac. Retrieved 2011-03-11.
2. "1949-01". Racing-Reference. USA Today Sports Media Group. Retrieved October 24, 2013.
3. Kirby, Gordon (June 8, 2009). "The first 'Strictly Stock' race". Motorsport. Retrieved October 24, 2013.
4. "Memorable Firsts in NASCAR". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved October 24, 2013.
5. Richter, Josh (June 19, 2014). "Throwback Thursday: Happy 65th birthday to the NASCAR Cup Series!". Foxsports.com. Fox Sports Digital Media. Archived from the original on June 24, 2014. Retrieved June 19, 2014.
6. "1949 NASCAR Strictly Stock Recap". HowStuffWorks. Retrieved October 24, 2013.
7. Higgins, Tom (June 7, 2013). "Higgin's Scuffs: Controversial Finish? So What Else Is New?". The News & Observer. Raleigh, North Carolina: The McClatchy Company. Retrieved October 24, 2013.
8. Pearce, Al (March 15, 2003). "No. 9: The first race". The Daily Press. Tribune Publishing. Retrieved October 24, 2013.
9. "The 10: Cheating Controversies". Foxsports.com. Fox Sports Digital Media. July 17, 2013. Archived from the original on October 27, 2013. Retrieved October 24, 2013.