1956 International Stock Car Road Race: Difference between revisions
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{{short description|Auto race held at Road America in 1956}} |
{{short description|Auto race held at Road America in 1956}} |
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{{NASCAR race season infobox |
{{NASCAR race season infobox |
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| Type = |
| Type = CUST |
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| Description = Race |
| Description = Race 37 of 56 in the [[1956 NASCAR Grand National Series]] season |
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| Race Name = International Stock Car Road Race |
| Race Name = International Stock Car Road Race |
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| Details ref = |
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| Details ref = <ref name="race weather">{{cite web | url = http://www.almanac.com/weather/history/VA/Martinsville/1956-05-20| title = 1956 Virginia 500 information | publisher = The Old Farmers' Almanac | date = | accessdate = 2011-08-26}}</ref> |
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| Fulldate = {{Start date|1956|08|12}} |
| Fulldate = {{Start date|1956|08|12}} |
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| Year = |
| Year = |
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| Line 15: | Line 15: | ||
| Weather = |
| Weather = |
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| Official name = [[Kwik Trip 250|International Stock Car Road Race]] |
| Official name = [[Kwik Trip 250|International Stock Car Road Race]] |
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| Location = [[Road America]], [[Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin]] |
| Location = [[Road America]], near [[Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin]] |
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| Course_mi = 4.1 |
| Course_mi = 4.1 |
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| Course_km = |
| Course_km = |
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| Line 23: | Line 23: | ||
| Avg = {{convert|73.858|mi/h}} |
| Avg = {{convert|73.858|mi/h}} |
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| Attendance = 10,000 |
| Attendance = 10,000 |
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| Pole_Driver = |
| Pole_Driver = [[Buck Baker]] (competed at pole)<br>[[Frank Mundy]] (qualified pole) |
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| Pole_Team = |
| Pole_Team = [[Carl Kiekhaefer]]<br>[[Carl Kiekhaefer]] |
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| Pole_Time = 9:27.25 |
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| Most_Driver = [[Marvin Panch]] |
| Most_Driver = [[Marvin Panch]] |
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| Most_Team = [[Tom Harbison]] |
| Most_Team = [[Tom Harbison]] |
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| Most_laps = 23 |
| Most_laps = 23 |
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| Car = |
| Car = |
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}} |
}} |
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The '''International Stock Car Road Race''' was the 37th race of the [[1956 NASCAR Grand National Series]]. It took place at [[Road America]] |
The '''International Stock Car Road Race''' was the 37th race of the [[1956 NASCAR Grand National Series]]. It took place at [[Road America]] near [[Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin]] on August 12, 1956.<ref name="race37"/> It was won by [[Tim Flock]]. |
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The race attracted particular interest, as [[road course]] racing was unusual for American [[stock car |
The race attracted particular interest, as [[road course]] racing was unusual for American [[stock car racing]] at the time. Ahead of the race, it was unclear how American stock cars would perform on the newly-built race track, which was regarded to be particularly challenging. The race is considered to be the first occasion in which NASCAR ran a race during rain. |
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==Background== |
==Background== |
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While the race was officially sanctioned by [[NASCAR]], the [[Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile]] (FIA) provided support for the event and foreign cars were allowed entry.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/67996558/|title=Driver Showdown Expected At Road America Next Week|newspaper=[[The Sheboygan Press]]|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|date=August 3, 1956|access-date=January 18, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/67996622/|title=Stock Cars Test Road America Course First Time Aug. 12|newspaper=[[Green Bay Press-Gazette]]|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|date=July 28, 1956|access-date=January 18, 2021}}</ref> Ultimately, the race featured 25 American vehicles as well as a [[Jaguar Mark VII]]. [[Hubert Schroeder]], secretary of the FIG's sporting arm, served as overseer of the race. The prospect of a NASCAR road race on the challenging new road course attracted particular interest, and due to this, it was attended by several racing executives: NASCAR's [[Bill France Sr.]], the [[United States Auto Club]]'s [[Duane Carter]], and the [[Sports Car Club of America]]'s [[Jim Kimberly]]. At the time, all three organizations were aspiring to |
While the race was officially sanctioned by [[NASCAR]], the [[Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile]] (FIA) provided support for the event and foreign cars were allowed entry.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/67996558/|title=Driver Showdown Expected At Road America Next Week|newspaper=[[The Sheboygan Press]]|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|date=August 3, 1956|access-date=January 18, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/67996622/|title=Stock Cars Test Road America Course First Time Aug. 12|newspaper=[[Green Bay Press-Gazette]]|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|date=July 28, 1956|access-date=January 18, 2021}}</ref> Ultimately, the race featured 25 American vehicles as well as a [[Jaguar Mark VII]]. [[Hubert Schroeder]], secretary of the FIG's sporting arm, served as overseer of the race. The prospect of a NASCAR road race on the challenging new road course attracted particular interest, and due to this, it was attended by several racing executives: NASCAR's [[Bill France Sr.]], the [[United States Auto Club]]'s [[Duane Carter]], and the [[Sports Car Club of America]]'s [[Jim Kimberly]]. At the time, all three organizations were aspiring to replace the [[AAA Contest Board]] as the new main United States race-sanctioning body, as the [[American Automobile Association]] had withdrawn from involvement in automobile racing the previous year.<ref name="SI1">{{cite web |title=They Laughed When NASCAR's Stock Cars Took to the Road at Elkhart Lake, but Tim Flock Gave the Show a Detroit Surprise |url=https://vault.si.com/vault/1956/08/20/they-laughed-when-nascars-stock-cars-took-to-the-road-at-elkhart-lake-but-tim-flock-gave-the-show-a-detroit-surprise |website=Sports Illustrated |access-date=26 November 2023 |language=en-us |date=August 20, 1956}}</ref> |
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Road America had opened the previous year. This was the first premier series race |
Road America had opened the previous year. This was the first premier series race held at Road America.<ref name="NASCARRoadAmerica1">{{cite web |last1=Albert |first1=Zach |title=NASCAR Racing at Road America: 1956 |url=https://www.nascar.com/gallery/nascar-racing-at-road-america-1956/ |website=NASCAR.com |access-date=26 November 2023 |date=June 30, 1921}}</ref> Road America was considered the nation's finest road course at the time, and was regarded as a challenging course, with tight corners and challenging grade changes. [[Road course racing]] was uncommon at the time in American stock car racing.<ref name="SI1"/> The event was promoted as being "America's First International Stock Car Road Race".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/67996668/|title=America's First International Stock Car Road Race|newspaper=[[The Sheboygan Press]]|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|date=August 9, 1956|access-date=January 18, 2021}}</ref> There was much advanced interest and speculation among how American cars would perform in maneuvering the challenging course.<ref name="SI1"/> Those seeking to prognosticate how the race would go on challenged by lack of recent precedent of similar races in the United States, with [[Time (magazine)|''Time'' magazine]] writing, "{{Quote|<nowiki>[The race]</nowiki> was extraordinary because it was held on a road course, a thing so rare in recent American stock car racing that some oldtimers were casting back to the [[Elgin, Illinois|Elgin, Ill.]] races of more than two decades ago for a suitable precedent.<ref name="SI1"/>}} |
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==Race overview== |
==Race overview== |
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During qualifications, [[Frank Mundy]] had the fastest time, having completed three laps of the course in 9 minutes and 27.25 seconds. During the race, [[Buck Baker]] drove the car that Mundy had driven for qualifications,<ref name="SpeedSport1"/> and therefore began the race in [[pole position]].<ref name="race37"/> |
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| ⚫ | |||
NASCAR made the unusual decision to limit cars to only ten gallons of fuel at the start of the race.<ref name="Greensboro1">{{cite web |title=NASCAR celebrates July 4th weekend at Road America |url=https://greensboro.com/community/rockingham_now/sports/nascar-celebrates-july-4th-weekend-at-road-america/article_1531699c-f890-11ec-bb44-df49ba65b4e0.html |website=Greensboro News and Record |access-date=26 November 2023 |language=en |date=30 June 2022}}</ref> An estimated crowd of 10,000 spectators attended, despite poor weather.<ref name="Greensboro1"/> |
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| ⚫ | Flock was racing for [[Bill Stroppe]] in a 1956 Mercury.<ref name="race37"/> |
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The race is considered to be the first occasion in which NASCAR ran a race in the rain.<ref name="Reed1">{{cite web |last1=Reed |first1=Brandon |title=Tim Flock Won Rainy Day Race In 1956 |url=https://georgiaracinghistory.com/2009/08/14/tim-flock-won-rainy-day-race-in-1956/#:~:text=It%20was%20run%20on%20August,the%20NASCAR%20Public%20Relations%20juggernaut. |website=Georgia Racing History.com |access-date=29 November 2023}}</ref> The rainy weather before and during the race impacted it.<ref name="Kallmann"/><ref>{{cite web |title=NASCAR Back At Road America For First Time Since 1956 - CBS Detroit |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/detroit/news/nascar-back-at-road-america-for-first-time-since-1956/ |website=CBS News |agency=The Associated Press |access-date=26 November 2023 |date=1 July 2021}}</ref> Shortly before the planned start time for the race, the rain began with a heavy [[lightning storm]] that delayed the start by approximately 40 minutes. After this storm ended, the race began.<ref name="SpeedSport1"/> The rain left as much as two-inches of water over portions of the track.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Jensen |first1=Dave |title=NASCAR at Road America: Photos from the 1956 race |url=https://www.sheboyganpress.com/picture-gallery/sports/motor/2021/07/01/sheboygan-history-nascar-road-america-photos-1956-race/7804684002/ |website=The Sheboygan Press |access-date=26 November 2023 |date=June 30, 2021}}</ref> After the race, many notable observers praised the racers' handling of their vehicles considering the slick track conditions.<ref name="SpeedSport1"/> |
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The race saw drivers take frequent [[pit stops]], mostly for gas, but also for tire changes. While, before the race, there had been concerns about how the stock cars' brakes would perform on the challenging course, there were few brake problems. However, several drivers suffered engine problems.<ref name="SpeedSport1"/> |
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| ⚫ | Pole driver Buck Baker led the race from lap one though lap five. [[Tim Flock]] then led the race between laps 6 and 12. [[Marvin Panch]] then led the race from lap 6 through lap twelve.<ref name="race37"/> As the race rounded the 100 mile mark, Panch remained in the lead with [[Speedy Thompson]], Mundy, Flock, and Baker respectively following him.<ref name="SpeedSport1"/> In the 37th lap, Speedy Thompson overtook Panch, and Panch soon after suffered a rear-end assembly failure which forced him to withdraw from the race.<ref name="Fjeld1"/> Thompson then led the race beginning in the 36th lap.<ref name="race37"/><ref name="NASCARRoadAmerica1"/> As the race reached its 200th mile, Thompson remained in the lead, with Flock, [[Billy Myers]], [[Fireball Roberts]], [[Paul Goldsmith]], and [[Joe Eubanks]] respectively following him.<ref name="SpeedSport1"/> After remaining in the lead through 53rd lap, Thompson suffered engine failure and retired from the race. Tim Flock then led from the 54th lap onwards, winning the race.<ref name="race37"/><ref name="NASCARRoadAmerica1"/> |
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| ⚫ | Flock was racing for [[Bill Stroppe]] in a 1956 Mercury.<ref name="race37"/> Flock averaged {{convert|71.48|mph|km/h}} in his 3 hours, 29 minutes, and 50 seconds of race time.<ref name="SpeedSport1">{{cite web |title=Looking Back: NASCAR's First Trip to Road America |url=https://www.speedsport.com/other-series/racing-history/looking-back-nascars-first-trip-to-road-america/ |website=Speed Sport |access-date=26 November 2023 |date=July 1, 2021}}</ref> The race would be the last of Flock's 39 career wins in the premier division of NASCAR (Grand National Series/NASCAR Cup Series).<ref name="NASCARRoadAmerica1"/> Flock's victory was a 17 second photo finish over fellow Stroppe racer Billy Myers. Fireball Roberts (racing for Pete DePaolo), Paul Goldsmith (racing for [[Smokey Yunick]]), and Joe Eubanks (racing for [[James Satcher]]) respectively placed third, fourth, and fifth.<ref name="race37"/> |
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Among the 26 drivers that competed at Road America were five racing for [[Pete DePaolo]], three racing for Bill Stroppe, and three racing for [[Pete Kiekhaefer]].<ref name="Fjeld1">{{cite web |last1=Fjeld |first1=Jonathan |title=Road America 1956: The story of the track's first NASCAR Cup Series race |url=https://theracingexperts.com/road-america-1956-the-story-of-the-tracks-first-nascar-cup-series-race/ |website=The Racing Experts |access-date=26 November 2023 |date=2 July 2021}}</ref> |
Among the 26 drivers that competed at Road America were five racing for [[Pete DePaolo]], three racing for Bill Stroppe, and three racing for [[Pete Kiekhaefer]].<ref name="Fjeld1">{{cite web |last1=Fjeld |first1=Jonathan |title=Road America 1956: The story of the track's first NASCAR Cup Series race |url=https://theracingexperts.com/road-america-1956-the-story-of-the-tracks-first-nascar-cup-series-race/ |website=The Racing Experts |access-date=26 November 2023 |date=2 July 2021}}</ref> |
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The season-dominant Kiekhaefer team did not see much success in the race. [[Buck Baker]] started the race at first and Speedy Thompson started at fifth.<ref name="Fjeld1"/> While Baker led the first five laps, he ultimately finished eighth and suffering engine problems and dropping out in the 61st lap.<ref name="race37"/> While Thompson led between laps 36 and 53, he suffered engine failure in the 53rd lap and retired from the race, ultimately finishing eighteenth.<ref name="race37"/><ref name="NASCARRoadAmerica1"/> The third Kiekhaefer driver, |
The season-dominant Kiekhaefer team did not see much success in the race. [[Buck Baker]] started the race at first and Speedy Thompson started at fifth.<ref name="Fjeld1"/> While Baker led the first five laps, he ultimately finished eighth and suffering engine problems and dropping out in the 61st lap.<ref name="race37"/> While Thompson led between laps 36 and 53, he suffered engine failure in the 53rd lap and retired from the race, ultimately finishing eighteenth.<ref name="race37"/><ref name="NASCARRoadAmerica1"/> The third Kiekhaefer driver, Frank Mundy, finished fourteenth.<ref name="race37"/> Race winner Tim Flock had started the 1956 season as a Kiekhaefer racer, but had left Keikhaefer's team due to disagreement with Keikhaefer's strict management style.<ref name="Reed1"/> |
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While the DePaolo team's Fireball Roberts finished third, the rest of the team fared less fortunately.<ref name="race37"/> DePaolo drivers [[Junior Johnson]] and [[Bill Amick]] started the race at third and fourth. However, they quickly faced trouble. Johnson placed last, dropping out of the race in the first lap due to issues with his car's [[clutch]]. Amick also suffered clutch problems and dropped out of the race in the tenth lap, placing second-to last.<ref name="Fjeld1"/><ref name="race37"/> The DePaolo team also saw [[Curtis Turner]] crash out of the race in the 21st lap after suffering brake failure on the final corner, and ultimately placing third-to-last.<ref name="Fjeld1"/><ref name="race37"/> DePaulo driver [[Ralph Moody]] fared the second-best among DePaolo racers, placing sixteenth, |
While the DePaolo team's Fireball Roberts finished third, the rest of the team fared less fortunately.<ref name="race37"/> DePaolo drivers [[Junior Johnson]] and [[Bill Amick]] started the race at third and fourth. However, they quickly faced trouble. Johnson placed last, dropping out of the race in the first lap due to issues with his car's [[clutch]]. Amick also suffered clutch problems and dropped out of the race in the tenth lap, placing second-to last.<ref name="Fjeld1"/><ref name="race37"/> The DePaolo team also saw [[Curtis Turner]] crash out of the race in the 21st lap after suffering brake failure on the final corner, and ultimately placing third-to-last.<ref name="Fjeld1"/><ref name="race37"/> DePaulo driver [[Ralph Moody]] fared the second-best among DePaolo racers, placing sixteenth, suffering rear-end damage and dropping out of the race in the 56th lap.<ref name="race37"/> |
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The Stroppe team saw two of its racers, Tim Flock and Billy Myers, respectively finish first and second. Its third racer, [[Bobby Myers (racing driver)|Bobby Myers]], suffered a crash and placed 21st.<ref name="race37"/> |
The Stroppe team saw two of its racers, Tim Flock and Billy Myers, respectively finish first and second. Its third racer, [[Bobby Myers (racing driver)|Bobby Myers]], suffered a crash and placed 21st.<ref name="race37"/> |
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While the race was considered a success,<ref name="SI1"/> NASCAR |
While the race was considered a success,<ref name="SI1"/> NASCAR would not again race at Road America until 2010, when the [[NASCAR Xfinity Series]] began racing there.<ref name="Fjeld1"/> NASCAR's premier division did not return to Road America until the [[2021 NASCAR Cup Series|2021 season]].<ref name="Kallmann">{{cite web |last1=Kallmann |first1=Dave |title=This 90-year-old Hall of Famer competed in Road America's first NASCAR race in 1956 and remembers it fondly |url=https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/motor/2020/10/02/rex-white-90-remembers-first-nascar-race-road-america-1956/5883109002/ |website=Milwaukee Journal Sentinel |access-date=26 November 2023 |date=October 6, 2020}}</ref> |
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==General stats== |
==General stats== |
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! 1 |
! 1 |
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| 6 || 15 || {{Sortname|Tim|Flock}} || [[Mercury (automobile)|Mercury]] || {{Sortname|Bill|Stroppe}} || 1956 Mercury || 63 || $ |
| 6 || 15 || {{Sortname|Tim|Flock}} || [[Mercury (automobile)|Mercury]] || {{Sortname|Bill|Stroppe}} || 1956 Mercury || 63 || $2,950 || 17 || |
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! 2 |
! 2 |
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! 10 |
! 10 |
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| 16 || 131 || {{sortname|Johnny|Dodson|Johnny Dodson (racing driver)}} || || {{sortname|Johnny|Dodson}} || 1956 Chevrolet || 60 || $300 || 0 || |
| 16 || 131 || {{sortname|Johnny|Dodson|Johnny Dodson (racing driver)}} || || {{sortname|Johnny|Dodson|Johnny Dodson (racing driver)}} || 1956 Chevrolet || 60 || $300 || 0 || |
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! 11 |
! 11 |
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! 17 |
! 17 |
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| 18 || 264 || {{sortname|Johnny|Allen}} || || {{Sortname|Spook|Crawford}} || 1956 Plymouth || 54 || $150 || 0 || Withdrew due to clutch issue |
| 18 || 264 || {{sortname|Johnny|Allen|Johnny Allen (racing driver)}} || || {{Sortname|Spook|Crawford}} || 1956 Plymouth || 54 || $150 || 0 || Withdrew due to clutch issue |
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! 18 |
! 18 |
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! 21 |
! 21 |
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| 14 || 4 || {{sortname|Bobby|Myers}} || Wilson || {{sortname|Bill|Stroppe}} || 1956 Mercury || 39 || $100 || 0 || Withdrew due to crash |
| 14 || 4 || {{sortname|Bobby|Myers|Bobby Myers (racing driver)}} || Wilson || {{sortname|Bill|Stroppe}} || 1956 Mercury || 39 || $100 || 0 || Withdrew due to crash |
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! 22 |
! 22 |
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! 24 |
! 24 |
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| 22 || 26 || {{Sortname|Curtis|Turner}} || || {{sortname|Pete|DePaolo}} || 1956 Ford || 21 || 100 || 0 || Withdrew due to crash |
| 22 || 26 || {{Sortname|Curtis|Turner}} || || {{sortname|Pete|DePaolo}} || 1956 Ford || 21 || $100 || 0 || Withdrew due to crash |
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|- |
|- |
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! 25 |
! 25 |
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| 4 || 97 || {{sortname|Bill|Amick}} || || {{sortname|Pete|DePaolo}} || 1956 Ford || 10 || 100 || 0 || Withdrew due to clutch issue |
| 4 || 97 || {{sortname|Bill|Amick}} || || {{sortname|Pete|DePaolo}} || 1956 Ford || 10 || $100 || 0 || Withdrew due to clutch issue |
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|- |
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! 26 |
! 26 |
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| 3 || 296 || {{sortname|Junior|Johnson}} || || {{Sortname|Pete|DePaolo}} || 1956 Ford || 1 || 100 || 0 || Withdrew due to clutch issue |
| 3 || 296 || {{sortname|Junior|Johnson}} || || {{Sortname|Pete|DePaolo}} || 1956 Ford || 1 || $100 || 0 || Withdrew due to clutch issue |
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{{reflist}} |
{{reflist}} |
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{{s-start}} |
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{{succession box | |
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before = untitled race at [[Oklahoma State Fairgrounds]] | |
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after = untitled race at [[Old Bridge Stadium]]| |
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title = NASCAR Grand National Series season| |
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years = [[1956 NASCAR Grand National Series|1956]] | |
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}} |
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{{s-end}} |
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{{s-start}} |
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{{succession box | |
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before = ''Inaugural race'' | |
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after = [[2021 Jockey Made in America 250|2021]] | |
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title = International Stock Car Road Race<br>([[Kwik Trip 250]])| |
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years = 1956 | |
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}} |
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{{s-end}} |
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{{1956 NASCAR Grand National |state=collapsed}} |
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[[Category:NASCAR races at Road America]] |
[[Category:NASCAR races at Road America|International Stock]] |
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[[Category:1956 in sports in Wisconsin]] |
[[Category:1956 in sports in Wisconsin|International Stock]] |
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[[Category:August 1956 sports events in the United States]] |
[[Category:August 1956 sports events in the United States|International Stock]] |
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[[Category:1956 NASCAR Grand National Series|International Stock]] |
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Latest revision as of 15:07, 3 September 2024
| Race details | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 37 of 56 in the 1956 NASCAR Grand National Series season | |||
 Cover of the program for the race | |||
| Date | August 12, 1956 | ||
| Official name | International Stock Car Road Race | ||
| Location | Road America, near Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin | ||
| Course |
Permanent racing facility 4.1 mi ( km) | ||
| Distance | 63 laps, 258.3 mi ( km) | ||
| Average speed | 73.858 miles per hour (118.863 km/h) | ||
| Attendance | 10,000 | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver |
|
Carl Kiekhaefer Carl Kiekhaefer | |
| Time | 9:27.25 | ||
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Marvin Panch | Tom Harbison | |
| Laps | 23 | ||
| Winner | |||
| Tim Flock | Bill Stroppe | ||
The International Stock Car Road Race was the 37th race of the 1956 NASCAR Grand National Series. It took place at Road America near Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin on August 12, 1956.[1] It was won by Tim Flock.
The race attracted particular interest, as road course racing was unusual for American stock car racing at the time. Ahead of the race, it was unclear how American stock cars would perform on the newly-built race track, which was regarded to be particularly challenging. The race is considered to be the first occasion in which NASCAR ran a race during rain.
Background
[edit]While the race was officially sanctioned by NASCAR, the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) provided support for the event and foreign cars were allowed entry.[2][3] Ultimately, the race featured 25 American vehicles as well as a Jaguar Mark VII. Hubert Schroeder, secretary of the FIG's sporting arm, served as overseer of the race. The prospect of a NASCAR road race on the challenging new road course attracted particular interest, and due to this, it was attended by several racing executives: NASCAR's Bill France Sr., the United States Auto Club's Duane Carter, and the Sports Car Club of America's Jim Kimberly. At the time, all three organizations were aspiring to replace the AAA Contest Board as the new main United States race-sanctioning body, as the American Automobile Association had withdrawn from involvement in automobile racing the previous year.[4]
Road America had opened the previous year. This was the first premier series race held at Road America.[5] Road America was considered the nation's finest road course at the time, and was regarded as a challenging course, with tight corners and challenging grade changes. Road course racing was uncommon at the time in American stock car racing.[4] The event was promoted as being "America's First International Stock Car Road Race".[6] There was much advanced interest and speculation among how American cars would perform in maneuvering the challenging course.[4] Those seeking to prognosticate how the race would go on challenged by lack of recent precedent of similar races in the United States, with Time magazine writing, "
[The race] was extraordinary because it was held on a road course, a thing so rare in recent American stock car racing that some oldtimers were casting back to the Elgin, Ill. races of more than two decades ago for a suitable precedent.[4]
Race overview
[edit]During qualifications, Frank Mundy had the fastest time, having completed three laps of the course in 9 minutes and 27.25 seconds. During the race, Buck Baker drove the car that Mundy had driven for qualifications,[7] and therefore began the race in pole position.[1]
NASCAR made the unusual decision to limit cars to only ten gallons of fuel at the start of the race.[8] An estimated crowd of 10,000 spectators attended, despite poor weather.[8]
The race is considered to be the first occasion in which NASCAR ran a race in the rain.[9] The rainy weather before and during the race impacted it.[10][11] Shortly before the planned start time for the race, the rain began with a heavy lightning storm that delayed the start by approximately 40 minutes. After this storm ended, the race began.[7] The rain left as much as two-inches of water over portions of the track.[12] After the race, many notable observers praised the racers' handling of their vehicles considering the slick track conditions.[7]
The race saw drivers take frequent pit stops, mostly for gas, but also for tire changes. While, before the race, there had been concerns about how the stock cars' brakes would perform on the challenging course, there were few brake problems. However, several drivers suffered engine problems.[7]
Pole driver Buck Baker led the race from lap one though lap five. Tim Flock then led the race between laps 6 and 12. Marvin Panch then led the race from lap 6 through lap twelve.[1] As the race rounded the 100 mile mark, Panch remained in the lead with Speedy Thompson, Mundy, Flock, and Baker respectively following him.[7] In the 37th lap, Speedy Thompson overtook Panch, and Panch soon after suffered a rear-end assembly failure which forced him to withdraw from the race.[13] Thompson then led the race beginning in the 36th lap.[1][5] As the race reached its 200th mile, Thompson remained in the lead, with Flock, Billy Myers, Fireball Roberts, Paul Goldsmith, and Joe Eubanks respectively following him.[7] After remaining in the lead through 53rd lap, Thompson suffered engine failure and retired from the race. Tim Flock then led from the 54th lap onwards, winning the race.[1][5]
Flock was racing for Bill Stroppe in a 1956 Mercury.[1] Flock averaged 71.48 miles per hour (115.04 km/h) in his 3 hours, 29 minutes, and 50 seconds of race time.[7] The race would be the last of Flock's 39 career wins in the premier division of NASCAR (Grand National Series/NASCAR Cup Series).[5] Flock's victory was a 17 second photo finish over fellow Stroppe racer Billy Myers. Fireball Roberts (racing for Pete DePaolo), Paul Goldsmith (racing for Smokey Yunick), and Joe Eubanks (racing for James Satcher) respectively placed third, fourth, and fifth.[1]
Among the 26 drivers that competed at Road America were five racing for Pete DePaolo, three racing for Bill Stroppe, and three racing for Pete Kiekhaefer.[13]
The season-dominant Kiekhaefer team did not see much success in the race. Buck Baker started the race at first and Speedy Thompson started at fifth.[13] While Baker led the first five laps, he ultimately finished eighth and suffering engine problems and dropping out in the 61st lap.[1] While Thompson led between laps 36 and 53, he suffered engine failure in the 53rd lap and retired from the race, ultimately finishing eighteenth.[1][5] The third Kiekhaefer driver, Frank Mundy, finished fourteenth.[1] Race winner Tim Flock had started the 1956 season as a Kiekhaefer racer, but had left Keikhaefer's team due to disagreement with Keikhaefer's strict management style.[9]
While the DePaolo team's Fireball Roberts finished third, the rest of the team fared less fortunately.[1] DePaolo drivers Junior Johnson and Bill Amick started the race at third and fourth. However, they quickly faced trouble. Johnson placed last, dropping out of the race in the first lap due to issues with his car's clutch. Amick also suffered clutch problems and dropped out of the race in the tenth lap, placing second-to last.[13][1] The DePaolo team also saw Curtis Turner crash out of the race in the 21st lap after suffering brake failure on the final corner, and ultimately placing third-to-last.[13][1] DePaulo driver Ralph Moody fared the second-best among DePaolo racers, placing sixteenth, suffering rear-end damage and dropping out of the race in the 56th lap.[1]
The Stroppe team saw two of its racers, Tim Flock and Billy Myers, respectively finish first and second. Its third racer, Bobby Myers, suffered a crash and placed 21st.[1]
While the race was considered a success,[4] NASCAR would not again race at Road America until 2010, when the NASCAR Xfinity Series began racing there.[13] NASCAR's premier division did not return to Road America until the 2021 season.[10]
General stats
[edit]| Winning driver: | Tim Flock |
|---|---|
| Winning team: | Stroppe |
| Winning car make: | 1956 Mercury |
| Track description: | 4.1-mile (6.6 km) road course |
| Laps: | 63 |
| Length: | 258.3 miles (415.7 km) |
| Competitors: | 26 drivers |
| Attendance: | 10,000 |
| Duration: | 3:29:50 |
| Avg. speed: | 73.858 mph (118.863 km/h) |
| Cautions: | 0 |
| Lead changes: | 4 |
| Margin-of-victory: | 17 seconds |
Results
[edit]| Results of race[1] | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Start | Car # | Driver | Sponsor | Owner/team | Car model |
Laps completed |
Money won |
Laps led | Notes |
| 1 | 6 | 15 | Tim Flock | Mercury | Bill Stroppe | 1956 Mercury | 63 | $2,950 | 17 | |
| 2 | 11 | 14 | Billy Myers | Bill Stroppe | 1956 Mercury | 63 | $2,900 | 0 | ||
| 3 | 17 | 22 | Fireball Roberts | Pete DePaolo | 1956 Ford | 63 | $1,275 | 0 | ||
| 4 | 8 | 3 | Paul Goldsmith | Smokey Yunick | 1956 Chevrolet | 63 | $900 | 0 | ||
| 5 | 9 | 56 | Joe Eubanks | Satcher Motors | James Satcher | 1956 Ford | 63 | $675 | 0 | |
| 6 | 20 | 92 | Herb Thomas | Herb Thomas | 1956 Chevrolet | 62 | $500 | 0 | ||
| 7 | 24 | 75 | Jim Paschal | C U Later Alligator | Frank Hayworth | 1956 Mercury | 62 | $475 | 0 | |
| 8 | 1 | 502 | Buck Baker | Carl Kiekhaefer | 1956 Dodge | 61 | $475 | 5 | Withdrew due to engine problems | |
| 9 | 15 | 21 | Fred Johnson | 1956 Chevrolet | 60 | $325 | 0 | |||
| 10 | 16 | 131 | Johnny Dodson | Johnny Dodson | 1956 Chevrolet | 60 | $300 | 0 | ||
| 11 | 25 | X | Rex White | Max Welborn | 1956 Chevrolet | 60 | $275 | 0 | ||
| 12 | 19 | 2 | Gwyn Staley | Hubert Westmoreland | 1956 Chevrolet | 60 | $200 | 0 | ||
| 13 | 10 | 42 | Lee Petty | Petty Enterprises | 1956 Dodge | 59 | $200 | 0 | ||
| 14 | 23 | 300 | Frank Mundy | Carl Kiekhaefer | 1956 Chrysler | 58 | $200 | 0 | ||
| 15 | 21 | 36 | Jack Goodwin | Jack Goodwin | 1956 Dodge | 58 | $200 | 0 | Withdrew due to engine problems | |
| 16 | 7 | 12 | Ralph Moody | Pete DePaolo | 1956 Ford | 56 | $100 | 0 | Withdrew due to rear end damage | |
| 17 | 18 | 264 | Johnny Allen | Spook Crawford | 1956 Plymouth | 54 | $150 | 0 | Withdrew due to clutch issue | |
| 18 | 5 | 500 | Speedy Thompson | Carl Kiekhaefer | 1956 Dodge | 53 | $100 | 18 | Withdrew due to engine problems | |
| 19 | 26 | 5 | Ansel Rakestraw | Jaguar | 48 | $100 | 0 | |||
| 20 | 23 | 9 | Joe Weatherly | Schwam Motors | Charlie Schwam | 1956 Ford | 44 | $100 | 0 | Withdrew due to rear end damage |
| 21 | 14 | 4 | Bobby Myers | Wilson | Bill Stroppe | 1956 Mercury | 39 | $100 | 0 | Withdrew due to crash |
| 22 | 2 | 98 | Marvin Panch | Tom Harbison | 1956 Ford | 37 | $150 | 23 | withdrew due to rear end damage | |
| 23 | 12 | 7 | Jim Reed | Jim Reed | 1956 Chevrolet | 25 | $100 | 0 | Withdrew due to fuel pump issue | |
| 24 | 22 | 26 | Curtis Turner | Pete DePaolo | 1956 Ford | 21 | $100 | 0 | Withdrew due to crash | |
| 25 | 4 | 97 | Bill Amick | Pete DePaolo | 1956 Ford | 10 | $100 | 0 | Withdrew due to clutch issue | |
| 26 | 3 | 296 | Junior Johnson | Pete DePaolo | 1956 Ford | 1 | $100 | 0 | Withdrew due to clutch issue | |
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q "1956-37". www.racing-reference.info. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
- ^ "Driver Showdown Expected At Road America Next Week". The Sheboygan Press. August 3, 1956. Retrieved January 18, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Stock Cars Test Road America Course First Time Aug. 12". Green Bay Press-Gazette. July 28, 1956. Retrieved January 18, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c d e "They Laughed When NASCAR's Stock Cars Took to the Road at Elkhart Lake, but Tim Flock Gave the Show a Detroit Surprise". Sports Illustrated. August 20, 1956. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
- ^ a b c d e Albert, Zach (June 30, 1921). "NASCAR Racing at Road America: 1956". NASCAR.com. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
- ^ "America's First International Stock Car Road Race". The Sheboygan Press. August 9, 1956. Retrieved January 18, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Looking Back: NASCAR's First Trip to Road America". Speed Sport. July 1, 2021. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
- ^ a b "NASCAR celebrates July 4th weekend at Road America". Greensboro News and Record. 30 June 2022. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
- ^ a b Reed, Brandon. "Tim Flock Won Rainy Day Race In 1956". Georgia Racing History.com. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
- ^ a b Kallmann, Dave (October 6, 2020). "This 90-year-old Hall of Famer competed in Road America's first NASCAR race in 1956 and remembers it fondly". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
- ^ "NASCAR Back At Road America For First Time Since 1956 - CBS Detroit". CBS News. The Associated Press. 1 July 2021. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
- ^ Jensen, Dave (June 30, 2021). "NASCAR at Road America: Photos from the 1956 race". The Sheboygan Press. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f Fjeld, Jonathan (2 July 2021). "Road America 1956: The story of the track's first NASCAR Cup Series race". The Racing Experts. Retrieved 26 November 2023.