1950 in NASCAR

The 1950 NASCAR Grand National season was the second season of professional stock car racing in the United States. Beginning at the Daytona Beach Road Course on February 5, 1950, the season included 19 races. The season concluded at Occoneechee Speedway on October 29. Julian Buesink won the Owners' Championship, while Bill Rexford won the Drivers' Championship with a 26th finish at the final race of the season.

1950-01
The first race of the 1950 season was run on February 5 at the Daytona Beach road course in Daytona Beach, Florida. Joe Littlejohn won the pole.Harold Kite of East Point,Ga, a former Army tank driver who began racing on the short tracks after World War II, drove past Red Byron in the 25th lap and went on to score a convincing victory in the 200-mile Grand National lid-lifter of the 1950 season. Kite, competing in his first Grand National event, pushed his Lincoln around the sandy course at a record 89.894 mph and beat runner-up Byron to the finish line by 53 seconds. Third place went to Lloyd Moore, Al Gross was fourth, and J.C.Van Landingham, ending a lengthy retirement, finished fifth. A crowd estimated at 9,500 watched Kite take the lead at the outset from Pole sitter Joe Littlejohn. Kite, a captain in the National Guard, held the top spot until Byron passed him on the 15th lap. The defending NASCAR champ relinquished the lead to Kite in the 24th lap when he made a pit stop. Several laps later Byron was forced to make another pit stop to repair gear shift problems. He finally returned to the fray, running seventh. Kite went uncontested for the second half of the 48-lap affair on the 4.167-mile course, but Byron provided plenty of action as he worked his way up through the pack. He nipped Moore for second place with a final lap pass. Forty-one cars started the event and 21 were still running at the finish despite the fact that conditions on the beach were less than ideal. Bob Flock turned in one of the most spirited efforts on the cloudy, breezy day. He finished seventh despite the fact that the left front wheel wobbled around every turn

Top Ten Results


 * 1) Harold Kite
 * 2) Red Byron
 * 3) Lloyd Moore
 * 4) Al Gross
 * 5) J.C. Van Landingham
 * 6) Tim Flock
 * 7) Bob Flock
 * 8) Otis Martin
 * 9) Buck Baker
 * 10) Fonty Flock

1950-02
The second race of the 1950 season was run on April 2 at Charlotte Speedway in Charlotte, North Carolina. Red Byron won the pole.Tim Flock, wheeling the same Lincoln that carried Harold Kite to victory at Daytona, drove around Red Byron in the 48th lap and stormed to victory in the 150-mile Grand National race at Charlotte Speedway. It was Flock's first win on the NASCAR major league tour. Bob Flock finished second, a half lap behind his younger brother. Clyde Minter wound up third, Byron came in fourth and Bill Snowden was fifth. Byron's fourth place effort, coupled with his runner-up finish at Daytona, enabled him to move to the top of the Grand National point standings, 2.5 points ahead of Tim Flock. A crowd of 13,000 was on hand to watch Bob Flock lead the opening laps in his Oldsmobile. Pole sitter Byron then charged past and led for 42 laps on the three-quarter mile dirt track. Tim surged past Byron in the 48th lap and led the rest of the way. Lash LaRue, Western movie star, greeted Flock in victory lane. "This is my biggest win," said the happy Flock. "To win a Grand National race is a dream come true." June Cleveland was running in the top five when he flipped his Buick in the 85th lap. The roof was pancaked, and Cleveland was transported to a Charlotte hospital with cuts. He was reported not to be seriously injured. His crash occurred in the exact spot where Virginia driver Jesse Elmo "Hank" Stanley was killed a few weeks earlier in a Modified Sportsman race. Curtis Turner, Lee Petty, Buck Baker, Fonty Flock and Bill Blair—all rated as pre-race threats—failed to finish the 200-lap grind.

Top Ten Results


 * 1) Tim Flock
 * 2) Bob Flock
 * 3) Clyde Minter
 * 4) Red Byron
 * 5) Bill Snowden
 * 6) Glenn Dunnaway
 * 7) Jack White
 * 8) Fred Johnson
 * 9) Herb Thomas
 * 10) Huey Dunn

1950-03
The third race of the 1950 season was run on April 16 at Langhorne Speedway in Langhorne, Pennsylvania. Tim Flock won the pole.--  Curtis Turner prevailed in an intense struggle at the Langhorne Speedway and won the 150-miler on the one-mile dirt track. His second career Grand National win came at an average speed of 69.399 mph. The lead changed hands seven times as five drivers waged a furious duel. Tim Flock led the opening two laps from the pole position. Bill Blair pushed his Cadillac past Flock in the third lap and led until Flock assumed command again on lap eight. Flock led for 35 laps while 23 year-old rookie Bill Rexford moved into second. The two toured the circular oval in bumper-to-bumper fashion. Rexford sneaked past Flock in the 43rd lap and paced the action for 18 laps. Rexford's Olds began sputtering, which allowed Turner to take the lead on lap 61. Ray Erickson moved into the spotlight when he gunned his Mercury past Turner in the 84th lap. He was bidding for his first Grand National triumph when a rock pierced his radiator, forcing him behind the wall after 114 laps. Turner took the lead at that point and led the rest of the way. Lloyd Moore, Jimmy Florian, Tim-Flock and Lee Petty rounded out the top five. Flock was running third when a wheel came off his Lincoln and bounced into the path of hardluck Blair, who struck the errant wheel. The steering column in Blair's Caddy snapped, came up through the driver's compartment and hit the driver. The High Point, NC, star spent one night in the hospital.Turner won $1,500 for his efforts as only six cars finished after 28 started. Point leader Red Byron did not enter the race. Tim Flock took over the point lead ijut the strength of his fourth place finish. Turner's John Eanes-owned Oldsmobile was •pipped with Dunlop tires. Dunlop had plenty of space on Turner's car — placing its name on the hood and side doors. Erickson's appearance was his last start of the year. A short time later, he lost an arm in a hot-rod crash. Also following the race, the FBI began investigating some "characters" who were trying to introduce racketeering and gambling into stock car racing.

Top Ten Results


 * 1) Curtis Turner
 * 2) Lloyd Moore
 * 3) Jimmy Florian
 * 4) Tim Flock
 * 5) Lee Petty
 * 6) Frank Mundy
 * 7) Pappy Hough
 * 8) Bob Dickson
 * 9) Dick Linder
 * 10) Pepper Cunningham

1950-04
The fourth race of the 1950 season was run on May 21 at Martinsville Speedway in Martinsville, Virginia. Buck Baker won the pole. Curtis Turner bagged his second straight Grand National win with a decisive triumph at Martinsville Speedway. The Roanoke, VA "Blond Bomber" dashed ahead of Baker in the 11th lap and led the rest of the way in the 150-lap, 75 mile feature at the half-mile oval. Jim Paschal finished second in a four year-old Ford, Lee Petty was third and Glenn Dunnaway came in fourth. Cyde Minter picked up fifth spot. Turner's Oldsmobile-outdistanced the field by two full laps. He up to only 2.5 points behind leader Tim Flock, who fell victim to rear end problems after 97 laps. Buck Baker started on the pole at 54.216 mph in a Ford Police Special. He faded to eighth at the finish. Herb Thomas was running among the leaders in his Ford when a spindle broke in the final laps. He got credit for 14th in the field of 25.

Top Ten Results


 * 1) Curtis Turner
 * 2) Jim Paschal
 * 3) Lee Petty
 * 4) Glenn Dunnaway
 * 5) Clyde Minter
 * 6) Bill Long
 * 7) Donald Thomas
 * 8) Buck Baker
 * 9) Bill Rexford
 * 10) Lloyd Moore

1950-05
The fifth race of the 1950 season was run on May 30 at Canfield Speedway in Canfield, Ohio. Jimmy Florian won the pole. Bill Rexford of Conewango Valley, NY stalked Curtis Turner for over half the race, then took command to win the "Poor Man's 500", a 100-miler at Canfield Speedway. Rexford took the lead in the 121st lap and went on to beat runner-up G1enn Dunnaway by two laps. Lloyd Moore finished third and took the lead in the Grand National point standings by 36.5 points over Tim Flock, who finished ninth. Lee Petty crossed the finish line in fourth place and Bill Blair took fifth. The event was staged on the same day as the Indianapolis 500—hence the title "Poor Man's 500". The promoters did pay some lap money, with $5 going to the leader of each lap from the 101 through the 200. Rexford's earnings came to $1,400 with the lap money. Turner led the first 120 laps before his engine went sour. He departed after 133 laps and wound up 19th. A crowd of 11,000 showed up on Memorial Day and watched Al Gross, former stunt car driver for the Jimmy Lynch Thrill Show, flip his Olds in the ninth lap. Gross suffered a broken back and was taken to the hospital for an extended stay. Frank Canale posted the second fastest qualifying time but overheating problems forced him to the sidelines after 74 laps. Joe Merola was on hand with a new radically designed 1948 Tucker Torpedo, one of the most controversial and advanced automobiles ever to hit the market. The car conked out before Merola was able to complete a lap.

Top Ten Results


 * 1) Bill Rexford
 * 2) Glenn Dunnaway
 * 3) Lloyd Moore
 * 4) Lee Petty
 * 5) Bill Blair
 * 6) Jimmy Florian
 * 7) Dick Burns (driver)
 * 8) Bobby Courtwright
 * 9) Tim Flock
 * 10) Bob Dickson

1950-06
The sixth race of the 1950 season was run on June 18 at Vernon Fairgrounds in Vernon, New York. Chuck Mahoney won the pole. Bill Blair of High Point, NC finally avoided the bad luck gremlin, took the lead in the 25th lap and led the remaining distance to score his first Grand National win at the Vernon Fairgrounds. A crowd of 15,000 showed up for the one year anniversary of NASCAR Grand National stock car racing. Blair's Mercury was comfortably ahead of Lloyd Moore at the finish of the 100-miler. Moore extended his point lead to 216.5 points over Tim Rock, who did not enter. Chuck Mahoney was third at the stripe, while Dick Burns came in fourth and Lee Petty fifth. Mahoney started on the pole and led the first 18 laps.He was in the lead when his Mercury hit a loose wheel rolling on the track, blew a tire and bent an axle. His pit crew did an excellent job of repairing the damage,and even more incredible was his drive back into third place. Bill Rexford finished sixth and moved into the top ten in points. Ann Chester became the fourth female driver to race in the Grand National ranks. Her Plymouth fell victim to early problems and she finished 22nd in the 23 car field.

Top Ten Results


 * 1) Bill Blair
 * 2) Lloyd Moore
 * 3) Chuck Mahoney
 * 4) Dick Burns (driver)
 * 5) Lee Petty
 * 6) Bill Rexford
 * 7) Art Lamey
 * 8) Jimmy Florian
 * 9) Dick Linder
 * 10) Dick Clothier

1950-07
The seventh race of the 1950 season was run on June 25 at Dayton Speedway at Dayton, Ohio. Dick Linder won the pole. Jimmy Florian muscled his Ford past Curtis Turner with 32 laps remaining and won the 100-mile event at Dayton Speedway. It was the first win in Grand National competition for the Ford nameplate. The lead changed hands six times among four different drivers with Florian holding the upper hand on two occasions for a total of 40 laps. Along with ushering in Ford's first win, Florian established another "first" on the muggy, sultry afternoon. He pulled into victory lane and climbed out wearing nothing but his white pants. The 27 year-old Cleveland mechanic said he decided not to wear a shirt due to the hot weather and since there was no NASCAR rule requiring him to do so. "It was awfully hot and I knew I'd be more comfortable without a shirt," said Florian. "I've done it several times before, but not in the Grand Nationals." Dick Linder started on the pole and led on two occasions for 35 laps. He eventually finished second as Buck Barr came in third. Turner wound up fourth and Art Lamey was fifth. Lloyd Moore finished 23rd in the field of 25 and failed to earn any championship points, but he still held a 202.5 point lead over Lee Petty who finished eighth. Florian jumped to third in the standings, 171.5 points out of first place. Frank Mundy drove a Nash Ambassador, but fell out early with mechanical problems. Herschel Buchanan drove another Nash to a sixth place finish.

Top Ten Results


 * 1) Jimmy Florian
 * 2) Dick Linder
 * 3) Buck Barr
 * 4) Curtis Turner
 * 5) Art Lamey
 * 6) Herschel Buchanan
 * 7) Duane Carter
 * 8) Lee Petty
 * 9) Chuck Mahoney
 * 10) Bill Rexford

1950-08
The eighth race of the 1950 season was run on July 2 at Monroe County Fairgrounds in Rochester, New York. Curtis Turner won the pole. Curtis Turner blitzed the field and cruised to an easy win in the 100-mile Grand National event at the Monroe County Fairgrounds. It was his fourth career win. Turner, starting his Olds on the pole, jumped out to an early lead and led the entire 200 laps on the half-mile dirt track. He wound up three laps in front of runner-up Bill Blair, who nosed out Lee Petty in a stretch duel. Jimmy Florian was fourth and Bill Rexford fifth.Turner averaged 50.614 mph as three caution flags broke the action for seven total laps. Following the race, Turner and Petty engaged in some "extra curricular activity". Each was fined $100 by NASCAR for fighting at the inspection station. Dick Burns was badly shaken when his Mercury left the track and struck a light pole in the 133rd lap. The event was the first Grand National race in which a father-son duo competed together. Roscoe "Pappy" Hough and his son Lee finished 18th and 25th.Turner's victory pushed him atop the point standings by a mere two points over Lloyd Moore. Petty stood third in points, just 24.5 points out of first place, but he was stripped of all 809 points when NASCAR officials discovered he competed in a non-sanctioned race a week later at Concord, NC.

Top Ten Results


 * 1) Curtis Turner
 * 2) Bill Blair
 * 3) Lee Petty
 * 4) Jimmy Florian
 * 5) Bill Rexford
 * 6) Dick Clothier
 * 7) Lloyd Moore
 * 8) Lyle Scott
 * 9) Dick Jerrett
 * 10) Dick Linder

1950-09
The ninth race of the 1950 season was run on July 23 at Charlotte Speedway in Charlotte, North Carolina. Curtis Turner won the pole. –   Curtis Turner jumped into the lead in the opening lap and never back as he streaked to victory in the 150-mile Grand National race at Charlotte Speedway. The muscular driver out of Roanoke, VA led from start to finish — the second race in a row that Turner has led every lap. The triumph kept Turner in the Grand National point lead as Lloyd Moore dropped to 21st in the 26 car field. Chuck Mahoney finished in second place, with Herb Thomas, Jimmie Lewallen and Dick Burns rounding out the top five. Bill Blair and Bill Rexford pressured Turner in the early going, but Blair departed with a broken spindle and engine failure put Rexford out of action. Lee Petty and Glenn Dunnaway were running in the top five when both Plymouth drivers lost wheels. They finished llth and 12th respectively in the final rundown. On the same day, Jim Roper, winner of the first Grand National race at Charlotte on June 19, 1949, won a 20 lap Strictly Stock outlaw feature at Pratt, Kansas on a 1.6-mile paved oval, averaging 67.659 mph.

Top Ten Results


 * 1) Curtis Turner
 * 2) Chuck Mahoney
 * 3) Herb Thomas
 * 4) Jimmie Lewallen
 * 5) Dick Burns (driver)
 * 6) George Hartley
 * 7) Donald Thomas
 * 8) Frank Mundy
 * 9) Tim Flock
 * 10) Bill Snowden

1950-10
The tenth race of the 1950 season was run on August 13 at Occoneechee Speedway in Hillsboro, North Carolina. Dick Linder won the pole.

Top Ten Results


 * 1) Fireball Roberts
 * 2) Curtis Turner
 * 3) Dick Linder
 * 4) Bill Rexford
 * 5) Clyde Minter
 * 6) Gene Austin
 * 7) Lee Petty
 * 8) Herb Thomas
 * 9) Chuck Mahoney
 * 10) Johnny Mantz

1950-11
The eleventh race of the 1950 season was run on August 20 at Dayton Speedway in Dayton, Ohio. Curtis Turner won the pole.

Top Ten Results


 * 1) Dick Linder
 * 2) Red Harvey
 * 3) Herb Thomas
 * 4) Lee Petty
 * 5) Art Lamey
 * 6) Paul Parks
 * 7) Jack Kabat
 * 8) Lloyd Moore
 * 9) Joe Nagle
 * 10) Paul Smith

1950-12
The twelfth race of the 1950 season was run on August 27 at Hamburg Speedway in Hamburg, New York. Dick Linder won the pole.

Top Ten Results


 * 1) Dick Linder
 * 2) Fireball Roberts
 * 3) Curtis Turner
 * 4) Lloyd Moore
 * 5) Jack White
 * 6) Bill Rexford
 * 7) Frank Mundy
 * 8) Ted Chamberlain
 * 9) Pappy Hough
 * 10) Bill Blair

Southern 500
The Southern 500 was run on September 4 at Darlington Raceway in Darlington, South Carolina. Curtis Turner won the pole.

Top Ten Results


 * 1) Johnny Mantz
 * 2) Fireball Roberts
 * 3) Red Byron
 * 4) Bill Rexford
 * 5) Chuck Mahoney
 * 6) Lee Petty
 * 7) Cotton Owens
 * 8) Bill Blair
 * 9) Hershel McGriff
 * 10) George Hartley

1950-14
The fourteenth race of the 1950 season was run on September 17 at Langhorne Speedway in Langhorne, Pennsylvania. Wally Campbell won the pole.

Top Ten Results


 * 1) Fonty Flock
 * 2) Bill Blair
 * 3) Fireball Roberts
 * 4) Lee Petty
 * 5) Neil Cole
 * 6) Pepper Cunningham
 * 7) Buck Baker
 * 8) Bill Rexford
 * 9) Johnny Grubb
 * 10) Kenneth Wagner

Wilkes 200
The Wilkes 200 was run on September 24 at North Wilkesboro Speedway in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina. Fireball Roberts won the pole.

Top Ten Results


 * 1) Leon Sales
 * 2) Jack Smith
 * 3) Ewell Weddle
 * 4) Herb Thomas
 * 5) Gayle Warren
 * 6) Weldon Adams
 * 7) Jimmy Thompson
 * 8) Jerry Wimbish
 * 9) Bob Flock
 * 10) Herbert Burns

1950-16
The sixteenth race of the 1950 season was run on October 1 at Vernon Fairgrounds in Vernon, New York. Dick Linder won the pole.

Top Ten Results


 * 1) Dick Linder
 * 2) Ted Swaim
 * 3) Lloyd Moore
 * 4) Tim Flock
 * 5) Jack Reynolds
 * 6) Bill Rexford
 * 7) Lee Petty
 * 8) Jimmy Thompson
 * 9) Chuck Mahoney
 * 10) Dick Jerrett

1950-17
The seventeenth race of the 1950 season was run on October 15 at Martinsville Speedway in Martinsville, Virginia. Fonty Flock won the pole.

Top Ten Results


 * 1) Herb Thomas
 * 2) Lee Petty
 * 3) Buck Baker
 * 4) Fonty Flock
 * 5) Weldon Adams
 * 6) Fireball Roberts
 * 7) Jack Holloway
 * 8) Jimmy Thompson
 * 9) Jim Paschal
 * 10) Ted Chamberlain

1950-18
The eighteenth race of the 1950 season was run on October 15 at Funk's Speedway in Winchester, Indiana. Dick Linder won the pole.

Top Ten Results


 * 1) Lloyd Moore
 * 2) Bucky Sager
 * 3) Bill Rexford
 * 4) Chuck James
 * 5) Ray Duhigg
 * 6) Carl Renner
 * 7) Jimmy Florian
 * 8) Chuck Garrett
 * 9) Bud Boone
 * 10) Buck Barr

1950-19
The nineteenth and final race of the 1950 season was run on October 29 at Occoneechee Speedway in Hillsboro, North Carolina. Fonty Flock won the pole.

Top Ten Results


 * 1) Lee Petty
 * 2) Buck Baker
 * 3) Weldon Adams
 * 4) Tim Flock
 * 5) Bill Blair
 * 6) Gayle Warren
 * 7) Ray Duhigg
 * 8) Jim Delaney
 * 9) Herbert Burns
 * 10) Jack Holloway

Final Points Standings

 * 1) Bill Rexford 1949.5
 * 2) Fireball Roberts 1848.5
 * 3) Lee Petty 1590.0
 * 4) Lloyd Moore 1398.0
 * 5) Curtis Turner 1375.5
 * 6) Johnny Mantz 1282.0
 * 7) Chuck Mahoney 1217.5
 * 8) Dick Linder 1121.0
 * 9) Jimmy Florian 801.0
 * 10) Bill Blair 766.0
 * 11) Herb Thomas 590.5
 * 12) Buck Baker 531.5
 * 13) Cotton Owens 500.0
 * 14) Fonty Flock 458.5
 * 15) Weldon Adams 440.0
 * 16) Tim Flock 437.5
 * 17) Clyde Minter 427.0
 * 18) Dick Burns (driver) 341.5
 * 19) Art Lamey 320.0
 * 20) Bob Flock 314.0
 * 21) George Hartley 298.0
 * 22) Gayle Warren 287.0
 * 23) Frank Mundy 275.5
 * 24) Jim Paschal 220.5
 * 25) Jack White 211.5
 * 26) Pappy Hough 207.5
 * 27) Ray Duhigg 202.5
 * 28) Leon Sales 200.0
 * 29) Jimmy Thompson 200.0
 * 30) Harold Kite 187.0
 * 31) Neil Cole 183.5
 * 32) Jack Smith 180.0
 * 33) Bucky Sager 180.0
 * 34) Red Harvey 180.0
 * 35) Ted Swaim 180.0
 * 36) Buck Barr 180.0
 * 37) Pepper Cunningham 177.5
 * 38) Ewell Weddle 173.5
 * 39) Donald Thomas 164.0
 * 40) Bill Snowden 163.0
 * 41) Jimmie Lewallen 140.0
 * 42) Chuck James 140.0
 * 43) Dick Clothier 133.5
 * 44) Paul Parks 124.5
 * 45) Al Gross 124.0
 * 46) Jack Reynolds 120.0
 * 47) Jim Delaney 114.0
 * 48) Carl Renner 108.0
 * 49) Jack Holloway 107.5
 * 50) J.C. Van Landingham 105.0

The above information was taken from Racing Reference