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1957 Southern 500

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1957 Southern 500
Race details[1][2]
Race 40 of 53 in the 1957 NASCAR Grand National Series season
1957 Southern 500 program cover
1957 Southern 500 program cover
Date September 2, 1957 (1957-September-02)
Location Darlington Raceway, Darlington, South Carolina
Course Permanent racing facility
1.375 mi (2.221 km)
Distance 400 laps, 500 mi (800 km)
Weather Extremely hot with temperatures of 93.3 °F (34.1 °C); wind speeds of 8.9 miles per hour (14.3 km/h)
Average speed 100.094 miles per hour (161.086 km/h)
Attendance 75,000
Pole position
Driver
Nichels Engineering
Time 16.863 seconds
Most laps led
Driver Speedy Thompson Speedy Thompson
Laps 210
Winner
No. 46 Speedy Thompson Speedy Thompson
Television in the United States
Network WJMX (local AM radio)
Announcers Local radio announcers

The 1957 Southern 500, the eighth running of the event, was a NASCAR Grand National Series event that was held on September 2, 1957, at Darlington Raceway in Darlington, South Carolina.

Herb Thomas, already a three-time Southern 500 winner, arrived in Darlington in a visibly shaken state. Thomas finally gave up his ride to Fonty Flock stating that he was just too nervous to drive the race. The race was then marred by a violent crash involving him, Bobby Myers and Paul Goldsmith, causing severe injuries to all drivers involved, ending Flock's career and resulting in the death of Myers.

Background

Darlington Raceway, nicknamed by many NASCAR fans and drivers as "The Lady in Black" or "The Track Too Tough to Tame" and advertised as a "NASCAR Tradition", is a race track built for NASCAR racing located near Darlington, South Carolina. It is of a unique, somewhat egg-shaped design, an oval with the ends of very different configurations, a condition which supposedly arose from the proximity of one end of the track to a minnow pond the owner refused to relocate. This situation makes it very challenging for the crews to set up their cars' handling in a way that will be effective at both ends.

The track is a four-turn 1.366 miles (2.198 km) oval.[3] The track's first two turns are banked at twenty-five degrees, while the final two turns are banked two degrees lower at twenty-three degrees.[3] The front stretch (the location of the finish line) and the back stretch is banked at six degrees.[3] Darlington Raceway can seat up to 60,000 people.[3]

Darlington has something of a legendary quality among drivers and older fans; this is probably due to its long track length relative to other NASCAR speedways of its era and hence the first venue where many of them became cognizant of the truly high speeds that stock cars could achieve on a long track. The track allegedly earned the moniker The Lady in Black because the night before the race the track maintenance crew would cover the entire track with fresh asphalt sealant, in the early years of the speedway, thus making the racing surface dark black. Darlington is also known as "The Track Too Tough to Tame" because drivers can run lap after lap without a problem and then bounce off of the wall the following lap. Racers will frequently explain that they have to race the racetrack, not their competition. Drivers hitting the wall are considered to have received their "Darlington Stripe" thanks to the missing paint on the right side of the car.

Race report

The event took five hours and one second to complete on a paved oval track spanning 1.375 miles (2.213 km) for a distance of 500.5 miles (805.5 km).[2] Seventy-five thousand fans attended. Billy Carden qualified for this event in 45th place and finished in 6th place.[2] The most notable crew chiefs for this race were Jess Potter, Bud Moore, Shorty Johns and Ray Fox.[4]

Speedy Thompson defeated Cotton Owens by three laps at an average speed of 100.094 miles per hour (161.086 km/h).[2] Thompson drove the iconic 1957 Chevrolet during that race; that vehicle went on to win the 1958 and the 1959 runnings of the Southern 500. Owens won the pole position with a speed of 117.416 miles per hour (188.963 km/h) during qualifying.[2] Speedy Thompson would record his only Southern 500 victory here even though he would win on other paved superspeedways.

T.A. Toomes received the last-place finish due to a problem with his brakes on lap 3 out of 364. Runt Harris returned to NASCAR after a 7-year absence, driving his way to a 39th-place finish after his vehicle developed problems with its clutch. Former Cup series race winner Bill Blair made his only start of the 1957 NASCAR Grand National Series season; finishing in 38th place after inflicting terminal damage to his vehicle.[2]

Brownie King was 59 laps down; he started in 31st and managed to improve his position to 21st place. However, he was unable to properly compete for a win or even a finish in the top-15.[2]

Bobby Myers lost his life as a result of a race-related crash; Fonty Flock and Paul Goldsmith were also involved in this accident. The technology found in the modern NASCAR Cup Series vehicles could have saved Myers' life, and it's a shame because Myers had a promising career in NASCAR racing.[2][5][6]

George Parrish made a notable appearance in this race using a 1956 Studebaker Golden Hawk; he witnessed the fatal crash of Bobby Myers at close range.[7] Parrish retired after the 1958 NASCAR Cup Series season.[7]

As a rookie, Cale Yarborough made his NASCAR debut here and finished in 42nd place (out of 50 drivers).[2] Fonty Flock retired after this race.

Qualifying

Grid No. Driver Manufacturer Qualifying time[8] Speed[8] Owner
1 6 Cotton Owens '57 Pontiac 16.863 117.416 Ray Nichels
2 4 Bobby Myers '57 Oldsmobile 16.922 117.007 Petty Enterprises
3 31 Curtis Turner '57 Ford 16.937 116.903 Smokey Yunick
4 80 Jimmie Lewallen '57 Pontiac 17.211 115.042 Sam Rice
5 62 Frankie Schneider '57 Chevrolet 17.228 114.929 Frankie Schenider
6 3 Paul Goldsmith '57 Ford 16.598 119.291 Smokey Yunick
7 46 Speedy Thompson '57 Chevrolet 16.803 117.836 Speedy Thompson
8 42 Lee Petty '57 Oldsmobile 16.845 117.542 Petty Enterprises
9 87 Buck Baker '57 Chevrolet 16.919 117.028 Buck Baker
10 22 Fireball Roberts '57 Ford 17.001 116.463 Fireball Roberts

Failed to qualify: Eddie Skinner (#28), Ted Chamberlain (#93), Joe Eubanks (#82), Fred Knapp (#37), Duke DeBrizzi (#81), Dave Terrell (#9), Larry Frank (#76), Bill Widenhouse (#5), Arden Mounts (#18), Bob Whitmire (#61), Barney Smith (#16), Jim Linke (#81)[8]

Finishing order

Section reference:[2]

Pos. St. # Driver Sponsor/Owner Car Laps Status Led Winnings
1 7 46 Speedy Thompson Oates Motor Co.   (Speedy Thompson) '57 Chevrolet 364 running 210 13590
2 1 6 Cotton Owens Ray Nichels '57 Pontiac 361 running 18 6100
3 32 98 Marvin Panch Marvin Panch '57 Ford 360 running 0 3745
4 12 7 Jim Reed Jim Reed '57 Ford 356 running 0 2155
5 9 87 Buck Baker Buck Baker '57 Chevrolet 356 running 0 1650
6 45 2 Billy Carden Hubert Westmoreland '57 Chevrolet 354 running 0 1225
7 29 14 Billy Myers Billy Myers '57 Ford 353 running 0 1125
8 25 40 Johnny Mackison Camp Hill Special   (Johnny Mackison) '57 Ford 352 running 0 975
9 48 48 Possum Jones Inalley Chevrolet   (Bob Welborn) '57 Chevrolet 350 running 0 775
10 28 47 Jack Smith Jack Smith '57 Chevrolet 348 crash 9 785
11 3 31 Curtis Turner Smokey Yunick '57 Ford 346 running 51 1060
12 27 64 Johnny Allen Spook Crawford '57 Plymouth 345 running 0 600
13 17 34 Dick Beaty Dick Beaty '56 Ford 341 running 0 350
14 4 80 Jimmie Lewallen Sam Rice '57 Pontiac 340 running 0 370
15 34 45 Eddie Pagan Eddie Pagan '57 Ford 339 running 0 250
16 23 77 Bobby Johns Shorty Johns '56 Chevrolet 335 running 0 225
17 26 20 Jimmy Thompson Jimmy Thompson '56 Ford 328 running 0 225
18 38 54 Nace Mattingly Nace Mattingly '57 Ford 326 running 0 200
19 37 74 L.D. Austin L.D. Austin '56 Chevrolet 312 running 0 200
20 11 55 Tiny Lund Brushy Mountain Motors   (A.L. Bumgarner) '57 Pontiac 308 engine 0 300
21 31 32 Brownie King Jess Potter '57 Chevrolet 307 running 0 150
22 35 96 Bobby Keck Bobby Keck '57 Chevrolet 283 running 0 150
23 41 51 Roy Tyner Roy Tyner '56 Ford 282 running 0 150
24 8 42 Lee Petty Petty Enterprises '57 Oldsmobile 281 crash 31 750
25 42 71 George Parrish Joe Frazier '56 Studebaker 263 running 0 350
26 33 12 Marvin Porter Oscar Maples '57 Ford 221 engine 0 100
27 30 10 Whitey Norman Whitey Norman '56 Ford 215 engine 0 100
28 20 44 Rex White Max Welborn '57 Chevrolet 210 axle 0 100
29 19 95 Bob Duell Julian Buesink '57 Ford 156 radiator 0 100
30 49 13 Peck Peckham William Meyer '56 Chevrolet 155 engine 0 100
31 39 35 Bill Champion John Whitford '56 Ford 130 rear end 0 100
32 18 97 Bill Amick Bill Amick '57 Ford 102 crash 0 150
33 10 22 Fireball Roberts Fireball Roberts '57 Ford 101 crash 41 460
34 22 11 Parnelli Jones Oscar Maples '57 Ford 99 crash 0 100
35 50 75 Jim Paschal Frank Hayworth '57 Ford 84 piston 0 100
36 36 17 Shorty York Jim Paschal '57 Mercury 79 engine 0 300
37 16 89 Joe Caspolich Pappy Crane '57 Ford 66 crash 0 200
38 46 26 Bill Blair Sam Rice '57 Ford 63 crash 0 100
39 24 90 Runt Harris Junie Donlavey '57 Chevrolet 50 clutch 0 100
40 14 9 Joe Weatherly Holman-Moody Racing '57 Ford 37 crash 0 130
41 13 84 Banjo Matthews Banjo Matthews '57 Ford 31 engine 0 120
42 44 30 Cale Yarborough Bob Weatherly '57 Pontiac 31 rf hub 0 100
43 2 4 Bobby Myers Your Oldsmobile Dealer   (Petty Enterprises) '57 Oldsmobile 27 crash 1 260
44 6 3 Paul Goldsmith Pee Dee Motors   (Smokey Yunick) '57 Ford 27 crash 3 200
45 43 88 Chuck Hanson Chuck Hansen '57 Chevrolet 23 piston 0 100
46 21 38 Gwyn Staley Julian Petty '57 Chevrolet 22 coil 0 100
47 5 62 Frankie Schneider Frankie Schneider '57 Chevrolet 19 engine 0 100
48 15 92 Fonty Flock Keith Motors   (Herb Thomas) '57 Pontiac 18 crash 0 100
49 40 68 Neil Castles Neil Castles '56 Ford 13 oil pressure 0 100
50 47 41 T.A. Toomes C.M. Julian '56 Dodge 3 brakes 0 300
Failed to qualify, withdrew, or driver changes:
5 Bill Widenhouse Chevrolet
9 Dave Terrell Chevrolet
16 Barney Smith Pontiac
18 Arden Mounts Pontiac
28 Eddie Skinner Ford
37 Fred Knapp Ford
61 Bob Whitmire Ford
76 Larry Frank Chevrolet
81 Duke DeBrizzi Oldsmobile
81 Jim Linke Oldsmobile
82 Joe Eubanks Pontiac
93 Ted Chamberlain Plymouth

Timeline

Section reference:[2]

  • Start of race: Cotton Owens officially started the race as the pole position driver.
  • Lap 3: Brake problems on T.A. Toomes' vehicle made him the last-place finisher.
  • Lap 7: Curtis Turner took over the lead from Cotton Owens.
  • Lap 11: Paul Goldsmith took over the lead from Curtis Turner.
  • Lap 13: Oil pressure issues managed to bump Neil Castles out of the race.
  • Lap 14: Bobby Myers took over the lead from Paul Goldsmith.
  • Lap 15: Curtis Turner took over the lead from Bobby Myers.
  • Lap 17: Cotton Owens took over the lead from Curtis Turner.
  • Lap 18: Fonty Flock had a terminal crash.
  • Lap 19: Frankie Schneider's engine stopped working properly.
  • Lap 22: One of Gwyn Staley's coil came loose; forcing him to stop racing for the rest of the day.
  • Lap 23: One of Chuck Hansen's racing pistons stopped working; forcing him to stop racing for the rest of the day.
  • Lap 27: Fonty Flock, Bobby Myers and Paul Goldsmith crash, resulting in the death of Bobby Myers
  • Lap 29: Lee Petty took over the lead from Cotton Owens.
  • Lap 37: Joe Weatherly had a terminal crash.
  • Lap 41: Fireball Roberts took over the lead from Lee Petty.
  • Lap 50: Runt Harris' vehicle had some problems with its clutch; forcing him to exit the race for safety reasons.
  • Lap 63: Bill Blair had a terminal crash.
  • Lap 66: Joe Caspolich had a terminal crash.
  • Lap 70: Lee Petty took over the lead from Fireball Roberts.
  • Lap 79: Shorty York blew his engine while racing at high speeds.
  • Lap 84: Tom Pistone's vehicle suffered from piston troubles.
  • Lap 89: Fireball Roberts took over the lead from Lee Petty.
  • Lap 99: Parnelli Jones had a terminal crash.
  • Lap 101: Jack Smith took over the lead from Fireball Roberts.
  • Lap 102: Bill Amick had a terminal crash.
  • Lap 110: Speedy Thompson took over the lead from Jack Smith.
  • Lap 130: Bill Champion managed to break the rear end of the vehicle.
  • Lap 155: Peck Peckham blew his engine while racing at high speeds.
  • Lap 156: The radiator on Bob Duell's vehicle finally gave out.
  • Lap 171: Curtis Turner took over the lead from Speedy Thompson.
  • Lap 210: Axle problems on Rex White's vehicle managed to force him off the track.
  • Lap 215: Whitey Norman blew his engine while racing at high speeds.
  • Lap 216: Speedy Thompson took over the lead from Curtis Turner.
  • Lap 221: Marvin Porter blew his engine while racing at high speeds.
  • Lap 281: Lee Petty had a terminal crash.
  • Lap 308: Tiny Lund had a terminal crash.
  • Lap 348: Jack Smith had a terminal crash.
  • Finish: Speedy Thompson in a 57 chevy sedan won the race by 3 laps over Cotton Owens.

References

  1. ^ "1957 Southern 500 weather information". The Old Farmers' Almanac. Retrieved 2011-11-25.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "1957 Southern 500 racing results". Racing Reference. Retrieved 2011-03-08.
  3. ^ a b c d "Darlington Raceway". CBS Sports. Retrieved 2013-05-07.
  4. ^ "1957 Southern 500 crew chief information". Racing Reference. Retrieved 2017-06-11.
  5. ^ "Bobby Myers's fatal crash". How Stuff Works. Retrieved 2011-03-09.
  6. ^ "Bobby Myers's fatal crash (second reference)". Legends of NASCAR. Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2011-03-10.
  7. ^ a b "The Studebaker Golden Hawk @ the 1957 Southern 500". Studebaker Racing. Retrieved 2011-03-10.
  8. ^ a b c "1957 Southern 500 qualifying results". Racing Reference. Retrieved 2017-03-29.
Preceded by Southern 500 races
1957 		Succeeded by
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