The Crittenden Automotive Library

Stock Car Racing: 1951 Season

Stock Car Racing: 1951 Season

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1951 National Series Champions
NASCAR Grand National: Herb Thomas (Hudson/Plymouth)

The 1951 season saw NASCAR branch out westward with 5 races in California and one in Arizona. The Great Lakes were also visited frequently, with five events in Ohio and two in Michigan.

One of those Michigan events was held in Detroit. The race in the Big 3's proverbial backyard gave many in the automakers their first personal experience with NASCAR. The 250-mile race was also part of Detroit's 250th anniversary celebration.

The series continued its move to paved tracks, albeit slowly, as three paved tracks hosted a total of four Grand National races in 1951.

In the era when NASCAR competitors were not expected to race all events, even when racing for the championship, it was not uncommon to have more than one Grand National race on the same date. April 8, April 29, September 23, and November 11 all had two events scheduled, and three were held on October 14.

Race Schedule

Date	Series	Race	Track	Pole	Winner	Winner's Make
February 11	Grand National	Daytona Beach Course	Daytona Beach Course	Tim Flock	Marshall Teague	1951 Hudson
April 1	Grand National	Charlotte Speedway	Charlotte Speedway	Fonty Flock	Curtis Turner	1951 Nash
April 8	Grand National	New Mobile Speedway	New Mobile Speedway	Red Harrelson	Tim Flock	1951 Oldsmobile
April 8	Grand National	Carrell Speedway	Carrell Speedway	Andy Pierce	Marshall Teague	1951 Hudson
April 15	Grand National	Occoneechee Speedway	Occoneechee Speedway	Fonty Flock	Fonty Flock	1950 Oldsmobile
April 22	Grand National	Arizona State Fairgrounds	Arizona State Fairgrounds	Fonty Flock	Marshall Teague	1951 Hudson
April 29	Grand National	Wilkes County 150	North Wilkesboro Speedway	Fonty Flock	Fonty Flock	1950 Oldsmobile
May 6	Grand National	Martinsville Speedway	Martinsville Speedway	Tim Flock	Curtis Turner	1950 Oldsmobile
May 30	Grand National	Poor Man's 500	Canfield Speedway	Bill Rexford	Marshall Teague	1951 Hudson
June 10	Grand National	Columbus Speedway	Columbus Speedway	Gober Sosebee	Tim Flock	1951 Oldsmobile
June 16	Grand National	Columbia Speedway	Columbia Speedway	Frank Mundy	Frank Mundy	1951 Studebaker
June 24	Grand National	Dayton Speedway	Dayton Speedway	Tim Flock	Curtis Turner	1951 Oldsmobile
June 30	Grand National	Carrell Speedway	Carrell Speedway	Lou Figaro	Lou Figaro	1951 Hudson
July 1	Grand National	Grand River Speedrome	Grand River Speedrome	Marshall Teague	Marshall Teague	1951 Hudson
July 8	Grand National	Bainbridge Speedway	Bainbridge Speedway	Fonty Flock	Fonty Flock	1950 Oldsmobile
July 15	Grand National	Heidelberg Raceway	Heidelberg Raceway	Fonty Flock	Herb Thomas	1951 Oldsmobile
July 29	Grand National	Asheville-Weaverville Speedway	Asheville-Weaverville Speedway	Fonty Flock	Fonty Flock	1951 Oldsmobile
July 31	Grand National	Monroe County Fairgrounds	Monroe County Fairgrounds	Fonty Flock	Lee Petty	1951 Plymouth
August 1	Grand National	Altamont-Schenectady Fairgrounds	Altamont-Schenectady Fairgrounds	Fonty Flock	Fonty Flock	1951 Oldsmobile
August 12	Grand National	Motor City 250	Michigan State Fairgrounds	Marshall Teague	Tommy Thompson	1951 Chrysler
August 19	Grand National	Fort Miami Speedway	Fort Miami Speedway	Fonty Flock	Tim Flock	1951 Oldsmobile
August 24	Grand National	Morristown Speedway	Morristown Speedway	Tim Flock	Tim Flock	1951 Oldsmobile
August 25	Grand National	Greenville-Pickens Speedway	Greenville-Pickens Speedway	Tim Flock	Bob Flock	1951 Oldsmobile
September 3	Grand National	Southern 500	Darlington Raceway	Frank Mundy	Herb Thomas	1951 Hudson
September 7	Grand National	Columbia Speedway	Columbia Speedway	Tim Flock	Tim Flock	1951 Oldsmobile
September 8	Grand National	Central City Speedway	Central City Speedway	Bob Flock	Herb Thomas	1951 Plymouth
September 15	Grand National	Langhorne Speedway	Langhorne Speedway	Fonty Flock	Herb Thomas	1951 Hudson
September 23	Grand National	Charlotte Speedway	Charlotte Speedway	Billy Carden	Herb Thomas	1951 Hudson
September 23	Grand National	Dayton Speedway	Dayton Speedway	Fonty Flock	Fonty Flock	1951 Oldsmobile
September 30	Grand National	Wilson Speedway	Wilson Speedway	Fonty Flock	Fonty Flock	1951 Oldsmobile
October 7	Grand National	Occoneechee Speedway	Occoneechee Speedway	Herb Thomas	Herb Thomas	1951 Hudson
October 12	Grand National	Thompson Speedway	Thompson Speedway	Neil Cole	Neil Cole	1950 Oldsmobile
October 14	Grand National	Pine Grove Speedway	Pine Grove Speedway	Tim Flock	Tim Flock	1951 Oldsmobile
October 14	Grand National	Martinsville Speedway	Martinsville Speedway	Herb Thomas	Frank Mundy	1951 Oldsmobile
October 14	Grand National	Oakland Stadium	Oakland Stadium	Dick Rathman	Marvin Burke	1950 Mercury
October 21	Grand National	Wilkes 200	North Wilkesboro Speedway	Herb Thomas	Fonty Flock	1951 Oldsmobile
October 28	Grand National	Marchbanks Speedway	Marchbanks Speedway	Dick Rathman	Danny Weinberg	1951 Studebaker
November 4	Grand National	Speedway Park	Speedway Park	Herb Thomas	Herb Thomas	1951 Hudson
November 11	Grand National	Lakewood Speedway	Lakewood Speedway	Frank Mundy	Tim Flock	1951 Hudson
November 11	Grand National	Carrell Speedway	Carrell Speedway	Fonty Flock	Bill Norton	1950 Mercury
November 25	Grand National	New Mobile Speedway	New Mobile Speedway	Frank Mundy	Frank Mundy	1951 Studebaker

Grand National Points Standings

Rank	Driver	Points	Starts	Wins	Money
1	Herb Thomas	4,208.45	35	7	$20,850
2	Fonty Flock	4,062.25	34	8	$15,200
3	Tim Flock	3,722.5		7	$14,545
4	Lee Petty	2,392.25	32	1	$7,340
5	Frank Mundy	1,963.5	27	3	$7,085
6	Buddy Shuman	1,368.75	7	0	$2,830
7	Jesse James Taylor	1,214	10	0	$3,750
8	Dick Rathmann	1,040	15	0	$3,225
9	Bill Snowden	1,009.25	12	0	$2,640
10	Joe Eubanks	1,005.5	12	0	$3,415
11	Lloyd Moore	996.5	22	0	$2,600
12	Fireball Roberts	930	9	0	$1,190
13	Jimmie Lewallen	874.25	12	0	$2,430
14	Bob Flock	869	17	1	$3,680
15	Jim Paschal	858.5	16	0	$2,450
16	Bill Blair	840	18	0	$2,710
17	Gober Sosebee	784	10	0	$2,710
18	Erick Erickson	723.5	12	0	$2,435
19	Tommy Thompson	755	5	1	$5,510
20	Donald Thomas	743.5	17	0	$2,060
21	Johnny Mantz	725	6	0	$2,025
22	Lou Figaro	684.2	13	1	$2,135
23	Buck Baker	644.5	11	0	$1,650
24	Dick Meyer	626.5	6	0	$1,650
25	Harold Kite	625	2	0	$800
26	Billy Carden	509.75	11	0	$1,460
27	Jimmy Florian	462.5	9	0	$1,100
28	Jim Fiebelkorn	455	17	0	$1,355
29	Ronnie Kohler	432	5	0	$1,100
30	Danny Weinberg	423.5	6	1	$1,470
31	Pappy Hugh	423	9	1	$760
32	Woody Brown	421	3	0	$1,125
33	Neil Cole	382	5	1	$2,050
34	Paul Newkirk	375		0	$500
35	John McGinley	372.5	6	0	$1,300
36	Marvin Panch	371.5	3	0	$1,075
37	Oda Greene	366.5	6	0	$825
38	Jack Goodwin	362.5	3	0	$725
39	Jack Smith	360.5	7	0	$1,275
40	Robert Caswell	350	3	0	$1,325
41	Lloyd Dane	323.5	7	0	$975
42	Cotton Owens	312.5	5	0	$225
43	Fred Steinbroner	306.5	6	0	$700
44	Ewell Weddle	293.5	7	0	$435
45	George Seeger	278	9	0	$910
46	Sam Hawks	262.5	3	0	$650
47	Don Bailey	239.5	10	0	$625
48	Bud Farrell	227.5	5	0	$700
49	Harvey Riley		8	0	$475
50	Fred Lee	224	6	0	$450