The NASCAR Speedway Division was a short-lived series brought forth in 1952 by NASCAR president and founder Bill France Sr. The series consisted of open-wheel race cars competing with stock engines. The idea of the series was to draw from the popularity of other open-wheel racing events such as the Indianapolis 500.[1]
| Category | Open wheel |
|---|---|
| Country |  United States |
| Inaugural season | 1952 |
| Folded | 1953 |
| Last Drivers' champion | Pete Allen |
History
edit1952 season
editThe first Speedway Division race was held at Darlington Raceway and was won by Buck Baker with a Cadillac engine.[1][2] The series' second race was held at Martinsville Speedway on May 25, with only 17 entries.[3] The pole at Martinsville was won by Bill Miller in an "Olds 88 Special". Tex Keene, driving a car with a stock Mercury engine came from 16th place to win the race. A total of seven races were run in 1952 with Buck Baker becoming the series champion.[4]
1953 season
editIn 1953, Speedway Division events were paired with those in the Sportsman Division. Three races were held with few entries before the series was quietly discontinued. The final series champion was Pete Allen.[5][6]
Statistics
editRace wins
edit| Driver | NASCAR Speedway Division (1952–1953) |
|---|---|
| Wally Campbell |
3 |
| Tom Cherry |
2 |
| Pete Allen |
1 |
| Al Keller |
1 |
| Tex Keene |
1 |
| Buck Baker |
1 |
| Wayne Alspaugh |
1 |
Championships
edit| Driver | NASCAR Speedway Division (1952–1953) |
|---|---|
| Pete Allen |
1 |
| Buck Baker |
1 |
References
edit- ^ a b Burt, William M. (2001). The American Stock Car (Second ed.). St. Paul, MN: MBI Publishing Company. p. 34. ISBN 0-7603-0977-9.
- ^ "1952 Season Summary". Know Your NASCAR. NASCAR/Turner Productions, Inc. 2001. Archived from the original on 2011-07-14. Retrieved 2009-05-13.
- ^ Fielden, Greg (2003). NASCAR Chronicle. Lincolnwood, IL: Publications International, Ltd. pp. 67. ISBN 0-7853-8683-1.
- ^ "1952 NASCAR Speedway Division". Champ Car Stats. 2008. Retrieved 2009-05-13.
- ^ Capps, Don (2003). "1952 NASCAR Speedway Division Championship". The AUTOSPORT Bulletin Board. Retrieved 2009-05-13.
- ^ "1953 NASCAR Speedway Division". Champ Car Stats. 2008. Retrieved 2009-05-13.
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