The People of NASCAR: NASCAR’s First RoadCourse
Friday, December 15th, 2006 11:38pm CST
By Frank Morrison, Thunder Lounge
Published on Thunder Lounge.
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[thumb:387:l] In the begining Bill France only allowed NASCAR to run on oval tracks. Hence Go Fast Turn Left. A nice variety of ovals between 1/2 a mile to 2 miles (Grand National Cars never raced on Daytona Road course though all the Grand National Drivers tried to qualify for it). Grand National circuit tackled it’s first road course on June 13, 1954 when race promoters staged the International 100.
The Track was developed off the Linden New Jersey Airport out of runways and taxiways. To make things a bit more interesting foreign auto makers were invited to participate. This was not the first time foreign participation happened in NASCAR competition and as we know now it wouldn’t be the last. The best a foreign car did to this point in NASCAR history was Lloyd Moore’s pole at Langhorne Speedway.
For Linden NASCAR made a race within a race for a trophy going to the top foreign car entered into the event. The two mile track had four left turns and a right hand bend. The total purse of $5,020 drew a large crowd of hopefuls (WHAT THE HECK). 21 foreign cars and 22 domestics qualified for the inaugural race. Sleek Jaguars, MGs, Morgans, Austin-Healeys, and even a Porsche lined up on the starting grid with the full-sized Hudsons, Oldsmobiles, Dodges, Plymouths, Fords and a couple of Henry Js (No Chevys made the starting field).
Buck Baker won the pole at a blistering 80.536 mph driving his trusty Olds 88. The outside pole went to Herb Thomas in his Hudson while M.R. “Eric” Peterson in a Jaguar qualified 3rd. Bandleader Paul Whiteman let New York Native Al Keller enter his car and qualified 7th in the Jaguar. Keller’s only NASCAR win came in Savannah in March.
Nearly 10,000 fans paid to sit in the grandstands for $4 and $3 to roam the course. Buck Baker lead for 9 laps before being challenged by Hershel McGriff’s Jagaur, McGriff ended up going off course after locking horns with Buck and Herb Thomas took the lead during the scuffle.
Thomas and Baker swapped the lead a few times before Al Keller’s Jaguar took the lead just before the halfway point. Keller’s light Jag left the field behind and ended up winning by 1/2 mile in front of 2nd place Joe Eubanks’ Hudson. Baker ended up finishing 3rd and Jags ended up take the next three spots.
During the celebration in victory lane Keller said he was quitting the Modified circuit and joining AAA tour. He had his sites on the Indy 500. Keller ran in 6 Indy 500s with his best finish a 5th in the 1961 classic. Keller died on Nov 19, 1961 after a fiery crash at Phoenix while running in an Indy car event.
The first road course for the Grand National Circuit was a great success NASCAR would not return to Linden for 2 1/2 years. Though road course driving would never become the marques event in NASCAR Grand National racing it is still fun to see the rednecks take a few left turns here and there. Rusty Wallace, Jeff Gordan, Dale Earnhardt, Ricky Rudd, and Terry LaBonte like the checks they received from Watkins Glenn, Sanoma, and Riverside I’m sure. The best racing I’ve ever seen is Rusty and Jeff going at it in the hairpin turn at Sanoma.
See Ya’ll on Monday with highlight of 1956 and next people of NASCAR wil be Tim Flock.
Filed Under: Features, Frank Morrison, Guest Authors, Nascar, The People Of Nascar
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Gvav1 said this on December 20th, 2006 at 7:29 am