Winners First Time Out

H

HardScrabble

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Some time back during one of the trivia threads, don't remember which one, the queston of drivers who the first race they ever entered in NASCAR's top division came up.

97 said he had a reference which said there had been 6 of them but did not say who they were. Johnny Rutherford, who won in his first race was the only one noted in the conversation. 1963 Daytona qualifier which at that time was a points race.

Anyways, dug up the other five and never got around to posting them.........

Jim Roper........1949 First ever Strictly Stock race
Jack White.......1949, his first race ever won at Hamburg, NY
Harold Kite....1950, his first entry at the Daytona Beach course
Leon Sales....1950, at good old N. Wilkesboro
Marvin Burke.1951, in the first race ever run at Oakland Stadium
 
Controversy started on day one and continues to follow NASCAR's "subjective" decisions made in the more than one-half century as an organization.
The very first race was no different. I recall, though not from personal experience but from conversations in the fifties with others, how Jim Roper actually finished second but was declared the winner after the first place finisher was disqualified for not having a "stock" car. Some recollections indicate there was a donney-brook of sorts over the decision, and others say it was pretty much cut and dried. A correct call by Bill France, Sr..

The main point is, it seems the more things change the more they stay the same. NASCA is still making controversial calls.

:salute:
 
yep..Glenn Dunnaway crossed the line first but was later DQ'd for having spread the rear springs on his car. The only mod allowed at the time was a re-enforcing plate in the wheels to keep the lug nuts from pulling through.


Glenn's co-owner, Hubert Westmoreland, filed suit against against NASCAR but the case was thrown out of court.

Dunnaway had finished some 3 laps ahead of Roper...................
 
Thanks Hardscrabble. I could not recall the reason for the DQ, nor the driver. Now, like the sun peeking through on a cloudy day, the name and the reason come clear. Wan't Dunaway driving a Ford coupe???

I do remember Roper was driving a Lincoln. I was working North Wilkesboro, the specific year escapes me, when Jim Roper was the Grand Marshall for a race, sort of a commemoration for his win.

It was his first, and only, victory with NASCAR.
 
Dunnaway was driving a '47 Ford coupe, a former (maybe current.....LOL) shine runner.

Roper was in a '49 Lincoln, The best car on the track for msot of the race was Bill Blair's '49 Lincoln but the engine gave up the ghost at about lap 150. He had led every lap since the 6th one up to that point.

Interestingly, when Blair fell out Dunnaway inherited the lead and was never caught for the remaining 50 laps or so of the race. But if ya go check out career stats for Glenn you will find he not credited with ever having led a lap in NASCAR competition. Roper got official credit for leading those laps. Glenn ran another 17 races but never led another lap or won another race. He did garner 8 top tens during that time.

Obviously, or maybe not obviously, I don't know this from memory. Not quite that old!!!!!! LOL
 
Thanks for the info HS :cheers: I love all these tidbits about Nascar's past :bounce:
 
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