The schedule more than doubled to 41 races in 1951, reaching into California and Arizona, and Herb Thomas took the title after a run of late-season wins.
The 1951 Grand National season, the third year of stock car racing in America, ran 41 races at 32 circuits in 14 states. Herb Thomas won the title despite a 21st-place finish in the last race, and the calendar reached California and Arizona for the first time.
The 1951 Grand National season was the third year of NASCAR's stock car championship, and it ran 41 races, more than double the previous year's total. It began at Daytona's road course in early February and closed at New Mobile Speedway on November 25, when Herb Thomas took the title despite finishing 21st in the final race. The calendar reached 32 circuits in 14 states, including the first race staged west of the Mississippi.
Who won the 1951 Grand National championship?
Herb Thomas won the 1951 Grand National championship even though he finished only 21st in the last race of the year at New Mobile Speedway. That result was enough to take the title, because Thomas had built his points total through a run of victories in the second half of the season.
Thomas won his first race of the year at Heidelberg Raceway on July 15. A six-car crash on lap 21 had ended Fonty Flock's race, and Thomas went on to lead the remaining 179 laps and win by more than a lap over Jim Fiebelkorn. The September wins at Central City, Langhorne and Charlotte followed, along with the Southern 500 at Darlington on September 3.
Thomas also earned his first career pole at Occoneechee on October 7 and won that race from the front. A further win at Jacksonville Speedway Park on November 4 brought his total for the year to seven. Fonty and Tim Flock finished second and third in the standings.
Forty-one races, 14 states and a champion who finished 21st in the last race, all in a single calendar year.
How did the 1951 schedule grow?
The 1951 calendar was more than double the 19 races held the year before, with 41 events at 32 different circuits. The races took place in 14 states, and the schedule reached west for the first time, with five races in California and one in Arizona.
The first race west of the Mississippi took place on April 8 at Carrell Speedway in Gardena, California. Andy Pierce took the pole there, and Marshall Teague won. The Arizona race followed on April 22 at the state fairgrounds in Phoenix, where Teague won again.
Those two events carried the richest purses and the biggest point totals. The Southern 500 returned to Darlington for its second running on September 3, with an 82-car field, and it was also the last career start for Red Byron.
Which drivers won the most races in 1951?
Marshall Teague won five races in 1951, at Daytona, Gardena, Phoenix, Canfield and Grand River. His wins were spread across the spring and summer, which made him one of the season's most reliable winners. No other driver won as often on so many different circuits.
Tim Flock won seven races, at Mobile, Columbus, Fort Miami, Morristown, Columbia, Pine Grove and Lakeview. Herb Thomas also won seven, and Fonty Flock took several more, including the Occoneechee race in April that rain ended after 95 laps.
Curtis Turner won at Charlotte, Martinsville and Dayton, and Frank Mundy won at Columbia, Martinsville and in the final race at New Mobile. The spread of winners across the field meant that the championship was a long contest between several drivers.
What were the flashpoints of the 1951 season?
The season produced several serious crashes, and that was one of several incidents across the year. At Columbus on June 10, Marshall Teague suffered a leg injury after Fireball Roberts struck his car near the back straightaway during the first caution period.
The Motor City 250 at the Michigan State Fairgrounds on August 12 was the most chaotic race of the year. It had five cautions, nine cars retired with mechanical problems and a pile-up of 10 cars on lap 130. Tommy Thompson won the race, while Curtis Turner finished ninth after tangling with the leaders.
The final race at New Mobile also produced a serious incident. Bob Flock was hurt in a serious crash, breaking his neck when the roof of his car caved in. The race itself ended with Frank Mundy winning from pole.
Which unusual results marked the 1951 season?
Marvin Burke won the race at Oakland Stadium on October 14 in his only start, after Dick Rathman had taken the pole. No other driver in NASCAR history has won in his only start, which makes Burke's result one of the most unusual in the series' early years.
Neil Cole won the pole and the race at Thompson Speedway in Connecticut on October 12. Danny Weinberg won at Marchbanks Speedway in California on October 28, and Bill Norton won at Carrell Speedway on November 11.
Fort Miami in Toledo hosted its first Grand National race on August 19, on a .500 mile dirt oval. The track was dropped from the schedule until at least 1952, and Tim Flock won the race with Fonty Flock on pole.
How did the Flock brothers finish the season?
Fonty Flock finished fourth at New Mobile and was second in the final standings, while Tim Flock took second in the last race and finished third in the championship. Both brothers had been among the most frequent winners of the season.
Bob Flock was seriously hurt in the crash at New Mobile, which is why the final race is remembered for more than its result. Even so, two of the three brothers were among the leading drivers of the season.
Race results at a glance
| Race | Date | Circuit | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1951-01 | February 5 | Daytona Beach Road Course | Marshall Teague |
| 1951-03 | April 8 | Lakeview Speedway, Mobile | Tim Flock |
| 1951-04 | April 8 | Carrell Speedway, Gardena | Marshall Teague |
| 1951-05 | April 15 | Occoneechee Speedway | Fonty Flock |
| 1951-06 | April 22 | Arizona State Fairgrounds | Marshall Teague |
| 1951-10 | June 10 | Columbus Speedway | Tim Flock |
| 1951-16 | July 15 | Heidelberg Raceway | Herb Thomas |
| 1951-20 | August 12 | Michigan State Fairgrounds | Tommy Thompson |
| 1951-21 | August 19 | Fort Miami Speedway | Tim Flock |
| 1951-24 | September 3 | Darlington Raceway (Southern 500) | Herb Thomas |
| 1951-31 | October 7 | Occoneechee Speedway | Herb Thomas |
| 1951-35 | October 14 | Oakland Stadium | Marvin Burke |
| 1951-38 | November 4 | Jacksonville Speedway Park | Herb Thomas |
| 1951-39 | November 11 | Lakeview Speedway, Georgia | Tim Flock |
| 1951-41 | November 25 | New Mobile Speedway | Frank Mundy |
What were the largest races of the 1951 season?
The Darlington classic and the Michigan race were the richest events of 1951 and carried the most points. Herb Thomas won the Southern 500 at Darlington, while Tommy Thompson won the Motor City 250 in Michigan, and both races produced finishing orders that shaped the title fight.
At Darlington, Thomas finished ahead of Jesse James Taylor, Buddy Shuman and Hershel McGriff, with Fireball Roberts fifth and Harold Kite sixth. The depth of that top six showed how strong the field was in the largest race of the season, with 82 cars taking part.
At the Motor City 250, Thompson finished ahead of Joe Eubanks, Johnny Mantz, Red Byron and Paul Newkirk. Lloyd Moore was seventh and Curtis Turner ninth, after a race with five cautions reshuffled the leaders several times.
The Columbia race on June 16 was won by Frank Mundy from pole, with Bill Blair second, Marshall Teague third, Herb Thomas fourth and Buck Baker fifth. That mix of names showed how many drivers could win on the same afternoon during the year.
How did the California races compare?
The California races of 1951 were won by different drivers, reflecting a field that travelled from one track to the next. Marshall Teague won at Gardena, Marvin Burke won at Oakland Stadium and Danny Weinberg won at Marchbanks, and each race had its own story.
Pierce qualified first at Gardena in April, and Teague won ahead of Johnny Mantz and George Seeger. It was the first of the year's California events.
The Oakland Stadium race on October 14 finished with Robert Caswell second and Woody Brown third, and it gave Burke a place in the record books for his single start.
At Marchbanks on October 28, Marvin Panch finished second behind Weinberg, and Bill Norton was third. Carrell Speedway hosted a second California race on November 11, won by Bill Norton with Fonty Flock on pole, which completed the state's run of late-season events.
Which finishes marked the end of the season?
The New Mobile finale on November 25 was led home by Frank Mundy, with Tim Flock second, Red Duvall third and Fonty Flock fourth. Don Oldenberg finished fifth and Buddy Shuman sixth, but Herb Thomas's 21st place was still enough to secure the championship.
The Wilkes 200 on October 21 went to Fonty Flock, with Lee Petty second, Joe Eubanks third and Tim Flock fourth. The result kept both Flock brothers in contention for the title.
Connecticut's Thompson Speedway gave Neil Cole the win on October 12, ahead of Jim Reed and Dick Eagan. It added a Connecticut venue to a schedule that now stretched across the country.
What happened at Heidelberg and Occoneechee?
Two races in the middle of the year showed how quickly a race could turn. At Heidelberg on July 15, the leader was taken out by a six-car crash on lap 21, while rain ended the Occoneechee race on April 15 after 95 laps.
At Heidelberg, Fonty Flock was out of the race after the crash, and Herb Thomas inherited the lead. Thomas led the remaining 179 laps and finished more than a lap ahead of Jim Fiebelkorn, earning his first win of the season.
The April race at Occoneechee was stopped by rain after 95 laps, with Fonty Flock taking the win. That spring showed the Flock team's strength, as Fonty went on to take several more wins across the year. That finish left the Flock brothers close together in the standings.
The Poor Man's 500 at Canfield, the ninth race of the year, went to Marshall Teague. Tim Flock finished second, Fonty Flock third and Herb Thomas fourth, a result that put four of the season's leading drivers in one race.
