1953 NASCAR Grand National Season: Herb Thomas and a Year of One-Off Tracks

Herb Thomas took the 1953 title with his No. 92 Hudson, a result that made him the series' first repeat champion. The season ran from February 1 to November 1 across 37 races, and nine of them took place at tracks that held a race only that year, which gave the schedule a patchwork feel.

Who won the 1953 Grand National championship?

Herb Thomas took the 1953 title in the No. 92 Hudson, the first repeat champion in the series' history. He won a string of races through the summer, including at Atlanta, Rapid City and Davenport, and he finished 14th in the final race at Atlanta.

The season's races were spread across many small venues, so no single track decided the title. Thomas, Rathmann, the Petty family and Buck Baker were often the names at the front.

Lee Petty won at several venues during the year and was often among the leaders, but the championship went to Thomas.

Herb Thomas repeated as champion in a season of 37 races, nine of them on tracks that never hosted another.

How did the season open?

The first race was run on February 1 at Palm Beach Speedway in West Palm Beach, Florida, where Dick Rathmann took the pole and Lee Petty finished first. The schedule then moved to the Daytona Beach Road Course for a race that turned into one of the season's most debated results.

On February 15 at Daytona Beach, Fonty Flock led every lap until he ran out of fuel on the final lap. Teammate Slick Smith pushed Flock across the line, and officials ruled that the push was illegal. Flock was placed second, and Bill Blair was declared the winner, the third and final win of his career.

Which spring races shaped the early standings?

Herb Thomas won the third race at Harnett Speedway on March 8 from the pole, and he took the fourth at North Wilkesboro on March 29. Dick Passwater won at Charlotte on April 5, his lone win from 20 starts over 1952 and 1953.

Lee Petty won at Richmond on April 19, where Buck Baker had taken the pole, and again at Martinsville on May 17. Tim Flock won at Hickory on May 16, with Joe Eubanks second and Ray Duhigg third, and Buck Baker won at Langhorne and Columbia in early May.

The Martinsville race on May 17 was also the NASCAR debut of Wood Brothers Racing, with co-owner Glen Wood at the wheel. Wood finished 30th, and the team would go on to be one of the sport's longest-running operations.

How did the summer races go?

The late-spring and summer schedule ran through many small venues in quick succession. At Langhorne on June 21, Lloyd Shaw took the pole, but Dick Rathmann won, with Lee Petty second.

At Wilson on June 28, Buck Baker earned the pole, but Fonty Flock won, with Rathmann second and Thomas third. At Spartanburg on July 4, Petty won, with Baker second and Thomas third.

At Morristown on July 10, Rathmann won again, with Thomas second and Petty third. At North Platte on July 26 Rathmann won once more, with Thomas second and Petty third.

Thomas won at Powell in Columbus, Ohio, on May 24, and Fonty Flock won at Raleigh on May 30. Lee Petty won at Shreveport on June 7, with Rathmann second and Thomas third, while Thomas won at Pensacola on June 14 and at Tri-City in High Point on June 26.

Dick Rathmann won at Langhorne on June 21 and at Morristown on July 10. Thomas won at Rochester, New York, on July 3 and at Atlanta on July 12, and Lee Petty took the Spartanburg race on July 4.

Thomas won at Rapid City on July 22 and at Davenport on August 2. Rathmann took the North Platte race on July 26, and the summer finished with Curtis Turner winning at Occoneechee on August 9.

At Occoneechee on August 9, Curtis Turner won from the pole, with Thomas second and Petty third. At Asheville-Weaverville on August 16, Flock won, with Thomas second and Bill Blair third. At Norfolk on August 23, Thomas won, with Flock second and Petty third.

What happened at the Southern 500?

The Southern 500 at Darlington on September 7 was won by Buck Baker by three laps. Fonty Flock started from pole, but Baker's margin was decisive, and it was the first Grand National race for future Hall of Fame member Junior Johnson.

Johnson crashed out of that race and was classified 38th.

Who won in the autumn races?

Speedy Thompson won at Central City Speedway on September 13, the first of his twenty career wins. Rathmann won at Langhorne on September 20, and Thomas won at Bloomsburg on October 3 and at Wilson on October 4.

At North Wilkesboro on October 11, Speedy Thompson won the Wilkes 160. At Martinsville on October 13, Jim Paschal won, the first of 25 wins in a career that lasted 23 years, with Lee Petty second and Bill Blair third.

At Central City, Joe Eubanks had the pole, but Speedy Thompson won, with Lee Petty second and Gober Sosebee third. At Bloomsburg, Jim Paschal had taken pole, but Thomas won, with Rathmann second and Buck Baker third. At Wilson on October 4, Thompson finished second behind Thomas.

Ned Jarrett made his first Grand National start at Hickory on August 29 and finished 11th, and he went on to be a champion in 1961 and 1965.

How did the 1953 season end?

The final race was held at Lakewood Speedway in Atlanta on November 1. Tim Flock started on the pole but finished 20th after an overheating problem, and Buck Baker won the race. Herb Thomas finished 14th and kept the championship.

The season closed with Thomas as the first repeat champion of the series. Flock had won earlier at Hickory on May 16, and Thomas had won at Atlanta's Lakewood Speedway in July.

Selected 1953 race winners