1956 International Stock Car Road Race

Auto race held at Road America in 1956 February 2025 CUST Race 37 of 56 in the 1956 NASCAR Grand National Series season International Stock Car Road Race 1956 08 12 1956 37 56 File:NASCAR 1956 Road America program.jpg Cover of the program for the race International Stock Car Road Race Road America, near Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin 4.058 6.515 63 252 405.555 73.858 mi/h 10,000 Buck Baker (competed at pole)Frank Mundy (qualified pole) Carl KiekhaeferCarl Kiekhaefer 9:27.25 Marvin Panch Tom Harbison 23 15 Tim Flock Bill Stroppe The International Stock Car Road Race was the 37th race of the 1956 NASCAR Grand National Series. It took place at Road America near Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin on August 12, 1956. It was won by Tim Flock. The race attracted particular interest, as road course racing was unusual for American stock car racing at the time. Ahead of the race, it was unclear how American stock cars would perform on the newly-built race track, which was regarded to be particularly challenging. The race is also considered to be the first occasion in which NASCAR ran a race during rain. Background While the race was officially sanctioned by NASCAR, the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) provided support for the event and foreign cars were allowed entry.https://www.newspapers.com/clip/67996558/ Driver Showdown Expected At Road America Next Week The Sheboygan Press Newspapers.com August 3, 1956 January 18, 2021https://www.newspapers.com/clip/67996622/ Stock Cars Test Road America Course First Time Aug. 12 Green Bay Press-Gazette Newspapers.com July 28, 1956 January 18, 2021 Ultimately, the race featured 25 American vehicles as well as a Jaguar Mark VII. Hubert Schroeder, secretary of the FIG's sporting arm, served as overseer of the race. The prospect of a NASCAR road race on the challenging new road course attracted particular interest, and due to this, it was attended by several racing executives: NASCAR's Bill France Sr., the United States Auto Club's Duane Carter, and the Sports Car Club of America's Jim Kimberly. At the time, all three organizations were aspiring to replace the AAA Contest Board as the new main United States race-sanctioning body, as the American Automobile Association had withdrawn from involvement in automobile racing the previous year.They Laughed When NASCAR's Stock Cars Took to the Road at Elkhart Lake, but Tim Flock Gave the Show a Detroit Surprise https://vault.si.com/vault/1956/08/20/they-laughed-when-nascars-stock-cars-took-to-the-road-at-elkhart-lake-but-tim-flock-gave-the-show-a-detroit-surprise Sports Illustrated 26 November 2023 en-us August 20, 1956 Road America had opened the previous year. This was the first premier series race held at Road America.Albert Zach NASCAR Racing at Road America: 1956 https://www.nascar.com/gallery/nascar-racing-at-road-america-1956/ NASCAR.com 26 November 2023 June 30, 1921 Road America was considered the nation's finest road course at the time, and was regarded as a challenging course, with tight corners and challenging grade changes. Road course racing was uncommon at the time in American stock car racing. The event was promoted as being "America's First International Stock Car Road Race".https://www.newspapers.com/clip/67996668/ America's First International Stock Car Road Race The Sheboygan Press Newspapers.com August 9, 1956 January 18, 2021 There was much advanced interest and speculation among how American cars would perform in maneuvering the challenging course. Those seeking to prognosticate how the race would go on challenged by lack of recent precedent of similar races in the United States, with Time magazine writing, "[The race] was extraordinary because it was held on a road course, a thing so rare in recent American stock car racing that some oldtimers were casting back to the Elgin, Ill. races of more than two decades ago for a suitable precedent. Race overview During qualifications, Frank Mundy had the fastest time, having completed three laps of the course in 9 minutes and 27.25 seconds. During the race, Buck Baker drove the car that Mundy had driven for qualifications, and therefore began the race in pole position. NASCAR made the unusual decision to limit cars to only ten gallons of fuel at the start of the race.NASCAR celebrates July 4th weekend at Road America https://greensboro.com/community/rockingham_now/sports/nascar-celebrates-july-4th-weekend-at-road-america/article_1531699c-f890-11ec-bb44-df49ba65b4e0.html Greensboro News and Record 26 November 2023 en 30 June 2022 An estimated crowd of 10,000 spectators attended, despite poor weather. The race is considered to be the first occasion in which NASCAR ran a race in the rain.Reed Brandon Tim Flock Won Rainy Day Race In 1956 https://georgiaracinghistory.com/2009/08/14/tim-flock-won-rainy-day-race-in-1956/#:~:text=It%20was%20run%20on%20August,the%20NASCAR%20Public%20Relations%20juggernaut. Georgia Racing History.com 29 November 2023 The rainy weather before and during the race impacted it.NASCAR Back At Road America For First Time Since 1956 - CBS Detroit https://www.cbsnews.com/detroit/news/nascar-back-at-road-america-for-first-time-since-1956/ CBS News The Associated Press 26 November 2023 1 July 2021 Shortly before the planned start time for the race, the rain began with a heavy lightning storm that delayed the start by approximately 40 minutes. After this storm ended, the race began. The rain left as much as two-inches of water over portions of the track.Jensen Dave NASCAR at Road America: Photos from the 1956 race https://www.sheboyganpress.com/picture-gallery/sports/motor/2021/07/01/sheboygan-history-nascar-road-america-photos-1956-race/7804684002/ The Sheboygan Press 26 November 2023 June 30, 2021 After the race, many notable observers praised the racers' handling of their vehicles considering the slick track conditions. During the race, drivers took frequent pit stops. Most pit stops were for gas, but there were also many tire changes. Despite pre-race questions over how the stock cars' brakes would perform on the challenging course, there were few brake problems. Several cars did, however, suffer engine problems. Pole driver Buck Baker led the race from lap one though lap five. Tim Flock then led the race between laps 6 and 12. Marvin Panch then led the race from lap 6 through lap twelve. As the race rounded the 100 mile mark, Panch remained in the lead with Speedy Thompson, Mundy, Flock, and Baker respectively following him. In the 37th lap, Speedy Thompson overtook Panch, and Panch soon after suffered a rear-end assembly failure which forced him to withdraw from the race. Thompson then led the race beginning in the 36th lap. As the race reached its 200th mile, Thompson remained in the lead, with Flock, Billy Myers, Fireball Roberts, Paul Goldsmith, and Joe Eubanks respectively following him. After remaining in the lead through 53rd lap, Thompson suffered engine failure and retired from the race. Tim Flock then led from the 54th lap onwards, winning the race. Flock was racing for Bill Stroppe in a 1956 Mercury. Flock averaged 71.48 mph km/h in his 3 hours, 29 minutes, and 50 seconds of race time.Looking Back: NASCAR's First Trip to Road America https://www.speedsport.com/other-series/racing-history/looking-back-nascars-first-trip-to-road-america/ Speed Sport 26 November 2023 July 1, 2021 The race would be the last of Flock's 39 career wins in the premier division of NASCAR (Grand National Series/NASCAR Cup Series). Flock's victory was a 17 second photo finish over fellow Stroppe racer Billy Myers. Fireball Roberts (racing for Pete DePaolo), Paul Goldsmith (racing for Smokey Yunick), and Joe Eubanks (racing for James Satcher) respectively placed third, fourth, and fifth. Among the 26 drivers that competed at Road America were five racing for Pete DePaolo, three racing for Bill Stroppe, and three racing for Pete Kiekhaefer.Fjeld Jonathan Road America 1956: The story of the track's first NASCAR Cup Series race https://theracingexperts.com/road-america-1956-the-story-of-the-tracks-first-nascar-cup-series-race/ The Racing Experts 26 November 2023 2 July 2021 The season-dominant Kiekhaefer team did not see much success in the race. Buck Baker started the race at first and Speedy Thompson started at fifth. While Baker led the first five laps, he ultimately finished eighth and suffering engine problems and dropping out in the 61st lap. While Thompson led between laps 36 and 53, he suffered engine failure in the 53rd lap and retired from the race, ultimately finishing eighteenth. The third Kiekhaefer driver, Frank Mundy, finished fourteenth. Race winner Tim Flock had started the 1956 season as a Kiekhaefer racer, but had left Keikhaefer's team due to disagreement with Keikhaefer's strict management style. While the DePaolo team's Fireball Roberts finished third, the rest of the team fared less fortunately. DePaolo drivers Junior Johnson and Bill Amick started the race at third and fourth. However, they quickly faced trouble. Johnson placed last, dropping out of the race in the first lap due to issues with his car's clutch. Amick also suffered clutch problems and dropped out of the race in the tenth lap, placing second-to last. The DePaolo team also saw Curtis Turner crash out of the race in the 21st lap after suffering brake failure on the final corner, and ultimately placing third-to-last. DePaulo driver Ralph Moody fared the second-best among DePaolo racers, placing sixteenth, suffering rear-end damage and dropping out of the race in the 56th lap. The Stroppe team saw two of its racers, Tim Flock and Billy Myers, respectively finish first and second. Its third racer, Bobby Myers, suffered a crash and placed 21st. While the race was considered a success, NASCAR would not again race at Road America until 2010, when the NASCAR Xfinity Series began racing there. NASCAR's premier division did not return to Road America until the 2021 season.Kallmann Dave This 90-year-old Hall of Famer competed in Road America's first NASCAR race in 1956 and remembers it fondly https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/motor/2020/10/02/rex-white-90-remembers-first-nascar-race-road-america-1956/5883109002/ Milwaukee Journal Sentinel 26 November 2023 October 6, 2020 General stats + Stats1956-37 https://www.racing-reference.info/race-results/1956-37/W/ www.racing-reference.info NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. 26 November 2023 Winning driver: Tim Flock Winning team: Stroppe Winning car make: 1956 Mercury Track description: 4.1 mi km on road course Laps: 63 Length: 258.3 mi km Competitors: 26 drivers Attendance: 10,000 Duration: 3:29:50 Avg. speed: 73.858 mph km/h on Cautions: 0 Lead changes: 4 Margin-of-victory: 17 seconds Results Results of race Position Start Car # Driver Sponsor Owner/team Carmodel Lapscompleted Moneywon Laps led Notes 1 6 15 Tim Flock Mercury Bill Stroppe 1956 Mercury 63 $2,950 17 2 11 14 Billy Myers Billy Myers (racing driver) Bill Stroppe 1956 Mercury 63 $2,900 0 3 17 22 Fireball Roberts Pete DePaolo 1956 Ford 63 $1,275 0 4 8 3 Paul Goldsmith racing driver Smokey Yunick 1956 Chevrolet 63 $900 0 5 9 56 Joe Eubanks Satcher Motors James Satcher 1956 Ford 63 $675 0 6 20 92 Herb Thomas Herb Thomas 1956 Chevrolet 62 $500 0 7 24 75 Jim Paschal C U Later Alligator Frank Hayworth 1956 Mercury 62 $475 0 8 1 502 Buck Baker Carl Kiekhaefer 1956 Dodge 61 $475 5 Withdrew due to engine problems 9 15 21 Fred Johnson Fred Johnson (racing driver) 1956 Chevrolet 60 $325 0 10 16 131 Johnny Dodson Johnny Dodson (racing driver) Johnny Dodson Johnny Dodson (racing driver) 1956 Chevrolet 60 $300 0 11 25 X Rex White Max Welborn 1956 Chevrolet 60 $275 0 12 19 2 Gwyn Staley Hubert Westmoreland 1956 Chevrolet 60 $200 0 13 10 42 Lee Petty Petty Enterprises 1956 Dodge 59 $200 0 14 23 300 Frank Mundy Carl Kiekhaefer 1956 Chrysler 58 $200 0 15 21 36 Jack Goodwin Jack Goodwin 1956 Dodge 58 $200 0 Withdrew due to engine problems 16 7 12 Ralph Moody racing driver Pete DePaolo 1956 Ford 56 $100 0 Withdrew due to rear end damage 17 18 264 Johnny Allen Johnny Allen (racing driver) Spook Crawford 1956 Plymouth 54 $150 0 Withdrew due to clutch issue 18 5 500 Speedy Thompson Carl Kiekhaefer 1956 Dodge 53 $100 18 Withdrew due to engine problems 19 26 5 Ansel Rakestraw 1956 Jaguar Jaguar 48 $100 0 20 23 9 Joe Weatherly Schwam Motors Charlie Schwam 1956 Ford 44 $100 0 Withdrew due to rear end damage 21 14 4 Bobby Myers Bobby Myers (racing driver) Wilson Bill Stroppe 1956 Mercury 39 $100 0 Withdrew due to crash 22 2 98 Marvin Panch Tom Harbison 1956 Ford 37 $150 23 withdrew due to rear end damage 23 12 7 Jim Reed Jim Reed (racing driver) Jim Reed Jim Reed (racing driver) 1956 Chevrolet 25 $100 0 Withdrew due to fuel pump issue 24 22 26 Curtis Turner Pete DePaolo 1956 Ford 21 $100 0 Withdrew due to crash 25 4 97 Bill Amick Pete DePaolo 1956 Ford 10 $100 0 Withdrew due to clutch issue 26 3 296 Junior Johnson Pete DePaolo 1956 Ford 1 $100 0 Withdrew due to clutch issue References untitled race at Oklahoma State Fairgrounds untitled race at Old Bridge Stadium NASCAR Grand National Series season 1956 Inaugural race 2021 International Stock Car Road Race(NASCAR Cup Series at Road America) 1956 collapsed International Stock International Stock International Stock International Stock