1956 NASCAR Grand National Series race at Soldier Field

February 2025 CUST Race 33 of 56 in the 1956 NASCAR Grand National Series season 1956 07 21 1956 33 56 July 21, 1956 NASCAR program Soldier Field Grand National Championship Circuit.jpg Cover of the program for the race Soldier Field, Chicago 0.5 80 200 100 160.9 61.037 mi/h 14,402 Billy Myers Bill Stroppe Jim Paschal Hayworth 22 Fireball Roberts DePaolo thumb|Photograph of Soldier Field, circa 1961 thumb|Advertisement for the race, published in the Chicago Tribune on July 20, 1956 On July 21, 1956, the NASCAR Grand National Series (today known as the NASCAR Cup Series) held the 33rd race of its season at Soldier Field in Chicago. The race was won by Fireball Roberts, and is today considered the only NASCAR Cup Series race to have been held at the venue.a (note a) Background The NASCAR Grand National Series (today known as the NASCAR Cup Series) had first visited the Chicagoland area in 1954, when a reported crowd of 6,000 watched a race at the suburban Santa Fe Speedway.Kalwasinski Stan History Lesson: Chicago and NASCAR https://www.speedsport.com/nascar/nascar-cup-series/history-lesson-chicago-nascar/ speedsport.com Speed Sport Insider 28 November 2023Reardon Logan NASCAR roots in Chicago date back to 1954, including races at Soldier Field https://www.nbcchicago.com/nascar-chicago-street-race/nascar-roots-in-chicago-date-back-to-1954-including-races-at-soldier-field/3171811/ NBC Chicago 28 November 2023 27 June 2023 For the 1956 season, NASCAR held races at Soldier Field in Chicago, including this Grand National Series race and two Convertible Division races. Soldier Field had been regularly used as an auto racing venue since the 1940s. This was the first NASCAR Grand National Series/NASCAR Cup Series race to be held in the city of Chicago. It is today regarded to have been the only NASCAR Cup Series race held at the Soldier Field.Soldier Field https://www.racing-reference.info/tracks/Soldier_Field/ www.racing-reference.info NACAR Digital Media, LLC. 28 November 2023http://www.laidbackracing.com/TheOldDays/SoldierFieldChicago.html Checkered Flag Waves for NASCAR Legends story – Soldier Field https://web.archive.org/web/20041224092244/http://www.laidbackracing.com/TheOldDays/SoldierFieldChicago.html December 24, 2004 laidbackracing.comHiggins Tom http://www.thatsracin.com/2010/07/09/40300/chicagos-storied-soldier-field.html Chicago's storied Soldier Field was once a NASCAR track www.thatsracin.com July 9, 2010 March 10, 2012 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20110104002242/http://www.thatsracin.com/2010/07/09/40300/chicagos-storied-soldier-field.html January 4, 2011 Ford Liam T.A. Ford 2009 2009 Soldier Field: A Stadium and Its City 1st Chicago University of Chicago Press a (note a) To accommodate NASCAR races in 1956, a new half-mile track layout was added to the stadium by adding new paved track to the north end of the stadium.NASCAR Racing Sat. at Soldier Field https://www.newspapers.com/image/756309297 Newspapers.com subscription The Daily Calumet 28 November 2023 en The race was promoted by Andy Granatelli, at the time the key promoter of races at Soldier Field.Spencer Reid 75th Anniversary Feature: NASCAR’s past and present intersect on Chicago’s lakefront https://www.speedwaydigest.com/index.php/news/nascar-cup-series-news/78988-75th-anniversary-feature-nascar-s-past-and-present-intersect-on-chicago-s-lakefront Speedway Digest NASCAR Wire 29 November 2023 en-gb June 27, 2023 Granatelli worked with NASCAR head Bill France Sr. to schedule the race.White Ben As NASCAR Returns to Chicago with Road Race, Here's a Look at the City's Racing History https://www.fayobserver.com/story/sports/motorsports/2023/06/29/nascar-chicago-road-race-history-at-chicagoland-speedway-soldier-field/70367066007/ The Fayetteville Observer 28 November 2023 June 29, 2023 It had been thirteen days between the Soldier Field race and the previous NASCAR Grand National Series race at California State Fairgrounds.1956-32 https://www.racing-reference.info/race-results/1956-32/W/ www.racing-reference.info NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. 29 November 2023 A race that had been scheduled to be held at Old Bridge Stadium in Old Bridge, New Jersey during the weekend in-between these two races was called-off due to rain.–Pit Stops– Cotton Vows He'll Catch Dink; Darlington Purse is a Dandy https://www.newspapers.com/image/618742505 The Charlotte News Newspapers.com subscription 29 November 2023 en 18 Jul 1956 Race summary Held July 21, 1956, the race used the stadium's half-mile short track configuration.Chicago Soldier Field Speedway (IL) http://www.speedwayandroadracehistory.com/chicago-soldier-field-speedway-il.html Speedway and Road Race History 20 November 2023 en At 200 laps, the race's length was 100 miles.1956-33 https://www.racing-reference.info/race-results/1956-33/W/ racing-reference.info 23 November 2023 Attendance at the race was 14,402.Grossman Ron During Chicago’s auto racing heyday, a NASCAR race in Soldier Field ended in a razor-slim victory by Fireball Roberts https://www.chicagotribune.com/history/ct-nascar-chicago-stock-car-racing-vintage-tribune-20230625-73tlrhp5d5h5pgul3zinqpjkiy-story.html Chicago Tribune 15 November 2023 en 28 June 2023 The race was contested by twenty-five drivers. While not an extraordinarily large number of drivers, some of the season's largest stars were among the competitors. Five competitors were future NASCAR Hall of Famers. The pole winner was Billy Myers. The race was won by Fireball Roberts, who beat Jim Paschal by one car-length. Pascal had been the lap leader until the 194th lap, when Roberts surpassed him. Roberts was driving a Ford for Pete DePaolo's team. Third-place finisher Ralph Moody was also driving for DePaolo. The fourth, fifth, and sixth-place finishers (respectively: Speedy Thompson, Frank Mundy, and Buck Baker) all were racing for Carl Kiekhaefer's team, which had dominated the 1956 Grand National Series season.NASCAR Team Kiekhaefer Records Sign, 1955-1956 https://www.thehenryford.org/collections-and-research/digital-collections/artifact/330950/ www.thehenryford.org The Henry Ford 28 November 2023 en Ten cars failed to finish the race.Hembree Mike NASCAR's Wild Night of Racing at Chicago's Soldier Field in 1956 https://www.autoweek.com/racing/nascar/a42191922/nascars-wild-night-of-racing-at-chicagos-soldier-field-in-1956/ Autoweek 15 November 2023 11 December 2022 Five of these were sidelined due to brake issues, a regular problem on short tracks.Martin Ken NASCAR has history at stadium venues as it readies for LA Coliseum exhibition opener https://www.nascar.com/news-media/2021/09/14/nascar-has-history-at-stadium-venues-as-it-readies-for-l-a-coliseum-exhibition-opener/ NASCAR.com 29 November 2023 September 14, 2021 Race stats + Stats1956 NASCAR Cup Series 1956-33 Race Results - Soldier Field https://frcs.pro/nascar/cup/races/results/1956/soldier-field/1956-33 frcs.pro 24 November 20231956-33 https://www.racing-reference.info/race-results/1956-33/W/ www.racing-reference.info NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. 26 November 2023Soldier Field Race Statistics - NASCAR Series https://frcs.pro/nascar/tracks/soldier-field/66 frcs.pro 25 November 2023 Winning driver: Fireball Roberts Winning team: DePaolo Winning car make: 1956 Ford Track description: 0.5 mi km on paved short track oval Laps: 200 Length: 100 mi km Competitors: 25 drivers Attendance: 14,402 Duration: 1:38:18 Avg. speed: 61.037 mph km/h on Margin-of-victory: 1 car-length Results Legend: Finish: Finishing place of driver Start Pos.: Starting position of driver Car #: Car number Driver: Driver's name Sponsor: Sponsor of driver Owner/Team: Owner/team for which driver drove Car make: Make of car driven Laps: Laps completed Money: Earnings for race Status: If car was running at end of race, or otherwise the reason it was out of the race + Summary by driver1956 Race 1 at Soldier Field Results https://www.espn.com/racing/raceresults/_/series/sprint/raceId/195607210184 ESPN 28 November 2023 Finish StartPos. Car# Driver Sponsor Owner/ Team Carmake Laps Money Status 1 3 22 Fireball Roberts DePaolo Engineering Pete DePaolo 1956 Ford 200 $850 running 2 14 75 Jim Paschal C U Later Alligator Frank Hayworth 1956 Mercury 200 $625 running 3 4 12 Ralph Moody racing driver DePaolo Engineering Pete DePaolo 1956 Ford 200 $450 running 4 12 500 Speedy Thompson Carl Kiekhaefer 1956 Dodge 200 $350 running 5 8 500B Frank Mundy Carl Kiekhaefer 1956 Dodge 200 $310 running 6 9 502 Buck Baker Carl Kiekhaefer 1956 Dodge 199 $250 running 7 13 31 Bill Champion Bill Champion (racing driver) John Whitford John Whitford (racing driver) 1956 Ford 199 $200 running 8 6 32 Paul Goldsmith racing driver Smokey Yunick 1956 Chevrolet 198 $150 running 9 7 719 Joy Fair Russell Wainscott 1956 Dodge 192 $100 running 10 10 42 Lee Petty Petty Enterprises 1956 Dodge 190 $100 running 11 20 7 Bob Esposito – 1955 Oldsmobile 189 $100 running 12 23 33 Frank Edwards Frank Edwards (racing driver) – 1956 Chevrolet 182 $100 running 13 22 48 Bill Massey Bill Massey (racing driver) Don Holcomb 1956 Ford 176 $100 running 14 21 38 Chuck Mesler – 1956 Dodge 175 $100 running 15 15 66 Al Watkins Al Watkins 1956 Ford 164 $100 running 16 24 2 Sal Tovella – 1956 Ford 142 $100 brakes 17 1 14 Billy Myers Billy Myers (racing driver) Bill Stroppe 1956 Mercury 140 $100 brakes 18 2 92 Herb Thomas Herb Thomas 1956 Chevrolet 98 $100 crash 19 17 204 Darvin Randahl Darvin Randahl 1956 Ford 86 $50 brakes 20 11 150 Fred Lorenzen Fred Lorenzen 1956 Chevrolet 85 $50 brakes 21 16 40 Bob Chauncey – 1956 Pontiac 78 $50 spindle 22 5 3 Tom Pistone – 1956 Chevrolet 50 $50 brakes 23 19 44 Bill Vesler – 1955 Chevrolet 41 $50 crash 24 18 165 Kenny Paulsen – 1955 Chevrolet 40 $50 engine 25 25 37 Ray Crowley Ronnie Duman 1956 Plymouth 36 $100 carburetor Subsequent history of NASCAR in the Chicago area The 1957 edition of Soldier Field's annual Chicago Park District Police Benevolent Association Gold Trophy Race (held on June 15, 1957) was sanctioned by NASCAR as a 50-lap short track race under the "NASCAR Grand National" banner. Despite the 1957 race being considered at the time it was held to have been a NASCAR Grand National Series event, it is not retrospectively considered to have been an official part of the 1957 NASCAR Grand National Series. For reasons that are unclear, Soldier Field never held another NASCAR Cup Series race. NASCAR ceased holding any races at Soldier Field after 1957.Jensen Tom Stadium Racing Part of NASCAR’s Roots NASCAR Hall of Fame Curators' Corner https://www.nascarhall.com/blog/stadium-racing-part-of-nascars-roots Nascar Hall of Fame 15 November 2023 January 28, 2022http://www.nascar.com/en_us/news-media/articles/2012/09/15/dcaraviello-soldier-field-racing.html Caraviello: In Chicago, Nothing Like a Race at Soldier Field Caraviello David September 15, 2012 NASCAR https://web.archive.org/web/20151208140327/http://www.nascar.com/en_us/news-media/articles/2012/09/15/dcaraviello-soldier-field-racing.html December 8, 2015 July 30, 2014 NASCAR Winston Racing Series races were held in the Chicagoland area at the Santa Fe Speedway, which was ultimately demolished in 1995. NASCAR returned to the Chicagoland area for the 2000 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, with the Sears Craftsman 175 being held at the Chicago Motor Speedway in Cicero, Illinois.November 2023 The NASCAR Cup Series would not return to the Chicagoland area until 2002, when the 2002 Tropicana 400 was held at the Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois.That's Racin' https://www.newspapers.com/image/687180374 Newspapers.com subscription The Kansas City Star 30 November 2023 en 12 Jul 2002 NASCAR would not return to the city proper again until 2023, when the Xfinity Series held The Loop 110 and the NASCAR Cup Series held the Grant Park 220 at the Chicago Street Course.November 2023 See also Motorsport at Soldier Field Notes a note a The 1957 edition of Soldier Field's annual Chicago Park District Police Benevolent Association Gold Trophy Race (held on June 15, 1957) was sanctioned by NASCAR as a 50-lap short track race under the "NASCAR Grand National" banner.Stock Race Marks May Fall Tonight https://www.newspapers.com/image/372696770 Newspapers.com subscription Chicago Tribune 15 November 2023 en June 1, 1957 It was won by Bill Brown. However, while this 1957 race was considered to be a NASCAR Grand National Series event at the time it was held, by the 2010s it did not appear on NASCAR's retrospective lists of Grand National events that were held in the 1957 NASCAR Grand National Series. References untitled race at California State Fairgrounds untitled race at Cleveland County Fairgrounds NASCAR Grand National Series season 1956 collapsed 1956 NASCAR Grand National Series race Soldier Field Category:NASCAR races in Illinois NASCAR Grand National Series race at Soldier Field Category:Sports competitions in Chicago NASCAR Grand National Series race at Soldier Field Category:Former NASCAR Cup Series races