1949 Wilkes 200

The 1949 Wilkes 200 was a NASCAR Strictly Stock Series racing event that took place on October 16, 1949.[3]

1949 Wilkes 200
Race details[1][2]
Race 8 of 8 in the 1949 NASCAR Strictly Stock season
North Wilkesboro Speedway
Date October 16, 1949 (1949-October-16)
Official name Wilkes 200
Location North Wilkesboro Speedway, North Wilkesboro, North Carolina
Course Permanent racing facility
0.500 mi (0.804 km)
Distance 200 laps, 100 mi (150 km)
Weather Chilly with temperatures reaching up to 68.0 °F (20.0 °C); wind speeds reaching up to 7 miles per hour (11 km/h)
Average speed 53.364 miles per hour (85.881 km/h)
Attendance 10,000
Pole position
Driver
  • Kenneth Wagner
Dailey Moyer
Time 31.27 seconds
Most laps led
Driver Bill Blair Sam Rice
Laps 180
Winner
No. 7 Bob Flock Frank Christian
Television in the United States
Network untelevised
Announcers none

Ten thousand people would attend this live racing event where Kenneth Wagner qualified for the race with a pole position speed of 57.563 miles per hour (92.639 km/h) – the equivalent of 31.27 seconds.[2][3] The entire race took place on a dirt track spanning 0.500 miles (0.805 km) per lap.[2][3] Weather conditions for the race were recorded at nearby Hickory Regional Airport; a public airport located three miles (5 km) west of the central business district of nearby Hickory, North Carolina.[1]

Summary

This would be the final race of the 1949 NASCAR season and would take place at North Wilkesboro Speedway in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina.[2][3]

Bob Flock would defeat Lee Petty by an entire football field – 100 yards (91 m) – to win NASCAR's first racing event with an established name.[2][3] Flock would earn a mere $1,500 in prize winnings ($16,118.18 when inflation is taken into effect).[4] Frank Mundy would receive a last-place finish for only finishing 38 laps out of the mandated 200 laps.[2][3] Bill Blair would lead the most laps in this race with 180 laps led out of 200.[3]

Red Byron would go on to win NASCAR's first ever championship while Sara Christian would become one of its first female drivers.[5] Byron almost became a cripple after being shot by an enemy fighter plane while serving as a tail gunner on a B-24 Liberator bomber during World War II. He spent two years in military hospitals rehabilitating his leg so that he could compete in NASCAR after the war ended.[5]

Notable crew chiefs who actively participated in the race were Buddy Elliott, Julian Petty, Buddy Helms, Red Vogt, and Cliff Rainwater.[6]

While Red Byron and Lee Petty were the better drivers of the 1949 NASCAR Cup Series season, Bill Blair was the most consistent driver along with Petty.

Timeline

Section reference:[2]

  • Start of race: Bill Blair starts off the race in the pole position
  • Lap 38: Frank Mundy withdrew from the race for reasons unknown
  • Lap 155: Red Byron withdrew from the race for reasons unknown, he was assumed not have been paid for participating in this event
  • Lap 181: Bob Flock takes over the lead from Bill Blair
  • Lap 188: Sara Christian ended the racing event 12 laps behind Herb Thomas
  • Lap 191: Bill Blair had a terminal problem with his engine, forcing him out of the race
  • Lap 196: Roy Hall may or may not have finished the race six laps behind Thomas, records of this race were not kept in the NASCAR archives
  • Finish: Bob Flock was officially declared the winner of the event

Results

Pos Grid Car # Driver Owner Make Laps Laps led Status
17Bob FlockFrank Christian'49 Oldsmobile20020Running
242Lee PettyPetty Enterprises'49 Plymouth2000Running
347Fonty FlockEd Lawrence'47 Buick1990Running
419Clyde MinterClyde Minter'47 Ford1990Running
592Herb ThomasHerb Thomas'49 Ford1970Running
614Roy HallRaymond Parks'49 Oldsmobile1960
75Ray EricksonEd Hastings'49 Mercury1940
89Raymond LewisRobert Dixon'49 Cadillac1940
941Curtis TurnerFrank Christian'49 Oldsmobile1930
10244Bill BlairSam Rice'49 Cadillac191180Engine
1111Bob AppersonBob Apperson'47 Ford1910
1271Sara ChristianFrank Christian'49 Oldsmobile1880
1328Slick SmithBuddy Helms'47 Hudson1740
1420H.F. Stickleather'48 Lincoln1670
15115Kenneth WagnerDailey Moyer'49 Lincoln1650
1622Red ByronRaymond ParksOldsmobile1550
1721Bobby GreeneBobby Greene'48 Ford1480
181Bill Greever'48 Mercury1340
1990Tim FlockBuddy Elliott'49 Oldsmobile1170
208Dick Linder'49 Kaiser590
214Otis MartinRaymond Lewis'47 Buick500
222Frank Mundy'49 Ford380

Race summary

  • Lead changes: 2
  • Cautions: N/A
  • Red flags: N/A
  • Time of race: 1 hours, 52 minutes, and 16 seconds
  • Average speed: 53.364 miles per hour (85.881 km/h)
  • Margin of Victory: 100 yards

References

  1. "1949 Wilkes 200 temperature information". The Old Farmers' Almanac. Retrieved 2011-03-11.
  2. "1949 Wilkes 200 racing results". Racing Reference. Retrieved 2011-03-08.
  3. "1949 Wilkes 200 racing results (second reference)". Ultimate Racing History. Retrieved 2011-03-10.
  4. "Bob Flock's prize winnings (1949 Wilkes 200)". Driver Averages. Archived from the original on 2014-07-26. Retrieved 2014-07-20.
  5. "NASCAR's first champion and first female driver". Save the Speedway. Retrieved 2011-03-08.
  6. "1949 Wilkes 200 crew chiefs". Racing Reference. Retrieved 2018-08-19.
Preceded by
inaugural race
Wilkes 200 races
1949
Succeeded by
1950
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