Johnny Thomson... Born ... AAA / USAC . He won the 1952 AAA Eastern division Midget championship. He drove in the AAA and USAC Championship Car series, racing in the 1953-1960 seasons with 69 starts, including the Indianapolis 500 races in each season. He finished in the top ten 43 times, with 7 victories. His best Indy finish was third in 1959. Roy Sherman, the first National Midget Champion, was his chief mechanic for several Indy 500s. He was the first driver to win a 100 mile dirt track race in less than an hour at Langhorne, Pennsylvania. His champ car's average speed was 100.174 miles per hour. Thomson was the 1958 USAC Sprint Car Series champion. He won the Eastern Sprint Car championship in 1954. He died at a sprint car event at the 1960 edition of the Allentown Fair when his car crashed through the fence and flipped into the infield. Thomson was inducted in the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 1996 and the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 1997.
Eddie Sachs drove an Offy powered Kuzma chassis to victory in the 100 mile USAC Championship race on the 1 mile Trenton Speedway.
Fred Lorenzen scored his first career NASCAR Grand National win in the rain shortened 'Virginia 500' at Martinsville Speedway. In an unusual ruling, NASCAR declared the race complete after 149 laps, well short of the 50% distance normally required. Bill France re-scheduled the 500Šlapper for the 30th and declared this race a 100 miler with drivers keeping all earnings and points.
David Pearson drove the Cotton Owens Dodge to his 3rd straight NASCAR GN win, crossing the line in the 100 mile race on the 1/2 mile dirt Greenville-Pickens Speedway in Greenville, South Carolina a lap ahead of Richard Petty.
Lloyd Ruby opened the USAC Championship season by scoring a convincing victory in the 'Jimmy Bryan Memorial 150' on the 1 mile paved Phoenix International Raceway oval. Ruby led all 150 laps, but his day was not perfect. On the 123rd lap, Ruby did a 360 after tapping Mel Kenyon while trying to put Kenyon a lap down. Ruby recovered without losing the lead and went on to take his turbocharged Offy powered Mongoose across the line more than a lap ahead of Roger McCluskey's Eagle-Ford. It was Ruby's 3rd career win and first since winning the season closing event of 1964 on the same track. Mario Andretti failed to start after he destroyed his new Brawner Brabham Hawk in a practice crash. F1/Sports Car driver Lucien Bianchi gave his car to Andretti for the race, but Mario crashed it after the left rear suspension collapsed coming out of turn 4 on his qualifying attempt.
Bobby Allison won the NASCAR GN 'Southeastern 500' in dominating fashion, leading 445 of the 500 laps at Bristol International Speedway. Allison only lost the lead once under green, to "Coo Coo" Marlin from laps 33-48. Allison finished 4 laps ahead of Bobby Isaac's Krauskopf Dodge with Richard Petty's Plymouth 9 laps behind in 3rd. Petty's car sported a power steering unit. It was Allison's 2nd straight win in the Richard Howard Chevy. After the race, Mopar drivers complained that the Chevrolets had been given too much of an advantage by rules allowing them a larger carburetor opening.
Larry Dickson won the 40 lap USAC Sprint Car race at the Winchester Speedway, Winchester,IN. Cy Fairchild finished second followed by Rollie Beale, Lee Kunzman and Sammy Sessions.
Benny Parsons held off a fast closing Darrell Waltrip to win the NASCAR GN 'Rebel 500' at Darlington Raceway. Parsons' L.G. DeWitt Chevrolet finished 1.3 seconds ahead of Waltrip's DiGard Chevrolet.
Pancho Carter won the 40 lap USAC Sprint Car race at the Winchester Speedway, Winchester,IN. Billy Cassella finished second followed by Sheldon Kinser, Gary Bettenhausen and Dana Carter.
Eddie Hill became the first person to run a 1/4-mile dragstrip in under 5 seconds when he ran a 4.990 second ET in his Top Fuel dragster in Dallas, Texas.
Lance Dewease and Keith Kauffman each won 30 lap Super Sprint Car feature races at the Port Royal Speedway , Port Royal, PA. ( Click here for the race report. )
Dale Earnhardt won the Budweiser 200 NASCAR Busch Series Stock Car race at the Bristol International Speedway , Bristol, TN.
Ray Evernham won the Modified Stock Car race at the Wall Stadium , Belmar, NJ.
Jim Nace won the Super Sprint Car race at the Selinsgrove Speedway , Selinsgrove, PA.
Brett Hearn won the 100 lap Northeastern Bi-Track Series Championship Modified Stock Car race at the Flemington Fair Speedway , Flemington, NJ. Doug Hoffman was second followed Howie Cronce, Roger Laureno and Kenny Brightbill.
Bob Strait won the Kil Kare Icebreaker 125 ARCA Permatex Series race at the Kil Kare Speedway , Xenia, OH.
( Click here for the race report. )
Rick Mears won the Autoworks 200 CART PPG Indy Car race at the Phoenix International Speedway , Phoenix, AZ.
( Click here for the race report. )
Brett Hearn won the 100 lap Northeastern Dirt Track Championship race at the Flemington Fair Speedway , Flemington, NJ.
( Click here for the race report. )
Pat Flaherty... Died ... He drove in the AAA and USAC Championship Car series, racing in the 1950, 1953-1956, 1958-1959, and 1963 seasons with 19 starts, including the Indianapolis 500 races in 1950, 1953, 1955, 1956, and 1959. He finished in the top ten 9 times, with victories in 1955 and 1956 at Milwaukee as well as the 1956 Indianapolis 500.
James McFadden won the40-lap the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series at the Kokomo Speedway, Kokomo, IN . Brad Sweet was second followed by Justin Peck, Ian Madsen ans Sheldon Haudenschild. Click to watch the feature highlights video.
Alex Swift won the 20-lap Winged 270 Micro Sprint feature at the Spirit Auto Center Speedway at the Bridgeport Motorsports Park, Swedesboro, NJ . Nick Skias was second followed by Nick Walton, Tommy Rinck ans Shea Wills. Luke Thomas won the 25-lap 600 Micro Sprint feature over Billy Koch, Daniel Dickerson, Brendan Bright and Bobby Watkins. Also Shelby McLaughlan won the 20-lap All-Star Slingshots feature over Amanda Angstadt, Ryan Harris, Scott Philipp and Zach Merola.
ONE DAY
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