1953 in NASCAR

The 1953 NASCAR Grand National (now Sprint Cup Series) Season began on February 1 and ended on November 1. Herb Thomas, driving his own #92 Hudson Hornet, won the championship and became the first repeat champion of the Grand National Series.

Contents 1 1953-01 2 1953-02 3 1953-03 4 Wilkes County 200 5 1953-05 6 Richmond 200 7 1953-07 8 1953-08 9 1953-09 10 1953-10 11 1953-11 12 1953-12 13 Raleigh 300 14 1953-14 15 1953-15 16 International 200 17 1953-17 18 1953-18 19 1953-19 20 1953-20 21 1953-21 22 1953-22 23 1953-23 24 1953-24 25 1953-25 26 1953-26 27 1953-27 28 1953-28 29 1953-29 30 Southern 500 31 1953-31 32 1953-32 33 1953-33 34 1953-34 35 Wilkes 160 36 1953-36 37 1953-37 38 Final Points Standings Top Twenty 39 References

1953-01

The first race of the 1953 season was run on February 1 at the Palm Beach Speedway in West Palm Beach, Florida. Dick Rathmann won the pole position.

Top Ten Results

1. Lee Petty
2. Jimmie Lewallen
3. Tim Flock
4. Herschel Buchanan
5. Don Oldenberg
6. Bub King
7. Dub Livingston
8. Pop McGinnis
9. Donald Thomas
10. Sam DiRusso

1953-02

The second race of the 1953 season was run on February 15 at the Daytona Beach Road Course in Daytona Beach, Florida. Bob Pronger won the pole.

Top Ten Results

1. Bill Blair
2. Fonty Flock
3. Tommy Thompson
4. Herb Thomas
5. Tim Flock
6. Dick Passwater
7. Curtis Turner
8. Donald Thomas
9. Tom Cherry
10. Slick Smith

1953-03

The third race of the 1953 season was run on March 8 at Harnett Speedway in Spring Lake, North Carolina. Herb Thomas won the pole.

Top Ten Results

1. Herb Thomas
2. Dick Rathmann
3. Lee Petty
4. Dick Passwater
5. Herschel Buchanan
6. Mike Klapak
7. Tim Flock
8. Ray Duhigg
9. Don Oldenberg
10. Keith Hamner

Wilkes County 200

The fourth race of the season was run on March 29 at North Wilkesboro Speedway in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina. Herb Thomas won the pole.

Top Ten Results

1. Herb Thomas
2. Dick Rathmann
3. Fonty Flock
4. Lee Petty
5. Jimmie Lewallen
6. Buck Baker
7. Joe Eubanks
8. Slick Smith
9. Dick Passwater
10. Bub King

1953-05

The fifth race of the season was run on April 5 at Charlotte Speedway in Charlotte, North Carolina. Tim Flock won the pole.

Top Ten Results

1. Dick Passwater
2. Gober Sosebee
3. Herschel Buchanan
4. Tim Flock
5. Pop McGinnis
6. Otis Martin
7. Fred Dove
8. Mike Klapak
9. Bub King
10. Coleman Lawrence

Richmond 200

The sixth race of the season was run on April 19 at the Richmond Fairgrounds in Richmond, Virginia. Buck Baker won the pole.

Top Ten Results

1. Lee Petty
2. Dick Rathmann
3. Buck Baker
4. Dick Passwater
5. Bill Blair
6. Ray Duhigg
7. Donald Thomas
8. Gene Comstock
9. Fred Dove
10. Herb Thomas

1953-07

The seventh race of the season was run on April 26 at Central City Speedway in Macon, Georgia.

Top Ten Results

1. Dick Rathmann
2. Herb Thomas
3. Jimmie Lewallen
4. Fonty Flock
5. Dick Passwater
6. Tim Flock
7. Joe Eubanks
8. Buck Baker
9. Ted Chamberlain
10. Virgil Livengood

1953-08

The eighth race of the season was run on May 3 at Langhorne Speedway in Langhorne, Pennsylvania. Tim Flock captured the pole.

Top Ten Results

1. Buck Baker
2. Lee Petty
3. Fonty Flock
4. Herschel Buchanan
5. Tim Flock
6. Ray Duhigg
7. Herb Thomas
8. Bill Adams
9. Ralph Liguori
10. Ted Chamberlain

1953-09

The ninth race of the season was run on May 9 at Columbia Speedway in Columbia, South Carolina. Herb Thomas won the pole.

Top Ten Results

1. Buck Baker
2. Tim Flock
3. Jimmie Lewallen
4. Ray Duhigg
5. Lee Petty
6. Gober Sosebee
7. Bill Blair
8. Herb Thomas
9. Bill Jennings
10. Ralph Dyer

1953-10

The tenth race of the season was run on May 16 at Hickory Speedway in Hickory, North Carolina. Herb Thomas won the pole.

Top Ten Results

1. Tim Flock
2. Joe Eubanks
3. Ray Duhigg
4. Dick Passwater
5. Dick Rathmann
6. Bob Welborn
7. Otis Martin
8. Herschel Buchanan
9. Pop McGinnis
10. Clyde Minter

1953-11

The eleventh race of the season was run on May 17 at Martinsville Speedway in Martinsville, Virginia. Joe Eubanks won the pole.

Top Ten Results

1. Lee Petty
2. Herb Thomas
3. Dick Rathmann
4. Ray Duhigg
5. Ralph Liguori
6. Dick Passwater
7. Buck Baker
8. Bob Welborn
9. Clyde Minter
10. Lyle Scott

1953-12

The twelfth race of the season was run on May 24 at Powell Motor Speedway in Columbus, Ohio. Fonty Flock captured the pole position for the race.

Top Ten Results

1. Herb Thomas
2. Dick Rathmann
3. Buck Baker
4. Curtis Turner
5. Pop McGinnis
6. Ralph Dyer
7. Ed Benedict
8. Lee Petty
9. Gene Comstock
10. Bub King

Raleigh 300

The thirteenth race of the season was run on May 30 at Raleigh Speedway in Raleigh, North Carolina. Slick Smith won the pole.

Top Ten Results

1. Fonty Flock
2. Speedy Thompson
3. Tim Flock
4. Herb Thomas
5. Dick Passwater
6. Dick Rathmann
7. Slick Smith
8. Lee Petty
9. Ray Duhigg
10. Joe Eubanks

1953-14

The fourteenth race of the season was run on June 7 at the Louisiana Fairgrounds in Shreveport, Louisiana. Herb Thomas won the pole.

Top Ten Results

1. Lee Petty
2. Dick Rathmann
3. Herb Thomas
4. Tim Flock
5. Buck Baker
6. Herschel Buchanan
7. Gober Sosebee
8. Ralph Dyer
9. Elbert Allen
10. Slick Smith

1953-15

The fifteen race of the season was run on June 14 at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Florida. Dick Rathmann won the pole.

Top Ten Results

1. Herb Thomas
2. Dick Rathmann
3. Lee Petty
4. Buck Baker
5. Tim Flock
6. Dick Passwater
7. Joe Eubanks
8. Slick Smith
9. Gober Sosebee
10. Fred Moore

International 200

The sixteenth race of the season was run on June 21 at Langhorne Speedway in Langhorne, Pennsylvania. Lloyd Shaw won the pole.

Top Ten Results

1. Dick Rathmann
2. Lee Petty
3. Jim Paschal
4. Herb Thomas
5. Bill Blair
6. Dick Allwine
7. Tim Flock
8. Nick Fornono
9. Billy Oswald
10. Bill Rexford

1953-17

The seventeenth race of the season was run on June 26 at Tri-City Speedway in High Point, North Carolina. Herb Thomas won the pole.

Top Ten Results

1. Herb Thomas
2. Dick Rathmann
3. Joe Eubanks
4. Buck Baker
5. Lee Petty
6. Jim Paschal
7. Slick Smith
8. Jimmie Lewallen
9. Buck Smith
10. Andy Winfree

1953-18

The eighteenth race of the season was run on June 28 at Wilson Speedway in Wilson, North Carolina. Buck Baker earned the pole position for the event.

Top Ten Results

1. Fonty Flock
2. Dick Rathmann
3. Herb Thomas
4. Joe Eubanks
5. Buck Baker
6. Speedy Thompson
7. Tim Flock
8. Fred Dove
9. Lee Petty
10. Jimmie Lewallen

1953-19

The nineteenth race of the season was run on July 3 at the Monroe County Fairgrounds in Rochester, New York. Tim Flock won the pole.

Top Ten Results

1. Herb Thomas
2. Dick Rathmann
3. Lee Petty
4. Tim Flock
5. Bill Rexford
6. Bob Cameron
7. John Meggers
8. Jerry Earl
9. Russ Truelove
10. Elton Hildreth

1953-20

The twentieth race of the season was run on July 4 at the Piedmont Interstate Fairgrounds in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Buck Baker won the pole.

Top Ten Results

1. Lee Petty
2. Buck Baker
3. Herb Thomas
4. Fonty Flock
5. Johnny Patterson
6. Joe Eubanks
7. Elbert Allen
8. Gober Sosebee
9. Arden Mounts
10. Dick Rathmann

1953-21

The twenty-first race of the season was run on July 10 at Morristown Speedway in Morristown, New Jersey. Herb Thomas won the pole.

Top Ten Results

1. Dick Rathmann
2. Herb Thomas
3. Lee Petty
4. Jim Paschal
5. Ronnie Kohler
6. Eddie Riker
7. Elton Hildreth
8. Charles Barry
9. John Meggers
10. Bill Cleveland

1953-22

The twenty-second race of the season was run on July 12 at Lakewood Speedway in Atlanta, Georgia. Herb Thomas won the pole.

Top Ten Results

1. Herb Thomas
2. Dick Rathmann
3. Lee Petty
4. Joe Eubanks
5. Jerry Wimbish
6. Gober Sosebee
7. Buck Baker
8. Neil Roberts
9. C.H. Dingler
10. Gordon Bracken

1953-23

The twenty-third race of the season was run on July 22 at Rapid Valley Speedway in Rapid City, South Dakota. Herb Thomas captured the pole for the event.

Top Ten Results

1. Herb Thomas
2. Dick Rathmann
3. Fonty Flock
4. Lee Petty
5. Buck Baker
6. Bill Harrison
7. Eddie Skinner
8. Leo Ray
9. Dick Fellows
10. C.H. Dingler

1953-24

The twenty-fourth race of the season was run on July 26 at the Lincoln City Fairgrounds in North Platte, Nebraska. Herb Thomas won the pole.

Top Ten Results

1. Dick Rathmann
2. Herb Thomas
3. Lee Petty
4. Buck Baker
5. Marvin Copple
6. Bill Harrison
7. Byron Clouse
8. C.H. Dingler
9. Tubby Harrison
10. Sandy Slack

1953-25

The twenty-fifth race of the season was run on August 2 at Davenport Speedway in Davenport, Iowa. Buck Baker won the pole.

Top Ten Results

1. Herb Thomas
2. Buck Baker
3. Lee Petty
4. Dick Rathmann
5. Fonty Flock
6. Bill Harrison
7. Mel Krueger
8. Johnny Beauchamp
9. Tubby Harrison
10. Keith Lucas

1953-26

The twenty-sixth race of the season was run on August 9 at Occoneechee Speedway in Hillsboro, North Carolina. Curtis Turner won the pole.

Top Ten Results

1. Curtis Turner
2. Herb Thomas
3. Lee Petty
4. Joe Eubanks
5. Bill Blair
6. Jim Paschal
7. Slick Smith
8. Elton Hildreth
9. Jimmie Lewallen
10. Jimmy Ayers

1953-27

The twenty-seventh race of the season was run on August 16 at Asheville-Weaverville Speedway in Weaverville, North Carolina. Curtis Turner won the pole.

Top Ten Results

1. Fonty Flock
2. Herb Thomas
3. Bill Blair
4. Buck Baker
5. Jimmie Lewallen
6. Slick Smith
7. Lee Petty
8. Gene Comstock
9. Jimmy Ayers
10. Tim Flock

1953-28

The twenty-eighth race of the season was run on August 23 at Princess Anne Speedway in Norfolk, Virginia. Curtis Turner captured the pole position.

Top Ten Results

1. Herb Thomas
2. Fonty Flock
3. Lee Petty
4. Dick Rathmann
5. Jim Paschal
6. Buck Baker
7. Andy Winfree
8. John Meggers
9. Ralph Rose
10. Gober Sosebee

1953-29

The twenty-ninth race of the season was run on August 29 at Hickory Speedway in Hickory, North Carolina. Tim Flock won the pole. This race also marked the first Grand National race for the 1961 and 1965 champion Ned Jarrett. He finished 11th.

Top Ten Results

1. Fonty Flock
2. Herb Thomas
3. Joe Eubanks
4. Lee Petty
5. Jimmie Lewallen
6. Slick Smith
7. Tim Flock
8. Fred Dove
9. Ralph Rose
10. Buck Baker

Southern 500

The thirtieth race race of the season was run on September 7 at Darlington Raceway in Darlington, South Carolina. Fonty Flock won the pole. Buck Baker would go on to win the event by three laps. This race also marked the first Grand National race for the NASCAR Hall of Fame nominee Junior Johnson. Johnson finished 38th after being involved in a wreck.

Top Ten Results

1. Buck Baker
2. Fonty Flock
3. Curtis Turner
4. Dick Meyer
5. Herb Thomas
6. Jim Paschal
7. Speedy Thompson
8. Donald Thomas
9. Dick Passwater
10. Tim Flock

1953-31

The thirty-first race of the season was run on September 13 at Central City Speedway in Macon, Georgia. Joe Eubanks won the pole.

Top Ten Results

1. Speedy Thompson
2. Lee Petty
3. Gober Sosebee
4. Joe Eubanks
5. Tim Flock
6. Herb Thomas
7. Buck Baker
8. Bob Walden
9. Slick Smith
10. Andy Winfree

1953-32

The thirty-second race of the season was run on September 20 at Langhorne Speedway in Langhorne, Pennsylvania. Herb Thomas won the pole.

Top Ten Results

1. Dick Rathmann
2. Herb Thomas
3. Speedy Thompson
4. Jim Reed
5. Jim Paschal
6. Lee Petty
7. Curtis Turner
8. Joe Eubanks
9. Jimmie Lewallen
10. Bobby Myers

1953-33

The thirty-third race of the season was run on October 3 at the Bloomsburg Fairgrounds in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania. Jim Paschal won the pole.

Top Ten Results

1. Herb Thomas
2. Dick Rathmann
3. Buck Baker
4. Elton Hildreth
5. Bob Welborn
6. Lee Petty
7. Ed Chamberlain
8. Bob Walden
9. Wimpy Ervin
10. Ed DeWolff

1953-34

The thirty-fourth race of the season was run on October 4 at Wilson Speedway in Wilson, North Carolina. Herb Thomas won the pole.

Top Ten Results

1. Herb Thomas
2. Speedy Thompson
3. Fonty Flock
4. Lee Petty
5. Ralph Liguori
6. Dick Rathmann
7. Buck Baker
8. Elton Hildreth
9. Jimmie Lewallen
10. Gober Sosebee

Wilkes 160

The thirty-fifth race of the season was run on October 11 at North Wilkesboro Speedway in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina. Buck Baker won the pole.

Top Ten Results

1. Speedy Thompson
2. Fonty Flock
3. Ray Duhigg
4. Bob Welborn
5. Lee Petty
6. Buck Baker
7. Bill Blair
8. Joe Eubanks
9. Jimmie Lewallen
10. Bub King

1953-36

The thirty-sixth race of the season was run on October 13 at Martinsville Speedway in Martinsville, Virginia. Fonty Flock won the pole.

Top Ten Results

1. Jim Paschal
2. Lee Petty
3. Bill Blair
4. Fonty Flock
5. Carl Burris
6. Emory Lewis
7. Bob Welborn
8. Bill Morgan
9. Clyde Minter
10. Joe Bill O'Dell

1953-37

The thirty-seventh and final race of the season was run on November 1 at Lakewood Speedway in Atlanta, Georgia. Tim Flock started on the pole but finished 20th due to an overheating problem. Herb Thomas, the 1953 champion, finished 14th.

Top Ten Results

1. Buck Baker
2. Fonty Flock
3. Lee Petty
4. Jim Paschal
5. Jimmie Lewallen
6. Johnny Patterson
7. Pop McGinnis
8. Joe Eubanks
9. Bob Welborn
10. Ewell Weddle

Final Points Standings Top Twenty

1. Herb Thomas – 8460
2. Lee Petty – 7814
3. Dick Rathmann – 7362
4. Buck Baker – 6713
5. Fonty Flock – 6174
6. Tim Flock – 5011
7. Jim Paschal – 4211
8. Joe Eubanks – 3603
9. Jimmie Lewallen – 3208
10. Curtis Turner – 3373
11. Speedy Thompson – 2958
12. Slick Smith – 2670
13. Elton Hildreth – 2625
14. Gober Sosebee – 2525
15. Bill Blair – 2457
16. Fred Dove – 1997
17. Bub King – 1624
18. Gene Comstock – 1519
19. Donald Thomas – 1408
20. Ralph Liguori – 1336

References

• Racing Reference

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