1949 Wilkes 200
In today's world, 1949 Wilkes 200 has become a topic of great relevance and interest to a wide spectrum of society. The importance of 1949 Wilkes 200 has left its mark on history and is present in people's daily lives. From its origins to the present, 1949 Wilkes 200 has been the subject of debate and analysis in different areas, from politics to science, including culture and technology. For this reason, it is essential to understand the impact that 1949 Wilkes 200 has on our lives and in the global context. In this article, we will explore in depth the importance of 1949 Wilkes 200 and its implications in the contemporary world.
| Race details[1][2] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 8 of 8 in the 1949 NASCAR Strictly Stock season | |||
 North Wilkesboro Speedway | |||
| Date | October 16, 1949 | ||
| Official name | Wilkes 200 | ||
| Location | North Wilkesboro Speedway, North Wilkesboro, North Carolina | ||
| Course | Permanent racing facility | ||
| Course length | 0.500 miles (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 | (Dailey Moyer owner) | ||
| Time | 31.27 seconds | ||
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Bill Blair | (Sam Rice owner) | |
| Laps | 180 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 7 | Bob Flock | (Frank Christian owner) | |
| Television in the United States | |||
| Network | untelevised | ||
| Announcers | none | ||
The 1949 Wilkes 200 was a NASCAR Strictly Stock Series racing event that took place on October 16, 1949.[where?][3]
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 ($19,823.08 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[7] | ST | # | DRIVER | SPONSOR / OWNER | CAR | LAPS | MONEY | STATUS | LED |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7 | Bob Flock | Bob Flock Garage (Frank Christian) | '49 Oldsmobile | 200 | 1500 | running | 20 | |
| 2 | 42 | Lee Petty | Petty Enterprises | '49 Plymouth | 200 | 750 | running | 0 | |
| 3 | 47 | Fonty Flock | Green Leaf Cafe (Ed Lawrence) | '47 Buick | 199 | 400 | running | 0 | |
| 4 | 19 | Clyde Minter | Clyde Minter | '47 Ford | 199 | 300 | running | 0 | |
| 5 | 92 | Herb Thomas | Herb Thomas | '49 Ford | 197 | 175 | running | 0 | |
| 6 | 14 | Roy Hall | Parks Novelty (Raymond Parks) | '49 Oldsmobile | 196 | 150 | 0 | ||
| 7 | 5 | Ray Erickson | Ed Hastings | '49 Mercury | 194 | 100 | 0 | ||
| 8 | 9 | Raymond Lewis | Robert Dixon | '49 Cadillac | 194 | 75 | 0 | ||
| 9 | 41 | Curtis Turner | Frank Christian | '49 Oldsmobile | 193 | 50 | 0 | ||
| 10 | 2 | 44 | Bill Blair | Sam Rice | '49 Cadillac | 191 | 50 | engine | 180 |
| 11 | 11 | Bob Apperson | Bob Apperson | '47 Ford | 191 | 50 | 0 | ||
| 12 | 71 | Sara Christian | Frank Christian | '49 Oldsmobile | 188 | 50 | 0 | ||
| 13 | 28 | Slick Smith | Buddy Helms | '47 Hudson | 174 | 50 | 0 | ||
| 14 | 20 | H.F. Stikeleather | '48 Lincoln | 167 | 50 | 0 | |||
| 15 | 1 | 15 | Kenneth Wagner | Moyer Co. (Dailey Moyer) | '49 Lincoln | 165 | 50 | 0 | |
| 16 | 22 | Red Byron | Parks Novelty (Raymond Parks) | Oldsmobile | 155 | 0 | |||
| 17 | 21 | Bobby Green | Bobby Greene | '48 Ford | 148 | 0 | |||
| 18 | 1 | Bill Greever | '48 Mercury | 134 | 0 | ||||
| 19 | 90 | Tim Flock | Buddy Elliott | '49 Oldsmobile | 117 | 0 | |||
| 20 | 8 | Dick Linder | LaBelle Motors | '49 Kaiser | 59 | 0 | |||
| 21 | 4 | Otis Martin | Raymond Lewis | '47 Buick | 50 | 0 | |||
| 22 | 2 | Frank Mundy | '49 Ford | 38 | 0 |
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
- ^ a b "1949 Wilkes 200 temperature information". The Old Farmers' Almanac. Retrieved March 11, 2011.
- ^ a b c d e f g "1949 Wilkes 200 racing results". Racing Reference. Retrieved March 8, 2011.
- ^ a b c d e f g "1949 Wilkes 200 racing results (second reference)". Ultimate Racing History. Retrieved March 10, 2011.
- ^ "Bob Flock's prize winnings (1949 Wilkes 200)". Driver Averages. Archived from the original on July 26, 2014. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
- ^ a b "NASCAR's first champion and first female driver". Save the Speedway. Retrieved March 8, 2011.
- ^ "1949 Wilkes 200 crew chiefs". Racing Reference. Retrieved August 19, 2018.
- ^ "Race Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved June 9, 2021.