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NASCAR’s past on dirt in color, black-and-white photos
By Chase Wilhelm | Sunday, March 28, 2021
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The early days of NASCAR Cup Series racing, which was originally known as the Grand National series, asphalt was just for getting to the race track and dirt was for competition. But for the first time since 1970, NASCAR's highest level will trade radial Goodyear tires for bias ply and sling some dirt at Bristol Motor Speedway (Monday, 4 p.m. ET on FOX, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Scroll through this mix of color and black-and-white images from NASCAR's past on dirt.
RELATED: Buy a Bristol dirt T-shirt!
RELATED: Buy a Bristol dirt T-shirt!
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Atlantic Rural Exposition Fairgrounds began hosting races like this Modified event on a half-mile dirt track in 1946, which is now Richmond Raceway. Female racing pioneer Sara Christian was at the wheel of the No. 7-11 in 1947.
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NASCAR's first champion, Red Byron, is pictured covered in dirt after winning the first race held at Martinsville Speedway in 1947, which was a modified-sportsman event.
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H. F. Stickleather (No. 20), driving a 1948 Lincoln, leads the 1949 Lincoln of Ken Wagner, Roy Hall (No. 14) and Red Byron (No. 22), both in 1949 Oldsmobiles, and the 1949 Cadillac of Bill Blair (No. 44) during the first NASCAR Cup race to be held at the then-dirt North Wilkesboro Speedway on Oct. 16, 1949.
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Bill France, Sr. changes the name of NASCAR's top series from "Strictly Stock" to "Grand National." The first Strictly Stock race was contested on June 19, 1949, at Charlotte Speedway, a 3/4-mile dirt track. The first Grand National race was held on Daytona Beach on Feb. 5, 1950.
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Ralph Earnhardt stands beside his No. 8 modified coupe in the 1950s. The outline of Earnhardt's goggles is noticeable after the short track dirt competition.
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Drivers wait their turn to qualify just off the racing surface during a dirt track NASCAR Cup event in the 1950s.
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Lee Petty won the 200-lap race at Atlantic Rural Fairgrounds (now Richmond Raceway) in 1953 on a rutted and rough half-mile dirt oval.
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NASCAR Cup drivers meet with officials at the start-finish line before a dirt track Cup race in 1953.
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A standing-room-only crowd watches NASCAR Cup action at a dirt track in 1957.
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Fans get a view of Paul Goldsmith's No. 3 Ford during a NASCAR Cup race on a dirt track. Driving for Henry "Smokey" Yunick, Goldsmith took three of his four wins on the Cup Series circuit during in 1957 in Yunick's car.
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Lakewood Speedway, located on Atlanta's south side, was a one mile dirt horse track that hosted auto racing as early as the 1930s. On June 14, 1959, 21-year-old Richard Petty won the NASCAR Grand National race over his dad, Lee Petty. His first career victory was short lived when Lee protested. Following a lap scoring recount, NASCAR officials reversed the 1-2 finishing order, making Lee Petty the winner.
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Richard Petty found his way to his fourth career win in capturing the 100-miler on the dirt oval at Richmond, Virginia, in 1961.
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Rex White's No. 4 '61 Chevy started on the pole next to Darel Dieringer's Buck Baker-owned No. 86, a 1961 Chrysler in the St. Patrick's Day 200 at the half-mile, Savannah Speedway dirt track on March 17, 1962. Jack Smith took the win over Cotton Owens and Joe Weatherly.
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David Pearson put his Cotton Owens-owned Dodge (No. 6) on the pole for the NASCAR Cup race at the Columbia Speedway dirt track on April 16, 1964 in Columbia, South Carolina. Richard Petty (No. 43) started third. Ned Jarrett went on to win the race, while Pearson finished sixth.
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Martinsville Speedway began as a half-mile dirt oval in 1947, and remains as NASCAR's oldest sanctioned track. Here is an aerial view of the track in 1968.
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Ned Jarrett guides his Chevrolet around a dirt track during a 1961 NASCAR Cup race. Although he won only one race during the year, Jarrett was consistent, finishing 34 times in the top 10 in scoring his first Grand National championship.
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The last NASCAR-sanctioned event on dirt occurred on Sept. 30, 1970 at the half-mile North Carolina State Fairgrounds track in Raleigh, North Carolina, won by Richard Petty. The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series returned to dirt in 2013 at Eldora Speedway, running the Eldora Dirt Derby through the 2019 season.
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