1953 NASCAR Grand National Series

1953 Grand National Series
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The 1953 NASCAR Grand National Series began on February 1 and ended on November 1. Future NASCAR Hall of Fame driver Herb Thomas, driving his own No. 92 Hudson Hornet, won the championship and became the first repeat champion of the series. It is also the season with the most one-off races. 9 of the 37 races took place on racetracks that only held a cup race in the 1953 season.

Season recap[]

Races marked with * took place exclusively in the 1953 season.

Date	Event	Circuit	Winner
February 1, 1953	1953–01	Palm Beach Speedway	Lee Petty
February 15, 1953	1953–02	Daytona Beach Road Course	Bill Blair
March 8, 1953	1953–03	Harnett Speedway*	Herb Thomas
March 29, 1953	Wilkes County 200	North Wilkesboro Speedway	Herb Thomas
April 5, 1953	1953–05	Charlotte Speedway	Dick Passwater
April 19, 1953	Richmond 200	Atlantic Rural Exposition Fairgrounds	Lee Petty
April 26, 1953	1953-07	Central City Speedway	Dick Rathmann
May 3, 1953	1953–08	Langhorne Speedway	Buck Baker
May 9, 1953	1953-09	Columbia Speedway	Buck Baker
May 16, 1953	1953–10	Hickory Speedway	Tim Flock
May 17, 1953	1953–11	Martinsville Speedway	Lee Petty
May 24, 1953	1953–12	Powell Motor Speedway*	Herb Thomas
May 30, 1953	Raleigh 300	Raleigh Speedway	Fonty Flock
June 7, 1953	1953–14	Louisiana Fairgrounds*	Lee Petty
June 14, 1953	1953–15	Five Flags Speedway*	Herb Thomas
June 21, 1953	International 200	Langhorne Speedway	Dick Rathmann
June 26, 1953	1953–17	Tri-City Speedway	Herb Thomas
June 28, 1953	1953–18	Wilson Speedway	Fonty Flock
July 3, 1953	1953–19	Monroe County Fairgrounds	Herb Thomas
July 4, 1953	1953-20	Piedmont Interstate Fairgrounds*	Lee Petty
July 10, 1953	1953–21	Morristown Speedway	Dick Rathmann
July 12, 1953	1953–22	Lakewood Speedway	Herb Thomas
July 22, 1953	1953–23	Rapid Valley Speedway*	Herb Thomas
July 26, 1953	1953–24	Lincoln City Fairgrounds*	Dick Rathmann
August 2, 1953	1953–25	Davenport Speedway	Herb Thomas
August 9, 1953	1953–26	Occoneechee Speedway	Curtis Turner
August 16, 1953	1953–27	Asheville-Weaverville Speedway	Fonty Flock
August 23, 1953	1953–28	Princess Anne Speedway*	Herb Thomas
August 29, 1953	1953–29	Hickory Speedway	Fonty Flock
September 7, 1953	Southern 500	Darlington Raceway	Buck Baker
September 13, 1953	1953–31	Central City Speedway	Speedy Thompson
September 20, 1953	1953–32	Langhorne Speedway	Dick Rathmann
October 3, 1953	1953–33	Bloomsburg Fairgrounds*	Herb Thomas
October 4, 1953	1953–34	Wilson Speedway	Herb Thomas
October 11, 1953	Wilkes 160	North Wilkesboro Speedway	Speedy Thompson
October 13, 1953	1953-36	Martinsville Speedway	Jim Paschal
November 1, 1953	1953–37	Lakewood Speedway	Buck Baker

Race summaries[]

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

1953-02[]

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

Top ten results

•This was the third and final win for Blair.

1953-03[]

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

Top ten results

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

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

This race stands as Passwater’s lone win out of 20 starts from 1952-53.

Richmond 200[]

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

Top ten results

1953-07[]

The seventh race of the season was run on April 26 at in Macon, Georgia. Dick Rathmann won the pole.

Top ten results

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

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

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

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

1953-12[]

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

Top ten results

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

1953-14[]

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

Top ten results

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

International 200[]

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

Top ten results

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

1953-18[]

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

Top ten results

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

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

1953-21[]

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

Top ten results

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

1953-23[]

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

Top ten results

1953-24[]

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

Top ten results

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

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

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

1953-28[]

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

Top ten results

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 was the first Grand National race for the 1961 and 1965 champion and future NASCAR Hall of Fame member Ned Jarrett. He finished 11th.

Top ten results

Southern 500[]

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

Top ten results

1953-31[]

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

Top ten results

• This was the first of twenty victories for Thompson.

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

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

1953-34[]

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

Top ten results

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

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

•Pascal’s win was the first of 25 wins over a 23 year career.

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

Final points standings top twenty[]

Herb Thomas – 8460
Lee Petty – 7814
Dick Rathmann – 7362
Buck Baker – 6713
Fonty Flock – 6174
Tim Flock – 5011
Jim Paschal – 4211
Joe Eubanks – 3603
Jimmie Lewallen – 3208
Curtis Turner – 3373
Speedy Thompson – 2958
Slick Smith – 2670
– 2625
Gober Sosebee – 2525
Bill Blair – 2457
Fred Dove – 1997
– 1624
Gene Comstock – 1519
Donald Thomas – 1408
Ralph Liguori – 1336

References[]

Racing Reference