1955 Wilkes 160
The 1955 Wilkes 160 was a NASCAR Grand National Series event that was held on October 23, 1955, at the North Wilkesboro Speedway in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina.
| Race details[1] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 44 of 45 in the 1955 NASCAR Grand National Series season | |||
 North Wilkesboro Speedway | |||
| Date | October 23, 1955 | ||
| Official name | Wilkes 160 | ||
| Location | North Wilkesboro Speedway, North Wilkesboro, North Carolina | ||
| Course |
Permanent racing facility 0.625 mi (1.00 km) | ||
| Distance | 160 laps, 100 mi (160 km) | ||
| Weather | Mild with temperatures approaching 70 °F (21 °C); wind speeds up to 11.1 miles per hour (17.9 km/h) | ||
| Average speed | 72.347 miles per hour (116.431 km/h) | ||
| Attendance | 10,000[2] | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Pete DePaolo | ||
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Buck Baker | Pete DePaolo | |
| Laps | 160 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 87 | Buck Baker | Pete DePaolo | |
| Television in the United States | |||
| Network | untelevised | ||
| Announcers | none | ||
Summary
One hundred and sixty laps were competed on a dirt oval track spanning .625 miles (1.006 km).[2] There were three cautions delivered down by NASCAR officials and the race lasted exactly one hour, twenty-one minutes, and sixteen seconds.[2] Buck Baker defeated Lee Petty by a time of three seconds.[2] Ford would make its first Grand National Series win at this speedway; making it a viable competitor against Dodge, Chevrolet and Chrysler.[3] The average speed was 72.347 miles per hour (116.431 km/h) while the pole position speed was 79.815 miles per hour (128.450 km/h).[2] Ten thousand people attended this autumn race. This race would produce Joe Weatherly's first finish in the top five.[2] Most of the drivers in this racing event were driver-owners who owned their own racing vehicle and drove their vehicle directly to the races instead of towing it from hundreds of miles away.[4]
All the drivers in this event were racing for a prize purse that totalled $4,285 ($40,896.47 when adjusted for inflation). Only 20 of the 28 competing drivers would gain financially from this race; with individual earnings that ranged from $1,110 ($10,593.95 when adjusted for inflation) to a paltry $50 for the NASCAR drivers who finished in 13th place through 20th place ($477.2 when adjusted for inflation). No financial compensation was given to the participants who finished in the bottom 9 due to NASCAR's limited budget for prize winnings in an era prior to "big money" sponsors like Sprint Nextel and the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company.[5]
Carl Kiekhaefer was one of the notable crew chiefs on attendance for this race; he helped to service Tim Flock's racing vehicle.[6]
Qualifying
| Grid | No. | Driver | Manufacturer | Qualifying Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 87 | Buck Baker | '56 Ford | 79.815 mph |
| 2 | 92 | Herb Thomas | '55 Chevrolet | |
| 3 | 98 | Marvin Panch | '56 Ford | |
| 4 | 42 | Lee Petty | '55 Dodge | |
| 5 | B-29 | Dink Widenhouse | '56 Ford | |
| 6 | 301 | Fonty Flock | '55 Chrysler | |
| 7 | 99 | Curtis Turner | '56 Ford | |
| 8 | 49 | Bob Welborn | '55 Chevrolet | |
| 9 | 9 | Joe Weatherly | '56 Ford | |
| 10 | 20 | Speedy Thompson | '55 Chrysler |
Results
| Pos | Grid | Car # | Driver | Owner | Make | Laps | Laps led | Status | Winnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 87 | Buck Baker† | Pete DePaolo | '56 Ford | 160 | 160 | Running | $1,100 |
| 2 | 4 | 42 | Lee Petty† | Petty Enterprises | '55 Dodge | 160 | 0 | Running | $700 |
| 3 | 12 | 2 | Gwyn Staley† | Hubert Westmoreland | '55 Chevrolet | 159 | 0 | Running | $475 |
| 4 | 9 | 9 | Joe Weatherly† | Charlie Schwam | '56 Ford | 159 | 0 | Running | $365 |
| 5 | 11 | 300 | Tim Flock† | Carl Kiekhaefer | '55 Chrysler | 159 | 0 | Running | $310 |
| 6 | 6 | 301 | Fonty Flock† | Carl Kiekhaefer | '55 Chrysler | 159 | 0 | Running | $250 |
| 7 | 10 | 20 | Speedy Thompson† | Carl Kiekhaefer | '55 Chrysler | 157 | 0 | Running | $200 |
| 8 | 5 | B-29 | Dink Widenhouse | Dink Widenhouse | '56 Ford | 157 | 0 | Running | $150 |
| 9 | 19 | 198 | Dave Terrell | Dave Terrell | '55 Oldsmobile | 156 | 0 | Running | $100 |
| 10 | 16 | 44 | Jim Paschal† | Julian Petty | '55 Chevrolet | 154 | 0 | Running | $100 |
| 11 | 17 | 04 | Jimmy Massey | Hubert Westmoreland | '55 Chevrolet | 154 | 0 | Running | $75 |
| 12 | 18 | 88 | Jimmie Lewallen† | Ernest Woods | '55 Oldsmobile | 151 | 0 | Running | $60 |
| 13 | 8 | 49 | Bob Welborn† | Bob Welborn | '55 Chevrolet | 145 | 0 | Running | $50 |
| 14 | 23 | 24 | Bobby Waddell | Jimmy Pardue | '55 Chevrolet | 138 | 0 | Running | $50 |
| 15 | 27 | 460 | Ed Cole | Brooks Brothers | '55 Plymouth | 136 | 0 | Running | $50 |
| 16 | 24 | 28 | Eddie Skinner | Frank Dodge | '53 Oldsmobile | 132 | 0 | Running | $50 |
| 17 | 25 | 27 | John McVitty† | John McVitty | '55 Chevrolet | 128 | 0 | Wheel | $50 |
| 18 | 15 | 5 | Ralph Liguori | Ralph Liguori | '55 Buick | 127 | 0 | Stalled | $50 |
| 19 | 13 | 22 | Bill Blair† | Bill Blair | '55 Oldsmobile | 127 | 0 | RF Hub | $50 |
| 20 | 7 | 99 | Curtis Turner† | Charlie Schwam | '56 Ford | 103 | 0 | RF Hub | $50 |
| 21 | 2 | 92 | Herb Thomas† | Herb Thomas | '55 Chevrolet | 90 | 0 | Crash | No Payout |
| 22 | 21 | 89 | Ned Jarrett | Ned Jarrett | '55 Buick | 70 | 0 | Fuel Pump | No Payout |
| 23 | 3 | 98 | Marvin Panch | Pete DePaolo | '56 Ford | 50 | 0 | Overheating | No Payout |
| 24 | 14 | 70 | Joe Eubanks† | Lancaster Brothers | '55 Chevrolet | 40 | 0 | Steering | No Payout |
| 25 | 22 | 20 | Banks Simpson | Banks Simpson | '55 Buick | 40 | 0 | Radiator | No Payout |
| 26 | 20 | 55 | Junior Johnson | Jim Lowe & Carl Beckham | '55 Oldsmobile | 35 | 0 | Bumper | No Payout |
| 27 | 28 | 9A | Tom Pistone | Tom Pistone | '55 Chevrolet | 28 | 0 | Overheating | No Payout |
| 28 | 26 | 71 | Ted Cannady | Ted Cannady | '55 Oldsmobile | 25 | 0 | Steering | No Payout |
† signifies that the driver is known to be deceased
Race summary
- Lead changes: 0
- Cautions: 3
- Red flags: N/A
- Time of race: 1:21:16
- Average speed: 72.347
- Margin of Victory: 5 seconds
Timeline
Section reference:[2]
- Start of race: Buck Baker started the race with the pole position.
- Lap 25: Ted Cannady's steering became problematic, sealing his last-place finish in the race.
- Lap 28: Tom Pistone's vehicle overheated, forcing him to exit the race prematurely.
- Lap 35: The bumper on Junior Johnson's vehicle fell off, damaging his vehicle and forcing him to exit the race prematurely.
- Lap 40: Banks Simpson's radiator went berserk; Joe Eubanks' steering stopped working properly.
- Lap 50: Marvin Panch's vehicle overheated while he was racing.
- Lap 70: Ned Jarrett's fuel pump became problematic while he was driving the vehicle.
- Lap 90: Herb Thomas had a terminal crash, forcing him to retire from the race.
- Lap 103: The RF hub on Curtis Turner developed problems.
- Lap 127: Ralph Liguori's vehicle stalled on the track; Bill Blair had some problems with his RF hub.
- Lap 128: A wheel came off of John McVitty's vehicle, forcing him out of the race.
- Finish: Buck Baker was officially declared the winner of the event.
References
- "1955 Wilkes 160 weather information". The Old Farmers' Almanac. Retrieved 2012-09-03.
- "1955 Wilkes 160 race information". Racing Reference. Retrieved 2011-07-20.
- "Winning manufacturer for the 1955 Wilkes 160". Save the Speedway. Retrieved 2012-09-03.
- "1955 Wilkes 160 driver information". Driver Averages. Archived from the original on 2015-10-01. Retrieved 2012-09-03.
- "1955 Wilkes 160 race information". Fantasy Racing Cheat Sheet. Retrieved 2012-09-03.
- "1955 Wilkes 160 crew chief information". Racing Reference. Retrieved 2018-06-14.