# 1952 NASCAR Grand National Series

The 1952 NASCAR Grand National Series was the fourth season of the premier stock car racing championship sanctioned by NASCAR. Once the season was concluded, driver Tim Flock was crowned the Grand National champion after winning 8 of the 33 events that he competed in. This was the first year that NASCAR scheduled its events to avoid the conflicts of having two races, at two different tracks, on the same day. The only exception was on June 1, when races were held at both Toledo Speedway in Ohio, and Hayloft Speedway in Augusta, Georgia. Herb Thomas finished second to Flock after competing in 32 races, and Lee Petty finished third in the standings that year. Throughout the 1952 season, a total of 261 drivers entered at least one of the 34 events. Virtually every American car manufacturer had at least one of their cars start that season.
This was also the first season that sponsors such as Pure Oil Co (which later became Union 76, and eventually Unocal), and Champion Spark Plug Inc. started paying contingency award monies in exchange for the publicity they received by drivers sponsoring their products.

## 1952 season recap

The 1952 NASCAR Grand National season was dominated by Hudson automobiles, winning 27 of the scheduled 34 races. No other make won more than three times. The reason the Hudson Hornet was so successful, winning over 80 NASCAR races between 1951 and 1955, has been attributed to its low center of gravity, "mono-built" body and center point steering system. The center point steering system contributed to the car's superior handling and cornering abilities; allowing the vehicle to excel on the dirt-covered race tracks of the day.
Palm Beach Speedway in West Palm Beach, Florida, was a half-mile, dirt track that saw its first NASCAR event when it opened the 1952 NASCAR season on January 20, 1952. The 100-mile event was slowed by two caution flags, and was won by driver Tim Flock. Six-thousand fans were on hand to see Flock capture his first of eight victories in the 1952 season. Flock started on the pole, and drove his No. 91 1951 Hudson, sponsored by Ted Chester, to victory. He claimed his $1,025 winnings with only five drivers still running at the end of the race. Flock captured the pole position for the race in 27.78 seconds, with an average speed of 64.79 mph. The second event of the 1952 season took place on the famed 4.1 mile road course of Daytona Beach Speedway, and driver Marshall Teague took the victory in a 1952 Hudson. Herb Thomas led the first lap of the event, but Teague managed to lead laps 2 to 37. Twenty-thousand spectators witnessed 61 drivers start the event; but at the end of the race, only 10 cars were still running. The race was eventually halted on lap 37 due to the incoming tide which encroached on the beachfront straight off the track. The third event of the season took place at the half-mile dirt track of Speedway Park in Jacksonville, Florida. Marshall Teague won his second race in a row in the 200 lap, 100 mile contest, defeating the other 28 drivers.
On June 29, NASCAR traveled to Detroit, Michigan, for a scheduled 250-mile event, dubbed the "Motor Sports 250". The race was held at the Michigan State Fairgrounds Speedway; a one-mile dirt oval built in 1899. NASCAR offered its first five-figured purse, of $11,675, to the contestants, and driver Tim Flock came away with the winner's share of $5,050. Fans watched as Flock led laps 88 – 110, until driver Buddy Shuman took the lead for one lap on the 111th circuit. Flock, with the fourth and final lead change, on the next lap, went on to lead the remaining laps of the event. Shuman finished the event in second place, capturing a total of $2,225. The event concluded after four hours, with over half of the 47 contestants still running at the drop of the checkered flag.
For the 25th race of the season, fans and drivers assembled at the Darlington Raceway on September 1. The purse for the 400-lap, 500-mile event was $23,855; after six lead changes, and seven caution flags, Fonty Flock took home the winner's trophy with an average speed of 74.5 mph. Over 32,000 fans watched as Flock's victory in his number 14, 1952 Oldsmobile, netted him a $9,430 check for over 6.5 hours of driving. Flock started on the pole, and led the first 17 laps before the first lead change between four drivers. Flock recaptured the lead for the final time on lap 185. Eventual season champion Tim Flock and his No. 91 Hudson were involved in an accident on lap 321, but Flock stepped in and replaced driver Jack Smith in the No. 9. While Flock drove the No. 9 Hudson to an 11th-place finish, he was credited with finishing 34th of the 66 starters, and Smith was awarded the 11th place points.
Palm Beach Speedway both opened and closed the 1952 NASCAR season when it held the 34th and final event on October 30, 1952. Herb Thomas won three of the final four races in the season to finish second in the final standings. Thomas claimed the final victory of the season, winning the event with a two lap advantage over second-place Fonty Flock.

## 1952 Race schedule and results

| No. | Date | Site | Winner | Make / model | Miles | Purse |
| 1 | January 20, 1952 | W. Palm Beach | Tim Flock | 1951 Hudson | 100 | $3,580 |
| 2 | February 10, 1952 | Daytona Beach | Marshall Teague | 1952 Hudson | 152 | $6,110 |
| 3 | March 6, 1952 | Jacksonville | Marshall Teague | 1952 Hudson | 100 | $3,675 |
| 4 | March 30, 1952 | North Wilkesboro | Herb Thomas | 1952 Hudson | 125 | $3,550 |
| 5 | April 6, 1952 | Martinsville | Dick Rathmann | 1951 Hudson | 100 | $3,500 |
| 6 | April 12, 1952 | Columbia | Buck Baker | 1952 Hudson | 100 | $3,500 |
| 7 | April 20, 1952 | Atlanta | Bill Blair | 1952 Oldsmobile | 100 | $3,645 |
| 8 | April 27, 1952 | Macon | Herb Thomas | 1952 Hudson | 99 | $4,815 |
| 9 | May 4, 1952 | Langhorne | Dick Rathmann | 1952 Hudson | 150 | $4,745 |
| 10 | May 10, 1952 | Darlington | Dick Rathmann | 1951 Hudson | 100 | $3,550 |
| 11 | May 18, 1952 | Dayton | Dick Rathmann | 1951 Hudson | 100 | $3,325 |
| 12 | May 30, 1952 | Canfield | Herb Thomas | 1952 Hudson | 100 | $3,700 |
| 13 | June 1, 1952 | Augusta | Gober Sosebee | 1952 Chrysler | 77 | $3,575 |
| 14 | June 1, 1952 | Toledo | Tim Flock | 1951 Hudson | 100 | $3,550 |
| 15 | June 8, 1952 | Hillsboro | Tim Flock | 1951 Hudson | 100 | $3,425 |
| 16 | June 15, 1952 | Charlotte | Herb Thomas | 1952 Hudson | 113 | $3,550 |
| 17 | June 29, 1952 | Detroit | Tim Flock | 1951 Hudson | 250 | $11,675 |
| 18 | July 1, 1952 | Stamford, Ontario | Buddy Shuman | 1952 Hudson | 100 | $3,375 |
| 19 | July 4, 1952 | Owego | Tim Flock | 1951 Hudson | 100 | $3,600 |
| 20 | July 6, 1952 | Monroe | Tim Flock | 1952 Hudson | 100 | $3,325 |
| 21 | July 11, 1952 | Morristown | Lee Petty | 1951 Plymouth | 100 | $3,750 |
| 22 | July 20, 1952 | South Bend | Tim Flock | 1951 Hudson | 100 | $3,425 |
| 23 | August 15, 1952 | Rochester | Tim Flock | 1952 Hudson | 88 | $3,550 |
| 24 | August 17, 1952 | Weaverville | Bob Flock | 1951 Hudson | 100 | $3,635 |
| 25 | September 1, 1952 | Darlington | Fonty Flock | 1952 Oldsmobile | 500 | $23,855 |
| 26 | September 7, 1952 | Macon | Lee Petty | 1951 Plymouth | 150 | $4,865 |
| 27 | September 14, 1952 | Langhorne | Lee Petty | 1951 Plymouth | 250 | $8,225 |
| 28 | September 21, 1952 | Dayton | Dick Rathmann | 1951 Hudson | 150 | $5,550 |
| 29 | September 28, 1952 | Wilson | Herb Thomas | 1952 Hudson | 100 | $3,500 |
| 30 | October 12, 1952 | Hillsboro | Fonty Flock | 1952 Oldsmobile | 150 | $5,045 |
| 31 | October 19, 1952 | Martinsville | Herb Thomas | 1952 Hudson | 100 | $3,675 |
| 32 | October 26, 1952 | North Wilkesboro | Herb Thomas | 1952 Hudson | 125 | $3,625 |
| 33 | November 16, 1952 | Atlanta | Donald Thomas | 1952 Hudson | 100 | $3,820 |
| 34 | November 30, 1952 | W. Palm Beach | Herb Thomas | 1952 Hudson | 100 | $3,425 |

### Individual races
## 1952 Grand National final standings

| Pos. | Driver | Pts. | St | W | T5 | T10 | Poles |
| 1 | Tim Flock | 6858.5 | 33 | 8 | 22 | 25 | 4 |
| 2 | Herb Thomas | 6752.5 | 32 | 8 | 19 | 22 | 10 |
| 3 | Lee Petty | 6498.5 | 32 | 3 | 21 | 27 | 0 |
| 4 | Fonty Flock | 5183.5 | 29 | 2 | 14 | 17 | 7 |
| 5 | Dick Rathmann | 3952.5 | 27 | 5 | 14 | 14 | 2 |
| 6 | Bill Blair | 3499 | 19 | 1 | 10 | 13 | 1 |
| 7 | Joe Eubanks | 3090.5 | 19 | 0 | 4 | 9 | 0 |
| 8 | Ray Duhigg | 2986.5 | 18 | 0 | 4 | 10 | 0 |
| 9 | Donald Thomas | 2574 | 21 | 1 | 5 | 14 | 1 |
| 10 | Buddy Shuman | 2483 | 15 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 0 |
| 11 | Ted Chamberlain | 2208 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| 12 | Buck Baker | 2159 | 14 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 2 |
| 13 | Perk Brown | 2151.5 | 19 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 1 |
| 14 | Jimmie Lewallen | 2033 | 20 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 0 |
| 15 | Bub King | 1993 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 0 |
| 16 | Herschel Buchanan | 1868 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 0 |
| 17 | Johnny Patterson | 1708 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 18 | Jim Paschal | 1694 | 15 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 0 |
| 19 | Neil Cole | 1618 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 0 |
| 20 | Lloyd Moore | 1513.5 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 0 |
21. Gene Comstock
22. Banjo Matthews
23. Ralph Liguori
24. Jack Reynolds
25. Dick Passwater
26. Bucky Sager
27. Frankie Schneider
28. Otis Martin
29. Coleman Lawrence
30. Ed Samples
31. Fred Dove
32. Slick Smith
33. Iggy Katona
34. Jack Smith
35. Tommy Moon
36. Rollin Smith
37. Speedy Thompson
38. Jimmy Thompson
39. Bud Farrell
40. Weldon Adams
Other notable drivers with at least one start include: Curtis Turner, Louise Smith, Frank Mundy, Hershel McGriff, Marshall Teague, Nelson Stacy, Bill Rexford, Bob Welborn, Gober Sosebee, Bill Snowden, Fireball Roberts, George Bush, Al Keller, Bob Flock, Cotton Owens, Joe Weatherly, Smokey Yunick.