Top-10 List: January #NASCAR Races

10 factoids from the days when NASCAR actually raced during the month of January.

For the last 39 years, the NASCAR premier series season has begun each February with Speedweeks at Daytona International Speedway. And it’s been 40 years since the first race of the season took place in the month of January.

 

Once upon a time, though, NASCAR did race in January. Not often, mind you, but occasionally.

 

So now that the holidays are over, the first Top 10 list of 2021 covers NASCAR trivia regarding the month of January.

 

Lee Petty raced at Palm Beach Speedway in the early days of NASCAR. Photo courtesy of NASCAR Archives & Research Center via Getty Images

 

10. First January race

The 1952 premier series season opened up on January 20, 1952, at Palm Beach Speedway, a 0.500-mile dirt track in West Palm Beach, Florida. There, Hall of Famer Tim Flock (2014) lapped runner-up Lee Petty (2011) and the rest of the field. Driving a Ted Chester-owned Hudson Hornet, Flock led 194 of 200 laps to win $1,025.

 

9. Total January races

In the 72-year history of the premier series, there have only been 20 races contested in January, the last one coming in 1981.

 

8. Tracks that have hosted January races

Believe it or not, just three tracks have hosted premier series races during the month of January. Including the aforementioned Palm Beach Speedway in 1952. Arizona State Fairgrounds, a 1.00-mile dirt track in Phoenix, staged a 150-nile race won by Buck Baker (2013) on January 22, 1956. The other 18 January premier series races were all run on the old 2.7-mile Riverside International Raceway road course in Southern California. 

 

On January 22, 1967, Parnelli Jones won the Motor Trend 500. Photo courtesy of NASCAR Archives & Research Center via Getty Images

 

7. Biggest January field

The 1967 Motor Trend 500 at Riverside International Raceway had a field of 46 cars, the largest of any premier series race ever run in January. Open-wheel ace Parnelli Jones drove a Bill Stroppe-owned Ford to victory over Paul Goldsmith and Norm Nelson.

 

6. Slowest January race

In the early days, premier series races at Riverside International Raceway were a full 500 miles, which made for long afternoons in the Southern California sun. In 1963, Dan Gurney won the Riverside 500 behind the wheel of the iconic No. 28 Holman-Moody Racing Ford frequently piloted by Fred Lorenzen (2015). It took Gurney 5 hours, 53 minutes and 20 seconds to go the distance, averaging 84.965 mph.

 

5. Fastest January race

In terms of average speed, the fastest January premier series race was the 1979 Winston Western 500 at Riverside International Raceway. Driving for DiGard Racing, Darrell Waltrip (2012) averaged 107.82 mph in a race that ran caution free. With the race distance shortened from the old 500 miles to 500 kilometers – about 312 miles – Waltrip needed just 2 hours, 53 minutes and 30 seconds to defeat fellow Hall of Famers David Pearson (2011) and Cale Yarborough (2012). 

 

4. Most January victories

Of the 18 races run in January at Riverside International Raceway, Dan Gurney won five of them, making him the biggest January winner in NASCAR history. Not coincidentally, all of Gurney’s career premier series wins were at Riverside. 

 

3. Hall of Famers who won January races

Seven NASCAR Hall of Fame inductees won premier series races in the month of January: Tim Flock (2014) in 1952; Buck Baker (2013) in 1956; Richard Petty (2010) in 1972; Cale Yarborough (2012) in 1974 and ‘78; Bobby Allison (2011) in 1975 and 1981; David Pearson (2011) in 1976 and ’77; and Darrell Waltrip (2012) in 1979 and ’80.

 

2. Most team wins in January

Wood Brothers Racing, the team founded by Hall of Famer Glen Wood (2012) in 1950, won five January races at Riverside International Raceway, with Dan Gurney in in 1964-66 and ’68 and David Pearson in 1976 and ’77.

 

Bobby Allison leads David Pearson, Richard Petty and the rest of the field at Riverside International Raceway in the 1975 Winston Western 500. Photo courtesy of NASCAR Archives & Research Center via Getty Images

 

1. Last January Race

On January 11, 1981, Bobby Allison (2011) won the Winston Western 500 at Riverside International Raceway, leading an all-Hall of Fame top five ahead of Terry Labonte (2016), Dale Earnhardt (2010), Richard Childress (2017) and Richard Petty (2010). NASCAR has not hosted a premier series race in January since that day 40 years ago.

The NASCAR Hall of Fame is open Wednesday through Monday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. To purchase tickets, go to nascarhall.com/tickets.

 

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Happy Birthday Adam Petty and Thank You

Legacy: Driver Safety & Victory Junction

Today would have been Adam Petty’s thirty-eighth birthday. For those of you unfamiliar with this NASCAR Racer; Adam was born on July 10, 1980 in Trenton, NJ into NASCAR Royalty. 

Adam was the first fourth-generation driver in NASCAR history. His great-grandfather was Lee Petty; his grandfather is Richard “King” Petty; and his father is Kyle Petty. 

Young Adam began his career in 1998, shortly after he turned eighteen, by winning his first ARCA race, driving the #45 Pontiac at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Sadly, he died shorty after, at the age of nineteen at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway when his throttle stuck wide open at turn three causing the car to hit the wall during practice.

Happy Birthday to our inspiration, Adam Petty. Because of you, so many kids now get to experience “the best week of their life” here at Victory Junction. In honor of Adam’s Birthday, you too can be a part of helping kids experience the magic of camp - https://t.co/3Pt7JX4Oz4. pic.twitter.com/ONWexJtQnz

— Victory Junction (@VictoryJunction) July 10, 2018

As the mother of a race car driver, NRM is especially thankful to Adam and the Petty family.

The HANS device (also known as a head restraint) is a safety item compulsory in many car racing sports. It reduces the likelihood of head and/or neck injuries, such as a basilar skull fracture, in the event of a crash.

While it was Dale Earnhardt's death (Feb. 18, 2001) that ultimately led NASCAR officials to mandate the use of the Head and Neck Support (HANS) device to prevent basilar skull fractures, Adam’s death in a practice crash started NASCAR’s migration to that mandate.

Adam Petty's star was extinguished way too early. Incredibly, five months after Adam's death, his family partnered with Paul Newman and the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp to begin the Victory Junction Gang Camp in Randleman, North Carolina, as a memorial to Adam.

Victory Junction provides life-changing experiences for kids with chronic medical conditions or serious illnesses. The camp, opened in 2004, remains one of NASCAR's most popular official charities.

This NASCAR Race Mom appreciates Adam’s sacrifice and must take a moment to recognize the expense our sport’s safety extracted.   Happy Birthday Adam. We remember and miss you greatly. 

Please click here to learn more about Victory Junction.

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2015 NMPA Sprint Most Popular Driver Award Voting Opens September 6th

The National Motorsports Press Association and Sprint are pleased to announce that voting for the 2015 NMPA Sprint Most Popular Driver award will open Sunday, September 6.

The NMPA Sprint Most Popular Driver award is the only major NASCAR award determined solely by fan vote. The voting period will open at 12:01 a.m. ET Sunday and run through 11:59 p.m. ET on Sunday, November 22. Fans can visit www.mostpopulardriver.com to cast their vote for this year’s award. Votes will also be received via the NASCAR Mobile application.

Since the award’s inception in 1953, 19 drivers have won the award. NASCAR Hall of Famer Bill Elliott has won the award more than any other driver (16 times). Dale Earnhardt Jr. has won it the last 12 years in a row.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. "You look at Richard Petty and Bill Elliott and I've always felt that if you win this award once then you are in good company. I'm real proud of it. The fans have hung in there and gave me one heck of a Christmas gift."

Voting is limited to one vote per person per email address per day. Fans are encouraged to share their votes on Facebook and Twitter. The official Twitter hashtag for the NMPA Sprint Most Popular Driver Award is #SprintMPD.

Eligible drivers for the award are those who have declared to compete for the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship.

“The Most Popular Driver Award is one of the NMPA’s most significant awards, and I’m very pleased to partner with Sprint again this year,” said NMPA President Brian Nelson. “We expect the 2015 vote to be one of the biggest yet.”

The winner of this year’s award will be announced during NBCSN’s broadcast of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards on Dec. 4 in Las Vegas. A $10,000 donation will be made to the winning driver’s charity of choice.

The Most Popular Driver award program is one of the longest-running awards presented each year by the National Motorsports Press Association.

Previous winners of the NMPA Sprint Most Popular Driver Award:

Year – Recipient

2014 – Dale Earnhardt Jr.

2013 – Dale Earnhardt Jr.

2012 – Dale Earnhardt Jr.

2011 – Dale Earnhardt Jr.

2010 – Dale Earnhardt Jr.

2009 – Dale Earnhardt Jr.

2008 – Dale Earnhardt Jr.

2007 – Dale Earnhardt Jr.

2006 – Dale Earnhardt Jr.

2005 – Dale Earnhardt Jr.

2004 – Dale Earnhardt Jr.

2003 – Dale Earnhardt, Jr.

2002 – Bill Elliott

2001 – Dale Earnhardt

2000 – Bill Elliott

1999 – Bill Elliott

1998 – Bill Elliott

1997 – Bill Elliott

1996 – Bill Elliott

1995 – Bill Elliott

1994 – Bill Elliott

1993 – Bill Elliott

1992 – Bill Elliott

1991 – Bill Elliott

1990 – Darrell Waltrip

1989 – Darrell Waltrip

1988 – Bill Elliott

1987 – Bill Elliott

1986 – Bill Elliott

1985 – Bill Elliott

1984 – Bill Elliott

1983 – Bobby Allison

1982 – Bobby Allison

1981 – Bobby Allison

1980 – David Pearson

1979 – David Pearson

1978 – Richard Petty

1977 – Richard Petty

1976 – Richard Petty

1975 – Richard Petty

1974 – Richard Petty

1973 – Bobby Allison

1972 – Bobby Allison

1971 – Bobby Allison

1970 – Richard Petty

1969 – Bobby Isaac

1968 – Richard Petty

1967 – Cale Yarborough

1966 – Darel Dieringer

1965 – Fred Lorenzen

1964 – Richard Petty

1963 – Fred Lorenzen

1962 – Richard Petty

1961 – Joe Weatherly

1960 – Rex White

1959 – Jack Smith

1958 – Glen Wood

1957 – Fireball Roberts

1956 – Curtis Turner

1955 – Tim Flock

1954 – Lee Petty

1953 – Lee Petty

Happy Birthday to the Queen of #NASCAR!

Lynda Petty, the wife of seven-time NASCAR champion Richard Petty, died last year after a long battle with cancer. She had just turned seventy-two and had been diagnosed with central nervous system lymphoma four years earlier.

The King, Richard made Lynda his queen in 1959. Lynda played an instrumental role in her husband's early racing career. She would feed their four children and the pit crew from the back of a 1960 Chrysler sedan parked in the infield.

"We finally got a station wagon in 1969," Richard Petty said. "She said she thought she'd died and gone to heaven because it had all that room for the kids and the food."

Lynda Petty is survived by her husband, son Kyle (a TV analyst and six-time winner in Cup); daughters Sharon, Lisa and Rebecca; and 11 grandchildren. 

(Photos: RacingOne / ISC Archives)

NASCAR Father’s Day

Father's Day is a day honoring fathers and celebrated on the third Sunday of June. This special day celebrates both fatherhood and the importance of male parenting. Of course my favorite NASCAR Father / Son Duo would have to be my very own husband and son.

Moses Smith and his father Paul

"My earliest memories are of my dad working on his street/drag car or building his sand rail in the garage," Moses said. "He was always involved in motorsports as a hobby and I thought it would be cool if I could do it for a living," Smith said.

Paul has always been an all-encompassing family man and constant source of support for his two sons. Moses started working with his father, in a race team garage by the age of three.

However, for second place, the Earnhardts and Pettys tie as favorite NASCAR Fathers and Son.

Dale Earnhardt Sr. & Dale Earnhardt Jr. 

(photo credit = msn.foxsports.com)

Dale Sr. won a record-tying seven NASCAR championships during his career; his 76 wins place him fourth of all time. His career was highlighted by his memorable first victory at the Daytona 500 in 1998. (Sadly, the driver of the No. 3 car died after a crash on the final lap at Daytona in 2001.)

Dale Jr. has carried on his father's driving legacy, making his debut on the Winston Cup circuit in 2000. In 2003, he finished third in the championship standings, and in 2004, Dale Jr. won the Daytona 500 six years to the day after his father's victory there.

Cool fact: When Dale Sr. and sons Dale Jr. and Kerry all competed in the 2000 Pepsi 400, it marked just the second time a father had raced against two sons.

Lee & Richard Petty

Lee, Richard, Kyle, and Adam Petty
(photo credit = nascar.speedtv.com)

Lee Petty was NASCAR's first real superstar, winning three drivers' championships between 1954 and 1959. He also won the inaugural Daytona 500 in 1959. He was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1990.

Richard Petty shares the record for most drivers' championships, having won seven between 1967 and 1979. He retired in 1992 with 200 career wins (the most ever) and joined his dad in the Hall of Fame in 1997. (Sadly, the Pettys suffered the loss of Adam Petty, NASCAR’s first fourth-generation driver on May 12, 2000. The young driver was practicing for the Nationwide Series at the New Hampshire International Speedway when his throttle stuck wide open, causing the car to hit the outside wall.)

Cool fact: Both Pettys were named among the Top 50 NASCAR drivers of all time in 1998.

Honorable Mention

Butch Gilliland, the 1997 NASCAR K&N Pro Series West champion and winner of 13 victories in the division. His then-crew chief, son David Gilliland, currently competes in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. David Gilliland still runs an occasional K&N Pro Series race. Butch must have raised him right, because David is one of the most polite and approachable drivers I have had the pleasure of meeting.

NASCAR Race Mom with a very nice David Gilliland at Sonoma Raceway (6/24/2011)

Cool fact:  David Gilliland, driver of the No. 38 Ford Fusion for Front Row Motorsports in the Sprint Cup Series, had a career-best second-place finish at Talladega Superspeedway in April 2013, pushing his teammate David Ragan to a surprising win.

Child, you outgrew my lap,
but never my heart.
Happy Father’s Day!

Remembering the #45

As the mom of a NASCAR driver, remembering Adam Kyler Petty so soon after celebrating Mother’s Day, takes on a special, if sad significance. It is difficult to believe it has been ten years since the horrific crash that took the life of the first fourth-generation driver in NASCAR history. His father Kyle Petty, grandfather Richard Petty, and great-grandfather Lee Petty have paved a golden road of racing heritage.

Having been born into stock car racing "royalty," Petty began his professional racing career in 1998, shortly after he turned eighteen. Like his father Kyle, he won his first ARCA RE/MAX Series start, in the #45 Sprint/Spree Pontiac at Lowe's Motor Speedway.

A short two years later, on May 12, 2000, Adam, age nineteen, was practicing at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway when the throttle of his car stuck, compelling him head-on into a wall. The impact killed Petty instantly. His death helped lead NASCAR to mandate the use of a kill switch on the steering wheel.

As a mother, I find it difficult to focus past the pain generated by Adam’s death. However, incredibly, five months after Adam's death, his family partnered with Paul Newman and the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp to begin the Victory Junction Gang Camp in Randleman, North Carolina, as a memorial to Adam. Victory Junction provides life-changing experiences for kids with chronic medical conditions or serious illnesses. Out of despair, hope can sprout. My thoughts and prayers are with the Petty family during this difficult day.