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To say that NASCAR was rough around the edges in its early days would be an understatement.
Primitive facilities, safety and payouts didn’t exactly put the then-fledgling organization on a pedestal, but the talent behind the wheel was just as good as it ever has been or ever will be.
Here are four of the greatest drivers of NASCAR’s pioneer era.
Lee Petty
Cup Series stats: 427 starts, 54 wins, three championships
The patriarch of one of racing’s most famous families, Petty was one of the first NASCAR drivers to prove that driving a race car was a viable option for a full-time job. Petty put food on the table with racing as his main occupation, and he was one of NASCAR’s first legends. Three championships (1954, 1958, 1959) in six seasons solidified his legacy, as did his historic victory in the inaugural Daytona 500 in 1959. His career was cut short by a wreck at Daytona in 1961, and if not for that crash, he could’ve ascended to even greater heights.
Tim Flock
Cup Series stats: 187 starts, 39 wins, two championships
Like Petty, Flock’s family became almost as notable as he did. Brothers Fonty and Tim and sister Ethel all raced alongside Flock, but it was Tim who had the most success. He boasts a career-winning percentage of over 20 percent – meaning every five races, he was statistically guaranteed to win one. Unfortunately Flock fell victim to the France family’s iron fist, as in 1961, he was given a ban from NASCAR due to his support for a driver’s union. His final Cup Series start came in 1961, and while he was reinstated by NASCAR in 1966, he never raced again.
Curtis Turner
Cup Series stats: 184 starts, 17 wins
Turner never ran a full season, but if he had, he likely would’ve been in championship contention. Turner was cut from drastically different cloth than his competitors. He was, of course, involved in bootlegging, but his racing career was built more for his own enjoyment than a means of provision for his family. A famous partygoer, Turner was one of the most popular drivers in the history of NASCAR. Like Flock, Turner’s support of a driver’s union led to a ban from NASCAR in 1961. However, Bill France couldn’t ignore Turner’s popularity and what he meant to the sanctioning body’s bottom line. Turner returned in 1965, making 38 more starts before retiring in 1968.
Herb Thomas
Cup Series stats: 229 starts, 48 wins, two championships
Like Flock, Thomas was essentially guaranteed to win once every five races. He also became the first two-time Cup Series champion in 1953, and with the help of the “Fabulous Hudson Hornet”, became a name synonymous with speed in the United States. The winner of the second Southern 500 in 1951, Thomas built a Hall of Fame-worthy career in just five seasons of work.
Honorable Mentions
Marshall Teague: 23 Cup Series starts, seven wins
Marvin Panch: 216 Cup Series starts, 17 wins
Buck Baker: 635 Cup Series starts, 46 wins, two championships
Red Byron: 15 Cup Series starts, two wins, 1949 Cup Series champion
Joe Weatherly: 230 Cup Series starts, 25 wins, two championships
Fireball Roberts: 206 Cup Series starts, 33 wins
Ned Jarrett: 352 Cup Series starts, 50 wins, two championships