CONVERTIBLE CHAOS in NASCAR

Описание: On September 30, 1956, the NASCAR Convertible Division ran a scheduled 200-lap, 100-mile event at Asheville-Weaverville Speedway in North Carolina. The convertible series was a short-lived branch of NASCAR that featured production-based cars with their tops removed, and this race became one of its most unusual and memorable moments.

Racing on the half-mile dirt surface in front of several thousand spectators, drivers battled not just each other but also dust and reduced visibility as the afternoon wore on. The backstretch became especially treacherous, with drivers repeatedly running through thick clouds of dust that made it nearly impossible to see ahead.

With about 19 laps remaining, a major 14-car pileup erupted on the backstretch. Jimmy Massey’s car broke a wheel hub and collided with another competitor, triggering a chain reaction. Because of the dust and limited sightlines, other drivers quickly followed into the wreck, resulting in a massive tangle of disabled cars on the racing surface.

At the front of the field was Curtis Turner, one of NASCAR’s most accomplished drivers and a dominant force in the convertible division. Turner had managed to stay ahead of the chaos; after the pileup, his Ford convertible was the only car still running. With no other competitors left able to continue, NASCAR officials called the race early at lap 181 and declared Turner the winner.

Turner’s victory at Asheville-Weaverville is historically unique: it stands as the only major NASCAR race ever completed with just one car still running at the finish. The event highlighted both the hazards of racing on dirt surfaces with limited safety standards of the era and Turner’s skill in avoiding calamity when others could not.

Despite the dramatic ending, most of the drivers involved in the accident escaped serious injury, though some, like Glen Wood, were hurt in the pileup. The race remains a quirky and often-recounted chapter in NASCAR’s early history, illustrating how unpredictable racing could be in the sport’s formative years.
LIKE AND SUBSCRIBE FOR MORE INTERESTING AND CRAZY MOTORSPORTS HISTORY!
DAILY UPLOADS!!!