1951 NASCAR Grand National Series

The 1951 NASCAR Grand National season was the third season of professional stock car racing in the United States. Beginning at the Daytona Beach Road Course on February 5, 1951, the season included forty-one races. The season concluded at New Mobile Speedway on November 25. Herb Thomas won the Drivers' Championship with a 21st-place finish at the final race of the season.

Schedule
The schedule more than doubled for the 1951 season, increasing to 41 races. 32 different circuits in 14 different states held races. Race 1951–04 was the first race held west of the Mississippi River; five races were held in California, in addition to one race held in Arizona. The Southern 500 and the Motor City 250 had the largest purses and therefore awarded the highest points.

1951–01
The first race of the 1951 season was run on February 5 at the Daytona Beach Road Course in Daytona Beach, Florida. Tim Flock won the pole position.

Top ten results


 * 1) 6-Marshall Teague
 * 2) 91-Tim Flock
 * 3) 14-Fonty Flock
 * 4) 41.5-Bill Blair
 * 5) 87-Buck Baker
 * 6) 55-Lee Snow
 * 7) 41-Curtis Turner
 * 8) 16-Bill Snowden
 * 9) 98-Johnny Mantz
 * 10) 59-Lloyd Moore

1951–02
The second race of the 1951 season was held on April 1 at the Charlotte Speedway. Fonty Flock won the pole

Top ten results


 * 1) 41-Curtis Turner
 * 2) 42-Lee Petty
 * 3) 6-Marshall Teague
 * 4) 92-Herb Thomas
 * 5) 88-Frank Luptow
 * 6) 72-Weldon Adams
 * 7) 77-Ewell Weddie
 * 8) 11-Fireball Roberts
 * 9) 19-Joe Merola
 * 10) 10-Jim Fiebelkorn

1951–03
The third race of the 1951 season was held on April 8 at the Lakeview Speedway in Mobile, Alabama. Red Harrelson won the pole

Top ten results


 * 1) 91-Tim Flock
 * 2) 14-Fonty Flock
 * 3) 92-Herb Thomas
 * 4) 9-Bill Osbourne
 * 5) 93-Donald Thomas
 * 6) 19-Lamar Crabtree
 * 7) 42-Lee Petty
 * 8) 7-Bob Flock
 * 9) 8-Sonny Black
 * 10) 3-Jimmy Ayers

1951–04
The fourth race of the 1951 season was held on April 8 at the Carrell Speedway in Gardena, California. It was the first NASCAR race ever staged west of the Mississippi River. Andy Pierce won the pole.

Top ten results


 * 1) 6-Marshall Teague
 * 2) 98-Johnny Mantz
 * 3) George Seeger
 * 4) 16-Fred Steinbroner
 * 5) 1-Erick Erickson
 * 6) 9-Dick Meyer
 * 7) Dick Rathman
 * 8) Danny Letner
 * 9) Leo Breithaupt
 * 10) 22-Lloyd Dane

1951–05
The fifth race of the 1951 season was held on April 15 at the Occoneechee Speedway. Fonty Flock won the pole. The race ended after 95 laps due to rain.

Top ten results


 * 1) 14-Fonty Flock
 * 2) 23-Frank Mundy
 * 3) 41.5-Bill Blair
 * 4) 91-Tim Flock
 * 5) 52-Neil Cole
 * 6) 110-Earl Moss
 * 7) 92-Herb Thomas
 * 8) 71-Jim Paschal
 * 9) 42-Lee Petty
 * 10) 55-Glenn Dunaway

1951–06
The sixth race of the 1951 season was held on April 22 at the Arizona State Fairgrounds in Phoenix, Arizona. Fonty Flock won the pole.

Top ten results


 * 1) 6-Marshall Teague
 * 2) 11-Erick Erickson
 * 3) 91-Tim Flock
 * 4) 14-Fonty Flock
 * 5) 9-Dick Meyer
 * 6) 12-Danny Weinberg
 * 7) 1-Walt Sprague
 * 8) Bill Holland
 * 9) 26-Leland Colvin
 * 10) 18-Bill Stammer

Wilkes County 150
The seventh race of the 1951 season was held on April 29 at the North Wilkesboro Speedway. Fonty Flock won the pole

Top ten results


 * 1) 14-Fonty Flock
 * 2) 91-Tim Flock
 * 3) 42-Lee Petty
 * 4) 98-Bill Holland
 * 5) 93-Donald Thomas
 * 6) 59-Lloyd Moore
 * 7) 60-Jimmie Lewallen
 * 8) 155-Glenn Dunaway
 * 9) 5-Dale Williams
 * 10) 83-Jimmy Ayers

1951–08
The eight race of the 1951 season was held on May 6 at the Martinsville Speedway. Tim Flock won the pole.

Top ten results


 * 1) 41-Curtis Turner
 * 2) 23-Frank Mundy
 * 3) 91-Tim Flock
 * 4) 92-Herb Thomas
 * 5) 14-Fonty Flock
 * 6) 42-Lee Petty
 * 7) 1-Walt Sprague
 * 8) 2-Bill Blair
 * 9) 26-Leland Colvin
 * 10) 7-Bob Flock

Poor Man's 500
The ninth race of the 1951 season was held on May 30 at the Canfield Speedway. Bill Rexford won the pole.

Top ten results


 * 1) 6-Marshall Teague
 * 2) 91-Tim Flock
 * 3) 14-Fonty Flock
 * 4) 92-Herb Thomas
 * 5) 42-Lee Petty
 * 6) 7-Bob Flock
 * 7) 23-Frank Mundy
 * 8) 77-Mike Klapak
 * 9) 120-Dick Rathmann
 * 10) 6-Don Eggett

1951–10
The tenth race of the 1951 season was held on June 10 at the Columbus Speedway in Columbus, Georgia. Gober Sosebee won the pole. During the first caution, Marshall Teague suffered a leg injury when his car was hit in the side near the back straightaway by Fireball Roberts.

Top ten results


 * 1) 91-Tim Flock
 * 2) 51-Gober Sosebee
 * 3) 92-Herb Thomas
 * 4) 60-Jim Paschal
 * 5) 42-Lee Petty
 * 6) 22-Red Byron
 * 7) 93-Donald Thomas
 * 8) 23-Frank Mundy
 * 9) 83-Jimmy Ayers
 * 10) 4-Ed Massey

1951–11
The eleventh race of the 1951 season was held on June 16 at the Columbia Speedway in Columbia, South Carolina. Frank Mundy won the pole.

Top ten results
 * 1) 23-Frank Mundy
 * 2) 98-Bill Blair
 * 3) 6-Marshall Teague
 * 4) 92-Herb Thomas
 * 5) 87-Buck Baker
 * 6) 60-Jim Paschal
 * 7) 91-Tim Flock
 * 8) 16-Bill Snowden
 * 9) 72-Weldon Adams
 * 10) Jim Harris

1951–12
The twelfth race of the 1951 season was held on June 24 at the Dayton Speedway. Tim Flock won the pole.

Top ten results
 * 1) 41-Curtis Turner
 * 2) 120-Dick Rathmann
 * 3) 91-Tim Flock
 * 4) 14-Fonty Flock
 * 5) 59-Lloyd Moore
 * 6) 6-Marshall Teague
 * 7) 1-Walt Sprague
 * 8) Bub King
 * 9) 60-Don Eggett
 * 10) Red Harvey

1951–13
The thirteenth race of the 1951 season was held on June 30 at the Carrell Speedway. Lou Figaro won the pole.

Top ten results
 * 1) 33-Lou Figaro
 * 2) 7-Chuck Meekins
 * 3) 22-Lloyd Dane
 * 4) 11-Fred Bince
 * 5) 16-Fred Steinbroner
 * 6) 1-Erick Erickson
 * 7) Hal Cole
 * 8) 98-Freddie Farmer
 * 9) 18-Bill Stammer
 * 10) 27-Jim Byrd

1951–14
The fourteenth race of the 1951 season was held on July 1 at the Grand River Speedrome in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Marshall Teague won the pole.

Top ten results
 * 1) 6-Marshall Teague
 * 2) 120-Dick Rathmann
 * 3) 14-Fonty Flock
 * 4) 91-Tim Flock
 * 5) 59-Lloyd Moore
 * 6) 42-Lee Petty
 * 7) 23-Frank Mundy
 * 8) 27-Jimmy Florian
 * 9) Quinton Daniels
 * 10) Tommy Lane

1951–15
The fifteenth race of the 1951 season was held on July 8 at the Bainbridge Speedway in Bainbridge, Ohio. Fonty Flock won the pole.

 Top ten results
 * 1) 14-Fonty Flock
 * 2) 120-Dick Rathmann
 * 3) 23-Frank Mundy
 * 4) 27-Jimmy Florian
 * 5) 22-Oda Greene
 * 6) 42-Lee Petty
 * 7) 10-Jim Fiebelkorn
 * 8) Norm McCarthy
 * 9) Lyle Scott
 * 10) Jim Romine

1951–16
The sixteenth race of the 1951 season was held on July 15 at the Heidelberg Raceway. Fonty Flock won the pole. A six-car crash on the 21st lap took Flock out of the race, and let Herb Thomas inherit the lead. The crash left Wally Campbell hospitalized and Flock with a cut over his eye, though he continued racing. Thomas led the remaining 179 laps and went on to win his first race of the season, over a lap ahead of second-place Firbelkorn.

Top ten results
 * 1) 92-Herb Thomas
 * 2) 10-Jim Fiebelkorn
 * 3) Augie Walackas
 * 4) Bud Farrell
 * 5) Tom Jerris
 * 6) Jack Flynn
 * 7) Bob Dietrich
 * 8) Dick Moffitt
 * 9) Harry Scott
 * 10) Charles Gillman

1951–17
The seventeenth race of the 1951 season was held on July 29 at the Asheville-Weaverville Speedway. Fonty Flock won the pole.

Top ten results
 * 1) 14-Fonty Flock
 * 2) 51-Gober Sosebee
 * 3) 92-Herb Thomas
 * 4) 23-Frank Mundy
 * 5) Speedy Thompson
 * 6) Bub King
 * 7) 217-Bill Miller
 * 8) Billy Myers
 * 9) 16-Bill Snowden
 * 10) 7-Bob Flock

1951–18
The eighteenth race of the 1951 season was held on July 31 at the Monroe County Fairgrounds in Rochester, New York. Fonty Flock won the pole.

Top ten results
 * 1) 42-Lee Petty
 * 2) Charles Gattalia
 * 3) Ronnie Kohler
 * 4) 54-Don Bailey
 * 5) 81-Pappy Hough
 * 6) 60-Bill Rexford
 * 7) Chuck Stimus
 * 8) 93-Ted Chamberlain
 * 9) Ernie Yorton
 * 10) 25-Dick Linder

1951–19
The nineteenth race of the 1951 season was held on August 1 at the Altamont-Schenectady Fairgrounds. Fonty Flock won the pole.

Top ten results
 * 1) 14-Fonty Flock
 * 2) 92-Herb Thomas
 * 3) 42-Lee Petty
 * 4) 23-Perry Smith
 * 5) 227-Jerry Morese
 * 6) 81-Pappy Hough
 * 7) Dick Moffitt
 * 8) Wimpy Ervin
 * 9) Jim Little
 * 10) 25-Dick Linder

Motor City 250
The twentieth race of the 1951 season was held on August 12 at the Michigan State Fairgrounds Speedway. Marshall Teague won the pole. This race had five cautions including nine cars with mechanical problems and a 10-car wreck on lap 130. The race ended with 21 cars on the lead lap. Late in the race leaders Curtis Turner and Tommy Thompson tangled. Thompson went on to win while Turner finished ninth.

Top ten results
 * 1) 40-Tommy Thompson
 * 2) 82-Joe Eubanks
 * 3) 98-Johnny Mantz
 * 4) 83-Red Byron
 * 5) 43-Paul Newkirk
 * 6) 34-Jack Goodwin
 * 7) 59-Lloyd Moore
 * 8) 50-Ewell Weddie
 * 9) 41-Curtis Turner
 * 10) 1-X-Erick Erickson

1951–21
The twenty-first race of the 1951 season was held on August 19 at the newly surfaced Fort Miami Speedway in Toledo, Ohio. Fonty Flock won the pole. This was the first NASCAR Grand National race held at this .500 mile dirt track. The track was removed from the schedule until at least 1952.

Top ten results
 * 1) 91-Tim Flock
 * 2) 88-Dell Pearson
 * 3) 22-Oda Greene
 * 4) 33-Lou Figaro
 * 5) 92-Herb Thomas
 * 6) 40-Tommy Thompson
 * 7) 31-Jesse James Taylor
 * 8) 18-George Seeger
 * 9) 27-Jimmy Florian
 * 10) 3-Jimmy Ayers

1951–22
The twenty-second race of the 1951 season was held on August 24 at the Morristown Speedway. Tim Flock won the pole.

Top ten results
 * 1) 91-Tim Flock
 * 2) 42-Lee Petty
 * 3) Ronnie Kohler
 * 4) John DuBoise
 * 5) 21-Jim Delaney
 * 6) 421-Jack Reynolds
 * 7) 22-Oda Greene
 * 8) Dick Eagan
 * 9) 77-Chuck Mahoney
 * 10) Augie Walackas

1951–23
The twenty-third race of the 1951 season was held on August 25 at the Air Base Speedway in Greenville, South Carolina. Tim Flock won the pole.

Top ten results
 * 1) 7-Bob Flock
 * 2) 91-Tim Flock
 * 3) 87-Buck Baker
 * 4) 14-Fonty Flock
 * 5) 1-X-Erick Erickson
 * 6) 92-Herb Thomas
 * 7) 42-Lee Petty
 * 8) 31-Jesse James Taylor
 * 9) 120-Dick Rathmann
 * 10) 17-Buddy Shuman

Southern 500
The second running of this race and the twenty-fourth race of the 1951 season was held on September 3 at the Darlington Raceway. Frank Mundy won the pole. The race featured an 82-car field. This was Red Byron's last career start.

Top ten results
 * 1) 92-Herb Thomas
 * 2) 31-Jesse James Taylor
 * 3) 17-Buddy Schuman
 * 4) 77-Hershel McGriff
 * 5) 11-Fireball Roberts
 * 6) 1-Harold Kite
 * 7) 46-Leon Sales
 * 8) 14-Fonty Flock
 * 9) 16-Bill Snowden
 * 10) 24-Pap White

1951–25
The twenty-fifth race of the 1951 season was held on September 7 at the Columbia Speedway. Tim Flock won the pole.

Top ten results
 * 1) 91-Tim Flock
 * 2) 11-Fireball Roberts
 * 3) 0-Jimmie Lewallen
 * 4) 7-Bob Flock
 * 5) 87-Buck Baker
 * 6) 93-Donald Thomas
 * 7) 71-Cotton Owens
 * 8) 70-Bud Farrell
 * 9) 16-Bill Snowden
 * 10) 14-Fonty Flock

1951–26
The twenty-sixth race of the 1951 season was held on September 8 at the Central City Speedway. Bob Flock won the pole.

Top ten results
 * 1) 91-Herb Thomas
 * 2) 51-Gober Sosebee
 * 3) 60-Jim Paschal
 * 4) 14-Fonty Flock
 * 5) 93-Donald Thomas
 * 6) 71-Cotton Owens
 * 7) 38-Frank Gise
 * 8) 8-Billy Carden
 * 9) Bill Miller
 * 10) Augie Walackas

1951–27
The twenty-seventh race of the 1951 season was held on September 15 at the Langhorne Speedway. Fonty Flock won the pole.

Top ten results
 * 1) 91-Herb Thomas
 * 2) 14-Fonty Flock
 * 3) 21-Dick Rathmann
 * 4) 120-John McGinley
 * 5) 91-Tim Flock
 * 6) 6-Marshall Teague
 * 7) 67-Jim Fiebelkorn
 * 8) 66-Bud Riley
 * 9) 42-Lee Petty
 * 10) 2-Bill Blair

1951–28
The twenty-eight race of the 1951 season was held on September 23 at the Charlotte Speedway. Billy Carden won the pole.

Top ten results
 * 1) 92-Herb Thomas
 * 2) 90-Shorty York
 * 3) 93-Donald Thomas
 * 4) 2-Bill Blair
 * 5) 0-Jimmie Lewallen
 * 6) 17-Buddy Shuman
 * 7) 8-Billy Carden
 * 8) 88-Dell Pearson
 * 9) 60-Jim Paschal
 * 10) 53-Clyde Minter

1951–29
The twenty-ninth race of the 1951 season was held on September 23 at the Dayton Speedway. Fonty Flock won the pole.

Top ten results
 * 1) 14-Fonty Flock
 * 2) 52-Neil Cole
 * 3) 59-Lloyd Moore
 * 4) 42-Lee Petty
 * 5) 66-Bud Riley
 * 6) Ronnie Kohler
 * 7) Jimmy Florian
 * 8) 54-Don Bailey
 * 9) 89-Herb Trimble
 * 10) Bill Braun

1951–30
The thirtieth race of the 1951 season was held on September 30 at the newly .500 mile dirt track Wilson Speedway. Fonty Flock won the pole.

Top ten results
 * 1) 14-Fonty Flock
 * 2) 7-Bob Flock
 * 3) 0-Jimmie Lewallen
 * 4) 60-Jim Paschal
 * 5) 16-Bill Snowden
 * 6) 87-Buck Baker
 * 7) Cal Johnson
 * 8) 99-Leonard Tippett
 * 9) Bill Champion
 * 10) 93-Donald Thomas

1951–31
The thirty-first race of the 1951 season was held on October 7 at the one-mile dirt Occoneechee Speedway. Herb Thomas won his first career pole.

Top ten results
 * 1) 92-Herb Thomas
 * 2) 99-Leonard Tippett
 * 3) 82-Joe Eubanks
 * 4) 60-Jim Paschal
 * 5) 42-Lee Petty
 * 6) 93-Donald Thomas
 * 7) Furman Lancaster
 * 8) Alton Haddock
 * 9) 2-Bill Blair
 * 10) 37-Coleman Lawrence

1951–32
The thirty-second race of the 1951 season was held on October 12 at the half-mile paved Thompson Speedway in Connecticut. Neil Cole won the pole.

Top ten results
 * 1) 52-Neil Cole
 * 2) 67-Jim Reed
 * 3) Dick Eagan
 * 4) 8-Billy Carden
 * 5) 32-Reino Tulonen
 * 6) 81-Pappy Hough
 * 7) 91-Tim Flock
 * 8) Joe Sommers
 * 9) Bill Cintia
 * 10) 21-Jim Delaney

1951–33
The thirty-third race of the 1951 season was held on October 14 at the half-mile dirt Pine Grove Speedway in Pennsylvania.

Top ten results
 * 1) 91-Tim Flock
 * 2) 120-John McGinley
 * 3) 8-Billy Carden
 * 4) Jimmy Florian
 * 5) 59-Lloyd Moore
 * 6) Hap Jones
 * 7) Ed Benedict
 * 8) Bob Dietrich
 * 9) Russ Hepler
 * 10) Dick Stone

1951–34
The thirty-fourth race of the 1951 season was held on October 14 at the half-mile dirt Martinsville Speedway in Virginia. Herb Thomas won the pole.

Top ten results
 * 1) 7-Frank Mundy
 * 2) 42-Lee Petty
 * 3) 22-Billy Myers
 * 4) 16-Bill Snowden
 * 5) 0-Jimmie Lewallen
 * 6) Pappy Hough
 * 7) 37-Coleman Lawrence
 * 8) 98-Leon Sales
 * 9) 88-Dell Pearson
 * 10) Cal Johnson

1951–35
The thirty-fifth race of the 1951 season was held on October 14 at the .625 mile dirt Oakland Stadium in California. Dick Rathman won the pole.

Top ten results
 * 1) 18-Marvin Burke
 * 2) 84-Robert Caswell
 * 3) Woody Brown
 * 4) 55-Sam Hawks
 * 5) 9-Dick Meyer
 * 6) 56-Marvin Panch
 * 7) 33-Lou Figaro
 * 8) Bill Norton
 * 9) John Soares
 * 10) Walt Davis
 * Burke remains the only driver in NASCAR history to win in his only start.

Wilkes 200
The third running of this race and the thirty-sixth race of the 1951 season was held on October 21 at the .625 mile dirt North Wilkesboro Speedway in North Carolina. Herb Thomas won the pole.

Top ten results
 * 1) 14-Fonty Flock
 * 2) 42-Lee Petty
 * 3) 82-Joe Eubanks
 * 4) 91-Tim Flock
 * 5) 71-Cotton Owens
 * 6) 16-Bill Snowden
 * 7) 0-Jimmie Lewallen
 * 8) 17-Buddy Schuman
 * 9) Jerry Wimbish
 * 10) 7-Bob Flock

1951–37
The thirty-seventh race of the 1951 season was held on October 28 at the half-mile dirt Marchbanks Speedway in California. Dick Rathman won the pole.

Top ten results
 * 1) 2-Danny Weinberg
 * 2) 56-Marvin Panch
 * 3) Bill Norton
 * 4) 22-Lloyd Dane
 * 5) Woody Brown
 * 6) Claude Wallington
 * 7) 7-Fred Bince
 * 8) Fred Russell
 * 9) Pug Blalock
 * 10) 16-Fred Steinbroner

1951–38
The thirty-eighth race of the 1951 season was held on November 4 at the half-mile dirt Jacksonville Speedway Park in Florida. Herb Thomas won the pole.

Top ten results
 * 1) 6-Herb Thomas
 * 2) 44-Jack Smith
 * 3) 14-Fonty Flock
 * 4) 16-Bill Snowden
 * 5) 23-Frank Mundy
 * 6) Tommy Moon
 * 7) 42-Lee Petty
 * 8) 0-Jimmie Lewallen
 * 9) 17-Buddy Shuman
 * 10) 8-Billy Carden

1951–39
The thirty-ninth race of the 1951 season was held on November 11 at the one-mile dirt Lakeview Speedway in Georgia. Frank Mundy won the pole.

Top ten results
 * 1) 91-Tim Flock
 * 2) 7-Bob Flock
 * 3) 44X-Jack Smith
 * 4) 23-Frank Mundy
 * 5) 51-Gober Sosebee
 * 6) Ed Samples
 * 7) 59-Lloyd Moore
 * 8) 17-Buddy Shuman
 * 9) Red Duvall
 * 10) Don Oldenberg

1951–40
The fortieth race of the 1951 season was held on November 11 at the half-mile dirt Carrell Speedway in California. Fonty Flock won the pole.

Top ten results
 * 1) 48-Bill Norton
 * 2) 9-Dick Meyer
 * 3) 25-Erick Erickson
 * 4) 33-Lou Figaro
 * 5) Danny Weinberg
 * 6) 6-Bill Ledbetter
 * 7) 77-Burt Jackson
 * 8) 98-Johnny Mantz
 * 9) 36-Danny Letner
 * 10) Walt Davis

1951–41
The forty-first and last race of the 1951 season was held on November 25 at the .750 mile dirt New Mobile Speedway. Frank Mundy won the pole. Herb Thomas finished 21st and went home as 1951 NASCAR Grand National champion. Fonty and Tim Flock finished fourth and second respectively to eventually finish second and third in the championship, and their brother Bob Flock got in a massive accident and broke his neck when his roof collapsed. Mundy's win at New Mobile propelled him to fifth in the final standings, while Lee Petty, winner of just one race, at the Monroe County Fairgrounds, finished 16th in the race to claim fourth in the standings.

Top ten results
 * 1) 23-Frank Mundy
 * 2) 91-Tim Flock
 * 3) 87-Red Duvall
 * 4) 14-Fonty Flock
 * 5) 142-Don Oldenberg
 * 6) 20-Buddy Shuman
 * 7) 51-Gober Sosebee
 * 8) 9-Ed Samples
 * 9) 24-Jimmie Lewallen
 * 10) 80-Sonny Black

Drivers' championship
(key) Bold - Pole position * – Most laps led.