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1948 Modified Championship

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The 1948 NASCAR Modified National Championship was the inaugural season of the NASCAR Modified Division. The season began with the Rayson Memorial at Daytona Beach on February 15 and ended with 1948-52 at Speedway Park on November 11. This was the very first season sanctioned by the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, otherwise known as NASCAR. The Strictly Stock Series, NASCAR's premier division, would not begin racing until 1949 due to vehicle shortages stemming from World War ll.

The season was marred by the death of Slick Davis during the July 25 race at Greensboro Fairgrounds. His car hit the tracks outside embankment and barrel rolled several times before being slammed by five other cars. Davis was rushed to the hospital where he was pronounced dead later that same night due to massive head injuries. This was the first fatality in NASCAR history.

The inaugural championship was won by World War ll veteran Red Byron, becoming the first ever NASCAR champion in any division. He scored 11 wins, 25 top five finishes, 32 top ten finishes, and 3 poles. Raymond Parks became the first championship winning car owner while Red Vogt became the first champion mechanic. 1947 stock car racing champion Fonty Flock finished 2nd in the standings, despite having a statistically superior season to Byron's. Tim Flock, Fonty's brother, finished 3rd in the standings.

Schedule and results[]

No. Race name Track Date Pole position* Race winner
1 Rayson Memorial Daytona Beach February 15 no qualifying Red Byron
2 1948-02 Speedway Park February 24 Bill Snowden Fonty Flock
3 1948-03 Lakewood Speedway March 27 N/A Fonty Flock
4 1948-04 Central City Speedway April 4 Fonty Flock Fonty Flock
5 1948-05 Hayloft Speedway April 11 Fonty Flock Bob Flock
6 1948-06 Speedway Park April 18 Roscoe Thompson Skimp Hersey
7 1948-07 Greensboro Fairgrounds Fonty Flock Fonty Flock
8 1948-08 North Wilkesboro Speedway April 25 Swayne Pritchett Red Byron
9 1948-09 Lakeview Speedway May 2 Red Byron Red Byron
10 1948-10 Wadesboro Speedway May 9 Speedy Thompson Red Byron
11 1948-11 Atlantic Rural Exposition Fairgrounds May 16 Buddy Shuman Red Byron
12 1948-12 Central City Speedway May 23 Ed Samples Gober Sosebee
13 1948-13 Danville Fairgrounds Speedway Buck Baker Bill Blair
14 1948-14 Dover Speedway Johnny Rogers Johnny Rogers
15 1948-15 Greensboro Fairgrounds May 29 Marshall Teague Bob Flock
16 1948-16 North Wilkesboro Speedway May 30 Speedy Thompson Marshall Teague
17 1948-17 Speedway Park L.B. Michaels Paul Pappy
18 1948-18 Danville Fairgrounds Speedway June 4 Fonty Flock Bob Flock
E June 4 Fonda race Fonda Speedway N/A Buddy Shuman
19 1948-19 Greensboro Fairgrounds June 5 Speedy Thompson Red Byron
20 1948-20 Lakeview Speedway June 6 P.E. Godfrey Bob Flock
E June 11 Fonda race Fonda Speedway June 11 N/A Buddy Shuman
21 1948-21 Wadesboro Speedway June 13 Ike Keiser Fonty Flock
22 1948-22 Birmingham International Raceway June 20 Billy Carden Fonty Flock
23 1948-23 Columbus Speedway Doug Cox Bob Flock
24 1948-24 Greensboro Fairgrounds Johnny Grubb Tim Flock
25 1948-25 Occoneechee Speedway June 27 Marshall Teague Fonty Flock
26 1948-26 Martinsville Speedway July 4 Tim Flock Fonty Flock
27 1948-27 Charlotte Speedway July 11 Jack Smith Red Byron
28 1948-28 North Wilkesboro Speedway July 18 Jack Smith Curtis Turner
29 1948-29 Greensboro Fairgrounds July 25 Curtis Turner Curtis Turner
30 1948-30 Columbus Speedway Ed Samples Billy Carden
31 1948-31 Lakeview Speedway August 1 Fonty Flock Curtis Turner
32 1948-32 Daytona Beach August 8 Joe Allen Fonty Flock
33 1948-33 Langhorne Speedway August 15 Tommy Coates Al Keller
34 1948-34 Columbus Speedway September 5 Gober Sosebee Gober Sosebee
35 1948-35 North Wilkesboro Speedway Curtis Turner Curtis Turner
36 1948-36 Jimmy Ingram Curtis Turner
37 1948-37 Charlotte Speedway September 12 Curtis Turner Curtis Turner
38 1948-38 Bob Smith Buddy Shuman
39 1948-39 Occoneechee Speedway September 19 Fonty Flock Fonty Flock
40 1948-40 Buck Baker Fonty Flock
41 1948-41 Lakeview Speedway September 26 Curtis Turner Fonty Flock
42 1948-42 Lou Perry Gober Sosebee
43 1948-43 Elkin Speedway October 3 Buddy Shuman Buddy Shuman
44 1948-44 N/A Curtis Turner
45 1948-45 Central City Speedway Red Byron Billy Carden
46 1948-46 Charles Rush Red Byron
47 1948-47 Greensboro Fairgrounds October 10 N/A Fonty Flock
48 1948-48 October 16 N/A Fonty Flock
49 1948-49 North Wilkesboro Speedway October 17 N/A Red Byron
50 1948-50 Charlotte Speedway October 24 Buck Baker Red Byron
51 1948-51 Forsyth County Fairgrounds October 31 N/A Fonty Flock
52 1948-52 Speedway Park November 11 Red Byron Red Byron

Note: Most pole positions were determined by the results of heat races, not qualifying time.

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