The NASCAR Convertible Division was a division of convertible cars early in NASCAR's history.
History[]
NASCAR purchased SAFE (Society of Auto Sports, Fellowship, and Education)'s all-convertible Circuit of Champions “All Stars” circuit late in 1955.[1] Most drivers did not make the transition to NASCAR's sanction. NASCAR ran the division ran from 1956 until 1959.[2] Some Convertibles raced against the Grand National (now Sprint Cup) hardtop cars in the same race.[3] The 1959 Daytona 500 had one qualifying race for Convertibles and one for the hardtop Grand National cars. 20 of the 59 cars in the Daytona 500 were convertibles.[4]
A single Convertible race happened at Darlington Speedway in 1960, which was won by Joe Weatherly. The season was abandoned after that race. Darlington held a Convertible race on May 6 1961 which was won by Fred Lorenzen, and another race on May 12 1962 which was won by Nelson Stacy.[5]
List of champions[]
- 1956 Bob Welborn[6]
- 1957 Bob Welborn
- 1958 Bob Welborn
- 1959 Joe Lee Johnson[7]
- ↑ Bob Pronger - Biography; Stan Kalwasinski; Chicagoland Auto Racing, Retrieved February 20 2008
- ↑ Template:Cite book
- ↑ Pepsi 400: Nothing like racing at night; NASCAR.com; Dave Rodman; July 3 2002; Retrieved February 21 2008
- ↑ Daytona 500 Anniversary - The 50th Run; Stock Car Racing magazine; Benny Phillips; July 3 2002; Retrieved February 21 2008
- ↑ Nelson Stacy; legendsofnascar.com; Retrieved February 20 2008
- ↑ 1956 NASCAR Convertible statistics, Retrieved February 20 2008
- ↑ 1959 NASCAR Convertible statistics, Retrieved February 20 2008