Race #13 - Southern 500The NASCAR Grand National Series made their 13th stop of 1950 in Darlington, South Carolina at the Darlington Raceway for the inaugural Southern 500.
A sellout crowd of 25,000 fans were in attendance as Chuck Mahoney led the field to the green flag for the second race in a row as NASCAR held it's biggest race ever, the first ever fie hundred mile event in the two year history, but it was Cotton Owens who would lead the first ever lap at the track before Mahoney took the lead back on the fifth lap as he pulled away from his closest challengers, but moving up from a 43rd starting spot, Johnny Mantz had worked his way through the field and on the 50th Lap Mantz passed Mahoney for the lead and Mantz then set sail, lapping the field thirteen laps to score the biggest margin of victory in series history and scored the historic win.
Other Noticeables:
Johnny Mantz scored his 1st win of the year,
Mantz led 1 time for 351 laps, which were the final 351 laps,
It was the 1st win of his career in the NASCAR Grand National Series and his first in his 3rd start,
Hershel McGriff(5th), Johnny Grubb(11th), Barney Smith(14th), J.E. Hardie(16th), John DuBoise(18th), Walt Crawford(21st), Lee Morgan(22nd), Murrace Walker(23rd), Bill Widenhouse(25th), Hub McBride(27th), Byron Beatty(32nd), Jerry Kemp(33rd), Bub King(34th), Gene Darragh(37th), Jesse James Taylor(38th), Tex Keene(41st), Roy Bentley(43rd), Bill Osborne(44th), Charles Tidwell(46th), Bill Henson(49th), Wally Campbell(53rd), Jack Carr(54th), Shorty York(58th), Dick Soper(59th), Joe Eubanks(60th), Gene Comstock(63rd), Carson Dyer(65th), Jack Yardley(67th), Rollin Smith(68th), Weldon Adams(71st), Virgil Livengood(73rd), P.E. Godfrey(74th) and Pete Keller(75th) made their NASCAR Grand National Series debuts,
Bill Rexford, who finished 4th, became the new points leader, leading Curtis Turner by 255 points
1.98-Johnny Mantz (351 laps led)
2.22-Red Byron-13 laps
3.82-Fireball Roberts-13 laps
4.59-Bill Rexford-13 laps
5.52-Hershel McGriff-14 laps
6.71-Cotton Owens-15 laps (4 laps led)
7.51-Gober Sosebee-15 laps
8.9-Tim Flock-16 laps
9.61-George Hartley-16 laps
10.2-Bill Blair-17 laps
11.44-Johnny Grubb-17 laps
12.77-Chuck Mahoney-17 laps (45 laps led)
13.42-Lee Petty-17 laps
14.99-Barney Smith-18 laps
15.39-Elmer Wilson-18 laps
16.J.E. Hardie-18 laps (Clutch)
17.26-Dick Linder-19 laps
18.89-John DuBoise-20 laps
19.17-Jack White-21 laps
20.34-Pee Wee Martin-22 laps
21.64-Walt Crawford-23 laps
22.5-Lee Morgan-23 laps
23.Murrace Walker-23 laps
24.Tommy Thompson-23 laps (Engine)
25.Bill Widenhouse-24 laps
26.19-Jack Smith-24 laps
27.Hub McBride-25 laps
28.7-Bob Flock-26 laps
29.47-Fonty Flock-27 laps
30.Slick Smith-30 laps
31.45-Ted Chamberlain-32 laps
32.65-Byron Beatty-33 laps
33.Jerry Kemp-33 laps
34.Bub King-33 laps
35.25-Jimmy Thompson-34 laps
36.35-Bob Smith-35 laps
37.24-Gene Darragh-35 laps
38.Jesse James Taylor-35 laps
39.6-Marshall Teague-36 laps
40.79-Jim Paschal-36 laps
41.14-Tex Keene-37 laps
42.Jimmie Lewallen-38 laps
43.Roy Bentley-38 laps
44.36-Bill Osborne-38 laps
45.Al Keller-39 laps
46.18-Charles Tidwell-39 laps
47.Ruel Smith-39 laps
48.41-Curtis Turner-40 laps
49.86-Bill Henson-41 laps
50.38-Clyde Minter-42 laps
51.48-Alton Haddock-42 laps
52.Bob Apperson-42 laps
53.33-Wally Campbell-42 laps
54.Jack Carr-42 laps
55.87-Buck Baker-43 laps
56.46-Kenneth Wagner-43 laps
57.62-Lloyd Moore-44 laps
58.43-Shorty York-44 laps (Engine)
59.Dick Soper-104 laps (Gearbox)
60.4-Joe Eubanks-118 laps (Accident)
61.Roscoe Thompson-125 laps (Clutch)
62.27-Jimmy Florian-195 laps (Header)
63.Gene Comstock-203 laps (Header)
64.49-Glenn Dunaway-215 laps (Accident)
65.Carson Dyer-224 laps (Accident)
66.48-Gayle Warren-228 laps (Accident)
67.54-Jack Yardley-234 laps (Accident)
68.Rollin Smith-275 laps (Valve)
69.37-Bill Snowden-283 laps (Accident)
70.21-Harold Kite-289 laps (Accident)
71.72-Weldon Adams-290 laps (Accident)
72.Billy Carden-293 laps (Accident)
73.66-Virgil Livengood-293 laps (Accident)
74.P.E. Godfrey-346 laps (Camshaft)
75.Pete Keller-376 laps (Overheating)
Chuck Mahoney-Pole
Cottons Owens-1-4
Chuck Mahoney-5-49
Johnny Mantz-50-400
2 Lead Changes among 3 drivers
Caution Flags: 5 for 20 laps
Lap 113 (Cars #65 and 59 Spin Turn 3),
Lap 120 (Cars #65, 64, 21, 77, Murrace Walker, 47 and Slick Smith Accident Turn 1),
Lap 208 (Gene Comstock Stalled Turn 3),
Lap 273 (Car #7 Spin Turn 4),
Lap 293 (Car #45 Stalled Turn 2)
Margin of Victory: 13 Laps
Time of Race: 4 Hours, 56 Minutes and 55 Seconds
Chuck Mahoney leads the field to the Green Flag.
Cottons Owens passes Chuck Mahoney on the Backstretch to lead the first lap.
Chuck Mahoney passes Cotton Owens for the lead on Lap 5.
Johnny Mantz passes Chuck Mahoney for the second and final lead change on Lap 50.
The first caution comes out on Lap 113 when Byron Beatty and Bill Rexford spin out in Turn 3.
As drivers try to get on pit road, drivers stack up and four drivers are knocked out of the race.
The second caution comes out on Lap 120 when a seven car wreck breaks out in Turn 1.
The third caution comes out on Lap 208 when Gene Comstock, who was running in 20th, stalls in Turn 3 due to a broken Header.
The fourth caution comes out on Lap 273 when Bob Flock spins out in Turn 1 after contact from Joe Eubanks.
The fifth and final caution comes out on Lap 293 when Ted Chamberlain stalls in Turn 2.
During the caution, Joe Eubanks wrecks hard in Turn 4, ending his day.
While running in 16th, Shorty York's Engine blows up.
Johnny Mantz takes the Checkered Flag.
