[Racer Duck]

Who was the first driver to crash a Winston Cup car? (cite date and track)

[Bob Tanner]

Originally Posted by Racer Duck

Who was the first driver to crash a Winston Cup car? (cite date and track)

Trick question... I'm going to go with the first driver to crash a Winston Cup car in a race. I wasn't there in person. This answer has a couple of possibilities.

As far as crashing in practice...? I don't know.

As far as crashing in a race, I believe that "honor" goes "officially" to Ron Keselowski (of ARCA fame and his son still runs CTS, I believe) who wadded up his dodge in a crash in the first 50-lap qualifier at Daytona in 1971.

However, "unofficially," I believe there is an arguement for the honor to go to Dick Gulstrand. His Chevie dropped an "A" frame during the first race for Winston Cup at Riverside. I've seen a picture of his car and it was pretty scrunched up but he limped into the pits (he lost the A frame at pit entrance). Officially he is listed as DNF due to A frame and Keselowski is listed as DNF due to crash.

How'd I do?

[Racer Duck]

I have to admit a major faux pax on this one: seems the place where I got the question had it messed up and I blindly copied down both the question and their answer. result: my answer (Lee Petty) is totally wrong 'cause Lee never drove in a Winston Cup race. Their question should have been: "Who was the first driver to crash his car in a NASCAR race?" .. then Lee Petty would have been correct since he flipped his Buick in lap 107 of the very first NASCAR race.

......

Now, as to Bob's answers: ya made me scramble 'cause I thought you were right .. but not so: close but no cigar.

1971 was the first year for Winston Cup, so the first race should be the proper place to look. The first race of '71 was at Riverside (a custom started many years before since the weather was usually cooperative for a mid-January race date in Southern California. Still, many people think of the Daytona 500 in February as the "official" start of the NASCAR/Winston Cup season. But, since NASCAR called the Riverside race "Race #1", it was the official start of the season.

Dick Guldstrand completed 76 laps before retiring .. my source cites the reason as "A Frame", just as Bob indicated. BUT, Ray Johnstone retired after completing only 36 laps .. my source cites the reason as "crash". Other than these two drivers, only two others in that race had other than driveline problems (engine, transmission, clutch, ignition): Ron Gautshe retired after 118 laps with a lug bolt problem, and Dick Bown retired after 133 laps with steering problems.

So, using a simple time line, it appears "Ray Johnstone" is the proper answer to this question, with "Riverside" and "1/10/71" being the track and date.

(Sorry I was so late getting back on this one, just as I found the information around 4:30PM, I had to leave for several hours -didn't get back 'till after 11:30PM: we went to another racer's garage and helped him get his race car setup right. turns out his car was so far off that it's gonna take a 2nd night to finish the task - we go back Monday evening.)

[Bob Tanner]

Originally Posted by Racer Duck

I have to admit a major faux pax on this one: seems the place where I got the question had it messed up and I blindly copied down both the question and their answer. result: my answer (Lee Petty) is totally wrong 'cause Lee never drove in a Winston Cup race. Their question should have been: "Who was the first driver to crash his car in a NASCAR race?" .. then Lee Petty would have been correct since he flipped his Buick in lap 107 of the very first NASCAR race.

......

Now, as to Bob's answers: ya made me scramble 'cause I thought you were right .. but not so: close but no cigar.

1971 was the first year for Winston Cup, so the first race should be the proper place to look. The first race of '71 was at Riverside (a custom started many years before since the weather was usually cooperative for a mid-January race date in Southern California. Still, many people think of the Daytona 500 in February as the "official" start of the NASCAR/Winston Cup season. But, since NASCAR called the Riverside race "Race #1", it was the official start of the season.

Dick Guldstrand completed 76 laps before retiring .. my source cites the reason as "A Frame", just as Bob indicated. BUT, Ray Johnstone retired after completing only 36 laps .. my source cites the reason as "crash". Other than these two drivers, only two others in that race had other than driveline problems (engine, transmission, clutch, ignition): Ron Gautshe retired after 118 laps with a lug bolt problem, and Dick Bown retired after 133 laps with steering problems.

So, using a simple time line, it appears "Ray Johnstone" is the proper answer to this question, with "Riverside" and "1/10/71" being the track and date.

(Sorry I was so late getting back on this one, just as I found the information around 4:30PM, I had to leave for several hours -didn't get back 'till after 11:30PM: we went to another racer's garage and helped him get his race car setup right. turns out his car was so far off that it's gonna take a 2nd night to finish the task - we go back Monday evening.)

You are correct! Johnstone's '69 Plymouth #77 is, indeed, listed out because of "crash." I missed that one.