RACE RESULTS...

     Finding, let alone posting, the racing results for a track that was in operation off and on for almost 50 years is a daunting task.  The good news is that there are hundreds of folks on the web who are avid race fans and have the time and patience to track down results and post the statistics.  Given enough time we'll post all the Dayton Speedway results we can get our hands on, but to get started we'll probably confine ourselves to the speedway's biggest races including those staged by national racing series.

NASCAR GRAND NATIONAL (SPRINT CUP) DIVISION

     The NASCAR Grand National Division (now renamed Sprint Cup) ran four events at Dayton Speedway, two each in 1950, 1951, and 1952.  Event winners included some of the most famous names in NASCAR history, Dick Linder, Curtis Turner, Fonty Flock, and Dick Rathman.  But the most historically significant win at Dayton was posted by a driver named Jimmy Florian who won the very first NASCAR event at the speedway on June 25, 1950.

     On June 25, 1950, Florian, a 27 year old mechanic from Cleveland, Ohio, did what many thought was simply impossible. He beat Curtis Turner, Joe Weatherly, and Lee Petty in the 100 lap NASCAR event at Dayton Speedway and gave Ford its first-ever win in the series.
With 35 laps to go, Florian passed Turner and had established a half-lap advantage by the time the race was over.

     Turner, Weatherly, and Petty quickly protested Florian’s win. They could not believe that they had been outrun by a flathead Ford. But at 4 a.m., after careful inspection, NASCAR officials declared that Florian’s Ford was as stock as stock could be, and the win was made official. 
     And Florian made a lasting impression in victory lane when he emerged from his car - he was shirtless! He told officials that he was “hotter than hell” in the car and decided to take off his shirt.
NASCAR quickly issued a new rule: drivers had to wear at least a t-shirt when driving in an event!
     Florian’s sponsor, Euclid Ford, eventually donated the car to the police department in Cleveland for their use.

     You can find additional information regarding the six Dayton Speedway NASCAR races here.

Jimmy Florian poses shirtless in Dayton Speedway's victory lane after scoring the first win ever for Ford in NASCAR's premier division June 25, 1950. 

     ---Photo originally posted by Denny Hudock, Cleveland, Ohio

     Skip Krauslock, owner of the Dayton Speedway winner, stands proudly next to his car.  Krauslock's car was eventually turned over to the Euclid, Ohio, police department as a gift from Euclid Ford, the car's sponsor.  It must have been the first time that any police department took delivery of a squad car that had already proven it could outrun any other car. 

       ---Photo originally posted by Denny Hudock, Cleveland, Ohio

AUTOMOBILE RACING CLUB OF AMERICA (ARCA)

     The ARCA series (formerly MARC) was a staple at Dayton Speedway from the first event in 1953 until the 1969 season.  After the May 24, 1970 event at the speedway which was won by Ramo Stott, the series visited the track just three more times until the raceway closed for good in 1982.  The list of Dayton Speedway ARCA winners includes some of the greatest drivers to ever strap into a stock car.

     Benny Parsons, who eventually went on to win the NASCAR Sprint Cup title, scored three of his 16 ARCA career wins at Dayton Speedway. Jack Bowsher tallied an impressive 55 ARCA career wins, seven of them on the high-banks of Dayton.  Les Snow won 35 ARCA events including one at Dayton on April 21, 1968.

     And the local boys did well, too. Dick Freeman ended his career with 12 ARCA wins including three at Dayton Speedway. His win on July 18, 1965, ended Jack Bowsher's string of 5 straight wins in ARCA events that season.  Jack Farris won 4 Dayton ARCA events, and 17 total during his career.  Harold Smith pocketed first place ARCA money three times at Dayton, and 21 other ARCA wins before his ARCA career ended.  Jim Cushman won in his Plymouth June 28, 1964.

     Dayton Speedway played a role in the careers of drivers at the very top and very bottom of ARCA's career win list.  Iggy Katona leads the list of ARCA winners with 79 career wins.  Seven of those wins came at Dayton.  Nelson Stacy is fourth on the ARCA career wins list with 32, just behind Jack Bowsher in second, and Les Snow in third.  He took the checkered flag at Dayton 4 times.

     At the other end of the career win spectrum, Buckie Sager scored one of his 3 career wins at Dayton, Keith Plough and John Sommerville each scored one of their 2 career wins there, and Bill Granger, Homer Newland, and Joe Raymond each have Dayton Speedway to thank for their single ARCA career win.  You can learn more about Joe Raymond and his son Lee who won the ARCA National Championship titles in 1985 and 1986 here.

     Finally, here's a big of trivia you can use to stump your know-it-all racing friends:  Where did ARCA begin it's 1976 championship season?  Hint: Nope, not Daytona Speedway in Florida in February.

     The answer:  Dayton Speedway, October 12, 1975!  Yes, that's right; the 1976 title chase actually began in the Fall of the previous year in Dayton, Ohio. 

Here's the complete listing of ARCA winners at Dayton Speedway:

* ARCA had scheduled four 50 lap Feature races at Dayton Speedway on July 5, 1959.  Nelson Stacy won the first two; the last two were rained out.

**The October 12, 1975 event at Dayton Speedway was considered the first event of the 1976 ARCA series.

 UNITED STATES AUTO CLUB

     Every USAC division challenged the Dayton Speedway over the course of the track's existence, and now, thanks to long-time USAC official Dick Jordan, veteran FODS Bill Holder (billholder@webtv.net) and our own Jerry Wahl (jlwahl1@hotmail.com) we have the results from every one of those USAC events!

     You'll find the results page here.

THE DAYTON 500

     The Dayton 500 was Dayton Speedway's signature event.  The 500 lap grind on the high-banks was more than a test for man and machine.  Remarkably, the Dayton 500 was held on more than one occasion at tracks other than Dayton Speedway.

Here's the listing of Dayton 500 winners through the years courtesy the sleuthing of Rick Patterson (elvis334@att.net).

Dayton 500 Winners

1953 Sept 13             Iggy Katone

1954 Sept 26             Jack Harrison

1955 Sept 11             Jack Ferris

1956 Sept 16             Jack Ferris

1957 Sept 15             Jack Shanklin

1958 Sept 14             Nelson Stacy

1959 August 30          Johnny Allen

1960                            L NO RACES L

1961 Sept 24              Homer Newland

1962 Sept 16              Iggy Katone

1963 Sept 15              Keith Plough

1964 Sept 13              Jack Bowsher

1965 Sept 26              Jack Bowsher

1966                            L NO RACES L

1967 Sept 10             John Sommerville

1968 Sept 8                Benny Parsons

1969 Sept 21              Ramo Stott

*1970 Sept 20             Ross Smith              Race held at Tri-County Speedway

                      1971 – 1974                NO RACES at Dayton Speedway…but

1971 Sept 12              Ramo Stott                Race held at New Bremen Speedway

1972 Sept 11              Jack Shanklin            Race held at New Bremen Speedway

1973 Sept 23              Bruce Gould              Race held at New Bremen Speedway

1974-1980                   No Dayton 500’s were held

1981 Sept 26              Hillbilly Ed Duncan / Bill Pelphrey                         

 Notes:

1963 race was also called “Wynn’s 500.”

* In 1970 there were two “Dayton 500’s” scheduled at the beginning of the year.

The first “500” was run on May 24^th and was called the Buckeye 500.  Ramo Stott won this race. He was 10 laps ahead of Bobby Watson and 11 laps ahead of Iggy Katona.

     Because of financial and the physical conditions at Dayton Speedway, the second race was moved to Tri-County Speedway.  This race was held during a more traditional September weekend.  It was called the “Dayton 500”.

1970 Sept 20:              Ross Smith

Ross Smith finishes 6 laps ahead of Keith Ploughe.

Others Ramo Stott, pole winner, finished 8^th

Iggy Katone went out at lap 113 with engine trouble

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1971 Sept 12:             Ramo Stott

      To continue the tradition of the Dayton 500 the race was moved to New Bremen Speedway in 1971.  The pole sitter was Ramo Stott. The race winner was Ramo Stott. The win clinched the ARCA point’s championship for Stott for 1971.

     While battling for the lead with Jack Bowsher on lap 443, Bowsher “bumped” Stott.

It must have been a heated battle that led to the “bump” because Bowsher was black flagged and held for FIVE laps.  The penalty moved Bowsher to third and all but guaranteed Stott a victory and the championship.

Top seven were:

1. Ramo Stott

2. Jim Robinson

3. Jack Bowsher

4. Bill Clemmins

5. Iggy Katone

6. John Sellers

7. N.D. Cooper

Note:  Earl Baltes was the promoter at New Bremen at the time.

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1972 Sept 11:             Jack Shanklin

     With Dayton Speedway still closed, The Dayton 500 was again held at New Bremen Speedway.  Jack Shanklin of Indianapolis won in a 1972 Monte Carlo 15 laps ahead of Ron Hutchinson’s 71 Ford.  Thirty-eight cars started the race.

Top five were:

1. Jack Shanklin

2. Ron Hutchinson

3. Cliff Hamm

4. Delmar Clark

5. Dave Dayton

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1973 Sept 23:             Bruce Gould