The 1956 NASCAR Grand National (now NASCAR Cup Series) Season began on November 13, 1955, and ended on November 18, 1956.
Driver Tim Flock was the defending champion, and started off with a win at the opening Hickory Speedway. But it was Buck Baker who ultimately captured the top-ranking at the end of the season. Along with trophies, Baker also collected $34,076.35 in prize money, and finished more than 400 points ahead of his closest competitor. Baker competed in 48 races throughout the 1956 season as Speedy Thompson and Herb Thomas rounded out the top three in points by the final race.
Even though auto manufactures Chevrolet and Ford both contributed millions of dollars into their cars during the season, it was Carl Kiekhaefer's Chryslers and Dodges that dominated the season including a 16 win stretch through the summer months.
Season summary
The season started on a somber note; as former driver Buddy Shuman died the night before the season started, in a Hickory hotel fire. The coroner reported that the mattress had been on fire, and it appeared that Shuman had attempted to escape, but broke down the bathroom door instead of the hallway. Shuman had been put in charge of the factory effort by Ford to succeed in NASCAR.
Buck Baker won the NASCAR Grand National championship with 14 wins in the 1956 race season. The season involved races on 40 dirt tracks, 3 road courses, and 2 superspeedways. More than 300 drivers competed in at least one race throughout the season With Baker and Speedy Thompson competing in 48 of the 56 races. Baker finished the season with 31 top five finishes, 39 top ten, and 12 poles.
Baker had been improving his season finishing position for a couple years; with a 4th-place finish in 1953, 3rd in 1954, and runner-up in 1955. For the 1956 season Baker joined the Carl Kiekhaefer team who already boasted Speedy Thompson and Tim Flock. The powerhouse Kiekhaefer team finished with a total of 30 races in the 56 race season, including 16 straight races by 4 different drivers during one stretch of the season. Baker took home the championship, Thompson finished second, and Flock only started 4 races for Kiekhaefer but still brought home a 9th place for his season efforts. Flock quit the Kiekhaefer team part way into the season citing an overly oppressive and driven to win Kiekhaefer. Rules and living arrangements were established by Kiekhaefer; Husbands and wives as well as driver and girlfriends were not allowed to share quarters the night before the race. Herb Thomas replaced Flock on the team, but he refused to remain for the whole season as well.
At the time the season occurred, NASCAR was aspiring to become the United States' new dominant race-sanctioning body. This had previously been the a distinction held by the AAA Contest Board. However, the American Automobile Association had ended its involvement in automobile racing in the aftermath of the 1955 Le Mans disaster. Other organizations that were frontrunners angling to become the new dominant U.S. race-sanctioning body were the United States Auto Club and the Sports Car Club of America.
Races Summary table Dirt oval Paved oval Road course Temporary circuit NoDate/(race name)MilesTrackTrack typeReportWinning driverWinning team Pavement/shape Length category 111/13/195580Hickory Speedway (Hickory, NC) dirt oval short track Kiekhaefer 211/20/1955101 Charlotte Speedway (Charlotte NC) dirt oval short track Kiekhaefer 311/20/1955200 Willow Springs Raceway (Willow Springs, CA) road course intermediate/standard 412/11/1955100 Palm Beach Speedway (West Palm Beach, FL) paved oval short track 51/22/1956(150 Miles at Arizona State Fairgrounds)150 Arizona State Fairgrounds (Phoenix) dirt oval intermediate Kiekhaefer 62/26/1956154 Daytona Beach and Road Course (Daytona Beach) paved/dirt temporary oval circuit long/high-speed Kiekhaefer 73/4/1956100 Palm Beach Speedway (West Palm Beach, FL) paved oval short track Stroppe 83/18/195653 Wilson Speedway (Wilson, NC) dirt oval short track Yunick 93/25/1956100 Lakewood Speedway (Atlanta, GA) dirt oval intermediate Kiekhaefer 104/8/1956(Wilkes County 160)100 North Wilkesboro Speedway (North Wilkesboro, NC) dirt oval short track report Kiekhaefer 114/22/1956150 Langhorne Speedway (Langhorne, PA) dirt oval short track Kiekhaefer 124/29/1956(Richmond 200)150 Atlantic Rural Fairgrounds (Richmond, VA) dirt oval short track Kiekhaefer 135/5/1956(Arclite 100)100 Columbia Speedway (Cayce, SC) dirt oval short track Kiekhaefer 145/6/1956100 Harris Speedway (Concord, NC) dirt oval short track Kiekhaefer 155/10/1956100 Greenville-Pickens Speedway (Easley, SC) dirt oval short track Kiekhaefer 165/12/195680Hickory Speedway (Hickory, NC) dirt oval short track Kiekhaefer 175/13/195690 Orange Speedway (Hillsborough, NC) dirt oval short track Kiekhaefer 185/20/1956(Virginia 500)263 Martinsville Speedway (Ridgeway, VA) paved oval short track report Kiekhaefer 195/25/1956100 Lincoln Speedway (New Oxford, PA) dirt oval short track Kiekhaefer 205/27/1956100 Charlotte Speedway (Charlotte NC) dirt oval short track Kiekhaefer 215/27/195675 Portland Speedway (Portland, OR) paved oval short track Kiekhaefer 225/30/195678 Redwood Speedway (CA) dirt oval short track Kiekhaefer 235/30/1956150 Syracuse Mile (Syracuse, NY) dirt oval intermediate Kiekhaefer 246/3/1956100 Merced Fairgrounds Speedway (Merced) dirt oval short track Kiekhaefer 256/10/1956251 Memphis-Arkansas Speedway (Lehi, AK) dirt oval intermediate DePaolo 266/15/1956100 Southern States Fairgrounds (Charlotte, NC) dirt oval short track Kiekhaefer 276/22/1956100 Monroe County Fairgrounds (Rochester, NY) dirt oval short track Kiekhaefer 286/24/1956100 Portland Speedway (Portland, OR) paved oval short track 297/1/1956100 Asheville Weaverville Speedway (Weaverville, NC) dirt oval short track Petty Enterprises 307/4/1956(Raleigh 250)250 Raleigh Speedway (Raleigh, NC) paved oval intermediate DePaolo 317/7/1956100 Peidmont Interstate Fairgrounds (Spartanburg, SC) dirt oval short track Petty Enterprises 327/8/1956100 California State Fairgrounds (Sacramento, CA) dirt oval intermediate report 337/21/1956100 Soldier Field (Chicago, IL) paved oval short track report DePaolo 347/27/1956101 Cleveland County Fairgrounds (Shelby, NC) dirt oval short track Kiekhaefer 357/29/1956100 Montgomery Speedway (Montgomery, AL) paved oval short track Harbison 368/3/1956100 Oklahoma State Fairgrounds (Oklahoma City, OK) dirt oval short track Hayworth – 8/4/1956 200 (planned) Tulsa Fairgrounds (Tulsa, OK) dirt oval short track cancelled mid-race 378/12/1956(International Stock Car Road Race)258 Road America (Elkhart Lake, WI) road course long/high-speed report Stroppe 388/17/1956100 Old Bridge Stadium (Old Bridge, NJ) paved oval short track DePaolo 398/19/1956241 Bay Meadows Speedway (San Mateo, CA) dirt oval intermediate 408/22/1956100 Norfolk Speedway (Norfolk, VA) dirt oval short track Stroppe 418/23/1956100 Peidmont Interstate Fairgrounds (Spartanburg, SC) dirt oval short track DePaolo 428/25/1956100 Coastal Speedway (Myrtle Beach, SC) dirt oval short track DePaolo 438/26/1956123 Portland Speedway (Portland, OR) paved oval short track Weida 449/3/1956(Southern 500)501 Darlington Raceway (Darlington, SC) paved oval intermediate report Schwam 459/9/1956100 Chisholm Speedway (Montgomery, AL) dirt oval short track Kiekhaefer 469/12/1956100 Southern States Fairgrounds (Charlotte, NC) dirt oval short track DePaolo 479/23/1956300 Langhorne Speedway (Langhorne, PA) dirt oval short track Yunick 489/23/1956125 Portland Speedway (Portland, OR) paved oval short track 499/29/1956100 Columbia Speedway (Cayce, SC) dirt oval short track Kiekhaefer 509/30/195699 Orange Speedway (Hillsborough, NC) dirt oval short track DePaolo 5110/7/1956100 Newport Speedway (Newport, TN) paved oval short track DePaolo 5210/14/1956100 Charlotte Speedway (Charlotte NC) dirt oval short track Kiekhaefer 5310/23/1956100 Cleveland County Fairgrounds (Shelby, NC) dirt oval short track Kiekhaefer 5410/28/1956200 Martinsville Speedway (Ridgeway, VA) paved oval short track Kiekhaefer 5511/11/1956(Buddy Shuman 250)125 Hickory Speedway (Hickory, NC) dirt oval short track report Kiekhaefer 5611/18/1956(Old Dominion 400)100 Wilson Speedway (Wilson, NC) dirt oval short track report Kiekhaefer
Attendance More than 430,000 spectators attended races.
No Date/(race name) Track Attendance 111/13/1955Hickory Speedway (Hickory, NC) 7,500 211/20/1955 Charlotte Speedway (Charlotte NC) 10,500 311/20/1955 Willow Springs Raceway (Willow Springs, CA) 17,000 412/11/1955 Palm Beach Speedway (West Palm Beach, FL) 4,500 51/22/1956 Arizona State Fairgrounds (Phoenix) 62/26/1956 Daytona Beach and Road Course (Daytona Beach) 29,000 73/4/1956 Palm Beach Speedway (West Palm Beach, FL) 5,200 83/18/1956 Wilson Speedway (Wilson, NC) 5,000 93/25/1956 Lakewood Speedway (Atlanta, GA) 17,812 104/8/1956(Wilkes County 160) North Wilkesboro Speedway (North Wilkesboro, NC) 7,500 114/22/1956 Langhorne Speedway (Langhorne, PA) 24,000 124/29/1956(Richmond 200) Atlantic Rural Fairgrounds (Richmond, VA) 5,000 135/5/1956(Arclite 100) Columbia Speedway (Cayce, SC) 5,000 145/6/1956 Harris Speedway (Concord, NC) 6,000 155/10/1956 Greenville-Pickens Speedway (Easley, SC) 5,000 165/12/1956Hickory Speedway (Hickory, NC) 4,500 175/13/1956 Orange Speedway (Hillsborough, NC) 7,500 185/20/1956(Virginia 500) Martinsville Speedway (Ridgeway, VA) 20,000
No Date/(race name) Track Attendance 195/25/1956 Lincoln Speedway (New Oxford, PA) 205/27/1956 Charlotte Speedway (Charlotte NC) 3,900 215/27/1956 Portland Speedway (Portland, OR) 225/30/1956 Redwood Speedway (CA) 235/30/1956 Syracuse Mile (Syracuse, NY) 6,000 246/3/1956 Merced Fairgrounds Speedway (Merced) 256/10/1956 Memphis-Arkansas Speedway (Lehi, AK) 15,000 266/15/1956 Southern States Fairgrounds (Charlotte, NC) 7,800 276/22/1956 Monroe County Fairgrounds (Rochester, NY) 6,000 286/24/1956 Portland Speedway (Portland, OR) 1,800 297/1/1956 Asheville Weaverville Speedway (Weaverville, NC) 8,000 307/4/1956(Raleigh 250) Raleigh Speedway (Raleigh, NC) 13,600 317/7/1956 Peidmont Interstate Fairgrounds (Spartanburg, SC) 327/8/1956 California State Fairgrounds (Sacramento, CA) 337/21/1956 Soldier Field (Chicago, IL) 14,402 347/27/1956 Cleveland County Fairgrounds (Shelby, NC) 357/29/1956 Montgomery Speedway (Montgomery, AL) 368/3/1956 Oklahoma State Fairgrounds (Oklahoma City, OK) 7,500 – 8/4/1956 Tulsa Fairgrounds (Tulsa, OK) 6,200 378/12/1956(International Stock Car Road Race) Road America (Elkhart Lake, WI) 10,000 388/17/1956 Old Bridge Stadium (Old Bridge, NJ)
No Date/(race name) Track Attendance 398/19/1956 Bay Meadows Speedway (San Mateo, CA) 40 8/22/1956 Norfolk Speedway (Norfolk, VA) 41 8/23/1956 Peidmont Interstate Fairgrounds (Spartanburg, SC) 6,000 42 8/25/1956 Coastal Speedway (Myrtle Beach, SC) 438/26/1956 Portland Speedway (Portland, OR) 449/3/1956(Southern 500) Darlington Raceway (Darlington, SC) 70,000 45 9/9/1956 Chisholm Speedway (Montgomery, AL) 2,000 46 9/12/1956 Southern States Fairgrounds (Charlotte, NC) 7,300 47 9/23/1956 Langhorne Speedway (Langhorne, PA) 31,000 48 9/23/1956 Portland Speedway (Portland, OR) 49 9/29/1956 Columbia Speedway (Cayce, SC) 509/30/1956 Orange Speedway (Hillsborough, NC) 7,200 51 10/7/1956 Newport Speedway (Newport, TN) 6,000 52 10/14/1956 Charlotte Speedway (Charlotte NC) 6,800 53 10/23/1956 Cleveland County Fairgrounds (Shelby, NC) 5410/28/1956 Martinsville Speedway (Ridgeway, VA) 9,500 5511/11/1956(Buddy Shuman 250) Hickory Speedway (Hickory, NC) 3,500 5611/18/1956 Wilson Speedway (Wilson, NC)
1955 Race 1: Hickory Speedway (November 13)