RAPID VALLEY SPEEDWAY - RAPID CITY SD
(Black Hills Speedway)
This track was a 1/2 mile dirt oval. All of the major touring races occurred at the track in 1953. The NASCAR Late Model Sportsman ran twice; and was won both times by Bud Schlottman. The other race was the Cup series race. Herb Thomas won the pole, but Buck Baker jumped out and led the first 20 laps. Thomas then showed his dominance as he led 176 of the last 180 laps to take the checkers. Following Thomas across the line was Dick Rathman, Fonty Flock, Lee Petty and Baker. The average speed for the race was 57.270, faster than pole winning speed. This is not the first time we have encountered a faster average speed for the race than for the pole. Interesting stats on this race include the fact that it was the 8th win of the 1953 season for Thomas out of the 23 races to date. Also interesting, and we have addressed this issue before, it was the 11th time in the 1953 season that Dick Rathmann finished second. Dick had won the race on July 10th in Morristown, NJ with Herb in second, but the record of runner-up finishes by Rathmann is remarkable. Herb won July 12th in Atlanta, GA with Rathmann second.
See what I mean? One more point of interest here. A young driver, Johnny Beauchamp, would start his first ever Grand National race, but would finish 15th and last position. Beauchamp would come East for limited Grand National career and would play a huge part in the first Daytona 500 in 1959 in the photo finish with Lee Petty. In 1961, Beauchamp and Lee Petty would again make headlines in Daytona but it was for a spectacular accident which effectively ended Petty's career behind the wheel. Rapid Valley Speedway is still in operation; and now goes under the name of Black Hills Speedway.
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