Give a Nod to Larry LoPatin for NASCAR Motors in the Motor State
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06/09/2016 Frank Buhrman |
In the run-up to and aftermath of this year’s NASCAR Hall of Fame selections and inductions, much was made of which worthies haven’t been included because of their less-than-ideal relationships with the France family. While he probably doesn’t deserve HoF induction, let’s add another name to those who are on a certain poop-list but just maybe should get a thank-you from stock car racing’s powerful First Family.
Let’s hear it for Larry LoPatin.
Please take a few minutes if you haven’t already and read Matt McLaughlin’s story of LoPatin’s rise and fall; it’s available elsewhere on this website. Then think about this: the remaining shining star of LoPatin’s former American Raceways Inc. universe is Michigan Int’l Speedway, where the Sprint Cup and Xfinity stars will race this weekend. That track has achieved something NASCAR wasn’t otherwise able to do: establish a successful venue for major stock car racing in the backyard of Chevy, Ford and . . . well, the American division of Fiat.
If my count (from Racing-Reference.info, of course) is right, Sunday will mark the 94th Cup race at MIS, dating back to Cale Yarborough’s win in the Motor State 500 just shy of 47 years ago (only one race was run in 1973). A decade ago, crowds estimated at 145,000 were on hand, although Michigan – like all NASCAR venues -- has suffered a decline since then. Nevertheless, it’s a pretty successful place, and that’s something that can’t be said about NASCAR’s remaining legacy in Michigan.
Not that Big Bill & Co. didn’t try. They initially put their eggs in the basket that was the Michigan State Fairgrounds in Detroit that also was running Indy Cars at the time. On August 12, 1951, 59 cars (!) started the Motor City 250 before an announced crowd of 16,352, and a little less than four-and-a-half hours later, Tommy Thompson was flagged the winner, having averaged a scorching 57.588 mph. Although there were two cars on the lead lap at the end, only 13 of the 59 starters finished. Curtis Turner and Fonty Flock led the most laps, but Curtis fell out with overheating problems less than 20 laps from the end, and Fonty had crashed earlier.
“Only” 47 cars started when the series returned on June 29, 1952, and Tim Flock ran away with the win after early leaders Dick Rathman and Lee Petty dropped out. About half the field finished the distance, including 1951 winner Thompson in 21st.
The average speed was a tad higher, the attendance isn’t available, and NASCAR’s top division never returned to the Michigan State Fairgrounds.
In 1951, NASCAR also ran at the half-mile Grand Rapids Speedrome, but this was a small potatoes event compared to Detroit, and a second race in 1954 ended efforts to race on that speedway.
In 1952, the half-mile Monroe Speedway also ran a NASCAR event, but only 15 cars showed up for that race, which was won by Tim Flock.
That was it for Cup racing in Michigan until MIS. The old Convertible Division raced twice in 1956 at Flat Rock Speedway, which also ran ARCA for many years. Of note, RFF’s own Tiger Tom Pistone finished second in the July race, while a guy named Allen Adkins won the August event by 19 laps – that one must have had ‘em on the edge of their seats.
It’s also worth mentioning that one “major” NASCAR race took place at another track in Michigan after MIS had been built. In 1973, Bob Senneker won the Coca-Cola 100 at Berlin Raceway in Marne. Don’t remember that one, maybe? Well, it was a Grand National East race in the year that NASCAR tried to keep that dying division afloat by running it in combination with ARCA. There’s a website that records all this, by the way. The races featured former NASCAR Grand American cars and drivers, plus some of the Grand National “independents.” If a race was on NASCAR turf, it was mostly NASCAR drivers; if it was on ARCA turf, it was mostly ARCA drivers. This race was one of the latter.
Fewer than 10 of the 27 starters were bona fide NASCAR racers, and except for Dean Dalton and Neil Castles, there were all ex-Grand American drivers, who had nowhere else to run. Since the “division” ceased to exist after 1973, the race was not repeated, although ARCA continues to run at Marne.
Also in 1973, Roger Penske purchased Michigan Int’l Speedway at bankruptcy auction. Larry LoPatin had been fired by his governing board a couple of years earlier. Penske’s empire, of course, was eventually folded into Int’l Speedway Corp.
He obviously had his shortcomings, but LoPatin built a beautiful race track that remains one of America’s best, less than two hours from Detroit, not quite in the “back yard,” but definitely the closest anybody has come for big-time stock car racing.
Thanks, Larry.
Let’s hear it for Larry LoPatin.
Please take a few minutes if you haven’t already and read Matt McLaughlin’s story of LoPatin’s rise and fall; it’s available elsewhere on this website. Then think about this: the remaining shining star of LoPatin’s former American Raceways Inc. universe is Michigan Int’l Speedway, where the Sprint Cup and Xfinity stars will race this weekend. That track has achieved something NASCAR wasn’t otherwise able to do: establish a successful venue for major stock car racing in the backyard of Chevy, Ford and . . . well, the American division of Fiat.
If my count (from Racing-Reference.info, of course) is right, Sunday will mark the 94th Cup race at MIS, dating back to Cale Yarborough’s win in the Motor State 500 just shy of 47 years ago (only one race was run in 1973). A decade ago, crowds estimated at 145,000 were on hand, although Michigan – like all NASCAR venues -- has suffered a decline since then. Nevertheless, it’s a pretty successful place, and that’s something that can’t be said about NASCAR’s remaining legacy in Michigan.
Not that Big Bill & Co. didn’t try. They initially put their eggs in the basket that was the Michigan State Fairgrounds in Detroit that also was running Indy Cars at the time. On August 12, 1951, 59 cars (!) started the Motor City 250 before an announced crowd of 16,352, and a little less than four-and-a-half hours later, Tommy Thompson was flagged the winner, having averaged a scorching 57.588 mph. Although there were two cars on the lead lap at the end, only 13 of the 59 starters finished. Curtis Turner and Fonty Flock led the most laps, but Curtis fell out with overheating problems less than 20 laps from the end, and Fonty had crashed earlier.
“Only” 47 cars started when the series returned on June 29, 1952, and Tim Flock ran away with the win after early leaders Dick Rathman and Lee Petty dropped out. About half the field finished the distance, including 1951 winner Thompson in 21st.
The average speed was a tad higher, the attendance isn’t available, and NASCAR’s top division never returned to the Michigan State Fairgrounds.
In 1951, NASCAR also ran at the half-mile Grand Rapids Speedrome, but this was a small potatoes event compared to Detroit, and a second race in 1954 ended efforts to race on that speedway.
In 1952, the half-mile Monroe Speedway also ran a NASCAR event, but only 15 cars showed up for that race, which was won by Tim Flock.
That was it for Cup racing in Michigan until MIS. The old Convertible Division raced twice in 1956 at Flat Rock Speedway, which also ran ARCA for many years. Of note, RFF’s own Tiger Tom Pistone finished second in the July race, while a guy named Allen Adkins won the August event by 19 laps – that one must have had ‘em on the edge of their seats.
It’s also worth mentioning that one “major” NASCAR race took place at another track in Michigan after MIS had been built. In 1973, Bob Senneker won the Coca-Cola 100 at Berlin Raceway in Marne. Don’t remember that one, maybe? Well, it was a Grand National East race in the year that NASCAR tried to keep that dying division afloat by running it in combination with ARCA. There’s a website that records all this, by the way. The races featured former NASCAR Grand American cars and drivers, plus some of the Grand National “independents.” If a race was on NASCAR turf, it was mostly NASCAR drivers; if it was on ARCA turf, it was mostly ARCA drivers. This race was one of the latter.
Fewer than 10 of the 27 starters were bona fide NASCAR racers, and except for Dean Dalton and Neil Castles, there were all ex-Grand American drivers, who had nowhere else to run. Since the “division” ceased to exist after 1973, the race was not repeated, although ARCA continues to run at Marne.
Also in 1973, Roger Penske purchased Michigan Int’l Speedway at bankruptcy auction. Larry LoPatin had been fired by his governing board a couple of years earlier. Penske’s empire, of course, was eventually folded into Int’l Speedway Corp.
He obviously had his shortcomings, but LoPatin built a beautiful race track that remains one of America’s best, less than two hours from Detroit, not quite in the “back yard,” but definitely the closest anybody has come for big-time stock car racing.
Thanks, Larry.
