The 1950 Southern 500 was considered to be the inaugural Southern 500

Southern 500

The Showtime Southern 500 is the annual spring NASCAR Sprint Cup race held at Darlington Raceway in Darlington, South Carolina, USA, and is the second such event at Darlington to bear the name. It began in 1957 as a race in the Convertible Division, known as the Rebel 300. In 1966, the race was...

 (NASCAR

NASCAR

The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...

 Grand National) event for the Darlington Raceway

Darlington Raceway

Darlington Raceway is a race track built for NASCAR racing located near Darlington, South Carolina. It is nicknamed the "Lady in Black" and "The Track Too Tough to Tame" by many NASCAR fans and drivers and advertised as "A NASCAR Tradition"...

 in the American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 community of Darlington

Darlington, South Carolina

Darlington is a city in and the county seat of Darlington County, in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of South Carolina. It is a center for tobacco farming. The population was 6,720 at the 2000 census and is part of the Florence Metropolitan Statistical Area...

, South Carolina

South Carolina

South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...

.

Summary

It was also the first 500-mile race in the history of NASCAR. Being the first superspeedway in NASCAR, Darlington would be the precedent for race tracks like the Daytona International Speedway

Daytona International Speedway

Daytona International Speedway is a race track in Daytona Beach, Florida, United States. Since opening in 1959, it has been the home of the Daytona 500, one of the most prestigious races in NASCAR. In addition to NASCAR, the track also hosts races of ARCA, AMA Superbike, Grand-Am and Motocross...

 and Talladega Superspeedway

Talladega Superspeedway

Talladega Superspeedway is a motorsports complex located north of Talladega, Alabama, United States. It is located on the former Anniston Air Force Base just outside the small city of Lincoln. It was constructed by International Speedway Corporation, a business controlled by the France Family, in...

. The winning vehicle was Johnny Mantz

Johnny Mantz

Johnny Mantz was an American racecar driver.-Champ car:He made 17 starts in the AAA Championship Car series from 1948 to 1952, capturing a victory in his rookie season at the Milwaukee Mile as well as winning the Indianapolis Sweepstakes at Williams Grove Speedway.-Stock car:He was the first USAC...

's 1950 Plymouth

Plymouth (automobile)

Plymouth was a marque of automobile based in the United States, produced by the Chrysler Corporation and its successor DaimlerChrysler.-Origins:...

 (owned by Hubert Westmoreland

Hubert Westmoreland

Hubert Westmoreland was mechanic that became a car owner in the beginning of NASCAR. His role as a car owner ran from 1949 to 1964. In that time his cars were driven to 4 first place finishes. His most notable victory was by Johnny Mantz, who drove his Plymouth to victory in the inaugural Southern...

). Harold Brasington, a local businessman

Businessperson

A businessperson is someone involved in a particular undertaking of activities for the purpose of generating revenue from a combination of human, financial, or physical capital. An entrepreneur is an example of a business person...

, was motivated to open Darlington Speedway for the introductory race after being impressed by the 1933 Indianapolis 500

1933 Indianapolis 500

Results of the 1933 Indianapolis 500 held at Indianapolis on Tuesday, May 30, 1933. Louis Meyer defeated Wilbur Shaw by a time of 401.89 seconds . The average speed of the race was while Bill Cummings achieved the pole position with a speed of ....

. Brasington's plan called for a true oval, but the racetrack's design had to be changed in order to satisfy Sherman Ramsey who didn't want his minnow

Minnow

Minnow is a general term used to refer to small freshwater and saltwater fish, especially those used as bait fish or for fishing bait. More specifically, it refers to small freshwater fish of the carp family.-True minnows:...

 pond to be disturbed.

Other entries for manufacturers included Oldsmobile

Oldsmobile

Oldsmobile was a brand of American automobile produced for most of its existence by General Motors. It was founded by Ransom E. Olds in 1897. In its 107-year history, it produced 35.2 million cars, including at least 14 million built at its Lansing, Michigan factory...

 (defunct), Cadillac

Cadillac

Cadillac is an American luxury vehicle marque owned by General Motors . Cadillac vehicles are sold in over 50 countries and territories, but mostly in North America. Cadillac is currently the second oldest American automobile manufacturer behind fellow GM marque Buick and is among the oldest...

 (active but not racing in NASCAR), Mercury

Mercury (automobile)

Mercury was an automobile marque of the Ford Motor Company launched in 1938 by Edsel Ford, son of Henry Ford, to market entry-level luxury cars slotted between Ford-branded regular models and Lincoln-branded luxury vehicles, similar to General Motors' Buick brand, and Chrysler's namesake brand...

 (defunct), Ford

Ford Motor Company

Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...

 (active), Buick

Buick

Buick is a premium brand of General Motors . Buick models are sold in the United States, Canada, Mexico, China, Taiwan, and Israel, with China being its largest market. Buick holds the distinction as the oldest active American make...

 (active but not racing in NASCAR), Pontiac

Pontiac

Pontiac was an automobile brand that was established in 1926 as a companion make for General Motors' Oakland. Quickly overtaking its parent in popularity, it supplanted the Oakland brand entirely by 1933 and, for most of its life, became a companion make for Chevrolet. Pontiac was sold in the...

 (defunct), Nash

Nash Motors

Also see: Kelvinator and American Motors CorporationNash Motors was an automobile manufacturer based in Kenosha, Wisconsin, in the United States from 1916 to 1938. From 1938 to 1954, Nash was the automotive division of the Nash-Kelvinator Corporation...

 (defunct), Lincoln

Lincoln (automobile)

Lincoln is an American luxury vehicle brand of the Ford Motor Company. Lincoln vehicles are sold mostly in North America.-History:The company was founded in August 1915 by Henry M. Leland, one of the founders of Cadillac . During World War I, he left Cadillac which was sold to General Motors...

 (active but not racing in NASCAR), Studebaker

Studebaker

Studebaker Corporation was a United States wagon and automobile manufacturer based in South Bend, Indiana. Founded in 1852 and incorporated in 1868 under the name of the Studebaker Brothers Manufacturing Company, the company was originally a producer of wagons for farmers, miners, and the...

 (defunct), and Kaiser (defunct). Oddly enough, there was no entry for Chevrolet

Chevrolet

Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918...

 vehicles during that race. The other top ten finishers included: Fireball Roberts

Fireball Roberts

Edward Glenn Roberts, Jr. , nicknamed "Fireball", was one of the pioneering race car drivers of NASCAR.-Background:...

, Red Byron

Red Byron

Robert "Red" Byron was a NASCAR driver who was successful in the sanctioning body's first years. He was NASCAR's first Modified champion in 1948 and its first Strictly Stock champion in 1949.-Background:Born in Colorado he moved to Anniston, Alabama at an early age, Byron began...

, Bill Rexford

Bill Rexford

Bill Rexford was a stock car driver in the early 1950s.Born in Conewango Valley, New York, he made his name driving stock cars in the region...

, Chuck Mahoney, Lee Petty

Lee Petty

Lee Arnold Petty was an American stock car driver in the 1950s and 1960s. He was one of the pioneers of NASCAR, and one of its first superstars. He was born near Randleman, North Carolina.-Career:...

, Cotton Owens

Cotton Owens

Everett "Cotton" Owens "the King of the Modifieds" was a NASCAR driver. For five straight years , Owens captured at least one Grand National series win.-Modified driving career:...

, Bill Blair, Hershel McGriff

Hershel McGriff

Hershel McGriff won four races during his brief career in the NASCAR Grand National series, and later in the NASCAR Winston West Series.-Racing career:...

, and George Hartley

George Hartley

George Edward Hartley was an English cricketer. Hartley was a right-handed batsman who bowled right-arm slow. He was born in Walsden, Yorkshire....

. Gober Sosebee

Gober Sosebee

Gober Sosebee was an American racecar driver. He won on the Daytona Beach Road Course in 1949, 1950 and 1951. He was born in Dawson County, Georgia, and began his career in 1940 at Atlanta's Lakewood Speedway....

 led the first 4 laps, Curtis Turner

Curtis Turner

Curtis Turner was an early NASCAR driver. In addition to his success in racing, he made a fortune, lost it, and remade it buying and selling timberlands. Throughout his life he developed a reputation for drinking and partying...

, the polesitter, then led until lap 22, before eventually flipping on lap on lap 275. After Turner lost the lead, Cotton Owens lead for 23 laps. After that, Mantz led to the finish. The total time of the race was six hours, thirty-eight minutes, and forty seconds (longer than a baseball

Major League Baseball

Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...

 or a football

National Football League

The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...

 game of that era). The average speed was 75.25 mi/h while the pole position speed was 82.034 mi/h. Two cautions were taken for thirteen laps and the winner won by more than nine laps. Attendance stood at 25,000 people; about half the attendance of a modern baseball game. Four hundred laps were done on a paved oval track spanning 1.25 miles (2 km). Most of the known DNFs in the race were caused by crashes with the occasional spindle

Spindle (automobile)

In an automobile, the spindle is a part of the suspension system that carries the hub for the wheel and attaches to the upper and lower control arms. The spindle is referred to as an Upright in UK-built vehicles and in areas dominated by these cars like Australia, New Zealand etc.-Design:There are...

 incident.

U.S. Senator Strom Thurmond

Strom Thurmond

James Strom Thurmond was an American politician who served as a United States Senator. He also ran for the Presidency of the United States in 1948 as the segregationist States Rights Democratic Party candidate, receiving 2.4% of the popular vote and 39 electoral votes...

 was the official marshal for the 1950 Southern 500. He was known for his conservative policies in the Southern United States in those days. The top prize for the race was $10,510 ($ in today's money) while the lowest known prize amount for the race was $100 ($ in today's money) for 72nd place. Seventy-five cars competed in this era of relatively unregulated racing for a total of $25,325 in winnings ($ in today's money).

Finishing order

1. Johnny Mantz^
2. Fireball Roberts^
3. Red Byron^
4. Bill Rexford^
5. Chuck Mahoney^
6. Lee Petty^
7. Cotton Owens^
8. Bill Blair^
9. Hershel McGriff^
10. George Hartley^
11. Tim Flock
    Tim Flock
    Julius Timothy Flock was one of NASCAR's early pioneers, and a two time series champion. He was a brother to NASCAR's second female driver Ethel Mobley and NASCAR pioneers Bob Flock and Fonty Flock.- NASCAR career :...
    
    ^
12. Johnny Grubb
    Johnny Grubb
    John Maywood Grubb, Jr. is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and designated hitter, who also occasionally played at first base...
    
    ^
13. Dick Linder
    Dick Linder
    Richard "Dick" Linder professional race car driver from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Dick raced in USAC open wheel division as well NASCAR stock cars. Between 1949 and 1956 he entered 28 NASCAR events, winning three with eight Top 10 finishes...
    
    ^
14. John DuBoise^
15. Weldon Adams^
16. Barney Smith^
17. Gober Sosebee^
18. Elmer Wilson^
19. Joe Eubanks
    Joe Eubanks
    Joe Eubanks was a NASCAR Grand National driver from Spartanburg, South Carolina, USA. Eubanks raced from 1950 to 1961 collecting one win, thirty-seven finishes in the top five, and eighty-one finishes in the top ten along the way. His total career earnings were $35,338 and he successfully...
    
    ^
20. Shorty York^
21. Walt Crawford^
22. Murrace Walker^
23. Gene Comstock
    Gene Comstock
    Gene Comstock was a NASCAR Grand National driver from Chesapeake, Ohio, USA. In his career spanning from 1950 to 1955, Gene racked up one top-five position, six top-ten positions, 3038.6 miles of racing experience, and $2,549 in take home pay...
    
    
24. Jack White
25. Bryon Beatty
26. Bill Widenhouse
    Bill Widenhouse
    Bill Widenhouse was a NASCAR Grand National driver from Midland, North Carolina, USA.During his 14-year NASCAR career, Widenhouse managed to earn two top-finishes, five top-ten finishes, completed 4131 laps for , and earned $3,275 in take-home pay...
    
    
27. Bob Flock
    Bob Flock
    Robert Newman Flock of Fort Payne, Alabama, USA was an early NASCAR driver. He qualified on the pole position for NASCAR's first Strictly Stock race.-Flock family:...
    
    ^
28. Fonty Flock
    Fonty Flock
    Truman Fontello "Fonty" Flock of Fort Payne, Alabama was an early NASCAR driver.-Flock family:He was the brother of NASCAR pioneers Tim Flock and Bob Flock, and the second female NASCAR driver Ethel Mobley...
    
    
29. Jack Smith*
30. Pee Wee Martin
31. Lee Morgan
    Lee Morgan
    Edward Lee Morgan was an American hard bop trumpeter.-Biography:...
    
    
32. Hub McBride
33. Slick Smith
34. Ted Chamberlain^
35. Virgil Livengood^
36. Billy Carden
    Billy Carden
    Billy Carden was a NASCAR Grand National driver from Mableton, Georgia, USA. He was a stock car racing pioneer and an early NASCAR competitor.-History:...
    
    ^
37. Bill Snowden
    Bill Snowden
    Bill Snowden was a NASCAR driver from St. Augustine, Florida, USA. He was one of the racers whose career was interrupted by World War II. He was nicknamed "Wild Bill" and the "Florida Hurricane"....
    
    ^
38. Harold Kite
    Harold Kite
    Harold Kite was a NASCAR Grand National driver from East Point, Georgia, United States of America. In his brief Sprint Cup Series career, Kite competed in nine events to earn one win and two top-ten finishes....
    
    
39. Glenn Dunnaway
    Glenn Dunnaway
    Henry Glenn Dunaway was an American auto racer noted for initially winning, and then being disqualified from, what is today recognized as NASCAR's first-ever race. He lived in Gastonia, North Carolina.-1949:...
    
    
40. Jimmy Thompson
41. Jimmy Florian*
42. Bob Smith^
43. Jimmie Lewallen
    Jimmie Lewallen
    Jimmie Lewallen was an American racecar driver from High Point, North Carolina, USA. He competed in NASCAR's Strictly Stock/Grand National division from its first race at Charlotte Speedway in 1949 until 1960.-Racing career:Lewallen began his racing career in motorcycles in 1934...
    
    
44. Jesse James Taylor
45. Bub King
46. Gene Daragh
47. Roy Bentley
    Roy Bentley
    Roy Thomas Frank Bentley is a retired English football player who played most notably for Chelsea and the England national side. He later became a manager...
    
    
48. J.E. Hardie
49. Jerry Kemp
50. Bill Osborne
51. Carson Dyer
52. Wally Campbell
    Wally Campbell
    Wally Campbell of Trenton, New Jersey was a stock car, midget, and sprint car racer. He was the 1951 NASCAR Modified champion and the 1953 AAA Eastern Division Sprint car rookie of the year. Wally was killed practicing for an AAA Midwestern Division sprint car race at Salem, Indiana on July 17, 1954...
    
    
53. Jim Paschall
54. Charles Tidwell
    Charles Tidwell
    Charles Tidwell was an American race car driver, best known for his career driving stock cars in the NASCAR, GASCAR , and MARC circuits. His racing career lasted from 1948 to 1959...
    
    
55. Ruel Smith
56. Al Keller
    Al Keller
    Al Keller was an American racecar driver.Keller participated in the NASCAR "Strictly Stock"/"Grand National" series from 1949 to 1956 with 29 career starts...
    
    
57. Dick Soper
58. Pete Keller
59. P.E. Godfrey
60. Curtis Turner*
61. Bob Apperson
62. Tommy Thompson
    Tommy Thompson
    Thomas George "Tommy" Thompson , a United States Republican politician, was the 42nd Governor of Wisconsin, after which he served as U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services. Thompson was a candidate for the 2008 U.S. Presidential Election, but dropped out early after a poor performance in polls...
    
    
63. Marshall Teague
    Marshall Teague
    Marshall Teague was an American race car driver.He was nicknamed by NASCAR fans as the "King of the Beach" for his performances at the Daytona Beach Road Course....
    
    
64. Tex Keene*
65. Clyde Minter
66. Rollin Smith
67. Bill Henson
    Bill Henson
    Bill Henson is an Australian contemporary art photographer.-Background:Henson's art has been exhibited in many locations, including the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York, the Venice Biennale, the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne, Australia, the Art Gallery of New South Wales in...
    
    
68. Gayle Warren
69. Buck Baker
    Buck Baker
    Elzie Wylie Baker Sr. , better known as Buck Baker, was an American race car driver.-Racing career:...
    
    *
70. Kenneth Wagner
71. Lloyd Moore
    Lloyd Moore
    Lloyd D. Moore was a NASCAR Grand National Series driver from 1949 to 1955, recording 13 top-5 and 23 top-10 finishes. He was born in Frewsburg, New York, USA. At the time of his death, he was the oldest living former NASCAR driver.In 1950, Moore was a teammate of NASCAR champion Bill Rexford...
    
    
72. Alton Haddock
73. Jack Yardley
74. Jack Carr
75. Roscoe Thompson
    Roscoe Thompson
    Roscoe Thompson is a retired NASCAR Grand National Series driver who drove from 1948 to 1962 .-Career summary:...
    
    

* Driver is known to have failed to finish race
^ Indicates driver definetely finished race
The presence of neither * or ^ indicates that the driver's finishing status is not known.