October 2, 1949 - Petty Legacy Kicks Off in Pittsburgh

October 2, 1949: In the seventh race of NASCAR's first season for its Strictly Stock series (known later as the Grand National and Cup series, Lee Arnold Petty of Level Cross, NC wins career race number one. The race was a 200-lap, 100-mile event on the half-mile, dirt Heidelberg Speedway near Pittsburgh, PA. Petty won 53 more Grand National races over the remainder of his career.

Al Bonnell won the pole but finished last in the 23-car field. The rest of the starting line-up and the race's lap leaders have been lost to history.

Dick Linder had a five-lap lead on the field with five laps to go in the race. But he lost a wheel and was apparently done for the day. Petty made up the five-lap difference and completed the full 200 laps. Linder was awarded second place based on his 195 laps completed. The third place finisher, Bill Rexford, was seven laps down to Petty and two behind Linder.  

Petty's winning trophy is on display at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte.

Credit: Uni-Watch.com

Greg Fielden recapped the race in his book, Forty Years of Stock Car Racing - Vol. 1:

In the first Strictly Stock event in Charlotte in June, Lee Petty entered a bulky Buick Roadmaster. The enormous automobile was fast on the straights, but it wobbled like a tank through the turns. Just past the halfway point, Petty rolled the Buick a number of times....[T]he North Carolina speedster vowed never to drive a heavy vehicle in competition again.

In the 100-mile event at Heidelberg Speedway, Petty driving his number 42 lightweight Plymouth, was five full laps ahead of his nearest competitor. 

Dick Linder's Kaiser finished second but was in no position to challenge the fleet Petty.

Bill Rexford finished third, Sam Rice's Chevrolet was fourth with relief driver Glenn Dunnaway at the helm. Fifth place went to Sara Christian, the first time a female driver has cracked the top five in a premier NASCAR event. ~ pp. 20-21

Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette via Google News Archive

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July 10, 1960 - Pettys Pull A Heidelberg Heist

July 10, 1960: Starting from the pole position, Lee Petty dusted the field to win the final NASCAR Grand National race at Heidelberg Raceway near Pittsburgh, PA. Lee finished three laps ahead of second place, son Richard Petty.

Lee likely had a certain fondness for Heidelberg. Four Grand National races were held at the track, and Lee won two of them - the first one and the last one. Also, Lee's win in the first race at Heidelberg on October 2, 1949, also happened to be his first career GN win.

The field approaches the green. Pole-winner, Lee Petty, flanked by Ned Jarrett. Rex White and the future King on row two.

The race on the half-mile, dirt track was scheduled for 200 laps and 100 miles. Fellow NASCAR Hall of Famer Ned Jarrett started alongside Lee and led the first 19 laps. But Ned lost an engine in his Ford [insert joke here Ford haters], and he finished 16th in the 17-car field. Lee took over the top spot and led the rest of the way. Rain was the only thing preventing Lee from leading the rest of the 200 laps. Heavy showers moved in, the race was ended 12 laps short of its scheduled finish, and Lee was flagged as the winner.

As best I can tell, the Lee-Richard, 1-2 finish was only the second time in Grand National history for a father and son to sweep the top two spots. The Pettys were also the first to do it at Lakewood Speedway in June 1959. This unique scenario would not be repeated again until February 1988 when son Davey Allison finished second to his father, Bobby, in the Daytona 500.

Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette via Google News Archive

Hot tamale! How about those socks and sneakers on Miss Heidelberg (or whatever her title may have been)? Eat your heart out Miss Sprint Cup.

Source: Pittsburgh Press via Google News Archive (nav to p. 98)

Lee won just one more race after Heidelberg in 1960. He scored his 54th and final victory at Speedway Park in Jacksonville on November 20, 1960. About three months later, Lee's career was all but ended (and almost his life) in a horrific wreck with Johnny Beachamp in a 100-mile qualifying race at Daytona.

Although the last of the four Grand National races was held in 1960, the track continued to operate until 1973. In 2012, an historical marker was erected to memorialize the location and history of the track.

TMC