Race: Southern 500
NASCAR Grand National Series: Race 30 of 37
Date: September 7, 1953
Track: Darlington Raceway
← 73 Miles at Hickory Speedway | 1953 Season Results | 100 Miles at Central City Speedway →
Southern 500 Race Information
| Winner | Buck Baker | Car | No. 87 Oldsmobile |
| Team / Owner | Bob Griffin (Owner) | Winner Start | 7th |
| Started First | Fonty Flock | Most Laps Led | Buck Baker (151) |
| Race Distance | 500.5 miles (364 laps) | Track Length | 1.375 miles |
| Track Type | Paved oval | Starters | 59 |
| Different Leaders | 4 | Lead-Lap Finishers | 1 |
| Season Race | 30 of 37 |
Southern 500 Race Results
| Fin | Start | No. | Driver | Team / Owner | Make | Laps | Led | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7 | 87 | Buck Baker | Bob Griffin (Owner) | Oldsmobile | 364 | 151 | running |
| 2 | 1 | 14 | Fonty Flock | Frank Christian (Owner) | Hudson | 361 | 48 | running |
| 3 | 10 | 44 | Curtis Turner | Frank Christian (Owner) | Oldsmobile | 359 | 0 | running |
| 4 | 13 | 49 | Dick Meyer | Dick Meyer (Owner) | Dodge | 355 | 0 | running |
| 5 | 4 | 92 | Herb Thomas | Herb Thomas Racing | Hudson | 354 | 124 | engine |
| 6 | 16 | 80 | Jim Paschal | George Hutchens (Owner) | Dodge | 354 | 0 | running |
| 7 | 19 | 46 | Speedy Thompson | Bob Pronger (Owner) | Oldsmobile | 351 | 0 | running |
| 8 | 5 | 56 | Donald Thomas | Herb Thomas Racing | Hudson | 350 | 0 | running |
| 9 | 22 | 0 | Dick Passwater | Dick Passwater (Owner) | Oldsmobile | 350 | 0 | running |
| 10 | 9 | 91 | Tim Flock | Ted Chester (Owner) | Hudson | 349 | 0 | running |
| 11 | 44 | 42 | Lee Petty | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 344 | 0 | running |
| 12 | 24 | 67 | Elton Hildreth | Elton Hildreth (Owner) | Nash Motor Company | 343 | 0 | running |
| 13 | 21 | 6 | Jimmie Lewallen | Pete Mann (Owner) | Oldsmobile | 340 | 0 | running |
| 14 | 8 | 89 | Buddy Shuman | B.A. Pless (Owner) | Hudson | 338 | 0 | running |
| 15 | 32 | 21 | Neil Roberts | Neil Roberts (Owner) | Chrysler | 335 | 0 | running |
| 16 | 25 | 22 | George Osborne | George Osborne (Owner) | Hudson | 331 | 0 | running |
| 17 | 29 | 7 | Lloyd Hulette | Jimmy Vaughn (Owner) | Buick | 328 | 0 | running |
| 18 | 30 | 8 | Gene Comstock | Gene Comstock (Owner) | Hudson | 324 | 0 | running |
| 19 | 33 | 71 | Fred Dove | Fred Dove (Owner) | Ford | 324 | 0 | running |
| 20 | 50 | 18 | Bobby Myers | — | Oldsmobile | 321 | 0 | running |
| 21 | 55 | 55 | Bub King | Bub King (Owner) | Packard Motor Car Company | 309 | 0 | running |
| 22 | 34 | 60 | Tyre Rakestraw | Tyre Rakestraw (Owner) | Chevrolet | 308 | 0 | running |
| 23 | 47 | 51 | Gober Sosebee | Sosebee Racing | Oldsmobile | 301 | 0 | running |
| 24 | 39 | 50 | Bob Weatherly | Bob Weatherly (Owner) | Plymouth | 289 | 0 | running |
| 25 | 37 | 97 | Lacy Jackson | Lacy Jackson (Owner) | Hudson | 288 | 0 | accident |
| 26 | 48 | 30 | Johnny Bridgers | Johnny Bridgers (Owner) | Ford | 279 | 0 | running |
| 27 | 40 | 10 | Chet Williams | Chet Williams (Owner) | Ford | 277 | 0 | running |
| 28 | 15 | 6 | Marvin Panch | Marvin Panch (Owner) | Dodge | 275 | 0 | overheating |
| 29 | 50 | — | Elmer Cooper | — | Nash Motor Company | 271 | 0 | running |
| 30 | 22 | 8 | Arden Mounts | Gene Comstock (Owner) | Hudson | 262 | 0 | radiator |
| 31 | 12 | 9 | Jim Reed | — | Hudson | 260 | 0 | engine |
| 32 | 38 | 99 | Matt Gowan | Matt Gowan (Owner) | Plymouth | 250 | 0 | running |
| 33 | 45 | 2 | Bill Blair | Bill Blair (Owner) | Oldsmobile | 250 | 0 | radiator |
| 34 | 20 | 23 | Mike Magill | Michael Jarema (Owner) | Lincoln | 244 | 0 | accident |
| 35 | 54 | 25 | Bill Norton | — | Oldsmobile | 241 | 0 | running |
| 36 | 14 | 47 | Otis Martin | Otis Martin (Owner) | Plymouth | 238 | 0 | running |
| 37 | 28 | 73 | Bill Widenhouse | — | Nash Motor Company | 234 | 0 | running |
| 38 | 26 | 75 | Junior Johnson | Junior Johnson & Associates | Oldsmobile | 222 | 0 | accident |
| 39 | 44 | 16 | Weldon Adams | Adams Racing | Ford | 217 | 0 | engine |
| 40 | 35 | 74 | J.L. Justice | J.L. Justice (Owner) | Ford | 217 | 0 | overheating |
| 41 | 56 | — | Bob Hunter | — | Oldsmobile | 210 | 0 | running |
| 42 | 3 | 120 | Dick Rathman | Walt Chapman (Owner) | Hudson | 208 | 0 | hub |
| 43 | 42 | 4 | Slick Smith | Smokey Yunick Racing | Oldsmobile | 200 | 0 | fuel tank |
| 44 | 31 | 77 | Dick Allwine | Dick Curry (Owner) | Chevrolet | 198 | 0 | fuel line |
| 45 | 6 | 11 | Fireball Roberts | Leland Colvin (Owner) | Oldsmobile | 198 | 41 | a-frame |
| 46 | 19 | 13 | Emory Lewis | Ernest Woods (Owner) | Oldsmobile | 195 | 0 | engine |
| 47 | 53 | 19 | Clyde Minter | Clyde Minter (Owner) | Mercury | 190 | 0 | oil pressure |
| 48 | 49 | 45 | Ben Dixon | — | Hudson | 187 | 0 | overheating |
| 49 | 57 | — | Lonnie Bragg | — | Oldsmobile | 149 | 0 | engine |
| 50 | 36 | 88 | Laird Bruner | Laird Bruner (Owner) | Oldsmobile | 142 | 0 | transmission |
| 51 | 58 | — | Joe Guide | Sally Guide (Owner) | Hudson | 111 | 0 | oil pressure |
| 52 | 18 | 58 | Johnny Patterson | Ranier-Lundy Racing | Hudson | 98 | 0 | accident |
| 53 | 51 | 48 | Slim Rominger | Slim Rominger (Owner) | Lincoln | 69 | 0 | fuel pump |
| 54 | 11 | 45 | Ralph Liguori | Al Wheatley (Owner) | Lincoln | 68 | 0 | accident |
| 55 | 27 | 84 | Gayle Warren | Gayle Warren (Owner) | Studebaker | 57 | 0 | fuel line |
| 56 | 2 | 82 | Joe Eubanks | Phil Oates (Owner) | Hudson | 40 | 0 | spindle |
| 57 | 43 | 33 | Pop McGinnis | Irving Frye (Owner) | Hudson | 31 | 0 | engine |
| 58 | 46 | — | Merritt Brown | — | Studebaker | 20 | 0 | transmission |
| 59 | 52 | 79 | Ned Jarrett | Ned Jarrett (Owner) | Oldsmobile | 8 | 0 | oil line |
Season Navigation
1953 NASCAR Grand National Series Results
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