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Sits Out Convertible RaceMatthews Wins Sportsman Event At Daytona BeachBy MCBCER BAILEY AP 8porta WriterDAYTONA BEACH lt;* —Husky Edwin (Banjo) Matthews, wire to wire winer in the sporta-man-modified event, took a spec* tator's role today for the 180-mile NASCAR race for late model convertibles.That’s it for me for right now,” the Asheville, N.C., veteran said yesterday after beating 71 other sportsman and modified models in a 125-mile grind over th« 4.1-mile beach and road course.Lee Petty of Randle man, N.C., who won the pole position witha qualifying speed of 133.829 miles an hour, and defending champion Tim Flock of Atlanta were cofavorites in the convertible com*petition.Flock, who came out of retirement to drive in these climax races of NASCAR speed weeks, was second in qualifying at 130.* 7® m.p.h, Petty drives an Olds-mobile, Flock a Mercury.Matthews, winning his second modified race here led all the way in a 1955 Ford powered bya souped up 1958 Lincoln engine He caught the checkered flag 2: seconds ahead of Jimmy Tbomp son of Monroe, N.C., who drovi a modified Ford.Despite some clutch and oi pressure troubles, combined witl a near spill at one turn, the 28-year-old Matthews averaged 97. 381 m.p.h. He missed the recorc of 99.097 set by Speedy Thompson of Oiarlotte, N.C., last year.The bespectacled Matthews credited pure speed generated by his425-horsepower engine for his victory, which brought him $1,750.•‘That’s the hottest car I ever drove,” he said. “Coming down the beach stretch it would go so fast it’d go sideways. No telling how fast it’d go if it could get traction. * ’Behind Matthews and Thompson came in this order: Glen Wood of Stuart, Va.; Fireball Roberts of Daytona Beach; Paul Goldsmith of St Clair Shores, Mich. ; Bobby Johns of Miami; Vince Conrad of Kutztown, Pa., Frankie Schneider of Lambertville, N.J.; Ralph Earnhardt of Kannapolis, N.C., and Ned Jarrett of Newton, NC.
Newspaper Details
Sarasota News
Sarasota, Florida, US
Sat, Feb 22, 1958
Page 33
Full Page
Clipped by
Thomas S.
NY, USA 29 Mar 2020
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