• A new one-mile high-banked, paved speedway in Raleigh, N.C., hosts a 300-mile Grand National event on May 30. Fonty Flock wins after starting 43rd. The Raleigh track is billed as "super fast," a prelude to the familiar "superspeedway" name used today for tracks of a mile or more in length.

• NASCAR stages a 200-mile International Stock Car Grand Prix at Langhorne (Pa.) Speedway on June 21, permitting foreign cars to compete with the Grand National racers. "This NASCAR sanctioned show is calculated to settle arguments galore about the merits of such imports as Mercedes and Jaguars on a circular track," said NASCAR president Bill France Sr.

• Lloyd Shaw wins the pole at Langhorne in a Jaguar, but Dick Rathmann prevails in the race driving a Hudson. Seven American automobile manufacturers are represented and four foreign makes are in the field including Porsches and a Volkswagen.

• Herb Thomas becomes the first two-time Grand National champion, winning 12 times in 37 starts.