SEASON IN REVIEW
Greenville, South Carolina driver Joe “J.O.” Staton scored his first LASTCAR Cup Championship in 1952, his only year on the NASCAR Cup tour. Staton scored three last-place finishes in his seven starts during the thirty-four-race season.
Staton’s three finishes came while driving the #94, a team which campaigned cars from three manufacturers: Nash, Ford, and Oldsmobile. The team was owned by female racer and NASCAR legend Louise Smith. Smith raced alongside Staton at Macon, Georgia on April 27 and at Langhorne, Pennsylvania on May 4, but both drivers finished in the back of the pack. With the exception of Smith’s fifteenth and final career start at Morristown, New Jersey on July 11, Smith stopped competing in NASCAR and turned over driving duties to Staton.
Unfortunately, in Staton’s first run by himself at Darlington, South Carolina on May 10, his #94 1951 Nash suffered a tire problem after only ten laps and scored his first last-place finish. His second finish came three races later in the rain-shortened event in Augusta, Georgia where his #94 Smith Auto Parts 1951 Ford overheated after eleven laps. Staton’s third finish came in his final career start at North Wilkesboro, North Carolina on October 26, where another overheating problem parked his #94 Ford.
Despite these struggles, Staton’s best career finish was an 8th-place run at the Playland Park Speedway in South Bend, Indiana on July 20. His seven NASCAR starts in 1952 were the only seven of Staton’s career. He died on April 15, 1987.
OTHER LASTCAR HEADLINES
The 1952 season also saw future Cup champion Buck Baker score his first two last-place finishes in consecutive races. The first came September 7 at Macon, Georgia, where his #89 B.A. Pless 1952 Hudson Hornet broke a right-rear axle after eleven laps. The second came during the tragic September 14 race at Langhorne, Pennsylvania where Baker’s #87 1951 Ford had a “heating” problem after 26 laps. Late in the Langhorne event, Larry Mann became the first NASCAR driver to be killed during a race when is #43 Green Hornet 1951 Hudson crashed after 211 laps.
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
1st) Joe Staton (3)
2nd) Buck Baker, Perk Brown, Harold Mays (2)
3rd) Bruce Atchley, Ed Benedict, Ted Chamberlain, Allan Clarke, Gene Darragh, Ray Erickson, Fonty Flock, Shorty Gibbs, Joe Gillow, Jack Hauher, Jack Holloway, Larry Mann, Dick Martin, Cotton Owens, Jim Paschal, Hank Pollard, Smokey Purser, Jack Reynolds, Robbie Robinson, Marshall Teague, Johnny Thompson, Roscoe Thompson, Curtis Turner, Robert Weisemeyer, Larry Wimbish (1)
