Herbert Watson Thomas grew up on a farm with his family and his father sawmill in Hartnett County, NC. During World War II, the sawmill provides the military with timber. After the war, worked in the mill, Thomas, married, and all, had two sons before he saw his first race. Soon he developed an interest in auto racing, but.
He started as a race car owner, then drove. He started as something like a hobby, wanted to interfere with the operation of the farm. But its profits on weekends his preference for the route sweetened. Thomas jumped in with both legs as NASCAR began in 1947 and was on the Grand National (now Winston Cup) soon as possible, how it was organized. One of the pioneers of racing, Thomas was a hard charger, feet on the ground, from its counter on early NASCAR driver. Thomas said: "It is a victory or bust me." "Secondly, enough is never good." If he does not win, he crashed or exploded the car to try to win.
At Martinsville Speedway, beat Thomas Lee petty for his first victory in 1950. Every year his ride seemed to improve, and he was the series champion in 1951 and 1953. In total he took 48 victories in 230 starts, which associates him 12th all time. He took 38 poles, 10 is on the all list. He was the first driver to win twice at Darlington Raceway. In 1955 he suffered a bad crash in Charlotte, which took him out for six months, but he jumped again in 1956 and had secured second place behind Lee petty in the Championship when he was injured severely, in Shelby, NC. The wreck ended his career primarily in racing except three more unsuccessful starts. "It's too much dog-eat-dog out there now", Thomas said at the time. "I used to pass all the curves." Now, they go in the curves. It is time to hang it.
"There is no use in operation when you can be first." He won the Grand National Championship twice (1951 and 1953) and came in the second for this title three times (1952,1954 and 1956). Thomas was the first rider to win the three Southern 500 (1951, 1954, and 1955). He won 21% who begins his career, which ranks as the highest win percentage all-time begins career at drivers with 100.
Career: 1949-1957, 1962
Starts: 230
WINS: 48
Top 5 of: 122
Top 10 of 156
Poland: 38
Career winnings: $139.944
Born: April 6, 1923
Place of birth: Olivia, NC
Died: August 9, 2000 (aged 77)
Cause of death: Heart attack
Awards:
1951 Grand National Champion
1953 Grand National Champion
Included in the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1994
1998 Named one of NASCAR's 50 greatest drivers
1957 Received the buddy Schuman Prize for loyalty and merit to race car driver
1965 Was inducted into the national Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame
In 1992 was inducted into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame
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