 the annual Chicago Park District Police Benevolent Association Gold Trophy Race from 1946 through 1958. Tens of thousands of fans would attend these race events with these programs usually being the best-attended races of the year. Over 40,000 fans were on hand when Pistone won in 1951 and a reported 45,000 fans saw Darel Dieringer win in 1956 over Pistone and Red Duvall. Chicago area political and TV/radio personalities were usually in attendance to present trophies, awards, etc. Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley presented Marmor his trophy for his 50-lap victory in 1955. Police Benevolent stock car race winners included Pistone (1951), Michaels (1952), Marmor (1953), Odo (1954), Marmor (1955), Dieringer (1956), Pistone (1957) and finally, Don Oldenberg in 1958 with over 50,000 in attendance. Oldenberg and his 1955 Buick won the 40-lap contest ahead of Bill Lutz, Whitey Gerken, Fred Lorenzen and Marmor on Saturday night, June 14, 1958, which was the last benevolent race held.
NASCAR racing came to the big stadium with a bang in 1956 as three “National Championship” events were held. Pistone wheeled his own 1956 Chevy “rag top” to victory in the NASCAR Convertible Division 200 lapper on the Field’s half-mile oval on June 30, 1956, besting Curtis Turner and Lutz. Glenn “Fireball” Roberts won a NASCAR Grand National (today’s Winston Cup division) 200 lapper on July 22, piloting his factory-backed 1956 Ford to the win over Jim Paschal and Ralph Moody. With a reported 17,585 fans on hand, the final NASCAR race of the 1956 season was a 500-lap affair with Turner driving his “factory” ’56 Ford convertible to the win ahead of Joe Weatherly and Bob Welborn. One more NASCAR race would be held at Soldier Field with Glen Wood (of the famous Wood Brothers racing team) winning a 100-lap convertible race on June 29, 1957.
A note on the half mile NASCAR track—the track probably measured more like 3/8’s of a mile, similar to track USAC ran on in 1961 (one race) and again in 1967 which extended turns three and four down to the far north end of the arena. Quarter mile paved track, which encircled the stadium’s football field, was used from 1946 on for the most part with the exception of special events like above. An Armco barrier circled the grassy infield/football field, keeping errant stock cars, for the most part, off of the sod.
Hailing from Elmhurst, Lorenzen, who would go on to become one of NASCAR’s early superstars, was the track champion in 1956. Oldenberg of Highland, Ind., the 1955 NASCAR Convertible Champion, was the Soldier Field titlist in 1957 and 1958. The summer-long Pan American Games held at the arena would put a halt to all racing at Soldier Field in 1959.
Moving into the 1960’s, Bryant Tucker and his 1957 Buick would be the man to beat for the track title. Tucker would claim the championship three straight years (1960—1962). A product of Granatelli’s Hurricane days, Sal Tovella battled with Bob Chapman all season long and finally won the track crown in his 1963 Chevy II. Only two stock car events were held the following season (1964) with Lutz and Harry Simonsen winning the early May events before promoters, Bill Schade and Carl Bledsoe called it quits.
No racing was held in 1965 with Bill Earnest of the Rockford Speedway trying his luck to promote the track in 1966. Gerken and his rapid-running Ced’s Muffler Service-sponsored 1965 Chevelle convertible walked off with season championship honors.
USAC sanctioned eight short track events, which counted towards its “National” stock car championship in 1967. Norm Nelson of Racine, WI and his factory-backed 1967 Plymouth were the stock car champions at Soldier Field that year. In special points kept for the Soldier Field races, Nelson bested Don White, Tovella, Bay Darnell, Dave Hirschfield (another Soldier Field “old timer”) and Jack Bowsher in the final points tally. Eight USAC-sanctioned features were held at the “Field” with White winning four main events in his Ray Nichels-owned Dodge Charger. Nelson won three and Bowsher one. Nelson won his first USAC feature at Soldie