Today in Nascar History July 31st:

Winners on this date: Lee Petty, Tim Flock, Fireball Roberts, Richard Petty, Benny Parsons, Dale Earnhardt, Ken Schrader, and Paul Menard.

July 31st, 1955: Tim Flock takes his 13th win of the season in a race at Point Mateo, CA. Flocks win is his 2nd in 24 hrs, having raced the previous day and won in a race in Syracuse, NY.

July 31st, 1960: Fireball Roberts takes the victory in the Dixie 300 at the brand new Atlanta Motor Speedway.

July 31st, 1988: Ken Schrader comes from 4th to 1st in a wild last lap dash to take the win at Talladega. Schrader passes leader Dale Earnhardt on the outside on the final lap to earn his first career Cup Series victory. The race is also the last for Buddy Baker, as he is forced to retire after a blood clot is discovered in his brain. Baker would go on to recover and have a great broadcasting career.



July 31st, 2011: Paul Menard scores a huge upset victory in the Brickyard 400 by conserving fuel and holding off a hard charging Jeff Gordon over the final few laps. Menard becomes the first driver to score his first career Cup Series victory at the Brickyard.