Virginia International Raceway - August 3-4, 1957
By Dick Darcy, Staff Reporter (Washington Daily News?)
DANVILLE Va., Aug. 4 - Hitting upward of 150 miles per hour on the straightaway, Carroll Shelby of Dallas, Tex., won the featured race at the Virginia International Raceway here today. Shelby was driving a Maserati.
Shelby averaged 78 miles per hour on the 12-turn 3.2-mile course. He jumped into the lead on the first turn of the first lap. He held off determined bids by Walt Hansgen, Westville, N. J., and Charley Wallace, Bethesda, Md., who drove two D-Jaguars.
A crowd of 10,000 watched Shelby bring to a close the eight-race program that got underway in 101 degree heat, and endured a mid-afternoon thunder shower.
Thompson Fourth - Dr. Dick Thompson, Washington, D. C., brought Manhattan Auto's new Jaguar XK-SS into fourth place, ahead of Paul O'Shea of Rye, N.Y., who drove a Mercedes Benz 300SL roadster.
Gene Greenspun of New York City, turned his Ferrari over coming out of the first hairpin turn, but was uninjured as his roll bar tipped the car back onto its wheels before it had come to a stop.
Hansgen and Wallace fought a thrilling hub-to-hub fight throughout the, race, but Wallace just couldn't get by him. Neither Hansgen nor Wallace could catch the flying Shelby who maintained a 30-second lead at the finish.
D. C. Drivers Clean Up - Washington, D.C., drivers walked off with the majority of trophies, winning 22 places on the eight-race program.
Outstanding were Dick Nash, of Jack Pry, and Arthur Tweedale, of the Continental racing team, who finished first and second twice in Porsches for class F-Production.
Dick Thompson furthered his bid for the National driving championship, winning two races in his Chevrolet. Corvette, and now leads the country with 5800 points in class B.
Jim Robinson (Jaguar), Fred Moore and Bob Hathaway (Austin Healey), Templeton Briggs (Alfa Romeo) and Fred Fuller (AC Bristol) also scored in their classes.