Believe it or not, this weekend is NOT the first-ever points-paying NASCAR premier series race to be held internationally—that would be the Jim Mideon 500 held at Exhibition Stadium in Toronto Canada in 1958. The race was a rainy, sloppy affair won by Lee Petty, but is best-remembered today for being the NASCAR debut of his son, Richard Petty.
But how much have things changed since 1958? Let’s take a look:
MONEY…
Average yearly income: $4,650
Brand-new Ford: $1,967 (and up)
Gallon of gas: 24 cents
Gallon of milk: $1.01
Postage stamp: 4 cents
Tickets to the race: $2 Canadian (50 cents Canadian for children)
TOP MUSIC SINGLES…
Don’t (Elvis Presley, although he had MANY more)
Purple People Eater (Sheb Wooley)
Tequila (The Champs)
To Know Him is to Love Him (The Teddy Bears, aka Phil Spector)
TOP MOVIES…
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
Touch of Evil
Vertigo
BIG DEBUTS…
Toyotas & Datsuns (aka Nissans) are imported to the US
Explorer, the first US satellite
Sweet n Low
Cocoa Puffs
the Hula Hoop (by Wham-O)
The Jolly Green Giant
Pizza Hut
The Grammy Awards
www.spaderacing.com updated four times weekly
Visit the store https://www.cafepress.com/spaderacing
Buy the book 100 Stock Car Racing What Ifs Unauthorized
A MOXOC Media production