THE BIG WINNER

[Music] Daytona Beach 1955 Chevrolet said sneer long time records for its class in stock car acceleration and flying mile competition Darlington South Carolina Labor Day 1955 the world series of stock car racing grooving race thrilling winner Chevrolet Daytona Beach February 1956 the same hard-packed Florida sand strip fronting the ocean and hard running to meeting stock cars fighting the clock in 1/5 acceleration tests at one record-breaking faced with record-breaking winds it's by Chevrolet Sebring Florida March 1956 5 and 2/10 miles of slick straightaway and treacherous curves one of the toughest Road race courses in the world and the grinding 12-hour endurance run for racing and production model sports cars with poor vet proving itself the hottest sports car in America Gardena March 1956 a California short track racing oval every foot a challenge a challenge method won by Chevrolet in a 1-2-3 winning finish these are highlights of a few of the many stock car events held throughout the year from coast to coast and as in these annual Daytona speed weeks all regular production cars standard and sports models compete under the uniform rules of the National Association for stock car auto racing every event is an exacting test of a car's ability to perform an opportunity a chance to display those outstanding performance features that are and here are official NASCAR results written into the record book results that substantiate Chevrolet's claim to leadership on the racing strips and thus also on the highways in 1955 Fayetteville North Carolina Gardena California Flat Rock Michigan Toronto Canada Baltimore Atlanta and eleven other short track wins for Chevrolet a new record of 658 points more than three times the number tallied by its closest competitor and in 1956 Chevrolet once again is far out in front of its closest competition increasing its national points standing from last year's three-to-one margin to this year's four to one lead that's the Chevrolet have to come out on top and these tremendous power performances the pulsing runs against the clock the exciting contests machines but there's more than thrills and excitement in this growing American sport these are performance tests in the public proving grounds where a spectator can see what a car can do and give him an idea why the car that wins so consistently on the tracks is also the nation's performance sales leader to get a better idea a real bird's-eye view of these winning Chevrolet sure's let's look in on this demonstration race it's a work session for top ranking stock car drivers preparing for a big coming event and driving their choice Chevrolet this race will be run under exactly the same conditions as any official stock-car race all of these Chevrolet's are production models engineered and built the same as any found on a showroom floor the gas comes from the public filling stations it's the same that's used in all stock car races this isn't the first run for any of these battle-scarred cars along with the drivers they've chalked up plenty of mileage and wins in the toughest competition outside of the dents and paint scratches they still roll at peak performance and this will be a hot run - with Jim Reed joining him he's racked up the short track championship three years running driving his choice Chevrolet thoroughly checked the cars swing out for their pacing run around the track they jockey easily getting the feet of the track an old formation for a good start the flagman studies and readies them now they're on that sparkling get-up-and-go power so smooth on the takeoff and soaring ly smooth as a car's pick up speed responding instantly to the touch of a toe on the accelerator almost frictionless transmission gives the peak efficiency that makes these in any Chevrolet the hot car that's what pays off in these bruising short track tests surging Li smooth power that never lets up and never lets a Chevrolet driver down on racetrack or highway and summon reserve - when that extra bit of throttle is called for just like these drivers convoy and they get it to that surefire accelerating response so vital for safe passing and getting out of a tight spot in the short track races running water my all those that are practically one continuous turn there are nothing but tight spots hitting those horseshoe corners at breakneck speed without excessive breaking and drifting is quite a feat but these drivers plow right into and out of these turns without any let-up they stick their foot in it and keep going that's because they know that the car they're driving is got body balance and that it hugs the lowest tighten the tires hug the wheel rims they don't fight these curves they write them as fast as the natural physical bars with leather and always with the solid assurance in the car all over the track because even at this base pounding around the turns lap after lap the car handles with smooth easy responsiveness while ray steering provides maneuverability that makes the difference between a champion and an also-ran this goes not only was a racing driver but the everyday driver as well and it's a comfort for the everyday driver to know that an N his hands wrapped around the safe responsive steering wheel of a Chevrolet during the long lap consuming by leading turns around the track about the only stop any of these cars ever makes is to change a tire or gas up that's because Chevrolet is engineered not to be kind to the car but also to be kind to the owner as well [Music] under all everyday driving conditions probably any of which can duplicate the rugged routine of this racing oval here is the car that provides fatigue free and during safe and economical driving all the way down to the last web and here we are after a long left churning run coming into the final laps just one more to go around once more into the last turns and across the finish line the winner they're all winners right from the starting iron down to the in this run with Chevrolet pitted against Chevrolet the only difference between the winner and the runners-up is the caliber of a man behind the wheel but when the chips are down it takes more than driving skill alone to win consistently in smash records it takes a car that can come up with a tremendous stock car performance like this one that Darlington South Carolina April 26 1956 a 1956 Chevrolet 210 blazes around the track to shatter a current record established in 1954 and set a new endurance and performance record for the NASCAR 24 hour closed course endurance run 2,438 bruising miles 3546 car killing turns around this one and 3/8 mile oval an average of 100 1.58 pace blistering miles per hour for 24 consecutive hours topping the previous record by 280 miles with an increased average speed of 11.6 9 miles per hour and this includes the time taken for gas stops and tire changes there is a roaring true-to-life test to the utmost of endurance of sharks spindles potter's wheel steering arms brakes and every mechanical unit and not bolt in the car a 24-hour run rigorously demonstrating the overall road counting a car can withstand far in excess of everyday driving demands in this amazing run the record blasting Chevrolet stood up to the test demonstrated beyond an iota of doubt or argument that this is the hottest car in its class that Chevrolet is America's automobile leader the swiftest insurace safest performer on the highways today and a big winner [Music]