The 1956 NASCAR Grand National Series was the eighth season of NASCAR’s top division, now known as the Cup Series. The schedule featured 56 races and ran from November 13, 1955, to November 18, 1956, a common format in NASCAR’s early years. Events took place on dirt ovals, paved tracks, road courses, and superspeedways, reflecting the sport’s regional roots and rapid growth during the 1950s.
Buck Baker won the 1956 championship, earning his second straight Grand National title. Driving mainly for Carl Kiekhaefer’s Chrysler-backed team, Baker scored 14 victories and finished the season with a large points advantage over his teammate, Speedy Thompson. Baker competed in 48 races and consistently ran near the front, while Thompson, Herb Thomas, Lee Petty, and Jim Paschal rounded out the leading drivers in the final standings.
The season was dominated by Kiekhaefer Automotive, one of NASCAR’s first fully professional operations. Kiekhaefer-prepared Chrysler and Dodge cars won roughly half of the races, an unprecedented level of success at the time. Drivers such as Baker, Tim Flock, and Thompson benefited from superior equipment and organization, which set new standards for team operations in stock car racing.
Several races from 1956 remain historically notable. The season opened at Hickory Speedway, while Fireball Roberts won the only NASCAR Grand National race ever held at Soldier Field in Chicago. The Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway again served as one of the year’s most important events and reinforced Darlington’s reputation as one of NASCAR’s toughest tracks.
The 1956 season marked a turning point for NASCAR. With AAA stepping away from championship racing after 1955, NASCAR continued to establish itself as the leading national sanctioning body in American motorsports. The year highlighted the sport’s shift toward professionalism and manufacturer influence, setting the foundation for NASCAR’s expansion in the late 1950s.
January 22, 1956
