The 1957 Raleigh Sweepstakes was a 250-lap NASCAR Grand National Series race held on the one-mile paved Raleigh Speedway in North Carolina on July 4, 1957. A crowd of 15,500 fans watched 53 cars start the event, which included both convertibles and hardtops. Frankie Schneider captured the pole position with a qualifying speed of 83.371 mph.
Paul Goldsmith drove the #3 Smokey Yunick Chevrolet to victory, leading a dominant 191 of the 250 laps. There were eight lead changes among just three drivers during the race, which was slowed by two caution periods totaling 14 laps. Frankie Schneider finished second, followed by Joe Weatherly, Speedy Thompson, and Bob Welborn. Goldsmith earned $4,000 for the win.
Notably, this was Herb Thomas’s first race back after suffering critical injuries in a crash at Shelby on October 23, 1956. Thomas started 9th but finished 46th after battling brake problems. The race stands as a classic example of mid-1950s NASCAR competition on the Southern short tracks.
