1957 Rebel 300

1957 Rebel 300

Race details[1]
Race 14 of 36 in the 1957 NASCAR Convertible Series season
1957 Rebel 300 program cover
Date	May 12, 1957 (1957-May-12)
Official name	Rebel 300
Location	Darlington Raceway (Darlington, South Carolina)
Course	Permanent racing facility 1.366 mi (2.198 km)
Distance	219 laps, 301.3 mi (606.7 km)
Weather	Temperatures of 81 °F (27 °C); wind speeds of 7 miles per hour (11 km/h)
Average speed	107.921 miles per hour (173.682 km/h)
Attendance	17,000[2]
Pole position
Driver	Paul Goldsmith	Slim Rominger
Most laps led
Driver	Fireball Roberts	Pete DePaolo
Laps	181
Winner
No. 22	Fireball Roberts	Pete DePaolo

The 1957 Rebel 300 was a NASCAR Convertible Series race in Darlington, South Carolina on May 12, 1957. While the Rebel 300 was originally a convertible race, it eventually became absorbed into what is now known as the NASCAR Cup Series. From a lineal historical standpoint, this race is the first in the lineal history of the current Darlington Cup race since 2005, the Southern 500.

The race's name references the Confederate Memorial Day weekend of the race, which was held on the Saturday closest to Confederate Memorial Day from 1957 until 1965, and again from 1967 until 1969, and again from 2005 until 2013. After a Saturday rainout, track president Bob Colvin decided to race on the next clear day, in violation of South Carolina blue laws (the Southern 500 was held on Monday until 1984). Colvin was fined $58 for the violation by Sheriff Grover Bryant ($629 when adjusted for inflation). Tickets for this event sold from anywhere from $5 USD ($54 when adjusted for inflation) to $8 USD ($87 when adjusted for inflation). The 1957 Rebel 300 was also the first NASCAR convertible race to be run on a Sunday and on Mother's Day.^[3]