47 days until the Daytona 500: ‘Black Widow’ ruled early days of NASCAR

By Chase Wilhelm
Published

Business is picking up as we move closer to seeing cars on track at Daytona International Speedway.

In celebration of 47 days until the Daytona 500 on FOX, we’re going to take a look back at a car that absolutely dominated the NASCAR scene in the early days.

In 1957, two years prior to the inaugural Daytona 500, the 1957 Chevrolet “Black Widow” was nearly unbeatable in NASCAR.

Jack Smith drove the No. 47 Black Widow Chevrolet the entire 1957 NASCAR season, earning four victories at Concord Speedway, Columbia Speedway, Hickory Speedway and North Wilkesboro Speedway.

Smith also holds the record for the highest finish by the No. 47 in the Daytona 500, earning a sixth-place result in 1961.










 Buck Baker's No. 87 championship-winning 1957 Chevrolet Black Widow at the NASCAR Hall of Fame. (Tom Jensen/FOXSports.com)

Buck Baker won the 1957 Premier Series championship driving a No. 87 Black Widow, collecting 10 wins, 30 top fives and 38 top-10 finishes over 40 races in the process.

Here are some other fun facts about the No. 47 in NASCAR and on the high banks of Daytona:

·      The No. 47 has competed in 1,047 NASCAR Cup Series races, with 25 wins, 143 top fives and 292 top-10 finishes.

·      Of the 25 victories by drivers in the No. 47, Jack Smith owns the most with 18 wins. Ron Bouchard (1), Morgan Shepherd (1), Fonty Flock (1), A.J. Foyt (1) Buck Baker (1) and Dick Hutcherson (1) have also won in the number.

·      Smith made the most starts in the No. 47. In 193 starts, he earned 79 top fives, 112 top 10s and led 2,614 laps.

·      Current No. 47 JTG Daugherty Racing driver AJ Allmendinger also has a victory with the number, winning his first career Cup Series race at Watkins Glen in 2014.

·      Four-time NASCAR champion and FOX NASCAR analyst Jeff Gordon won his third and final Daytona 500 in the 47th running of the event in 2005.