1965 Fireball 200
| Race details | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 6 of 55 in the 1965 NASCAR Grand National Series season | |||
| Date | February 28, 1965 | ||
| Location | Asheville-Weaverville Speedway (Weaverville, North Carolina) | ||
| Course | Permanent racing facility 0.500 mi (0.804 km) | ||
| Distance | 200 laps, 100 mi (151 km) | ||
| Weather | Temperatures reaching up to 64.9 °F (18.3 °C); wind speeds up to 8.9 miles per hour (14.3 km/h)[1] | ||
| Average speed | 75.678 miles per hour (121.792 km/h) | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Ned Jarrett | Bondy Long | |
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Ned Jarrett | Bondy Long | |
| Laps | 199 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 11 |
Ned Jarrett |
Bondy Long | |
| Television in the United States | |||
| Network | untelevised | ||
| Announcers | none | ||
The 1965 Fireball 200 was a NASCAR Grand National Series (now Sprint Cup Series, also formerly known as the Winston Cup Series and the Winston Cup Grand National Series) race that took place on February 28, 1965, at Asheville-Weaverville Speedway in the American community of Weaverville, North Carolina.[2]
The race car drivers still had to commute to the races using the same stock cars that competed in a typical weekend's race through a policy of homologation (and under their own power). This policy was in effect until roughly 1975. By 1980, NASCAR had completely stopped tracking the year model of all the vehicles and most teams did not take stock cars to the track under their own power any more.
Summary
Two hundred laps took place on a paved oval track spanning 0.500 miles (0.805 km) for a grand total of 100.0 miles (160.9 km).[2] It took an hour and nineteen minutes for the race to reach its conclusion; Ned Jarrett defeated Dick Hutcherson by an unknown length of time in front of 6500 people.[2] Notable speeds were: 75.678 miles per hour (121.792 km/h) as the average speed and 84.230 miles per hour (135.555 km/h) as the pole position speed.[2] Two cautions were given for an unknown number of laps.[2]
Total winnings for this race were $4,490 ($33,601.51 when adjusted for inflation).[3]
Most of the stock car owners were independent with only three "corporate" racing teams showing up for the event. Buddy Baker ended up as the last-place finisher; he would only finish nine laps out of the regulation length of 200 laps due to a problem with the back of his Plymouth vehicle. Most of the starting grid would drive automobiles designed by the Ford Motor Company; with the now-dominant Chevrolet brand only fielding three vehicles.[4]
Timeline
- Start of race: Ned Jarrett started the race in the pole position
- Lap 9: The rear end of Buddy Baker's vehicle became problematic; ending his day on the track
- Lap 16: Doug Cooper had problems with his engine; forcing him to leave the race
- Lap 36: The differential on Doug Moore's vehicle became problematic; forcing him to finish in 19th place in a 21-car grid
- Lap 50: Gene Black's radiator developed problems on this lap
- Lap 63: Wendell Scott's oil pressure became a safety issue; causing him to exit the event
- Lap 105: Dick Hutcherson takes over the lead from Ned Jarrett
- Lap 106: Ned Jarrett takes over the lead from Dick Hutcherson
- Lap 124: Barry Brooks had a terminal crash; forcing him to withdraw from the event
- Lap 171: The bell housing on Frank Weathers' vehicle became problematic
- Lap 176: Junior Johnson developed problems with his vehicle's differential
- End of race: Ned Jarrett wins the race
Finishers
- 11-Ned Jarrett
- 29-Dick Hutcherson
- 10-Cale Yarborough
- 49-G.C. Spencer
- 08-Danny Byrd
- 19-J.T. Putney
- 38-Neil Castles
- 37-Bub Strickler
- 16-Ned Setzer
- 55-Tiny Lund
- 68-Bob Derrington
- 26-Junior Johnson*
- 99-Gene Hobby
- 81-Frank Weathers*
- 61-Barry Brooks*
- 31-Darel Dieringer*
- 34-Wendell Scott*
- 75-Gene Black*
- 58-Doug Moore*
- 60-Doug Cooper*
- 86-Buddy Baker*
* Driver failed to finish race
References
- ↑ "1965 Fireball 200 weather information". The Old Farmers' Almanac. Retrieved 2012-08-30.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 "1965 Fireball 200 information". Racing Reference. Retrieved 2011-01-18.
- ↑ "Total prize purse for the 1965 Fireball 200". Fantasy Racing Cheat Sheet. Retrieved 2014-04-05.
- ↑ "Additional 1965 Fireball 200 information". Driver Averages. Retrieved 2014-04-05.