1965 Gwyn Staley 400
| Race details | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 11 of 55 in the 1965 NASCAR Grand National Series season | |||
| Date | April 18, 1965 | ||
| Location | North Wilkesboro Speedway (North Wilkesboro, North Carolina) | ||
| Course | Permanent racing facility 0.625 mi (1.005 km) | ||
| Distance | 400 laps, 250 mi (402 km) | ||
| Weather | Temperatures reaching as high as 81 °F (27 °C); wind speeds reaching up to 18.1 miles per hour (29.1 km/h)[1] | ||
| Average speed | 95.047 miles per hour (152.963 km/h) | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Junior Johnson | Junior Johnson & Associates | |
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Junior Johnson | Junior Johnson & Associates | |
| Laps | 356 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 26 |
Junior Johnson |
Junior Johnson & Associates | |
| Television in the United States | |||
| Network | untelevised | ||
| Announcers | none | ||
The 1965 Gwyn Staley 400 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) racing event that took place on April 18, 1965, at North Wilkesboro Speedway in North Wilkesboro, 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
The race would be finished with a time of two hours and thirty-seven minutes with speeds approaching 95.047 miles per hour (152.963 km/h).[2] Three cautions were given out for seven laps.[2] Junior Johnson would beat Bobby Johns by seven seconds in front of 8,000 loyal spectators.[2] Johns still competed in NASCAR while being conscripted by the United States Army and serving near Columbia, North Carolina.[3]
The pole speed would end up being 101.033 miles per hour (162.597 km/h); this speed would be accomplished by Junior Johnson qualifying in a two-lap solo session.[2] This would be the eleventh race out of 55 races done in the 1965 season.[2] Ford vehicles would sweep the top five finishing spots because 74% of the racing grid were driving Ford Motor Company vehicles.[3]
Individual race earnings for this event ranged from the winner's share of $4,500 ($33,676.35 when adjusted for inflation ) to the last-place finisher's share of $150 ($1,122.54 when adjusted for inflation). The total prize purse handed out by NASCAR officials was $15,950 ($119,363.94 when adjusted for inflation).[4]
Finishing order
- Junior Johnson
- Bobby Johns
- Ned Jarrett
- Dick Hutcherson†
- Marvin Panch*
- Darel Dieringer†
- Fred Lorenzen
- G.C. Spencer†
- Tiny Lund†
- William Paul Lewis
- Wendell Scott†
- Junior Spencer
- Bub Strickler†
- E.J. Trivette
- Jabe Thomas
- Gene Black
- Bob Derrington
- Henley Gray
- Doug Cooper*
- Buddy Baker*
- Clyde Lynn*†
- Roy Tyner*†
- Buck Baker*†
- J.T. Putney*†
- G.T. Nolan*
- Frank Weathers*
- Cale Yarborough*
- Bill Morton*
- Elmo Langley*†
- Buren Skeen*†
- Donald Trucker*
- Doug Yates*
- Buddy Arrington*
- Neil Castles*
† signifies that the driver is known to be deceased
* Driver failed to finish race
References
- ↑ "1965 Gwyn Staley 400 weather information". The Old Farmers' Almanac. Retrieved 2012-08-04.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 "1965 Gwyn Staley 400 information". Racing Reference. Retrieved 2010-12-06.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Ford domination @ the 1965 Gwyn Staley 400/Bobby Johns' Army status". Save the Speedway. Retrieved 2011-03-09.
- ↑ "1965 Gwyn Staley 400 winnings information". Fantasy Racing Cheat Sheet. Retrieved 2012-12-04.
| Preceded by 1965 Greenville 200 |
NASCAR Grand National races 1965 |
Succeeded by 1965 Virginia 500 |