1965 Gwyn Staley 400
| Race details[1] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 11 of 55 in the 1965 NASCAR Grand National Series season | |||
 North Wilkesboro Speedway | |||
| Date | April 18, 1965 | ||
| Official name | Gwyn Staley 400 | ||
| 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 | Warm with temperatures approaching 81 °F (27 °C); wind speeds reaching up to 18.1 miles per hour (29.1 km/h) | ||
| Average speed | 95.047 miles per hour (152.963 km/h) | ||
| Attendance | 8,000[2] | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Junior Johnson & Associates | ||
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Junior Johnson | Junior Johnson & Associates | |
| Laps | 356 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 26 | Junior Johnson | Junior Johnson & Associates | |
The 1965 Gwyn Staley 400 was a NASCAR Grand National Series (now Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series) event that was held on April 18, 1965, at North Wilkesboro Speedway in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina.
The transition to purpose-built racecars began in the early 1960s and occurred gradually over that decade. Changes made to the sport by the late 1960s brought an end to the "strictly stock" vehicles of the 1950s; most of the cars were trailered to events or hauled in by trucks.
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 ($34,199.05 when adjusted for inflation ) to the last-place finisher's share of $150 ($1,139.97 when adjusted for inflation). The total prize purse handed out by NASCAR officials was $15,950 ($121,216.63 when adjusted for inflation).[4]
Qualifying
| Grid | No. | Driver | Manufacturer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 26 | Junior Johnson | '65 Ford |
| 2 | 28 | Fred Lorenzen | '65 Ford |
| 3 | 21 | Marvin Panch | '65 Ford |
| 4 | 29 | Dick Hutcherson | '65 Ford |
| 5 | 11 | Ned Jarrett | '65 Ford |
| 6 | 7 | Bobby Johns | '65 Ford |
| 7 | 67 | Buddy Arrington | '64 Dodge |
| 8 | 60 | Doug Cooper | '64 Ford |
| 9 | 17 | Junior Spencer | '64 Ford |
| 10 | 23 | Buren Skeen | '64 Ford |
Finishing order
- Junior Johnson (No. 26)
- Bobby Johns (No. 7)
- Ned Jarrett (No. 11)
- Dick Hutcherson† (No. 29)
- Marvin Panch* (No. 21)
- Darel Dieringer† (No. 15)
- Fred Lorenzen (No. 28)
- G.C. Spencer† (No. 49)
- Tiny Lund† (No. 10)
- William Paul Lewis (No. 27)
- Wendell Scott† (No. 34)
- Junior Spencer (No. 17)
- Bub Strickler† (No. 37)
- E.J. Trivette (No. 52)
- Jabe Thomas† (No. 25)
- Gene Black† (No. 75)
- Bob Derrington (No. 68)
- Henley Gray (No. 97)
- Doug Cooper* (No. 60)
- Buddy Baker*† (No. 88)
- Clyde Lynn*† (No. 20)
- Roy Tyner*† (No. 9)
- Buck Baker*† (No. 87)
- J.T. Putney*† (#53)
- G.T. Nolen* (No. 80)
- Frank Weathers* (No. 81)
- Cale Yarborough* (No. 31)
- Bill Morton* (No. 56)
- Elmo Langley*† (No. 64)
- Buren Skeen*† (No. 23)
- Donald Trucker* (No. 74)
- Doug Yates* (No. 72)
- Buddy Arrington* (No. 67)
- Neil Castles* (No. 86)
† signifies that the driver is known to be deceased
* Driver failed to finish race
Timeline
- Start of race: Junior Johnson began the event with the pole position
- Lap 5: Transmission problems would make Neil Castles into the last-place finisher
- Lap 19: Engine problems would relegate Buddy Arrington to the sidelines
- Lap 46: Doug Yates managed to overheat his vehicle
- Lap 54: Steering wheel problems forced Donald Tucker out of the race
- Lap 72: Bill Morton had to leave the race due to oil pressure concerns
- Lap 88: Oil pressure issues managed to take out Cale Yarborough
- Lap 97: Frank Weathers had oil pressure issues concerning his vehicle
- Lap 105: G.T. Nolen couldn't handle his vehicle properly, forcing him to exit the race
- Lap 118: Differential problems forced J.T. Putney out of the race
- Lap 131: Crankshaft issues forced Buck Baker to step aside while the others raced on
- Lap 165: Marvin Panch took over the lead from Junior Johnson; Roy Tyner had to leave the race due to transmission issues
- Lap 169: Ned Jarrett took over the lead from Marvin Panch
- Lap 189: Junior Johnson took over the lead from Ned Jarrett
- Lap 248: Doug Cooper had a terminal crash; forcing him to retire from the race
- Lap 370: Marvin Panch took over the lead from Junior Johnson
- Lap 389: Marvin Panch had a terminal crash; forcing him to retire from the race
- Lap 390: Junior Johnson took over the lead from Marvin Panch
- Finish: Junior Johnson was officially declared the winner of the event
References
- ↑ "1965 Gwyn Staley 400 weather information". The Old Farmers' Almanac. Retrieved 2012-08-04.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 "1965 Gwyn Staley 400 information". Racing Reference. Retrieved 2010-12-06.
- 1 2 "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 |