1969 World 600

The 1969 World 600, the 10th running of the event, was a NASCAR Grand National Series event that took place on May 25, 1969, at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina.

1969 World 600
Race details[1][2]
Race 21 of 54 in the 1969 NASCAR Grand National Series season
Layout of Charlotte Motor Speedway
Layout of Charlotte Motor Speedway
Date May 25, 1969 (1969-May-25)
Official name World 600
Location Charlotte Motor Speedway, Concord, North Carolina
Course Permanent racing facility
1.500 mi (2.414 km)
Distance 334 laps, 501 mi (804 km)
Weather Very hot with temperatures of 84 °F (29 °C); wind speeds of 6 miles per hour (9.7 km/h)
Average speed 134.361 miles per hour (216.233 km/h)
Attendance 75,000[3]
Pole position
Driver
Banjo Matthews
Most laps led
Driver LeeRoy Yarbrough Junior Johnson
Laps 274
Winner
No. 98 LeeRoy Yarbrough Junior Johnson
Television in the United States
Network untelevised
Announcers none

Background

The race was held at Charlotte Motor Speedway, a 1.5-mile (2.4 km) asphalt quad-oval in Concord, North Carolina. The track, which opened in 1960, was built by Bruton Smith and Curtis Turner.

Qualifying
Grid[3] No. Driver Manufacturer Owner
1 27Donnie Allison'69 FordBanjo Matthews
2 98LeeRoy Yarbrough'69 MercuryJunior Johnson
3 17David Pearson'69 FordHolman-Moody Racing
4 21Cale Yarborough'69 MercuryWood Brothers
5 43Richard Petty'69 FordPetty Enterprises
6 22Bobby Allison'69 DodgeMario Rossi
7 6Buddy Baker'69 DodgeCotton Owens
8 30Dave Marcis'69 DodgeMilt Lunda
9 99Paul Goldsmith'69 DodgeRay Nichels
10 71Bobby Isaac'69 DodgeNord Krauskopf
11 48James Hylton'69 DodgeJames Hylton
12 3Neil Castles'69 DodgeRay Fox
13 14Sam McQuagg'69 PlymouthBill Ellis
14 39Friday Hassler'67 ChevroletFriday Hassler
15 67Buddy Arrington'69 DodgeBuddy Arrington
16 64Elmo Langley'68 FordElmo Langley
17 32Dick Brooks'69 PlymouthDick Brooks
18 10Bill Champion'68 FordBill Champion
19 08E.J. Trivette'69 ChevroletE.C. Reid
20 61Hoss Ellington'67 MercuryHoss Ellington

Race report

Four hundred laps were raced on the paved oval track spanning 1.5 miles (2.4 km).[3] After nearly four hours and thirty minutes of racing, LeeRoy Yarbrough defeated Donnie Allison by two laps[4] in front of 75000 spectators. The 16-lap difference between 2nd-place finisher Donnie Allison and 3rd-place finisher James Hylton was another notable feature of this event.[3] Five cautions would be waved for 45 laps along with 13 lead changes among eight different drivers.[2][3][4] LeeRoy Yarbrough would lead the race from lap 162 through lap 400; putting on a very strong performance to win the race.

There were 44 drivers in the race; racing for a total of $132,100 ($1,054,163 when considering inflation).[5] Ed Negre would get the last-place finish in Don Tarr's 1967 Chevrolet due to a transmission problem on the second lap. Don Tarr scored his best career finish of 6th place.[2][3][4] Allison would gain the pole position with a speed of 159.296 miles per hour (256.362 km/h) while the average race speed was 134.631 miles per hour (216.668 km/h).[3][4] There was a 16-lap difference between 2nd-place finisher Donnie Allison and 3rd-place finisher James Hylton; showing the spectators that those two drivers did not have a similar set of racing skills.[3][4]

Pearson's car rode the guardrail on a lap 13 crash.[3] His car came back on the inside of the racetrack but while riding the guardrail Pearson hit a flag pole. Dave Marcis would have a long career ahead of him after leading the laps in this race. However, this would be the final race for Gerald Chamberlain and Larry Hess.[4]

Eleven notable crew chiefs: Cotton Owens, Dick Hutcherson, Glen Wood, Banjo Matthews, Jim Vandiver, Dale Inman and Harry Hyde.[6]

Timeline

Section reference:[3]

  • Start of race: Cale Yarborough had the pole position to begin the event.
  • Lap 2: Ed Negre's vehicle developed transmission problems.
  • Lap 4: LeeRoy Yarbrough took over the lead from Cale Yarborough; John Keeney had a terminal crash.
  • Lap 13: David Pearson had a terminal crash.
  • Lap 15: The radiator on Bobby Allison's vehicle developed serious issues.
  • Lap 30: Paul Goldsmith took over the lead from LeeRoy Yarborough.
  • Lap 34: The sway bar on Henley Gray's video became dangerously loose.
  • Lap 38: James Hylton took over the lead from Paul Goldsmith.
  • Lap 40: Paul Goldsmith took over the lead from James Hylton.
  • Lap 42: Bobby Isaac took over the lead from Paul Goldsmith.
  • Lap 48: Dave Marcis took over the lead from Bobby Isaac; the carburetor on Richard Brickhouse's vehicle suddenly caught on fire.
  • Lap 54: Richard Petty took over the lead from Dave Marcis.
  • Lap 57: The wiring on Gerald Chamberlain's vehicle suddenly became a problem.
  • Lap 81: Dub Simpson managed to lose the rear end of his vehicle.
  • Lap 104: LeeRoy Yarbrough took over the lead from Richard Petty.
  • Lap 106: Richard Petty took over the lead from LeeRoy Yarbrough.
  • Lap 108: Wendell Scott fell out with engine failure.
  • Lap 110: Roy Mayne fell out with engine failure.
  • Lap 122: Larry Hess fell out with engine failure.
  • Lap 135: Bill Champion fell out with engine failure.
  • Lap 139: Frank Warren managed to overheat his racing vehicle.
  • Lap 150: John Sears fell out with engine failure.
  • Lap 151: LeeRoy Yarbrough took over the lead from Richard Petty.
  • Lap 153: Neil Castles had a terminal crash.
  • Lap 158: Bobby Isaac took over the lead from LeeRoy Yarbrough.
  • Lap 162: LeeRoy Yarbrough took over the lead from Bobby Isaac.
  • Lap 272: Dave Marcis fell out with engine failure.
  • Lap 303: Sam McQuagg fell out with engine failure.
  • Lap 307: An incident involving a vehicle's hub forced Cale Yarborough out of the race.
  • Lap 308: Buddy Arrington fell out with engine failure.
  • Lap 336: Richard Petty fell out with engine failure.
  • Lap 347: Buddy Baker fell out with engine failure.
  • Lap 367: Friday Hassler fell out with engine failure.
  • Lap 374: Bobby Isaac fell out with engine failure.
  • Finish: LeeRoy Yarbrough was the official winner of the event.

Finishing order

Section reference:[3]

  1. LeeRoy Yarbrough
  2. Donnie Allison
  3. James Hylton
  4. G.C. Spencer
  5. Bobby Isaac
  6. Don Tarr
  7. Hoss Ellington
  8. Jabe Thomas
  9. Friday Hassler
  10. Elmo Langley
  11. Sonny Hutchins
  12. Buddy Young
  13. E.J. Trivette
  14. Roy Tyner
  15. J.D. McDuffie
  16. Buddy Baker
  17. Ed Hessert
  18. Bill Seifert
  19. Richard Petty
  20. Ben Arnold
  21. Cecil Gordon
  22. Buddy Arrington
  23. Cale Yarborough
  24. Earl Brooks
  25. Sam McQuagg
  26. Dave Marcis
  27. Paul Goldsmith
  28. Neil Castles
  29. John Sears
  30. Frank Warren
  31. Bill Champion
  32. Larry Hess
  33. Dick Brooks
  34. Roy Mayne
  35. Wendell Scott
  36. Dub Simpson
  37. Dick Johnson
  38. Gerald Chamberlain
  39. Richard Brickhouse
  40. Henley Gray
  41. Bobby Allison
  42. David Pearson
  43. John Kenney
  44. Ed Negre

References
  1. Weather information for the 1969 World 600 at The Old Farmers' Almanac
  2. 1969 World 600 at Database Racing
  3. 1969 World 600 at Racing Reference
  4. 1969 World 600 at Race Database
  5. 1969 World 600 at Fantasy Racing Cheat Sheet
  6. 1969 World 600 crew chief information at Racing Reference
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