1961 Southern 500
This article needs additional citations for verification. (May 2021) |
Race details | |||
---|---|---|---|
Race 42 of 52 in the 1961 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series | |||
Date | September 4, 1961 | ||
Location | Darlington Raceway | ||
Course |
Permanent racing facility 1.375 mi (2.213 km) | ||
Distance | 364 laps, 500.5 mi (805.477 km) | ||
Scheduled Distance | 364 laps, 500.5 mi (804.672 km) | ||
Average speed | 117.787 mph | ||
Pole position | |||
Driver | |||
Most laps led | |||
Driver | Fireball Roberts | ||
Laps | 180 | ||
Winner | |||
No. 29 | Nelson Stacy |
The 1961 Southern 500 was a race that took place at Darlington Raceway on 4 September 1961, in the NASCAR Grand National Series. It was the forty-second race of the 1961 NASCAR Grand National Series.
Nelson Stacy won after 364 laps, after taking the lead from Fireball Roberts late in the race.[1][2] It was the first of Stacy's four Grand National victories in his career.[3]
Qualifying[]
Pos.[4] | # | Driver | Make | Team/Owner | Time | Avg. Speed (mph) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 22 | Fireball Roberts | '61 Pontiac | Smokey Yunick | 128.680 | |
2 | 28 | Fred Lorenzen | '61 Ford | Holman-Moody | 128.437 | |
3 | 29 | Nelson Stacy | '61 Ford | 127.020 | ||
4 | 8 | Joe Weatherly | '61 Pontiac | Bud Moore Engineering | 126.890 | |
5 | 43 | Richard Petty | '61 Plymouth | Petty Enterprises | 125.906 | |
6 | 6 | Ralph Earnhardt | '61 Pontiac | Owens Racing | 125.906 | |
7 | 44 | Jim Paschal | '61 Pontiac | Petty Enterprises | 125.866 | |
8 | 42 | Marvin Panch | '61 Plymouth | Petty Enterprises | 125.158 | |
9 | 3 | David Pearson | '61 Pontiac | John Masoni | 127.783 | |
10 | 94 | Banjo Matthews | '61 Ford | Banjo Matthews | 127.012 | |
11 | 87 | Buck Baker | '61 Chrysler | Buck Baker | 126.339 | |
12 | 72 | Bobby Johns | '61 Ford | 125.938 | ||
13 | 9 | Bunkie Blackburn | '61 Ford | 125.842 | ||
14 | 27 | Junior Johnson | '61 Pontiac | 125.364 | ||
15 | 4 | Rex White | '61 Pontiac | Jack Smith | 124.489 | |
16 | 86 | Buddy Baker | '61 Chrysler | Buddy Baker | 124.410 | |
17 | 66 | '61 Ford | Ratus Walters | 126.372 | ||
18 | 46 | Larry Frank | '61 Pontiac | Jack Smith | 125.994 | |
19 | 24 | unknown* | Pontiac | 125.245 | ||
20 | 52 | Cale Yarborough | '61 Ford | Julian Buesink | 125.023 | |
21 | 85 | Emanuel Zervakis | '61 Chevrolet | 124.489 | ||
22 | 2 | '61 Chevrolet | 124.387 | |||
23 | 32 | '61 Ford | 124.169 | |||
24 | 19 | Herman Beam | '60 Ford | Herman Beam | 120.247 | |
25 | 59 | Tiny Lund | '61 Pontiac | 126.711 | ||
26 | 90 | '61 Chevrolet | 125.578 | |||
27 | 14 | Johnny Allen | '61 Chevrolet | Joe Lee Johnson | 124.208 | |
28 | 80 | Darel Dieringer | '61 Ford | 124.114 | ||
29 | 82 | '61 Ford | 124.029 | |||
30 | 1 | Paul Lewis | '61 Chevrolet | 123.990 | ||
31 | 5 | Woodie Wilson | '61 Pontiac | 123.172 | ||
32 | 7 | Jim Reed | '61 Chevrolet | Jim Reed | 123.004 | |
33 | 30 | Elmo Langley | '60 Chevrolet | 122.517 | ||
34 | 11 | Ned Jarrett | '61 Chevrolet | 122.388 | ||
35 | 10 | '61 Dodge | 121.988 | |||
36 | 54 | Jimmy Pardue | '60 Chevrolet | Jimmy Pardue | 121.487 | |
37 | 47 | Bob Burdick** | Pontiac | Jack Smith | 121.264 | |
38 | 96 | Friday Hassler | '60 Chevrolet | 120.812 | ||
39 | 68 | '61 Ford | Curtis Crider | 120.072 | ||
40 | 62 | Curtis Crider | '61 Mercury | Curtis Crider | 119.854 | |
41 | 74 | L.D. Austin | '61 Chevrolet | L.D. Austin | 118.060 | |
42 | 75 | '60 Chevrolet | 114.902 | |||
43 | 93 | George Green* | Ford | 114.576 | ||
44 | 99 | '61 Ford | 114.167 |
*Did not compete due to unknown reasons.
**Driver changed to Rex White for the race.
Results[]
Fin[5][6] | St | # | Driver | Make | Team/Owner | Sponsor | Laps | Led | Status | Pts | Winnings |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 3 | 29 | Nelson Stacy | '61 Ford | Ron's Ford Sales, Holt-Stacy | 364 | 72 | running | $18,430 | ||
2 | 1 | 22 | Fireball Roberts | '61 Pontiac | Smokey Yunick | 364 | 180 | running | $10,670 | ||
3 | 9 | 3 | David Pearson | '61 Pontiac | John Masoni | Daytona Kennel | 363 | 6 | running | $5,060 | |
4 | 7 | 44 | Jim Paschal | '61 Pontiac | Petty Enterprises | 359 | 0 | running | $2,625 | ||
5 | 20 | 85 | Emanuel Zervakis | '61 Chevrolet | 359 | 0 | running | $2,450 | |||
6 | 33 | 11 | Ned Jarrett | '61 Chevrolet | 354 | 0 | running | $1,500 | |||
7 | 26 | 14 | Johnny Allen | '61 Chevrolet | Joe Lee Johnson | 348 | 0 | running | $1,195 | ||
8 | 18 | 24 | Roscoe Thompson | '60 Pontiac | 347 | 0 | running | $1,195 | |||
9 | 6 | 6 | Ralph Earnhardt | '61 Pontiac | Owens Racing | 346 | 0 | engine | $875 | ||
10 | 36 | 47 | Rex White | '61 Pontiac | Jack Smith | 345 | 0 | running | $925 | ||
11 | 12 | 72 | Bobby Johns | '61 Ford | 344 | 0 | running | $750 | |||
12 | 16 | 66 | '61 Ford | Ratus Walters | Cafe Burgundy | 342 | 0 | running | $700 | ||
13 | 32 | 30 | Elmo Langley | '60 Chevrolet | 341 | 0 | running | $500 | |||
14 | 14 | 27 | Junior Johnson | '61 Pontiac | Holly Famrs | 337 | 0 | running | $450 | ||
15 | 24 | 59 | Tiny Lund | '61 Pontiac | 323 | 0 | crash | $650 | |||
16 | 40 | 74 | L.D. Austin | '61 Chevrolet | L.D. Austin | 321 | 0 | running | $350 | ||
17 | 35 | 54 | Jimmy Pardue | '60 Chevrolet | Jimmy Pardue | 316 | 0 | running | $300 | ||
18 | 39 | 62 | Curtis Crider | '61 Mercury | Curtis Crider | Mims Amusement Co. | 312 | 0 | running | $750 | |
19 | 23 | 19 | Herman Beam | '60 Ford | Herman Beam | 312 | 0 | running | $250 | ||
20 | 17 | 46 | Larry Frank | '61 Pontiac | Jack Smith | 273 | 0 | spindle | $480 | ||
21 | 25 | 90 | '61 Chevrolet | 262 | 0 | timing | $280 | ||||
22 | 4 | 8 | Joe Weatherly | '61 Pontiac | Bud Moore Engineering | 229 | 13 | rf hub | $370 | ||
23 | 31 | 7 | Jim Reed | '61 Chevrolet | Jim Reed | 228 | 0 | brakes | $200 | ||
24 | 15 | 86 | Buddy Baker | '61 Chrysler | Buddy Baker | 221 | 0 | bearings | $700 | ||
25 | 34 | 10 | '61 Dodge | 206 | 0 | rear end | $700 | ||||
26 | 5 | 43 | Richard Petty | '61 Plymouth | Petty Enterprises | 201 | 41 | engine | $1,110 | ||
27 | 11 | 87 | Buck Baker | '61 Chrysler | Buck Baker | 190 | 0 | con rod | $220 | ||
28 | 21 | 2 | '61 Chevrolet | 164 | 0 | rocker arm | $200 | ||||
29 | 2 | 28 | Fred Lorenzen | '61 Ford | Holman-Moody | 158 | 52 | throttle | $950 | ||
30 | 19 | 52 | Cale Yarborough | '61 Ford | Julian Buesink | 135 | 0 | engine | $200 | ||
31 | 8 | 42 | Marvin Panch | '61 Plymouth | Petty Enterprises | 94 | 0 | carburetor | $200 | ||
32 | 28 | 82 | '61 Ford | 85 | 0 | crash | $200 | ||||
33 | 29 | 1 | Paul Lewis | '61 Chevrolet | 81 | 0 | crash | $200 | |||
34 | 30 | 5 | Woodie Wilson | '61 Pontiac | 79 | 0 | crash | $200 | |||
35 | 38 | 68 | '61 Ford | Curtis Crider | 79 | 0 | head gasket | $200 | |||
36 | 10 | 94 | Banjo Matthews | '61 Ford | Banjo Matthews | 65 | 0 | engine | $430 | ||
37 | 22 | 32 | '61 Ford | 50 | 0 | rear end | $200 | ||||
38 | 27 | 80 | Darel Dieringer | '61 Ford | 45 | 0 | rear end | $300 | |||
39 | 13 | 9 | Bunkie Blackburn | '61 Ford | 34 | 0 | head gasket | $200 | |||
40 | 37 | 96 | Friday Hassler | '60 Chevrolet | 22 | 0 | brakes | $200 | |||
41 | 43 | 99 | '61 Ford | 2 | 0 | handling | $200 | ||||
42 | 41 | 75 | '60 Chevrolet | 2 | 0 | handling | $200 | ||||
43 | 42 | 93 | '60 Ford | 2 | 0 | handling | $200 |
Crashes[]
Among the 43 competitors in the 1961 Southern 500, Marvin Potter, Paul Lewis and Woodie Wilson were involved in a crash, resulting in them coming 32nd, 33rd and 34th respectively.[7] Tiny Lund crashed toward the end of the race, finishing in 15th position.[8]
Thurmond speech[]
Prior to the commencement of the race, South Carolina Senator Strom Thurmond was present to give a political speech in which he claimed that South Carolina would secede from the United States because of its opposition to civil rights legislation. The American Spectator reported that spectators responded to the speech with enthusiasm, and the infield at Darlington was "so violent and liquor-soaked that the area was fenced off and not even the police would enter for anything less than a shooting".[9]
References[]
- ^ Bob Carroll (1992). The Sports Video Resource Guide: A Fan's Sourcebook for All the Best in Sports Videos. Simon & Schuster. p. 185. ISBN 978-0-671-73446-6.
- ^ Lyle Kenyon Engel; Jim Hunter (1973). Stock Car Racing U.S.A. Dodd, Mead. p. 120. ISBN 978-0-396-06641-5.
- ^ Meinstereifel, Ronald L. (2004). Day-By-Day in NASCAR History. McFarland & Co. p. 198. ISBN 0786417994. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
- ^ "1961 Southern 500 qualifying results". Racing-Reference.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "1961 Southern 500 - The Third Turn". www.thethirdturn.com. Retrieved 2021-07-17.
- ^ "1961 Southern 500 race results". Racing-Reference.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "NASCAR: 1961 Southern 500". Racinghub. Racinghub. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
- ^ Perry Allen Wood (10 January 2014). Declarations of Stock Car Independents: Interviews with Twelve Racers of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. McFarland. p. 111. ISBN 978-0-7864-5780-9.
- ^ Yates, Brock. "The NASCAR Red State". Volume 38 Issue 3. No. April 2005. The American Spectator. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
- 1961 NASCAR Grand National Series
- NASCAR races at Darlington Raceway
- 1961 in sports in South Carolina