1967 Wilkes 400
| Race details[1] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 46 of 49 in the 1967 NASCAR Grand National Series season | |||
 North Wilkesboro Speedway | |||
| Date | October 1, 1967 | ||
| Official name | Wilkes 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 | Mild with temperatures approaching 75.9 °F (24.4 °C); wind speeds up to 8.9 miles per hour (14.3 km/h) | ||
| Average speed | 94.837 miles per hour (152.625 km/h) | ||
| Attendance | 9,800[2] | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Bondy Long | ||
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Richard Petty | Petty Enterprises | |
| Laps | 256 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 43 | Richard Petty | Petty Enterprises | |
| Television in the United States | |||
| Network | untelevised | ||
| Announcers | none | ||
The 1967 Wilkes 400 was a NASCAR Grand National Series (now Sprint Cup Series) event that was held on October 1, 1967, at North Wilkesboro Speedway in North Wilkesboro.
The transition to purposely-built racers 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
This event was the site of Richard Petty's 75th victory in his NASCAR Cup Series career; making him acquire a 10-race win streak.[3] His racing team was Petty Enterprises (now a part of Richard Petty Motorsports) and the vehicle that Petty took to the finish line with him was a 1967 Plymouth Belvedere with the #43 as its racing number.[2]
Two hours, thirty-eight minutes, and ten seconds were needed for the race to reach its full conclusion.[2] Richard Petty managed to defeat Dick Hutcherson by more than two laps.[2] Other competitors included Canadian drivers Frog Fagan and Don Biederman along with LeeRoy Yarbrough (in his Ford), Cale Yarborough (in his Dodge), Wendell Scott (in his Dodge), and Elmo Langley (in his Ford).[2]
Notable speeds were 94.837 miles per hour (152.625 km/h) as the average speed and 104.312 miles per hour (167.874 km/h) as the pole position speed.[2] Three cautions were given out for twenty laps.[2] Total winnings for this race were $18,100 ($128,668.96 when considering inflation). Richard Petty received the majority of the bounty with $4,725 in winnings ($33,589.00 when considering inflation).[4]
Finishing order
- Richard Petty
- Dick Hutcherson
- LeeRoy Yarbrough
- Bobby Allison
- Jim Paschal
- Tom Pistone
- Cale Yarbrough
- Swede Savage
- John Sears
- Melvin Bradley
- Wendell Scott
- Bob Cooper
- Bill Seifert
- Eddie Yarboro
- Wayne Smith
- Doug Cooper
- J.T. Putney
- James Hylton
- G.C. Spencer
- Earl Brooks
- Paul Goldsmith
- Clyde Lynn
- Elmo Langley
- Buddy Baker
- Henley Gray
- Jack Ingram
- Jabe Thomas
- Don Biederman
- George Davis
- Bobby Wawak
- Jerry Grant
- Ed Negre
- Bud Moore
- David Pearson
- Frog Fagan
Timeline
- Start of race: Dick Hutcherson began the event with the pole position
- Lap 16: Frog Fagan became the last-place finisher due to engine issues
- Lap 17: David Pearson's engine had a meltdown, forcing Pearson to exit the race
- Lap 21: Jim Paschal took over the lead from Dick Hutcherson
- Lap 30: Paul Goldsmith took over the lead from Jim Paschal
- Lap 49: Bobby Allison took over the lead from Paul Goldsmith
- Lap 107: Richard Petty took over the lead from Bobby Allison
- Lap 143: Bobby Allison took over the lead from Richard Petty
- Lap 181: Richard Petty took over the lead from Bobby Allison
- Lap 215: Earl Brooks managed to lose his vehicle's rear end
- Lap 235: G.C. Spencer managed to blow his car's engine
- Lap 236: James Hylton managed to blow his car's engine
- Lap 300: J.T. Putney managed to blow his car's engine
- Lap 328: Doug Cooper managed to blow his car's engine
- Finish: Richard Petty was officially declared the winner of the event
References
- ↑ "1967 Wilkes 400 weather information". The Old Farmers' Almanac. Retrieved 2012-08-02.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "1967 Wilkes 400 information". Racing Reference. Retrieved 2010-12-02.
- ↑ "Richard Petty's Situation". Save the Speedway. Retrieved 2011-08-03.
- ↑ "1967 Wilkes 400 information (third reference)". Fantasy Racing Cheat Sheet. Retrieved 2012-09-15.
| Preceded by 1967 Old Dominion 500 |
NASCAR Winston Cup Series Season 1967 |
Succeeded by 1967 National 500 |
| Preceded by 1967 Old Dominion 500 |
Richard Petty's Career Wins 1960-1984 |
Succeeded by 1968 untitled race at Montgomery Speedway |