1967 National 500

1967 National 500

Race details[1]
Race 47 of 49 in the 1967 NASCAR Grand National Series season
Despite the wreck, Mr. Charlie Glotzbach finished in fourth place after the race was over.
Date	October 15, 1967
Official name	National 500
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	Temperatures reaching up to 77 °F (25 °C); wind speeds up to 8.9 miles per hour (14.3 km/h)
Average speed	130.317 miles per hour (209.725 km/h)
Attendance	60,000[2]
Pole position
Driver	Cale Yarborough	Wood Brothers
Most laps led
Driver	Buddy Baker	Ray Fox
Laps	160
Winner
No. 3	Buddy Baker	Ray Fox
Television in the United States
Network	untelevised
Announcers	none

The 1967 National 500 was a NASCAR Grand National Series (now Sprint Cup Series) event that was held on October 15, 1967 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina.

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

Sixty thousand live spectators attended the event where Buddy Baker managed to defeat Bobby Isaac by more than one lap.^[2] Nine cautions were handed out by NASCAR officials for 64 laps.^[2] The race took three hours and fifty minutes to fully complete.^[2] Cale Yarborough achieved the pole position with a qualifying speed of 130.317 miles per hour (209.725 km/h).^[2] In reality, the speeds in the race actually approached 130.317 miles per hour (209.725 km/h).^[2] Whitey Gerkin finished in last place due to a crash on lap 2 out of the 334 laps raced on a paved track spanning 1.500 miles (2.414 km).^[2] All 44 of the drivers on the racing grid were American-born males.^[2] Future three time Formula One Champion Jackie Stewart entered but he failed to qualify.

Richard Petty 10-race winning streak ended at this race. Bobby Wawak made his best career finish as an owner with one of his vehicles finishing in seventh place.^[2] LeeRoy Yarbrough was scheduled to drive in Junior Johnson's #26 vehicle but the car was wrecked in practice due to a fire extinguisher going off automatically.^[3] 22 lead changes were made amongst seven different leaders.^[4] Don Schissler and Dub Simpson made their NASCAR debuts here.^[4]

The total prize purse for this race was $87,005 ($617,457.64 when adjusted for inflation). Buddy Baker received $18,950 in winnings ($134,484.48 when adjusted for inflation) while last-place finisher Whitey Gerkin walked away with only $625 ($4,435.5 when adjusted for inflation).^[5]

Finishing order

1. Buddy Baker
2. Bobby Isaac
3. Dick Hutcherson
4. Charlie Glotzbach
5. G.C. Spencer
6. Don White
7. Bobby Wawak
8. Neil Castles
9. Buddy Arrington
10. Cale Yarborough*
11. J.T. Putney
12. Henley Gray
13. Bobby Allison*
14. Frank Warren
15. Donnie Allison*
16. John Sears*
17. Wayne Smith
18. Richard Petty*
19. Darel Dieringer*
20. Sonny Hutchins*
21. Roy Tyner
22. A.J. Foyt*
23. Clyde Lynn*
24. David Pearson*
25. Jim Paschal*
26. Jack Bowsher*
27. Mario Andretti*
28. Wendell Scott*
29. Bud Moore*
30. Elmo Langley*
31. Red Farmer*
32. Larry Manning*
33. Dub Simpson*
34. Curtis Turner*
35. E.J. Trivette*
36. Friday Hassler*
37. Larry Hess*
38. Paul Goldsmith*
39. Bob Cooper*
40. Don Schissler*
41. Bobby Mausgrover*
42. Gordon Johncock*
43. James Hylton*
44. Whitey Gerkin*

* Driver failed to finish race

DNQ's

• LeeRoy Yarbrough – #26
• Jackie Stewart – #5
• Frog Fagan – #75
• Bill Seifert – #45
• Don Biederman – #94
• Ken Spikes – #62

References

1. "1967 National 500 weather information". The Old Farmers' Almanac. Retrieved 2012-09-14.
2. "1967 National 500 race information". Racing Reference. Retrieved 2011-04-04.
3. Greg Fielden's "Charlotte Motor Speedway", p. 55
4. "1967 National 500 race information (second reference)". Race Database. Retrieved 2011-04-05.
5. "1967 National 500 race information". Fantasy Racing Cheat Sheet. Retrieved 2012-09-15.