1968 Columbia 200
| Race details[1][2] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 10 of 49 in the 1968 NASCAR Grand National Series season | |||
 Layout of Charlotte Motor Speedway | |||
| Date | April 18, 1968 | ||
| Official name | Columbia 200 | ||
| Location | Charlotte Motor Speedway, Concord, North Carolina | ||
| Course |
Permanent racing facility 0.500 mi (0.804 km) | ||
| Distance | 200 laps, 100 mi (160 km) | ||
| Weather | Warm with temperatures approaching 80.1 °F (26.7 °C); wind speeds up to 13 miles per hour (21 km/h) | ||
| Average speed | 71.358 miles per hour (114.840 km/h) | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Petty Enterprises | ||
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Bobby Isaac | K&K Insurance Racing | |
| Laps | 186 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 37 | Bobby Isaac | K&K Insurance Racing | |
| Television in the United States | |||
| Network | untelevised | ||
| Announcers | none | ||
The 1968 Columbia 200 was a NASCAR Grand National Series (now Sprint Cup Series) event that was held on April 18, 1968 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
Two hundred laps took place on a dirt track spanning 0.500 miles (0.805 km) per lap; for a grand total of 100.0 miles (160.9 km).[2] The race lasted one hour and twenty-four minutes with five cautions being handed out by NASCAR officials.[2]
Bobby Isaac would defeat Charlie Glotzbach by less than one lap[3] in front of 6500 live spectators (thus recording Nord Krauskopf's first win as a NASCAR team owner.[2] While the average speed of the race was 71.358 miles per hour (114.840 km/h), Richard Petty would qualify for the race with a pole position speed of 75.282 miles per hour (121.155 km/h).[2] Out of the 23-car field, 22 cars would be driven by American-born drivers while the other vehicle would be driven by Canadian driver Frog Fagan.[2] Bob Cooper would acquire the race's last-place finish due to an alternator issue on lap 42.[2][3] Until 1972, Daytona 500 qualifiers were valid for the championship, Isaac would get his second win of the season at this race.
Bobby Isaac would make his fifth NASCAR Cup Series victory here. Meanwhile, Mopar (Dodge and Plymouth) would have its vehicles finish in the top five.[2] Total prize winnings handed out at the race was $4,490 ($30,553.48 when adjusted for inflation); with $1,000 being handed out to the winner ($6,804.78 when adjusted for inflation) while the last-place finisher not winning any money.[4]
Finishing order
- 37-Bobby Isaac†
- 6-Charlie Glotzbach
- 48-James Hylton
- 3-Buddy Baker
- 43-Richard Petty
- 4-John Sears†
- 17-David Pearson
- 64-Elmo Langley†
- 56-LeeRoy Yarbrough†
- 06-Neil Castles
- 20-Clyde Lynn†
- 88-Buck Baker†
- 34-Wendell Scott†
- 9-Roy Tyner†
- 25-Jabe Thomas
- 19-Henley Gray
- 09-Bill Vanderhoff*
- 45-Bill Seifert*
- 95-Frog Fagan*†
- 76-Ben Arnold*
- 31-Paul Dean Holt*
- 8-Ed Negre*
- 02-Bob Cooper*
* Driver failed to finish race
† signifies that the driver is known to be deceased
Timeline
- Start of race: Richard Petty started the race with the pole position
- Lap 15: Bobby Isaac took over the lead from Richard Petty
- Lap 42: The alternator on Bob Cooper's vehicle became problematic, forcing him out of the race
- Lap 51: Ed Negre developed problems with his vehicle's rear end, causing him to leave the race
- Lap 52: Vibrations could be felt on Paul Dean Holt's vehicle, ending his day on the track
- Lap 56: Ben Arnold's vehicle also had some vibration problems, forcing him to leave the event
- Lap 62: Frog Fagan would have problems with his vehicle's engine, causing him to exit from the race prematurely
- Lap 63: Bill Seifert's engine became problematic; making him leave the race without properly finishing it
- Lap 78: The rear end of Bill Vanderhoff's vehicle gave out, causing him to exit the race early
- Finish: Bobby Isaac was officially declared the winner of the event
References
- ↑ Weather information for the 1968 Columbia 500 at The Old Farmers' Almanac
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 1968 Columbia 200 information at Racing Reference
- 1 2 1968 Columbia 200 information at Everything Stock Car
- ↑ NASCAR Race Results for the 1968 Columbia 200 at Fantasy Racing Cheat Sheet
| Preceded by 1968 Greenville 200 |
NASCAR Grand National Series Season 1968 |
Succeeded by 1968 Gwyn Staley 400 |