1968 Tidewater 250

1968 Tidewater 250
Race details[1][2]
Race 17 of 49 in the 1968 NASCAR Grand National Series season
Date May 18, 1968 (1968-05-18)
Official name Tidewater 250
Location Langley Field Speedway, Hampton, Virginia
Course Permanent racing facility
0.395 mi (0.836 km)
Distance 250 laps, 118.5 mi (190.3 km)
Weather Mild with temperatures approaching 77.9 °F (25.5 °C); wind speeds up to 18.1 miles per hour (29.1 km/h)
Average speed 71.457 miles per hour (114.999 km/h)
Pole position
Driver
Petty Enterprises
Most laps led
Driver David Pearson Holman-Moody
Laps 125
Winner
No. 17 David Pearson Holman-Moody
Television in the United States
Network untelevised
Announcers none

The 1968 Tidewater 250 was a NASCAR Grand National Series (now Sprint Cup Series) event that was held on May 18, 1968 at Langley Field Speedway in Hampton, Virginia.

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 and fifty laps were raced on a paved oval track spanning 0.400 miles (0.644 km) for a grand total of 100.0 miles (160.9 km).[2] The race took one hour, twenty five minutes, and fifty-eight seconds to reach its conclusion.[2] David Pearson was the winner of the race in front of ten thousand live audience members.[2] Notable speeds were: 71.547 miles per hour (115.144 km/h) as the average speed and 80.801 miles per hour (130.037 km/h) as the pole position speed. Canadian driver Frog Fagan participated here; he started in 14th place and ended in 13th place.[2] Fagan managed to run 212 out of 250 laps before the race ending with him still in the running.[2]

This would be Tim Pistone's final career start and Pete Hamilton's first finish in the top five.[2] Total winnings for this race were $4,740 ($32,254.68 when adjusted for inflation) with the winner receiving $1,000 ($6,804.78 when adjusted for inflation).[2] Twelve drivers used a Ford vehicle to participate in the race in; making up the majority of the grid. Three drivers would use a Dodge while only one driver would use a Chevrolet.[3]

Both Ed Negre and Paul Dean Holt would quit the race after driving for 76 and 73 laps apiece; no valid reason was ever given to NASCAR officials for their sudden absence from the race. Nevertheless, they were granted a $100 paycheck just for attempting to race ($680.48 when adjusted for inflation).[4]

Finishers

  1. 17-David Pearson
  2. 71-Bobby Isaac† (highest finishing Dodge vehicle)
  3. 3-Buddy Baker†
  4. 48-James Hylton
  5. 5-Pete Hamilton
  6. 43-Richard Petty*
  7. 55-Tom Pistone
  8. 10-Elmo Langley†
  9. 20-Clyde Lynn†
  10. 06-Neil Castles
  11. 88-Bobby Mausgrover
  12. 34-Wendell Scott*†
  13. 95-Frog Fagan†
  14. 25-Jabe Thomas
  15. 09-Roy Tyner*† (only Chevrolet entry)
  16. 4-John Sears*†
  17. 8-Ed Negre*
  18. 01-Paul Dean Holt*
  19. 28-Earl Brooks*†
  20. 19-Henley Gray*

* Driver failed to finish race
† signifies that the driver is known to be deceased

Timeline

References

  1. ↑ "1968 Tidewater 250 weather information". The Old Farmers' Almanac. Retrieved 2012-08-28.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "1968 Tidewater 250 information". Racing Reference. Retrieved 2011-01-17.
  3. ↑ "Car manufacturer information at the 1968 Tidewater 250". Fantasy Racing Cheat Sheet. Retrieved 2015-01-28.
  4. ↑ "The Fate of Ed Negre and Paul Dean Holt at the 1968 Tidewater 250". Driver Averages. Retrieved 2014-04-16.
Preceded by
1968 Beltsville 300		 NASCAR Grand National Season
1968 		Succeeded by
1968 World 600


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