1969 Daytona 500
Auto race held at Daytona International Speedway in 1969
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The 1969 Daytona 500 was a NASCAR Grand National Series race held on February 23, 1969, at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida.
Daytona Beach, Florida, U.S.
2.5 mi (4.023 km)
| Race details[1] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 6 of 54 in the 1969 NASCAR Grand National Series season | |||
|
1969 Daytona 500 program cover | |||
| Date | February 23, 1969 | ||
| Location |
Daytona International Speedway Daytona Beach, Florida, U.S. | ||
| Course |
Permanent racing facility 2.5 mi (4.023 km) | ||
| Distance | 200 laps, 500 mi (804.672 km) | ||
| Weather | Mild with temperatures of 73 °F (23 °C); wind speeds of 12 miles per hour (19 km/h) | ||
| Average speed | 157.95 mph (254.20 km/h) | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Ray Fox | ||
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Donnie Allison | Banjo Matthews | |
| Laps | 87 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 98 | LeeRoy Yarbrough | Junior Johnson | |
Race report
LeeRoy Yarbrough chased down Charlie Glotzbach, who had an 11-second lead, and passed him on the final lap after starting 19th. It was the first Daytona 500 won on a last lap pass. Yarbrough won in a back-up Ford car after crashing his primary one. This would also be the second-last Daytona 500 before the NASCAR Grand National Series became the Winston Cup Series in 1971.[2] Starting in 1971, all races were to have 43 competitors maximum in a starting grid starting with the 1971 Daytona 500.
Using a grid of 51 competitors (commonplace during the 1950s and 1960s), the average speed of the race was 157.95 mph (254.20 km/h).[2]
First Daytona 500 starts for Benny Parsons, Ray Elder, Vic Elford, Richard Brickhouse, Cecil Gordon, Dick Brooks, Ben Arnold, J. D. McDuffie, and Pete Hamilton.[2] Only Daytona 500 start for George Bauer, E. J. Trivette, Swede Savage, Bobby Unser, Bill Kimmel, Billy Taylor, and Dick Poling.[2] Last Daytona 500 starts for Andy Hampton, Dub Simpson, Wayne Smith, Earl Brooks, Dick Johnson, Bobby Johns, Paul Goldsmith, and H. B. Bailey.[2]
Race results
| Pos | Grid | No. | Driver | Entrant | Manufacturer | Laps | Winnings | Laps led | Time/Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 19 | 98 | LeeRoy Yarbrough | Junior Johnson & Associates | 1969 Ford | 200 | $38,950 | 18 | 3:09:56 |
| 2 | 4 | 6 | Charlie Glotzbach | Cotton Owens | 1969 Dodge | 200 | $18,425 | 51 | +1 car length |
| 3 | 7 | 27 | Donnie Allison | Banjo Matthews | 1969 Ford | 199 | $13,275 | 87 | +1 Lap |
| 4 | 9 | 11 | A. J. Foyt | Jack Bowsher | 1969 Ford | 199 | $5,800 | 1 | +1 Lap |
| 5 | 1 | 3 | Buddy Baker | Ray Fox | 1969 Dodge | 198 | $10,050 | 23 | +2 Laps |
| 6 | 3 | 17 | David Pearson | Holman-Moody | 1969 Ford | 198 | $5,600 | 0 | +2 Laps |
| 7 | 11 | 88 | Benny Parsons | Russ Dawson | 1969 Ford | 197 | $2,450 | 0 | +3 Laps |
| 8 | 12 | 43 | Richard Petty | Petty Enterprises | 1969 Ford | 196 | $3,150 | 0 | +4 Laps |
| 9 | 51 | 58 | Andy Hampton | Ranier Racing | 1969 Dodge | 191 | $2,500 | 0 | +9 Laps |
| 10 | 16 | 96 | Ray Elder | Fred Elder | 1969 Dodge | 190 | $2,935 | 0 | +10 Laps |
| 11 | 23 | 8 | Vic Elford | Ranier Racing | 1969 Dodge | 188 | $2,650 | 0 | +12 Laps |
| 12 | 21 | 03 | Richard Brickhouse | Dub Clewis | 1967 Plymouth | 188 | $3,560 | 0 | +12 Laps |
| 13 | 31 | 39 | Friday Hassler | Friday Hassler | 1967 Chevrolet | 187 | $3,460 | 0 | +13 Laps |
| 14 | 14 | 25 | Jabe Thomas | Don Robertson | 1968 Plymouth | 187 | $2,495 | 0 | +13 Laps |
| 15 | 15 | 48 | James Hylton | James Hylton | 1968 Dodge | 185 | $2,445 | 2 | +15 Laps |
| 16 | 20 | 06 | Neil Castles | Neil Castles | 1969 Plymouth | 185 | $2,385 | 0 | +15 Laps |
| 17 | 45 | 30 | Dave Marcis | Milt Lunda | 1967 Chevrolet | 181 | $2,260 | 0 | +19 Laps |
| 18 | 22 | 45 | Bill Seifert | Bill Seifert | 1968 Ford | 179 | $2,335 | 0 | +21 Laps |
| 19 | 50 | 80 | Frank Warren | E. C. Reid | 1967 Chevrolet | 178 | $2,245 | 0 | +22 Laps |
| 20 | 29 | 64 | Elmo Langley | Elmo Langley | 1968 Ford | 178 | $2,285 | 0 | +22 Laps |
| 21 | 44 | 75 | George Bauer | Robert Schultz | 1967 Dodge | 176 | $2,205 | 0 | +24 Laps |
| 22 | 26 | 44 | Dub Simpson | Richard Giachetti | 1967 Chevrolet | 176 | $1,420 | 0 | +24 Laps |
| 23 | 30 | 10 | Bill Champion | Bill Champion | 1968 Ford | 176 | $1,395 | 0 | +24 Laps |
| 24 | 39 | 19 | Henley Gray | Harry Melton | 1968 Ford | 173 | $1,355 | 0 | +27 Laps |
| 25 | 48 | 0 | Don Tarr | Don Tarr | 1967 Chevrolet | 172 | $1,345 | 0 | +28 Laps |
| 26 | 38 | 08 | E. J. Trivette | E. C. Reid | 1969 Chevrolet | 171 | $1,345 | 0 | +29 Laps |
| 27 | 34 | 47 | Cecil Gordon | Bill Seifert | 1968 Ford | 171 | $1,360 | 0 | +29 Laps |
| 28 | 13 | 67 | Buddy Arrington | Buddy Arrington | 1969 Dodge | 170 | $1,610 | 0 | Engine |
| 29 | 49 | 34 | Wendell Scott | Wendell Scott | 1968 Ford | 168 | $1,105 | 0 | +32 Laps |
| 30 | 2 | 71 | Bobby Isaac | Nord Krauskopf | 1969 Dodge | 150 | $3,400 | 0 | Crash |
| 31 | 32 | 33 | Wayne Smith | Archie Smith | 1969 Chevrolet | 148 | $1,350 | 0 | +52 Laps |
| 32 | 33 | 32 | Dick Brooks | Dick Brooks | 1969 Plymouth | 140 | $1,345 | 0 | Engine |
| 33 | 18 | 29 | Ramo Stott | Ramo Stott | 1967 Plymouth | 139 | $1,410 | 0 | Engine |
| 34 | 24 | 76 | Ben Arnold | Don Culpepper | 1968 Ford | 133 | $1,370 | 0 | Engine |
| 35 | 40 | 26 | Earl Brooks | Earl Brooks | 1967 Ford | 130 | $1,275 | 0 | Overheating |
| 36 | 10 | 41 | Swede Savage | Wood Brothers Racing | 1968 Mercury | 123 | $2,520 | 0 | Crash |
| 37 | 27 | 18 | Dick Johnson | Dick Johnson | 1968 Ford | 104 | $1,345 | 0 | Oil leak |
| 38 | 5 | 21 | Cale Yarborough | Wood Brothers Racing | 1969 Ford | 103 | $2,560 | 17 | Crash |
| 39 | 36 | 70 | J. D. McDuffie | J. D. McDuffie | 1967 Buick | 87 | $2,290 | 0 | Engine |
| 40 | 43 | 7 | Bobby Johns | Shorty Johns | 1967 Chevrolet | 67 | $1,205 | 0 | Overheating |
| 41 | 6 | 99 | Paul Goldsmith | Ray Nichels | 1969 Dodge | 62 | $1,600 | 0 | Crash |
| 42 | 8 | 13 | Bobby Unser | Smokey Yunick | 1969 Ford | 56 | $1,400 | 1 | Crash |
| 43 | 41 | 22 | Bobby Allison | Mario Rossi | 1969 Dodge | 45 | $1,160 | 0 | Engine |
| 44 | 17 | 1 | Pete Hamilton | A. J. King | 1969 Dodge | 44 | 1,885 | 0 | Crash |
| 45 | 42 | 4 | John Sears | L. G. DeWitt | 1967 Ford | 41 | $965 | 0 | Overheating |
| 46 | 46 | 69 | Bill Kimmel | Carl Manis | 1969 Chevrolet | 30 | $900 | 0 | Engine |
| 47 | 25 | 36 | H. B. Bailey | H. B. Bailey | 1969 Pontiac | 24 | $1,940 | 0 | Engine |
| 48 | 28 | 53 | Billy Taylor | Carl Miller | 1967 Plymouth | 20 | $870 | 0 | Engine |
| 49 | 47 | 82 | Dick Poling | Mack Sellers | 1967 Chevrolet | 19 | $760 | 0 | Engine |
| 50 | 37 | 57 | Roy Mayne | Ervin Pruitt | 1967 Dodge | 9 | $725 | 0 | Engine |
| 51 | 35 | 23 | Don Biederman | Dennis Holt | 1967 Ford | 0 | – | 0 | Did not start |
Timeline
Section reference:[2]
- Start of race: Buddy Baker had the pole position, so he led the other cars into the start of lap 1.
- Lap 4: Cale Yarborough took over the lead from Buddy Baker before losing it to Buddy Baker on lap 21.
- Lap 9: Roy Mayne had engine problems in his vehicle so he wasn't able to finish the race.
- Lap 19: Dick Poling's vehicle suddenly had engine problems that knocked him out of the event.
- Lap 20: Billy Taylor would finish in an abysmal 48th place due to a faulty engine.
- Lap 21: Buddy Baker took over the lead from Cale Yarborough.
- Lap 24: H. B. Bailey would see his day on the track cut short due to engine issues.
- Lap 30: Bill Kimmel would be put on the sidelines due to engine problems with his vehicle.
- Lap 34: Donnie Allison took over the lead from Buddy Baker before losing it to Buddy Baker on lap 46.
- Lap 41: Johnny Sears managed to overheat his vehicle.
- Lap 44: Pete Hamilton had a terminal crash, forcing him out of the race prematurely.
- Lap 45: Bobby Allison's vehicle developed a faulty engine which caused him to finish in a despicable 43rd place.
- Lap 47: Bobby Unser took over the lead from Buddy Baker before losing it back to Buddy Baker on lap 48.
- Lap 56: A. J. Foyt took over the lead from Buddy Baker; Bobby Unser had a terminal crash while racing at high speeds.
- Lap 57: Donnie Allison took over the lead from A. J. Foyt, ultimately losing it to Charlie Glotzbach on lap 119.
- Lap 62: Paul Goldsmith had a terminal crash, forcing him to be sidelined for the remainder of the event.
- Lap 67: Bobby Johns managed to overheat his vehicle.
- Lap 87: J. D. McDuffie fell out with engine failure while racing at competitive speeds.
- Lap 103: Cale Yarborough had a terminal crash, forcing him to accept a miserable 38th place.
- Lap 104: Dick Johnson had an oil leak in his vehicle, rendering his vehicle unsafe to drive in.
- Lap 119: Charlie Glotzbach took over the lead from Donnie Allison.
- Lap 123: Swede Savage had a terminal crash that would knock him out of the race.
- Lap 130: Earl Brooks managed to overheat his vehicle from the trials and tribulations of high-speed driving.
- Lap 133: Ben Arnold's engine could not take any more racing and developed problems.
- Lap 139: Donnie Allison took over the lead from Charlie Glotzbach.
- Lap 140: Dick Brooks' engine had seen better moments of the race and stopped working completely.
- Lap 146: Charlie Glotzback took over the lead from Donnie Allison.
- Lap 150: Bobby Isaac had a terminal crash.
- Lap 153: Ben Arnold's vehicle would release a dangerous amount of debris, ending full-speed racing until lap 157.
- Lap 155: Donnie Allison took over the lead from Charlie Glotzbach.
- Lap 161: LeeRoy Yarbrough took over the lead from Donnie Allison.
- Lap 170: Buddy Harrington fell out with engine failure.
- Lap 178: Charlie Glotzbach took over the lead from LeeRoy Yarbrough.
- Lap 200: LeeRoy Yarbrough took over the lead from Charlie Glotzbach.
- Finish: LeeRoy Yarbrough was officially declared the winner of the event.