The 1967 season is often referred to as the year Richard Petty became The King, having won 27 of 46 races and even 10 in a row. But on this date in 1967, it was The King's main rival, The Silver Fox, who would outclass the field on the half-mile dirt track in Greenville, SC. Greenville-Pickens Speedway is a track with a long history in NASCAR and some of the finest drivers to ever turn the steering wheel to the left are remembered as track champions on the wall surrounding the track.
Twenty-three cars and drivers qualified for the event with Dick Hutcherson putting the Bondy Long Ford on the pole with a speed of 70.313 mph. This was the 16th pole for Hutcherson in his career. David Pearson would start second in a Cotton Owens Dodge, Elmo Langley, in the Langley-Woodfield Ford third, John Sears in the L.G. DeWitt Ford in fourth and Jim Paschal in the Friedkin Plymouth entry fifth.
David Pearson took the lead at the start and stayed in front for 74 circuits before Richard Petty moved from his sixth place starting position to lead two laps. Pearson took over again and would lead the rest of the way, although Jim Paschal was running him down at the end. Petty had been involved in a crash on pit road with Dick Hutcherson and on lap 100 of the 200 scheduled, Petty spun out and withdrew from the race at that point.
As the race was winding down, the 8,300 fans in attendance, probably a partisan Pearson crowd as David is from nearby Spartanburg, were watching a determined Jim Paschal closes the gap and appeared to have a shot for the win when the checkered flag would be dropped. However, with three laps to go, the Paschal Plymouth ran out of gas and coasted to a stop in turn three. He could only watch as Pearson sprinted to the win uncontested.
Pearson won at an average speed of 61.824 mph for the 100 miles.
Finishing order:
1. David Pearson, Cotton Owens Dodge, $1,200.00
2. Jim Paschal, Friedkin Enterprises Plymouth, $600.00 (3 laps down)****
****Paschal actually did not finish the race. He was stalled in turn 3 out of gas***
3. John Sears, L.G. DeWitt Ford, $400.00 (3 laps down)
4. Buddy Baker, Toy Bolton Chevrolet, $300.00 (9 laps down)
5. James Hylton, Bud Hartje Dodge, $275.00 (10 laps down)
6. Elmo Langley
7. Dick Hutcherson
8. Neil Castles
9. Curly Mills
10. Wendell Scott
11. Clyde Lynn
12.Dick Johnson
13. Henley Gray
14.Bill Seifert
15.Earl Brooks
16. Larry Miller
17. GeorgePoulos
18.Bill Vanderhoff
19. Richard Petty
20. Bill Ervin
21. Bobby Allison
22. Harold Stockton
23. Larry Hess(driving a 1966 Rambler)
Honor the past, embrace the present, dream for the future
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What a change! It's been awhile since I've checked in and I'm quite surprised. It may take me awhile to figure it our but first look it's really great.
updated by @tim-leeming: 12/05/16 04:00:58PM
