Today is the anniversary of the September 18, 1965 Capital City 300 race at Richmond. It's the race claimed by the NASCAR Hall of Fame to have been the source of the Richard Petty door possessed by Billy Biscoe. Of course, we proved that theory wrong a number of years ago when I located a photo of LeeRoy Yarbrough hitting the Richmond light pole that supposedly had damaged the door according, erroneously, to Buz McKim.
Anyhow, I remember David Pearson smoking them again on the Richmond dirt 49 years ago tonight in the Cotton Owens #6 Dodge, recently returned after the Chrysler boycott.
Richmond modified stars, Red Foote and Sonny Hutchins both made the GN field. Recently returned Curtis Turner drove a second Junior Johnson entry.
Winner, Pearson's brakes were gone and his throttle was hanging. According to newspaper accounts, Pearson was shoving in the clutch and then throwing the car broadside in the corners.
1965 Capital City 300
NASCAR Grand National race number 49 of 55
Saturday, September 18, 1965 at Atlantic Rural Fairgrounds, Richmond
300 laps on a .500 mile dirt track (150.0 miles)
Time of race: 2:27:35
Average Speed: 60.983 mph
Pole Speed: 67.34 mph Cautions: n/a
Margin of Victory: 1 lap +
Attendance: 14,000
Lead changes: 10
Fin St # Driver Sponsor / Owner Car Laps Money Status Led
1 2 6 David Pearson Southeastern Dodge Dealers (Cotton Owens) '65 Dodge 300 2,300 running 122
2 10 15 Darel Dieringer Bud Moore '64 Mercury 299 1,525 running 72
3 7 26 Junior Johnson Junior Johnson '65 Ford 298 1,200 running 1
4 19 19 J.T. Putney Herman Beam '65 Chevrolet 298 875 running 0
5 26 89 Neil Castles Buck Baker '65 Oldsmobile 278 710 running 0
6 13 00 Bert Robbins Emory Gilliam '64 Ford 276 525 running 0
7 23 34 Wendell Scott Wendell Scott '63 Ford 274 400 running 0
8 31 52 E.J. Trivette Jess Potter '63 Chevrolet 263 300 running 0
9 36 57 Lionel Johnson Clay Eastridge '64 Ford 252 250 running 0
10 35 68 Bob Derrington Bob Derrington '63 Ford 250 250 running 0
11 20 20 Clyde Lynn Clyde Lynn '64 Ford 248 225 running 0
12 14 64 Elmo Langley Elmo Langley '64 Ford 246 225 running 0
13 37 99 Gene Hobby Gene Hobby '64 Dodge 238 225 running 0
14 33 97 Henley Gray Gene Cline '64 Ford 237 225 running 0
15 25 1 Paul Lewis Paul Lewis '64 Ford 221 200 engine 0
16 6 86 Buddy Baker Buck Baker '64 Dodge 220 200 differential 0
17 22 53 Jimmy Helms David Warren '63 Ford 219 200 engine 0
18 21 02 Doug Cooper Bob Cooper '65 Chevrolet 210 175 sway bar 0
19 3 11 Ned Jarrett Bondy Long '65 Ford 208 175 engine 58
20 8 41 Jim Paschal Friedkin Enterprises (Tom Friedkin) '65 Chevrolet 193 175 timing 0
21 12 46 Roy Mayne Tom Hunter '65 Chevrolet 187 175 differential 0
22 24 62 Buddy Arrington Buddy Arrington '64 Dodge 179 150 lug bolt 0
23 11 49 G.C. Spencer G.C. Spencer '64 Ford 178 150 a frame 0
24 15 87 Buck Baker Buck Baker '65 Chevrolet 170 170 oil leak 0
25 1 29 Dick Hutcherson Holman-Moody '65 Ford 162 150 crash 47
26 34 75 Gene Black C.L. Crawford '64 Ford 154 150 crash 0
27 28 66 Red Foote Larry Manning '64 Chevrolet 149 150 wheel 0
28 16 90 Sonny Hutchins Junie Donlavey '64 Ford 139 150 overheating 0
29 27 18 Stick Elliott Toy Bolton '65 Chevrolet 118 150 radiator 0
30 30 9 Roy Tyner Roy Tyner '65 Chevrolet 107 150 driveshaft 0
31 32 80 Worth McMillion Allen McMillion '64 Pontiac 103 150 oil pan 0
32 29 38 Wayne Smith Archie Smith '65 Chevrolet 88 150 overheating 0
33 9 55 Tiny Lund Lyle Stelter '64 Ford 85 150 crash 0
34 18 43 LeeRoy Yarbrough Petty Enterprises '65 Plymouth 81 150 crash 0
35 5 59 Tom Pistone Glen Sweet '64 Ford 80 150 crash 0
36 4 2 Curtis Turner Junior Johnson '65 Ford 66 150 overheating 0
37 17 96 Cale Yarborough Kenny Myler '64 Ford 28 150 overheating 0
LeeRoy Yarbrough drove the #43 for Petty at Richmond, since Richard had a previous drag racing commitment. He and Tiny Lund hit the same light pole exiting the muddy Richmond pits. Note the damage to the #43 is to the front end, not the door.
Southern MotorSports Journal
Free Lance Star
Herald-Journal
Early in the Richmond race week, the sad news came out of Florence, SC that driver Buren Skeen had succumbed to the injuries he'd received in a Labor Day crash at Darlington:
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"Any Day is Good for Stock Car Racing"
updated by @dave-fulton: 12/05/16 04:00:58PM
