The 1965 season was the year of the boycott by Chrysler teams when NASCAR outlawed the powerful Hemi engines used by Mopar teams. That pretty much left the races wide open for Ford as there was no real serious General Motors threat at the time. Even so, each race victory was earned because the Ford drivers were a most competent and competitive group of drivers and would fight for victories among themselves as viciously as if the other guy was driving a competing brand. Such was the case in Hampton, Virginia on May 14, 1965.
Twenty-one cars showed up for the 250 lap/100 mile race on the .4 mile dirt track. Dick Hutcherson qualified his Holman-Moody Ford on the pole with Ned Jarrett taking the second starting spot in his Bondy Long Ford. Suprisingly, Doug Yates in an independent 1964 Plymouth started third , "Hutch" took the lead on the drop of the green flag and would lead the first 101 laps with Ned Jarrett nipping at the back bumper of the gold and white Ford lap after lap after lap. Jarrett finally slipped by Hutcherson and the roles were reversed. Lap after after, Hutcherson filled the mirror or Jarrett's Ford until lap 164 when Hutcherson made a needed pit stop during which he lost a lap to Ned. Jarrett pitted on lap 184 for a quick stop and returned to the track just ahead of Hutcherson trackwise, but a full lap in the lead. He would hold that lead until the end.
Three independent drivers had qualified in the top six, the aforementioned Doug Yates, G.C. Spencer and Tiny Lund but all three were eliminated in a wreck on the first lap. Junior Johnson had started fifth but his Ford experienced overheating problems on lap 67 and he was done for the day. This was Jarrett's fourth win in sixteen races of the 1965 season in which he would go on to be National Champion.
Top five finishers were:
1. Ned Jarrett, Bondy Long Ford, winning $1,000.00
2. Dick Hutcherson, Holman-Moody Ford, winning $600.00
3. Elmo Langley, Langley Ford, winning $400.00
4. Buddy Arrington, Arrington Dodge, winning $300.00
5. Neil Castles, Buck Baker Plymouth, winning $275.00
Sixth through tenth went to Jimmy Helms, Wendell Scott, E.J. Trivette, Clyde Lynn and Larry Manning. 'Lil Bud Moore was 14th in a Louie Weathersby Plymouth, Roy Tyner 15th, Junior Johnson 16th, and Gene Hobby 17th.
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
