During this time of year, the word "Gamecock" is associated with that football team from The University of South Carolina. On this date in 1960, while certainly the football Gamecocks existed, the focus to today's Minute will be Gamecock Speedway in Sumter, SC. Gamecock Speedway was a quarter mile dirt track located outside the City of Sumter, which is also the home of Shaw Air Force Base, a major military installation.
If you recall our Southern 500 series recently, we featured the 1960 Southern 500 which was won by Buck Baker on three tires after blowing one before the checkered flag. What was not featured in that story is that only 18 of the 48 starters finished, and of those 18 finishers, about half of those were in less than good "repair". So, ten days after that Southern 500, only 13 cars came through the games to race the 50 miles/300 laps on the tight track.
Rookie David Pearson qualified his Chevrolet on the pole with a speed of 45.07 mph with Ned Jarrett starting on his outside. Doug Yates would start his Plymouth 3rd, Richard Petty started 4th in his Plymouth and L.D. Austin placed his Chevy in fifth starting position.
The race was a two man show, for the most part, between Jarrett and Pearson but my source for information has no breakdown of lap leaders. I do know that Doug Yates fell out on lap 34 with right front hub problems, and Fred Harb had engine problems in his Ford and had to park it on lap 107. The only other non-finisher was Curtis Crider who broke an axle in his Oldsmobile on lap 110 and was out. These three would represent finishing positions 11th (Crider), 12th (Harb) and 13th (Yates).
This was Ned Jarrett's 7th overall Grand National win. Rex White, who would finish sixth, left the track with a 3660 point lead over second place, Richard Petty.
Top five finishers were:
1. Ned Jarrett, Courtesy Ford, winning $770.00
2. David Pearson, Pearson Chevrolet, winning $535.00
3. Junior Johnson, Daytona Kennels Chevrolet, winning $385.00 (1 lap down)
4. G.C. Spencer, Weldon Wagner Chevrolet, winning $270.00 (5 laps down)
5. Lee Petty, Petty Engineering Plymouth, winning $325.00 (5 laps down)
Sixth through tenth were Rex White, Richard Petty, Jimmy Pardue, L.D. Austin, and Buck Baker.
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