Earlier today, Tim Leeming posted about a [ September 18, 1964 race in Manassas, VA ]. Exactly one year later, the teams were back in the commonwealth of Virginia - except they were in Richmond.
For more than half the 1965 season, the GN fields were void of Dodges and Plymouths because of the Chrysler boycott of NASCAR racing. Once a compromise was reached between the two parties, the factory-backed Mopars were allowed back on the circuit. They were allowed to run all but the big tracks. Teams such as Cotton Owens with David Pearson and the Petty Enterprises teams did not run two of the big races down the stretch - the Southern 500 or the National 400.
But when the Dodges and Plymouths DID race, they were awfully quick - just as they were in 1964. At Richmond, the Blue Oval still kept its pride for a while in qualifying as Dick Hutcherson nabbed the pole in a Holman-Moody Ford. Pearson timed his Owens' Dodge right beside him. Fords and one Mercury took 6 of the remaining 8 spots of the top 10 starting spots.
Four drivers split the lap leads fairly evenly. Darel Dieringer in Bud Moore's Mercury led 72 laps, Ned Jarrett led 58, and pole-winner Hutcherson led 47. (Junior Johnson also led a single lap). But Pearson led a chunk of 80 laps early, led a few more during the race, and then went out front for good with 19 laps to go to claim the win.
Dodge was represented by 4 drivers - Pearson, the 2 Buddys - Baker and Arrington, and Gene Hobby. Plymouth had one car in the show - the familiar 43 Petty blue Plymouth from Level Cross, NC. Most fans didn't expect the car to make the show because Richard Petty was still fulfilling drag racing match race contract obligations even after the Chrysler boycott was lifted. Yet Ol' Blue rolled into Richmond's fairgrounds. But the driver had folks scratching their heads.
In a [ August 2012 post ] I submitted about Curtis Turner's (almost) return in a #43 Petty Plymouth, Dave Fulton recalled this memory about another driver who was unexpectedly behind the wheel of the 43.
Funny how the deal with Richard's 1965 obligations following the return of Chrysler from their boycott affected who appeared in the #43 when and where.
I was sitting in the bleachers at the half-mile Richmond dirt track on Sunday, September 18, 1965 and the Petty car wasn't expected to run. Just before qualifying, low and behold, the #43 suddenly appeared coming into the backstretch gate on a trailer towed by the Petty bob truck.
The entire facility shook with the fans roaring their approval. Funny thing, though - turned out to be LeeRoy Yarbrough who'd wheel the Petty blue #43 at Richmond that day, finishing 34th after crashing out.
I learned a couple of years ago that Lee Roy drove the car - and wrecked it. But I STILL don't know what led to his getting the call from Lee, Richard and the guys to make the deal happen. Two drivers who'd previously driven for the Pettys - Buck Baker and Jim Paschal - already had rides for the Richmond race. But I'm still unsure how Yarbrough got the nod. For that matter, I'm rather surprised the Pettys sent a car to the track at all - other than the Petty bunch had a great relationship with track promoter Paul Sawyer.
The teams did race the night before in Manassas, and the future King won the event. I suppose since the GN team was already in the state that they decided to haul the car to Richmond and race it. Meanwhile, Richard must have headed for an airport to fulfill his drag racing commitment.
At that time the half-mile track still had its dirt surface. A hard rain shower earlier in the day muddied up the track and pit area. After Yarbrough pitted, he slid in the mud and whacked a light pole head-on.
Four laps later, Tiny Lund also slid in the mud coming off pit road and hit the same light pole tearing the driver's door right off his Ford.
A couple of articles about Pearson's win. One from the Spartanburg Herald and the other from the Free Lance-Star .
| Fin | Driver | Sponsor / Owner | Car |
| 1 | David Pearson | Cotton Owens | '65 Dodge |
| 2 | Darel Dieringer | Bud Moore | '64 Mercury |
| 3 | Junior Johnson | Junior Johnson | '65 Ford |
| 4 | J.T. Putney | Herman Beam | '65 Chevrolet |
| 5 | Neil Castles | Buck Baker | '65 Oldsmobile |
| 6 | Bert Robbins | Emory Gilliam | '64 Ford |
| 7 | Wendell Scott | Wendell Scott | '63 Ford |
| 8 | E.J. Trivette | Jess Potter | '63 Chevrolet |
| 9 | Lionel Johnson | Clay Eastridge | '64 Ford |
| 10 | Bob Derrington | Bob Derrington | '63 Ford |
| 11 | Clyde Lynn | Clyde Lynn | '64 Ford |
| 12 | Elmo Langley | Elmo Langley | '64 Ford |
| 13 | Gene Hobby | Gene Hobby | '64 Dodge |
| 14 | Henley Gray | Gene Cline | '64 Ford |
| 15 | Paul Lewis | Paul Lewis | '64 Ford |
| 16 | Buddy Baker | Buck Baker | '64 Dodge |
| 17 | Jimmy Helms | David Warren | '63 Ford |
| 18 | Doug Cooper | Bob Cooper | '65 Chevrolet |
| 19 | Ned Jarrett | Bondy Long | '65 Ford |
| 20 | Jim Paschal | Tom Friedkin | '65 Chevrolet |
| 21 | Roy Mayne | Tom Hunter | '65 Chevrolet |
| 22 | Buddy Arrington | Buddy Arrington | '64 Dodge |
| 23 | G.C. Spencer | G.C. Spencer | '64 Ford |
| 24 | Buck Baker | Buck Baker | '65 Chevrolet |
| 25 | Dick Hutcherson | Holman-Moody | '65 Ford |
| 26 | Gene Black | C.L. Crawford | '64 Ford |
| 27 | Red Foote | Larry Manning | '64 Chevrolet |
| 28 | Sonny Hutchins | Junie Donlavey | '64 Ford |
| 29 | Stick Elliott | Toy Bolton | '65 Chevrolet |
| 30 | Roy Tyner | Roy Tyner | '65 Chevrolet |
| 31 | Worth McMillion | Allen McMillion | '64 Pontiac |
| 32 | Wayne Smith | Archie Smith | '65 Chevrolet |
| 33 | Tiny Lund | Lyle Stelter | '64 Ford |
| 34 | LeeRoy Yarbrough | Petty Enterprises | '65 Plymouth |
| 35 | Tom Pistone | Glen Sweet | '64 Ford |
| 36 | Curtis Turner | Junior Johnson | '65 Ford |
| 37 | Cale Yarborough | Kenny Myler | '64 Ford |
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Schaefer: It's not just for racing anymore.
updated by @tmc-chase: 03/08/17 09:20:52PM
