SANDHILL 250 1968

With encouragement from Tim Leeming we begin new series on historic race results. This series will feature the NASCAR Grand Touring division. While I do not have them all my goal is to document all of the races from 1968 thru 1972. I am counting on getting help from all our RR historians. Let's start at the beginning.

SANDHILL 250 1968

March 9, 1968

Rockingham, N.C.

The Sandhill 250 at the 1 mile paved North Carolina Motor Speedway at Rockingham, N.C. was the inaugural event for the new Grand Touring division. NASCARs version of TRANS-AM racing and only the second touring division in NASCAR along with the Grand National division.

The GT division featured two classes of cars that ran on the track at the same time. The Over Two Liter class (305 Cu. In. max.) was made up of American sports sedans (Cougar, Camaro, Mustang, Javelin, Dart and Barracuda) and the Under Two Liter class made up of International sports cars (Porsche, Alfa Rameo and Austin Mini Cooper).

Tiny Lund won the pole in one of Bud Moores Mercury Cougars at a speed of 113.966 MPH and led 15 starters to the green in front of 22,500 fans as Joe Grimaldis Plymouth Barracuda did not make the starting grid. Twelve of the starters were American sports sedans with three Porsches completing the field that included one female driver. Jacqui Smith started the #0 Camaro in 15 ^th place but only ran 4 laps before turning the car over to Neil Castles. The pace was slowed by 6 cautions lasting 42 laps with the race running 2 hours 36 minutes 29 seconds and 12 of the 15 starters were running at the finish.

Fin. St. Driver Car # Owner Laps

1 1 Tiny Lund 68 Mercury Cougar 16 Bud Moore 250

2 2 Swede Savage 68 Mercury Cougar 15 Bud Moore 249

3 3 Little Bud Moore 68 Mercury Cougar 1 Bob Wilson 247

4 7 Buck Baker 68 Chevy Camaro 87 Buck Baker 243

5 5 Peter Gregg 67 Porsche 911 59 Brumos 236

6 10 Jack Ryan Porsche 911 36 RBM Motors 230

7 8 Frank Sessoms 68 Chevy Camaro 21 229

8 Dick Staples 66 Ply. Barracuda 72 224

9 John Sears 66 Dodge Dart 4 222

10 6 Fred Opert 67 Porsche 911 73 221

11 Roy Tyner 68 Chevy Camaro 5 C.O. Pendley 180

12 Jim Vandiver 68 Chevy Camaro 3 Tom Vandiver 178

13 15 Neil Castles 68 Chevy Camaro 0 Gilbert Shaw 162

14 9 Paul Conners 68 AMC Javelin 33 Cliff Hardesty 136

15 4 Soupy Campbell 67 Chevy Camaro 75 78

16 11 Joe Grimaldi 67 Ply. Barracuda 0

Front of the grid

#15 Swede Savage with #16 Tiny Lund outside

Tiny Lund, Swede Savage and "Little Bud" Moore

Race report from Charleston's News And Courier

Awesome report Dennis!!!! Thanks. This is a division in historic racing well worth documenting and remembering. Some really excellent photos too. Keep it up, my friend. I look forward to your incredible knowledge of this division adding much to the historic posts.

Thanks, Dennis.

I really look forward to this series, especially with your Dad having driven in the series. It's great that you're going to share some insight on a series that produced some of the best racing I ever saw in NASCAR.

Race report written by Gene Granger in Spartanburg paper as recently posted at our Grand American site by FallsCity48:

Swede Savage should have stayed in NASCAR

Swede certainly caught RR member, Dargan Watts' eye when he returned to Rockingham in June 1968 for the rescheduled Carolina 500 Grand National race that was rained out on Sunday following the GT race. Here's what Dargan penned in the Sumter, SC newspaper:

Hey Dennis, i have Tiny's original winners trophy from that race and am working on obtaining the flag now. Pretty cool! Thanks for all the info. Hope you and the family are well.

Wow. That's a nice piece of history Robbie. Hope you are able to complete the collection.

Another bit of history from the first Grand Touring race.

Sandy bump