PAUL REVERE 250
Daytona International Speedway
Friday, July 3, 1970
Race #17 of the 1970 season brought the Grand American Challenge Series to Daytona Beach Florida for the second time that year. This time for the fourth annual Paul Revere 250 scheduled to take the green at mid-night on July 3 rd which means the race actually occurred on the Fourth of July. While not the only night race it was the only night race held with no track lighting. The cars ran with headlights, some even used aircraft landing lights, on the 3.81 mile road course and was a FIA sanctioned event.
Point leader Tiny Lund came into the event with high hopes of continuing his dominance having won 13 of the 16 races so far by unveiling a brand new 1970 Camaro prepared by Ronnie Hopkins. The car did not make it to the track in time to qualify so he would have start back in the pack. Thirty two drivers entered but only twenty seven made qualifying runs with twenty five taking the green. Jay Black, Tiger Tom Pistone, Phil Kendrick, Amos Johnson and Jim Hall did not qualify. Bill Blankenship qualified but did not start and H.B. Bailey qualified but broke a crankshaft in the last practice and did not make the grid. Twelve cars posted times the first day of qualifying with Bobby Allison taking the pole and team mate Jim Paschal outside pole. Max Berrier had been driving the American Performance Center second Javelin but Allison got the ride at Daytona because of Berriers limited road course experience. Wayne Andrews was 3 rd in a Cougar with David Boggs 4 th and Buck Baker 5 th , both in Firebirds. Bob Glass was 6 th with Ken Rush 7 th and Gene Felton 8 th all in Camaros. Doug Aldridge was 9 th and Ernie Shaw 10 th in a Mustang. Glass was in the same car James Hylton drove to victory here in February.
Marty Robbins was not racing while on the mend from open heart surgery but was the grand Marshall for the Paul Revere 250 and the Firecracker 400. After some prerace fireworks the field took the green on the back stretch but Jim Paschal pulled out of line as his Javelin did not come up to speed right away, a fouled plug from the slow pace laps, but it cleared right up and by the time they reached the flag stand he was second to Bobby Allison. Paschal followed Allison for 6 laps before taking the lead and began to pull away. By lap 10 Tiny Lund had moved from 18 th starting spot to 3 rd with Baker 4 th and Andrews 5 th . Ken Rush was 6 th and Dr. Wilbur Pickett was 7 th in Stan Starr Seniors Camaro. On lap 13 the engine in Allisons Javelin seized ending his night early. By lap 20 Paschal was way out front with Lund 2 nd Baker 3 rd Andrews 4 th and Rush 5 th . Dr. Pickett was 6 th a lap down. The crossed flags indicating the half way point found only the top four still on the lead lap. Just 2 laps later Lund lost an engine leaving only Baker and Andrews in the same lap with Paschal. Sometime during the race Ernie Shaw ran over a skunk and Paschal ran through the pungent fog that lingered in the cockpit of his Javelin for a while. Around lap 55 Paschal caught Andrews and tried to put him a lap down but it took 5 laps to do it. The Javelin would get by on the infield road course but the Cougar would storm back by on the speedway back stretch. A couple of laps later with just 4 to go Paschal got by Baker to be in a lap by himself. Andrews got to within 5 seconds of Baker at the checkers. It was the first win of the year for Paschal and second for the Warren Prout prepared Javelins.
Jim collected $5,050 of the $25,850 purse. The race was run caution free before an estimated crowd of 26,000. 14 cars were running at the finish.
The results tightened up the points race with Tiny Lund still leading with 944 points and Ken Rush second with 923 points. Wayne Andrews was third with 917 points. The rest of the top 10 were T.C. Hunt 4 th , Jim Paschal 5 th , Richard Childress 6 th , Phil Wills 7 th , Buck Baker 8 th , Jimmy Vaughn 9 th and Ernie Shaw 10 th .
Fin. St. Driver # Car Laps Status
1 2 Jim Paschal 14 70 Javelin 66 Running
2 5 Buck Baker 87 70 Firebird 65 Running
3 3 Wayne Andrews 15 70 Cougar 65 Running
4 8 Gene Felton 37 68 Camaro 62 Running
5 6 Bob Glass 48 69 Camaro 62 Running
6 13 Wilbur Pickett 9 69 Camaro 61 Running
7 15 Paul Tyler 92 69 Firebird 60 Running
8 11 Richard Childress 26 68 Camaro 60 Running
9 22 T.C. Hunt 88 68 Camaro 59 Running
10 20 Stan Starr Jr. 0 68 Camaro 57 Running
11 19 Phil Wills 8 69 Camaro 56 Running
12 21 Bobby Wilson 24 68 Camaro 53 Running
13 16 Bobby Brewer 19 69 Camaro 53 Running
14 4 David Boggs 86 70 Firebird 51 Running
15 7 Ken Rush 44 69 Camaro 48 Engine
16 24 Jimmy Vaughn 7 68 Camaro 47
17 10 Ernie Shaw 17 68 Mustang 37
18 18 Tiny Lund 55 70 Camaro 34 Engine
19 23 Billy Hagan 52 68 Cougar 28
20 9 Doug Aldridge 3 69 Camaro 26
21 1 Bobby Allison 16 70 Javelin 12 Engine
22 25 Jerry Hufflin 27 68 Camaro 11
23 12 Joe Dean Huss 33 69 Camaro 9
24 14 Bobby Fleming 54 69 Camaro 8
25 17 Aubrey Cox 65 70 Mustang 5
Personal note: After qualifying on Wednesday dad blew the engine. We only had one. They took the engine apart at the track and Reid called Red Myler and got a couple of guys from Bud Moores shop to head down the road with the needed parts. There was so much wind and sand at the track that putting a clean engine together was impossible so they loaded up and went to dads uncles house in Daytona. They rebuilt the engine in Uncle Delberts carport and got it put back in the car on Friday in time to make the last practice run before the race that night.
Jim Paschal beside his Warren Prout prepared Javelin.
Tiny's new 1970 Camaro
updated by @dennis-andrews: 08/09/18 06:34:12AM
