there were 66 cars in the first 600 started three abreast. we were told to go to town and get some metal to put accross the hood in front of the windsheild as the asphault was going to be flying. Buck Brigance A former motorcycle racer worked for a car specialty company and he brought a truck load of rubber car mats to the track and we took them and bolted them on the rear bumper like mud flaps. they told us we were just going to try to get to the halfway mark and call the race. Jack smith had holes in his gas tank, richard petty had his windsheild knocked out, everybody had battle damage. our olds broke a brake line and caught fire, Roy jumped out of the car and went down the pits and got into bunky Blackburns car as bunky had heat stoke problems. all week befor the race we would tear up the track and all night they would repave it. the asphault was so thin in the turns you could stick your finger through it into dirt. they had to stop the race at one time to water the track. rough day.