GREENVILLE GT200 7/19/1969

GREENVILLE GT200

Greenville-Pickens Speedway

Greenville, S.C.

July 19, 1969

Race number 18 was held at Greenville-Pickens Speedway and was 200 laps on the mile dirt oval. Tiny Lund started on the pole and led the first seven laps before Jim Paschal went to the front and led until he crashed on lap 54. Buck Baker then took over the point thru lap 82 with T.C. Hunt leading from lap 83 thru 95. Charlie Blanton moved to the lead on lap 96 were he would stay until Ken Rush moved to the front on lap 169. With 10 to go it looked like Rush would record his first win of the year but in the next four laps Blanton got to his bumper. It was a battle but Blanton completed the pass on lap 195 and led the last four laps to take his second victory of the year.

There were 9 cautions for 43 laps with 14 of the 19 starters running at the finish. Frank Sessoms third place finish got him within four points of Hunt in the points race.

Fin Srt Car # Driver Car Laps Staus

1 8 10 Charlie Blanton 68 Camaro 200 Running

2 5 44 Ken Rush 68 Camaro 200 Running

3 7 21 Frank Sessoms 68 Camaro 198 Running

4 4 87 Buck Baker 69 Firebird 197 Running

5 6 88 T.C. Hunt 68 Camaro 196 Running

6 17 7 Jimmy Vaughn 68 Camaro 193 Running

7 11 8 Phil Wills 68 Camaro 189 Running

8 12 17 Ernie Shaw 68 Mustang 188 Running

9 16 36 Wilbur Pickett 67 Porsche 181 Running

10 13 4 Bobby Brewer 68 Camaro 170 Running

11 15 54 Bobby Fleming 68 Camaro 168 Running

12 10 13 Richard Childress 68 Camaro 167 Running

13 3 97 Mike Adams 67 Mustang 142 Running

14 9 04 C.B. Gwyn 68 Cougar 140 Bln. Eng.

15 1 16 Tiny Lund 69 Cougar 138 Running

16 14 74 Al Straub 69 Mustang 95 Bln. Eng.

17 2 27 Jim Paschal 69 Javelin 54 Wrecked

18 18 174 Doug Easton 68 Mustang 1 Tech.

19 19 81 Ed Smith 68 Camaro 1 Tech.

20 20 98 Russell Nelson 68 Mustang 0 DNS

Pete Hamilton had won 50% of his starts... 7 for 14!

Race report from Spartanburg Herald

Thanks Chase. The report I have did not state Ken Rush spun on lap 195. Even this report did not tell if he spun on his own or if he had help. Probably just great dirt track racing!

Charlie Blanton had 3 wins in the 1969 Nascar GT season, driving the Chevy Camaro of Toy Bolton.

Thanks Robert, I knew Charlie, Tiny and Jim Paschal would later drive a '71 Toy Bolton Camaro but did not remember the #10 '68 Camaro being Mr. Bolton's.

RR member Dave Fulton found this picture of the #10.

Yep, and in 1971 Dick Brooks won a Nascar GT race at Hickory, also driving a Toy Bolton Camaro, which I believe was # 95 by this time. I also believe (but not sure) that when Charlie Blanton won the ARCA race at Daytona in 1973, he was again driving a Toy Bolton Camaro.

Charlie at Daytona in '73

Thanks Dennis good story would love to meet Charlie Blanton some time