I originally posted a blog entry about Richard Petty's win at Middle Georgia Raceway on November 17, 2011. Looking back, I realize it needed a bit more detail about the race vs. just Petty's participation in it. Thought I'd do so here. Here is the link to my original post:
https://bench-racing.blogspot.com/2011/11/november-17-this-day-in-petty-history.html
Starting 5th, Richard Petty leads 362 laps and wins the Georgia 500 at Middle Georgia Raceway in Byron, GA (near Macon) for his 92nd career win. Suffering from the flu, Petty wasn't sure he could race and had young driver Pete Hamilton standing by to drive the 43. But when it was show time, Petty put himself in the car, went the distance, and won the race. (Hamilton got his shot with Petty Enterprises a season later when he was hired as a 1970 teammate to Richard to drive the winged Plymouth Superbirds.)
Even though the race occurred in November 1968, it was scheduled by NASCAR as the first race of the 1969 season. Many remember the King raced Fords for the 1969 season. The announcement that Petty Enterprises would change to Fords, however, wasn't made until eight days after this race. So Petty's win at Middle Georgia was his only Plymouth win of the 1969 season and his last in one until March 1970. (He did race a Plymouth to win the pole and finish second at Birmingham Speedway in December 1968 before switching to Fords in January 1969.)
Petty's career rival and 1968 GN Champion, David Pearson, captured the pole position. Bobby Isaac qualified 2nd in the Nord Krauskopf, K&K Insurance Dodge. Bobby Allison in Tom Friedkin's #14 Plymouth timed third, and Darel Dieringer in Mario Rossi's Plymouth started fourth.
Pearson led the first two laps. After that, he, Isaac, Allison, and Petty took turns at the point for the first 130 laps or so. At that point, the 43 Plymouth took command. With the exception of a handful of laps where he surrendered the lead - likely for pit stops - the King pretty much led the rest of the way. In total, Petty led 362 laps to Allison's 69 and Isaac's 61.
The late J.D. McDuffie finished last in the 30-car field. He raced a Buick - a rarity for that era of NASCAR.
About 40 years later, the King returned for the first time to Middle Georgia Raceway for a RacersReunion event.
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| Fin | Driver | Sponsor / Owner | Car |
| 1 | Richard Petty | Petty Enterprises | '68 Plymouth |
| 2 | David Pearson | Holman-Moody | '68 Ford |
| 3 | James Hylton | James Hylton | '68 Dodge |
| 4 | Elmo Langley | Elmo Langley / Henry Woodfield | '66 Ford |
| 5 | John Sears | L.G. DeWitt | '66 Ford |
| 6 | Friday Hassler | Red Sharp | '66 Chevrolet |
| 7 | Neil Castles | Neil Castles | '67 Plymouth |
| 8 | Bill Seifert | Bill Seifert | '68 Ford |
| 9 | Henley Gray | Henley Gray | '68 Ford |
| 10 | Ben Arnold | Don Culpepper | '66 Ford |
| 11 | Cecil Gordon | Bill Seifert | '68 Ford |
| 12 | Roy Mayne | Tom Hunter | '66 Chevrolet |
| 13 | Wendell Scott | Wendell Scott | '66 Ford |
| 14 | Walson Gardner | Walson Gardner | '67 Ford |
| 15 | Roy Tyner | Roy Tyner | '67 Pontiac |
| 16 | LeeRoy Yarbrough | Lyle Stelter | '67 Mercury |
| 17 | Bobby Isaac | Nord Krauskopf | '68 Dodge |
| 18 | Ed Negre | Ed Negre | '67 Ford |
| 19 | Bobby Allison | Tom Friedkin | '68 Plymouth |
| 20 | Wayne Smith | Archie Smith | '68 Chevrolet |
| 21 | G.C. Spencer | G.C. Spencer | '67 Plymouth |
| 22 | Earl Brooks | Don Robertson | '67 Ford |
| 23 | Ervin Pruitt | Ervin Pruitt | '67 Dodge |
| 24 | E.J. Trivette | E.C. Reid | '66 Chevrolet |
| 25 | Darel Dieringer | Mario Rossi | '68 Plymouth |
| 26 | Don Tarr | Don Tarr | '66 Chevrolet |
| 27 | Don Tomberlin | Roy Buckner | '66 Ford |
| 28 | Bill Champion | Bill Champion | '66 Ford |
| 29 | Jabe Thomas | Don Robertson | '67 Ford |
| 30 | J.D. McDuffie | J.D. McDuffie | '67 Buick |
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Schaefer: It's not just for racing anymore.
updated by @tmc-chase: 11/17/20 08:09:06AM
