The GN teams rolled into Weaverville, NC for the annual Western North Carolina 500 to be held on Sunday, August 14, 1960. As the local folks anticipated the race, the forecast for Saturday's qualifying wasn't a good one.
But ... as it turned out ... qualifying was held right on schedule. Jack Smith won the pole, and Rex White qualified alongside him. Johnny Beauchamp timed third, and it turned out to be the final top 5 starting spot of his brief career. Glen Wood and Jim Paschal in the Petty Engineering #44 Plymouth rounded out the top 5 starters.
Smith took advantage of his fast run in time trials to lead the first four laps. But that was it. He hung around all day, but he'd never see the full field in his rear view mirror the rest of the afternoon again.
Seventh place starter, Bobby Johns, then took over. Johns led the next 166 laps of the 500-lap affair. Paschal, Johns and Rex White then traded the lead over the next 30 laps. At that point, Tiger Tom Pistone let the field know he was in the show. He led for 111 laps to take the race to just past the 300 lap mark.
Tiger gave up the lead to Richard Petty for about 50 laps, but he then grabbed it back to lead another 29 lap hitch. But after leading 140 laps, Tiger's engine quit purring. A faulty power plant eventually doomed Pistone to a P12 DNF, 112 laps behind the winner.
Possum Jones had a career day. He nabbed his second of five career Top 5s - four of which came in 1960. He didn't lead any laps at A-W, but he did finish 2nd albeit 4 laps down to the winner. - Getty
Marvin Panch had a rotten day. He qualified 30th, lasted only 11 laps, exited with engine issues, and left Weaverville with a 33rd place finish - one spot short of being dead last. - Getty
Paschal wasn't much of a factor. He qualified well - led a few laps - had pit service from The Chief - but that was about it. He finished 22nd with a DNF after losing the rear-end in his Plymouth, the lowest finisher of the 3 Petty cars. - Getty
With Bobby Johns showing his hand early and Tiger having engine issues, Rex White declared carpe diem - seize the day. He took the lead from Tiger with about 120 to go and led the rest of the way.
| Fin | Driver | Car |
| 1 | Rex White | '60 Chevrolet |
| 2 | Possum Jones | '60 Chevrolet |
| 3 | Emanuel Zervakis | '60 Chevrolet |
| 4 | Bobby Johns | '60 Pontiac |
| 5 | Jack Smith | '60 Pontiac |
| 6 | Glen Wood | '59 Ford |
| 7 | L.D. Austin | '58 Chevrolet |
| 8 | Lee Petty | '60 Plymouth |
| 9 | Curtis Crider | '58 Ford |
| 10 | Paul Lewis | '60 Chevrolet |
| 11 | Wilbur Rakestraw | '60 Ford |
| 12 | Tom Pistone | '60 Chevrolet |
| 13 | Ned Jarrett | '60 Ford |
| 14 | Fred Harb | '58 Ford |
| 15 | Richard Petty | '60 Plymouth |
| 16 | Herman Beam | '60 Ford |
| 17 | G.C. Spencer | '58 Chevrolet |
| 18 | Neil Castles | '58 Ford |
| 19 | Joe Lee Johnson | '60 Chevrolet |
| 20 | Johnny Beauchamp | '60 Chevrolet |
| 21 | Gerald Duke | '59 T-Bird |
| 22 | Jim Paschal | '60 Plymouth |
| 23 | Doug Yates | '59 Plymouth |
| 24 | Jimmy Pardue | '60 Dodge |
| 25 | Roz Howard | '60 Chevrolet |
| 26 | Banjo Matthews | '60 Ford |
| 27 | Buck Baker | '60 Chevrolet |
| 28 | Buddy Baker | '60 Ford |
| 29 | Harvey Hege | '58 Ford |
| 30 | Junior Johnson | '60 Chevrolet |
| 31 | Chuck Tombs | '59 Chevrolet |
| 32 | Roy Tyner | '60 Ford |
| 33 | Marvin Panch | '60 Ford |
| 34 | E.J. Trivette | '59 Dodge |
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Schaefer: It's not just for racing anymore.
updated by @tmc-chase: 12/05/16 04:00:58PM
