1965 Gwyn Staley 400

1965 Gwyn Staley 400

Race details
Race 11 of 55 in the 1965 NASCAR Grand National Series season
Date	April 18, 1965 (1965-April-18)
Official name	Gwyn Staley 400
Location	North Wilkesboro Speedway (North Wilkesboro, North Carolina)
Course	Permanent racing facility 0.625 mi (1.005 km)
Distance	400 laps, 250 mi (402 km)
Weather	Temperatures reaching as high as 81 °F (27 °C); wind speeds reaching up to 18.1 miles per hour (29.1 km/h)
Average speed	95.047 miles per hour (152.963 km/h)
Pole position
Driver	Junior Johnson	Junior Johnson & Associates
Most laps led
Driver	Junior Johnson	Junior Johnson & Associates
Laps	356
Winner
No. 26	Junior Johnson	Junior Johnson & Associates
Television in the United States
Network	untelevised
Announcers	none

The 1965 Gwyn Staley 400 was a NASCAR Grand National Series (now Sprint Cup Series) event that was held on April 18, 1965 at North Wilkesboro Speedway in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina.

The race car drivers still had to commute to the races using the same stock cars that competed in a typical weekend's race through a policy of homologation (and under their own power). This policy was in effect until roughly 1975. By 1980, NASCAR had completely stopped tracking the year model of all the vehicles and most teams did not take stock cars to the track under their own power any more.

Summary

The race would be finished with a time of two hours and thirty-seven minutes with speeds approaching 95.047 miles per hour (152.963 km/h). Three cautions were given out for seven laps. Junior Johnson would beat Bobby Johns by seven seconds in front of 8,000 loyal spectators. Johns still competed in NASCAR while being conscripted by the United States Army and serving near Columbia, North Carolina.

The pole speed would end up being 101.033 miles per hour (162.597 km/h); this speed would be accomplished by Junior Johnson qualifying in a two-lap solo session. This would be the eleventh race out of 55 races done in the 1965 season. Ford vehicles would sweep the top five finishing spots because 74% of the racing grid were driving Ford Motor Company vehicles.

Individual race earnings for this event ranged from the winner's share of $4,500 ($43,507.92 when adjusted for inflation ) to the last-place finisher's share of $150 ($1,450.26 when adjusted for inflation). The total prize purse handed out by NASCAR officials was $15,950 ($154,211.4 when adjusted for inflation).

Finishing order

1. Junior Johnson
2. Bobby Johns
3. Ned Jarrett
4. Dick Hutcherson†
5. Marvin Panch*
6. Darel Dieringer†
7. Fred Lorenzen
8. G.C. Spencer†
9. Tiny Lund†
10. William Paul Lewis
11. Wendell Scott†
12. Junior Spencer
13. Bub Strickler†
14. E.J. Trivette
15. Jabe Thomas
16. Gene Black
17. Bob Derrington
18. Henley Gray
19. Doug Cooper*
20. Buddy Baker*†
21. Clyde Lynn*†
22. Roy Tyner*†
23. Buck Baker*†
24. J.T. Putney*†
25. G.T. Nolan*
26. Frank Weathers*
27. Cale Yarborough*
28. Bill Morton*
29. Elmo Langley*†
30. Buren Skeen*†
31. Donald Trucker*
32. Doug Yates*
33. Buddy Arrington*
34. Neil Castles*

† signifies that the driver is known to be deceased
* Driver failed to finish race

Timeline

• Start of race: Junior Johnson began the event with the pole position
• Lap 165: Marvin Panch took over the lead from Junior Johnson
• Lap 169: Ned Jarrett took over the lead from Marvin Panch
• Lap 189: Junior Johnson took over the lead from Ned Jarrett
• Lap 370: Marvin Panch took over the lead from Junior Johnson
• Lap 390: Junior Johnson took over the lead from Marvin Panch
• End of race: Junior Johnson was officially declared the winner of the event