1968 Dixie 250
| Race details[1][2] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 13 of 49 in the 1968 NASCAR Grand National Series season | |||
 Augusta International Raceway layout | |||
| Date | May 3, 1968 | ||
| Official name | Dixie 250 | ||
| Location | Augusta Speedway, Augusta, Georgia | ||
| Course |
Permanent racing facility 0.500 mi (0.804 km) | ||
| Distance | 300 laps, 125 mi (216 km) | ||
| Weather | Temperatures up to 84.9 °F (29.4 °C) with wind speeds up to 14 miles per hour (23 km/h); compared to the 2012 maximum temperature of 91 °F (33 °C) with wind speeds up to 8 miles per hour (13 km/h)[3] | ||
| Average speed | 73.099 miles per hour (117.641 km/h) | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Nord Krauskopf | ||
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Bobby Isaac | Nord Krauskopf | |
| Laps | 242 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 71 | Bobby Isaac | Nord Krauskopf | |
| Television in the United States | |||
| Network | untelevised | ||
| Announcers | none | ||
The 1968 Dixie 250 was a NASCAR Grand National Series (now Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series) event that was held on May 3, 1968, at Augusta Speedway in Augusta, Georgia.
Summary
Two hundred and fifty laps were done on a paved oval track spanning 0.500 miles (0.805 km) for a grand total of 125.0 miles (201.2 km).[1] The race took one hour, forty-two minutes, and thirty-six seconds to reach its full conclusion: Bobby Isaac defeated Buddy Baker[4] by more than a lap; bringing home $1,100 as the winner's top prize ($9,637.89 when considering inflation).[5]
Canadian driver Frog Fagan participated in this event as the only non-American driver.[1] Four thousand and five hundred people went to see speeds averaging 73.099 miles per hour (117.641 km/h) with Bobby Isaac gaining the pole position with a speed of 83.877 miles per hour (134.987 km/h).[1] Total winnings for this event were $6,260 ($54,848.38 when considering inflation).
The transition to purpose-built racecars began in the early 1960s and occurred gradually over that decade. Changes made to the sport by the late 1960s brought an end to the "strictly stock" vehicles of the 1950s; most of the cars were trailered to events or hauled in by trucks.
Qualifying
| Grid | No. | Driver | Manufacturer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 71 | Bobby Isaac | '67 Dodge |
| 2 | 55 | LeeRoy Yarborough | '67 Ford |
| 3 | 12 | Tom Pistone | '68 Mercury |
| 4 | 43 | Richard Petty | '68 Plymouth |
| 5 | 48 | James Hylton | '67 Dodge |
| 6 | 4 | John Sears | '67 Ford |
| 7 | 3 | Buddy Baker | '67 Dodge |
| 8 | 79 | Frank Warren | '67 Chevrolet |
| 9 | 94 | Elmo Langley | '66 Ford |
| 10 | 06 | Neil Castles | '67 Plymouth |
Timeline
- Start of race: Bobby Isaac started the race with the pole position
- Lap 17: Stan Meserve noticed that his vehicle had a problematic ignition
- Lap 20: Bill Cooper's engine developed problems
- Lap 30: Bill Seifett had a terminal crash, causing him to leave the event
- Lap 54: Henley Grey's vehicle managed to overheat, Frog Fagan's suspension developed problems that ended his day on the track
- Lap 86: The axle on Richard Petty's vehicle acted up, stopping his race for the weekend
- Lap 87: The rear end of Roy Tyner's vehicle fell off, forcing him to finish outside the top-15
- Lap 125: J.D. McDuffie's vehicle developed problems with its rear end
- Lap 131: Tom Pistone takes over the lead from Bobby Isaac
- Lap 139: Bobby Isaac takes over the lead from Tom Pistone
- Lap 158: LeeRoy Yarbrough's vehicle developed problems with its rear end
- Lap 170: John Sears' vehicle developed problems with its rear end
- Lap 175: Neil Castles' engine became problematic
- Lap 188: Elmo Langley's vehicle developed a problematic enginr
- Lap 233: Frank Warren suffered a terminal crash, forcing him out of the race
- Finish: Bobby Isaac was officially declared the winner of the event
Finishing order
- Bobby Isaac (No. 71)
- Buddy Baker (No. 3)
- Tom Pistone (No. 12)
- James Hylton (No. 48)
- Buck Baker (No. 87)
- Clyde Lynn (No. 20)
- Frank Warren* (No. 79)
- Wendell Scott (No. 34)
- Jabe Thomas (No. 25)
- Bob Moore (No. 96)
- Paul Dean Holt (No. 01)
- Elmo Langley* (No. 64)
- Neil Castles* (No. 06)
- John Sears* (No. 4)
- LeeRoy Yarbrough* (No. 55)
- J.D. McDuffie* (No. 70)
- Roy Tyner* (No. 09)
- Richard Petty* (No. 43)
- Henley Gray* (No. 19)
- Frog Fagan* (No. 95)
- Bill Seifert* (No. 45)
- Bob Cooper* (No. 02)
- Stan Meserve* (No. 51)
* Driver failed to finish race
References
- ^ a b c d "1968 Dixie 250 information". Racing Reference. Retrieved 2010-11-23.
- ^ "1968 Dixie 250 weather information". The Old Farmers' Almanac. Retrieved 2011-02-04.
- ^ "Recent weather information for Augusta, Georgia, U.S.A. (May 3, 2012)". The Old Farmers' Almanac. Retrieved 2012-09-12.
- ^ "1968 Dixie 250 race winner information". Jacobs USA. Retrieved 2011-02-03.
- ^ "1968 Dixie 250 information (winner's bounty)". Everything Stock Car. Retrieved 2011-02-03.