Auto race held at Atlanta International Raceway in 1969
1969 Dixie 500 | Race details[1] |
|---|
|
 Layout of Atlanta International Speedway, used until 1996 |
| Date |
August 10, 1969 (1969-August-10) |
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| Official name |
Dixie 500 |
|---|
| Location |
Atlanta International Raceway, Hampton, Georgia |
|---|
| Course |
Permanent racing facility
1.522 mi (2.449 km) |
|---|
| Distance |
328 laps, 499.2 mi (803.3 km) |
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| Weather |
Very hot with temperatures of 86 °F (30 °C); wind speeds of 10.1 miles per hour (16.3 km/h) |
|---|
| Average speed |
133.001 mph (214.044 km/h) |
|---|
| Attendance |
14,300[2] |
|---|
|
| Driver |
|
Wood Brothers Racing |
|---|
|
| Driver |
LeeRoy Yarbrough |
Junior Johnson & Associates |
|---|
| Laps |
142 |
|---|
|
| No. 98 |
LeeRoy Yarbrough |
Junior Johnson & Associates |
|---|
|
| Network |
untelevised |
|---|
| Announcers |
none |
|---|
Motor car race
The 1969 Dixie 500 was a NASCAR Grand National Series event that was held on August 10, 1969, at Atlanta International Raceway in Hampton, Georgia.
Background
Atlanta International Raceway (now Atlanta Motor Speedway) is one of ten current intermediate tracks to hold NASCAR races; the others are Charlotte Motor Speedway, Chicagoland Speedway, Darlington Raceway, Homestead Miami Speedway, Kansas Speedway, Kentucky Speedway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, New Hampshire Motor Speedway, and Texas Motor Speedway.[3] However, at the time, only Charlotte and Darlington were built.
The layout at Atlanta International Speedway at the time was a four-turn traditional oval track that is 1.54 miles (2.48 km) long.[4] The track's turns are banked at twenty-four degrees, while the front stretch, the location of the finish line, and the back stretch are banked at five.[4]
The race was scheduled for August 3, 1969, but it ended up being rain delayed until August 10, 1969.
Race report
After 334 laps (3¾ hours of racing), LeeRoy Yarbrough defeated David Pearson by 5½ seconds in front of 14,300 people.[2] The pole position winner was Cale Yarborough at 155.413 miles per hour (250.113 km/h).[2] John Sears had a problem with his engine and had to withdraw from the race on the third lap.[2] All 40 competitors on the racing grid were born in the United States of America.[2] Nord Krauskopf's entry (with Bobby Isaac as the driver) finished in 34th place. [2]
Ford vehicles dominated the starting grid.[2] The winner of the race received $18,620 of the total winners ($154,705 when considering inflation) while the last-place finisher went home with $725 ($6,024 when considering inflation).[5]
This was the last race for Smokey Yunick's team. Charlie Glotzbach brought the #13 Yunick Ford home in 4th place. 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.
Notable crew chiefs included Cotton Owens, Jim Vandiver, Dale Inman, Harry Hyde and Dick Hutcherson.[6]
Qualifying
Failed to qualify: Earl Brooks (#26), Roy Tyner (#9), John Sears (#4), Ron Grana (#05), Kenneth Cline (#69)[7]
