1962 Southeastern 500
The 1962 Southeastern 500 was a NASCAR Grand National Series event that was held on July 29, 1962, at Bristol International Speedway in Bristol, Tennessee.
| Race details[1] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 36 of 53 in the 1962 NASCAR Grand National Series season | |||
 Layout of Bristol Motor Speedway | |||
| Date | July 29, 1962 | ||
| Official name | Southeastern 500 | ||
| Location | Bristol International Speedway, Bristol, Tennessee | ||
| Course | 0.500 mi (0.800 km) | ||
| Distance | 500 laps, 250.0 mi (400.0 km) | ||
| Weather | Warm with temperatures of 79 °F (26 °C); wind speeds of 8.9 mph (14.3 km/h) | ||
| Average speed | 75.276 mph (121.145 km/h) | ||
| Attendance | 15,000[2] | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Jim Stephens | ||
| Time | 22.300 seconds | ||
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Junior Johnson | Owens Racing | |
| Laps | 166 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 42 | Jim Paschal | Petty Enterprises | |
| Television in the United States | |||
| Network | untelevised | ||
| Announcers | none | ||
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.
Race report
A lineup of 44 American-born drivers made the starting grid for this 500-lap event. Fireball Roberts earned the pole position with a lap of 80.321 mph (129.264 km/h) qualifying. Approximately 4% of this race was run under a caution flag. The model years ranged from 1960 to 1962; with most drivers using a Pontiac or a Chevrolet. Although official NASCAR records state that Joe Weatherly started in 13th place, he often preferred to call the position as "12A.[2]"
While Fireball Roberts and Junior Johnson dominated the first 100 laps, Fred Lorenzen and Jim Paschal would rule the final 100 laps of this race. Fifteen thousand fans would see an event that lasted three hours and nineteen minutes. Worth McMillion was the lowest-finishing driver to complete the event; he was 68 laps behind.[2]
Paschal would go on to defeat Lorenzen by half a lap at an average speed of 75.276 mph (121.145 km/h) for the race; in a 1962 Plymouth Belvedere. Although he was not a member of the Petty family, his victory was a great asset for Petty Enterprises and would eventually pave the way for non-family members to belong in the organization. Allan Harley was given the credit for the last-place finish due to car handling issues on lap 5. Eleven drivers did not have their winnings recorded by NASCAR officials.[2] Notable crew chiefs in this race included Bud Moore, Herman Beam, Glen Wood, Banjo Matthews and Lee Petty.[3]
Individual earnings for each driver varied from $3,930 ($33,217 when adjusted for inflation) to $100 ($845 when adjusted for inflation). The total purse for this event was $17,925 ($151,505 when adjusted for inflation).[4]
Qualifying
| Grid | No. | Driver | Manufacturer | Speed[5] | Qualifying time[5] | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 22 | Fireball Roberts | '62 Pontiac | 80.717 | 22.300 | Jim Stephens |
| 2 | 6 | Junior Johnson | '62 Pontiac | 79.893 | 22.530 | Cotton Owens |
| 3 | 72 | Bobby Johns | '62 Pontiac | 79.751 | 22.570 | Shorty Johns |
| 4 | 28 | Fred Lorenzen | '62 Ford | 79.646 | 22.600 | Holman-Moody |
| 5 | 61 | Sherman Utsman | '62 Ford | 79.470 | 22.650 | Sherman Utsman |
| 6 | 54 | Jimmy Pardue | '62 Pontiac | 79.400 | 22.670 | Jimmy Pardue |
| 7 | 21 | Marvin Panch | '62 Ford | 79.330 | 22.690 | Wood Brothers |
| 8 | 29 | Nelson Stacy | '62 Ford | 79.295 | 22.700 | Holman-Moody |
| 9 | 47 | Jack Smith | '62 Pontiac | 79.225 | 22.720 | Jack Smith |
| 10 | 20 | Emanuel Zervakis | '62 Mercury | 79.190 | 22.730 | Emanuel Zervakis |
Failed to qualify: John Dodd Jr. (#38), Paul Lewis (#58), Darel Dieringer (#90), Al White (#31)[5]
Top 10 finishers
| Pos[2] | Grid | No. | Driver | Manufacturer | Laps | Winnings | Laps led | Time/Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 | 42 | Jim Paschal | Plymouth | 500 | $3,930 | 77 | 3:19:16 |
| 2 | 4 | 28 | Fred Lorenzen | Ford | 500 | $2,370 | 121 | Lead lap under green flag |
| 3 | 16 | 43 | Richard Petty | Plymouth | 500 | $1,540 | 47 | Lead lap under green flag |
| 4 | 14 | 46 | Johnny Allen | Pontiac | 498 | $1,270 | 60 | +2 laps |
| 5 | 8 | 29 | Nelson Stacy | Ford | 498 | $875 | 0 | +2 laps |
| 6 | 13 | 8 | Joe Weatherly | Pontiac | 498 | $900 | 0 | +2 laps |
| 7 | 11 | 4 | Rex White | Chevrolet | 494 | $650 | 0 | +6 laps |
| 8 | 21 | 41 | Bunkie Blackburn | Plymouth | 491 | $550 | 0 | +9 laps |
| 9 | 19 | 11 | Ned Jarrett | Chevrolet | 491 | $675 | 0 | +9 laps |
| 10 | 6 | 54 | Jimmy Pardue | Pontiac | 491 | $450 | 0 | +9 laps |
Timeline
Section reference:[2]
References
- Weather information for the 1962 Southeastern 500 at The Old Farmers' Almanac
- 1962 Southeastern 500 racing information at Racing Reference
- Crew chief information at Racing Reference
- 1962 Southeastern 500 racing information at Fantasy Racing Cheat Sheet
- Qualifying information at Racing Reference
| Preceded by 1962 untitled race at Rambi Raceway |
NASCAR Grand National Season 1962 |
Succeeded by 1962 Confederate 200 |