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1969 Sandlapper 200

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1969 Sandlapper 200
Race details[1]
Race 45 of 54 in the 1969 NASCAR Grand National Series season
Date September 18, 1969 (1969-September-18)
Official name Sandlapper 200
Location Columbia Speedway, Columbia, South Carolina
Course Permanent racing facility
0.500 mi (0.804 km)
Distance 200 laps, 100 mi (160 km)
Weather Very hot with temperatures of 86 °F (30 °C); wind speeds of 8.9 miles per hour (14.3 km/h)
Average speed 70.23 mph (113.02 km/h)
Attendance 6,500[2]
Pole position
Driver Nord Krauskopf
Most laps led
Driver Richard Petty Petty Enterprises
Laps 131
Winner
No. 71 Bobby Isaac Nord Krauskopf
Television in the United States
Network untelevised
Announcers none

The 1969 Sandlapper 200 was a NASCAR Grand National Series event that was held on September 18, 1969, at Columbia Speedway in Columbia, South Carolina.

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.

Background

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Columbia Speedway was an oval racetrack located in Cayce, a suburb of Columbia, South Carolina. It was the site of auto races for NASCAR's top series from 1951 through 1971.[3] For most of its history, the racing surface was dirt. The races in April and August 1970 were two of the final three Grand National Series races ever held on a dirt track.[4]

The track was paved before hosting its last two Grand National races in 1971.

Race report

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Bobby Isaac defeated Richard Petty by half a lap in front of a live audience of 6,500 NASCAR followers.[2][5][6] Notable crew chiefs that participated in the event were John Hill, Dick Hutcherson, Dale Inman and Harry Hyde.[7]

The first-place position of the race changed hands three times and the race lasted one hour and twenty-five minutes.[2][5][8] Only two caution flags were waved for 15 laps.[2][5] While Petty would qualify for the pole position with a top speed of 73.108 miles per hour (117.656 km/h) in qualifying, the average speed of the race winner would be 70.23 miles per hour (113.02 km/h).[2][5][6][8] The race was done on a dirt oval track and Isaac received $1,000 in prize winnings ($8,309 when adjusted for inflation).[2][5][8] There were 23 American-born drivers on the starting grid.[2]

Eldon Yarbrough, the brother of the late LeeRoy Yarbrough, would retire from NASCAR after this race with his only top ten finish in NASCAR history.[5] Wayne Gillette would withdraw from the race for reasons unknown and would finish the race in last place.[2][5][8] Johnny Halford would make his NASCAR debut here.[5]

Qualifying

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Grid[2] No. Driver Manufacturer Owner
1 43 Richard Petty '69 Ford Petty Enterprises
2 71 Bobby Isaac '69 Dodge Nord Krauskopf
3 4 John Sears '69 Ford L.G. DeWitt
4 47 Cecil Gordon '68 Ford Bill Seifert
5 0 Frank Warren '67 Chevrolet Don Tarr
6 17 David Pearson '69 Ford Holman-Moody Racing
7 45 Bill Seifert '68 Ford Bill Seifert
8 8 Ed Negre '67 Plymouth G.C. Spencer
9 48 James Hylton '69 Dodge James Hylton
10 10 Bill Champion '68 Ford Bill Champion
11 70 J.D. McDuffie '67 Buick J.D. McDuffie
12 25 Jabe Thomas '67 Plymouth Don Robertson
13 64 Elmo Langley '68 Ford Elmo Langley
14 09 E.J. Trivette '67 Chevrolet E.C. Reid
15 04 Ken Meisenhelder '67 Oldsmobile Ken Meisenhelder
16 76 Ben Arnold '68 Ford Don Culpepper
17 34 Wendell Scott '67 Ford Wendell Scott
18 19 Henley Gray '68 Ford Harry Melton
19 08 Wayne Gillette '69 Chevrolet E.C. Reid
20 06 Neil Castles '67 Plymouth Neil Castles

Top 10 finishers

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Pos[2] Grid No. Driver Manufacturer Laps Winnings Laps led Time/Status
1 2 71 Bobby Isaac Dodge 200 $1,000 69 1:25:26
2 1 43 Richard Petty Ford 200 $600 131 +0.5 laps
3 9 48 James Hylton Dodge 196 $400 0 +4 laps
4 3 4 John Sears Ford 195 $350 0 +5 laps
5 23 56 Eldon Yarbrough Ford 194 $325 0 +6 laps
6 13 64 Elmo Langley Ford 190 $300 0 +10 laps
7 11 70 J.D. McDuffie Buick 189 $275 0 +11 laps
8 17 34 Wendell Scott Ford 187 $270 0 +13 laps
9 4 47 Cecil Gordon Ford 187 $265 0 +13 laps
10 7 45 Bill Seifert Ford 186 $260 0 +14 laps

Timeline

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Section reference: [2]

  • Start of race: Richard Petty started the race with the pole position but was quickly overtaken by Bobby Isaac.
  • Lap 3: Wayne Gillette quits the race for personal reasons.
  • Lap 4: Richard Petty retook the lead from Bobby Isaac.
  • Lap 13: Ed Negre's transmission developed problems, forcing him out of the race.
  • Lap 34: Paul Dean Holt's engine stopped working properly, ending his race weekend prematurely.
  • Lap 45: The axle on Neil Castles' vehicle became problematic, ending his day on the track.
  • Lap 82: David Pearson had a terminal crash, forcing him to withdraw from the event.
  • Lap 108: Frank Warren's vehicle developed suspension problems, causing him to exit the race.
  • Lap 135: Bobby Isaac took over the lead from Richard Petty.
  • Finish: Bobby Isaac was officially declared the winner of the event.

References

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  1. ^ Weather information for the 1969 Sandlapper 200 at The Old Farmers' Almanac
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k 1969 Sandlapper 200 race information at Racing-Reference, retrieved 30 January 2012
  3. ^ Columbia Speedway page of Racing-Reference website [1], retrieved 8 May 2007.
  4. ^ Fielden, Greg, "NASCAR Cleans Up", Speedway Illustrated, September 2004.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h 1969 Sandlapper 200 race information at Race-Database.com
  6. ^ a b 1969 Sandlapper 200 race information at DatabaseRacing.com
  7. ^ Crew chief information at Racing Reference
  8. ^ a b c d 1969 Sandlapper 200 racing information at FantasyRacingCheatSheet.com
Preceded by NASCAR Grand National races
1969
Succeeded by