Half Mile Oval
The 0.5-mile (0.80 km) oval hosted NASCAR Grand National Series (now Sprint Cup Series) races from 1962 to 1969. During that time span they ran 12 races with 8 different winners.
On June 19, 1962 Joe Weatherly started on the pole position with a lap of 63.069 mph (101.500 km/h). Joe drove his Bud Moore-owned Pontiac to a 1-lap victory over Ned Jarrett. Augusta International Speedway back in 1962 was a .500 dirt mile oval. The race was 200 laps and saw only 16 cars start the race.
Less than a month later Joe did a repeat by winning on July 17, 1962 over Richard Petty. Fred Lorenzen took home the win on September 13, 1962 over Petty.
In 1963 a crowd of 4,000 in attendance saw Ned Jarrett take his Burton Robinson #11 Ford to victory lane over Richard Petty on April 4, 1963.
The 1964 season saw major changes as the track was paved with asphalt. The largest crowd ever (14,000) saw the largest field ever (30) take the green flag on November 1, 1964. The race also received the title "Jaycee 300" as the race was increased to 300 laps over the previous 200. Darel Dieringer went on to win the event.
On August 15, 1965 Dick Hutcherson won the 200 lap event with a 2.75 second lead over David Pearson. On November 14, 1965 Richard Petty took home a victory in the "Georgia Cracker 300".
November 13, 1966 saw Richard Petty win at the half mile oval with an average speed of 84.112.
On May 3, 1968 Bobby Isaac won the "Dixie 250" over Buddy Baker in his K & K Insurance Dodge. Later that year on October 5, 1968 David Pearson won over Bobby Allison in his Holman Moody-owned Ford.
On March 16, 1969 David Pearson won the first of two events at the track during this last season of racing. He won over Richard Petty with Bobby Isaac finishing third after starting on the pole with a record lap of 86.901 mph (139.854 km/h). On October 19, 1969 a field of 29 cars took the green flag at the track for the very last time. The 4,500 that attended the race only saw two lead changes between Bobby Isaac and Richard Petty. The entire race went caution free. The race time was only 1:16:12 and the average speed was 78.74 mph (126.72 km/h). Bobby Isaac won for the second time at the track.
Read more about this topic: Augusta International Raceway, History
Famous quotes containing the word mile:
“smile
As you find a rhythm
Working you, slow mile by mile,
Into your proper haunt
Somewhere, well out, beyond . . .”
—Seamus Heaney (b. 1939)