The 1965 Atlanta 500 was a NASCAR

NASCAR

The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...

 Winston Cup Series racing event that took place on April 11, 1965 at Atlanta International Raceway

Atlanta Motor Speedway

Atlanta Motor Speedway is a track just outside Hampton, Georgia, twenty miles south of Atlanta. It is a quad-oval track with a seating capacity of over 125,000. It opened in 1960 as a standard oval. In 1994, 46 condominiums were built over the northeastern side of the track...

 (now Atlanta Motor Speedway) in Hampton, Georgia

Hampton, Georgia

Hampton is a city in southwestern Henry County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 6,987. Census Estimates for 2005 show a population of 4,743. Hampton mailing addresses also dip into eastern Clayton County and northern Spalding County.The Atlanta Motor...

, U.S.A..

Summary

There were 44 American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

-born male drivers on the grid - without any foreigners or minorities trying to compete in the event.

Jim Conway

Jim Conway

Jim Conway is an Australian harmonica player and with his brother, Mic Conway, was a co-founder of the 1970s humour, theatre and rock group, The Captain Matchbox Whoopee Band....

 would be the race's last-place finisher due to a clutch

Clutch

A clutch is a mechanical device which provides for the transmission of power from one component to another...

 issue on lap 1 out of the regulation period of 334 laps. Marvin Panch

Marvin Panch

Marvin Panch Marvin Panch Marvin Panch (born May 28, 1926, in Menomonie, Wisconsin, is a former NASCAR driver.-Early career:He started his racing career as a car owner in Oakland, California. One week, his driver did not show up, and he raced the car to a third place finish...

 managed to defeat Bobby Johns

Bobby Johns

Bobby Johns is a retired American racecar driver.Johns raced in the NASCAR series in the 1956-1969 seasons, with 141 career starts. He had 2 wins among his 36 top ten finishes and finished the 1960 season 3rd in the points...

 by two seconds in front of a screaming crowd of 50,700 people. There were eight lead changes in addition to five caution flags waved for 26 laps; making this race last almost four hours in length. The average speed of the race was 129.41 miles per hour (208.3 km/h) while Panch earned the pole position

Pole position

The term "pole position", as used in motorsports, comes from the horse racing term where the number one starter starts on the inside next to the inside pole. The term made its way, along with several other customs, to auto racing. In circuit motorsports, a driver has pole position when he or she...

 with a qualifying speed of 145.581 miles per hour (234.3 km/h). Other drivers in the top ten were: Ned Jarrett

Ned Jarrett

Ned Jarrett is a retired race car driver and two-time NASCAR champion.Jarrett was best known for his calm demeanor, and he became known as "Gentleman Ned Jarrett", yet he was an intense competitor when he put his two hands on the steering wheel of a NASCAR Grand National stock car...

, Dick Hutcherson

Dick Hutcherson

Dick Hutcherson was an American businessman and a former stock car racer. A native of Keokuk, Iowa, Hutcherson drove in NASCAR competition from 1964 to 1967. In 1965 he finished second in the overall NASCAR Drivers Championship and had nine wins...

, Buddy Baker

Buddy Baker

Elzie Wylie Baker, Jr. , nicknamed "Leadfoot" or more famously Buddy, is a former American NASCAR racecar driver.-Early life:...

, Tiny Lund

Tiny Lund

DeWayne Louis "Tiny" Lund was a NASCAR driver. He was ironically nicknamed "Tiny" due to his rather large and imposing size.-Background:...

, Bobby Allison

Bobby Allison

Robert Arthur Allison is a former NASCAR Winston Cup driver and was named one of NASCAR's 50 greatest drivers. His two sons, Clifford Allison and Davey Allison followed him into racing, and both died within a year of each other....

, Larry Hess

Larry Hess

Larry Hess is a retired NASCAR Winston Cup Series driver whose career spanned from 1965 to 1969. His choice of vehicles ranged from a Ford to a Rambler and even the occasional Dodge vehicle.-Summary:...

, Paul Lewis, and Bub Strickler.

Vehicles manufactured by the Ford Motor Company

Ford Motor Company

Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...

practically had the monopoly on this racing event.