1968 Fireball 300
Encyclopedia
The 1968 Fireball 300 was a NASCAR
Grand National (now Sprint Cup Series) racing event that had twenty-seven American
competitors and one Canadian
competitor (Frog Fagan
). The entire race spanned a distance of 150 miles (241.4 km); the "300" portion of the race's name simply referred to the number of laps that were expected to be completed.
, Richard Petty
, James Hylton
, Elmo Langley
, Clyde Lynn
, Jabe Thomas
, Frog Fagan, Henley Gray
, and Stan Meserve
were amongst the drivers who finished in the top ten. There were six cautions for forty-five laps and the margin of victory was more than two laps. The average speed of the race was 75.167 mi/h per hour while the pole speed was 89.708 mi/h per hour. A crowd of 7,800 people attended this racing event that took place on May 5, 1968 at the Asheville-Weaverville Speedway
in the American
community of Weaverville
, North Carolina
. The temperatures of the race eventually reached up to 63 °F (17.2 °C) during the race - these temperatures were recorded at Asheville Airport
. Out of twenty-eight competitors, only ten managed to finish all 300 laps of the event.
Total winnings for this racing event was $6,900 ($ in today's money). David Pearson officially led 299 out of the 300 laps; making him the dominant driver in the event.
* Driver failed to finish race
† signifies that the driver is known to be deceased
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...
Grand National (now Sprint Cup Series) racing event that had twenty-seven American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
competitors and one Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
competitor (Frog Fagan
Frog Fagan
Harold "Frog" Fagan was a NASCAR Winston Cup driver from the Toronto subdivision of Willowdale, Ontario, Canada.-History:...
). The entire race spanned a distance of 150 miles (241.4 km); the "300" portion of the race's name simply referred to the number of laps that were expected to be completed.
Summary
This event lasted one hour and fifty-nine minutes over a paved oval track spanning 0.5 mile (0.80467 km). David Pearson (winner), Bobby IsaacBobby Isaac
Bobby Isaac is a former NASCAR Grand National champion.-Early life:Isaac grew up on a farm near Catawba, North Carolina, the second youngest of nine children...
, Richard Petty
Richard Petty
Richard Lee Petty is a former NASCAR driver who raced in the Strictly Stock/Grand National Era and the NASCAR Winston Cup Series...
, James Hylton
James Hylton
James Harvey Hylton is a part-time race car driver. He is a two-time winner in NASCAR and competes in the ARCA RE/MAX Series,finishing 16th in points in 2006. He made headlines while attempting to qualify for the 2007 Daytona 500 at age 72...
, Elmo Langley
Elmo Langley
Elmo Langley was a NASCAR driver and owner. Langley primarily used the number "64" on his race cars during his NASCAR career.-Racing career:...
, Clyde Lynn
Clyde Lynn
Clyde Lynn was a NASCAR Winston Cup driver from Christiansburg, Virginia and a runner-up for the NASCAR Rookie of the Year award in the year 1965...
, Jabe Thomas
Jabe Thomas
Cerry Ezra "Jabe" Thomas is a retired NASCAR Grand National and Winston Cup Series driver who competed from the mid 1960s through the late 1970s. His son Ronnie was also a NASCAR Cup Series driver; competing from 1977 to 1989.-Career:Thomas drove 75243 laps of racing and earned $295,497 in total...
, Frog Fagan, Henley Gray
Henley Gray
Henley Gray is a retired NASCAR Winston Cup Series driver whose career spanned from 1964 to 1977.-Summary:...
, and Stan Meserve
Stan Meserve
Stan Meserve is a retired NASCAR Grand National driver who competed in one year of NASCAR racing.-History:...
were amongst the drivers who finished in the top ten. There were six cautions for forty-five laps and the margin of victory was more than two laps. The average speed of the race was 75.167 mi/h per hour while the pole speed was 89.708 mi/h per hour. A crowd of 7,800 people attended this racing event that took place on May 5, 1968 at the Asheville-Weaverville Speedway
Asheville-Weaverville Speedway
The Asheville-Weaverville Speedway near Weaverville, North Carolina, USA was considered to be site for the old-school NASCAR races in both the Grand National and the Winston Cup eras . None of the active drivers that are in the Sprint Cup Series today have ever raced at Asheville-Weaverville Speedway...
in the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
community of Weaverville
Weaverville, North Carolina
Weaverville is a town in Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 2,646 in 2007. It is part of the Asheville Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Weaverville is located at ....
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
. The temperatures of the race eventually reached up to 63 °F (17.2 °C) during the race - these temperatures were recorded at Asheville Airport
Asheville Regional Airport
Asheville Regional Airport is a Class C airport near Interstate 40 and Interstate 26 near the town of Fletcher, south of the city of Asheville, in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is owned by the city of Asheville...
. Out of twenty-eight competitors, only ten managed to finish all 300 laps of the event.
Total winnings for this racing event was $6,900 ($ in today's money). David Pearson officially led 299 out of the 300 laps; making him the dominant driver in the event.
Results
- David Pearson (sponsored by East Tennessee Motor Co.)
- Bobby Isaac†
- Richard Petty
- James Hylton
- Elmo Langley†
- Clyde Lynn†
- Jabe Thomas
- Frog Fagan†
- Henley Gray
- Stan Meserve (vehicle owned by Margo HammMargo HammMargo Hamm is a retired NASCAR Grand National Series race car owner who was a pioneer in NASCAR history because she was one of the first females to become a NASCAR race car owner...
; a pioneer NASCAR female car owner) - Roy TynerRoy TynerWilliam Leroy "Roy" Tyner was a retired Native American NASCAR Grand National driver from Red Springs, North Carolina, USA.-Driver:...
*† - Pete HamiltonPete HamiltonPete Hamilton is a retired American NASCAR racer. He won four times in his career , three times driving for Petty Enterprises. His father was a Ph.D. from Harvard University....
* - John Sears*†
- Neil CastlesNeil CastlesNeil "Soapy" Castles is a retired NASCAR Grand National and Winston Cup Series driver that participate from 1957 to 1976.-History:...
* - Bill SeifertBill SeifertBill Seifert is a retired NASCAR Sprint Cup Series who raced from 1966 to 1979.-Summary:Seifert raced 41,875 laps for . His grand total for race winnings is $147,831 USD . Seifert's average career start is 21st and his average career finish is 19th...
* - Earl Brooks*
- Max Ledbetter*
- Buddy BakerBuddy BakerElzie Wylie Baker, Jr. , nicknamed "Leadfoot" or more famously Buddy, is a former American NASCAR racecar driver.-Early life:...
* - J.D. McDuffieJ.D. McDuffieJohn Delphus McDuffie was a NASCAR Winston Cup driver. He raced in the top division of NASCAR from 1963 to 1991. McDuffie had 106 top-tens in his Cup Series career...
*† - Tom PistoneTom Pistone"Tiger" Tom Pistone is a former NASCAR Grand National driver from Chicago. He made his Grand National debut in 1955. He won two races and finished 6th in championship points in the 1959 season for Carl Rupert, his best season statistically...
* - Walson GardenerWalson GardenerWalson Gardener is a retired NASCAR Grand National driver and a competitor at the 1968 Fireball 300. Gardener has had two finishes in the top-ten, 4953 laps of racing experience - the equivalent of , a total career earnings of $6740, an average start of 25th, an average finish of 20th, and four...
* - Don TarrDon TarrDonald "Don" James Tarr was a Welsh international hooker who played club rugby for Swansea and Cardiff, county rugby for Hampshire and invitational rugby for the Barbarians...
* - Wendell ScottWendell ScottWendell Oliver Scott was an American stock car racing driver from Danville, Virginia. He is the only black driver to win a race in what is now the Sprint Cup Series. According to a 2008 biography of Scott, he broke the color barrier in Southern stock car racing on May 23, 1952, at the Danville...
*† - Buck BakerBuck BakerElzie Wylie Baker Sr. , better known as Buck Baker, was an American race car driver.-Racing career:...
*† - Jack Ingram*
- Paul Dean HoltPaul Dean HoltPaul Dean Holt is a retired NASCAR Winston Cup driver and a competitor at the 1968 Fireball 300....
* - G.C. SpencerG.C. SpencerG. C. Spencer July 9, 1925 in Owensboro, Kentucky – September 20, 2007 in Johnson City, Tennessee was a NASCAR driver who competed in 415 Grand National/Winston Cup races from 1958 to 1977...
*† - Gene BlackGene BlackGene Black is a retired NASCAR Grand National driver who has accumulated six finishes in the top ten in his career in addition to $10650 in total career earnings. On average, Black began his races in 25th while ending them in 19th...
*
* Driver failed to finish race
† signifies that the driver is known to be deceased