The 1963 Speedorama 200 was a NASCAR Grand National Series event that was held on July 7, 1963, at Rambi Raceway in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
| Race details[1] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 30 of 55 in the 1963 NASCAR Grand National Series season | |||
 Rambi Raceway | |||
| Date | July 7, 1963 | ||
| Official name | Speedorama 200 | ||
| Location | Rambi Raceway, Myrtle Beach, 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 82.0 °F (27.8 °C); wind speeds of 8 miles per hour (13 km/h) | ||
| Average speed | 60.996 miles per hour (98.164 km/h) | ||
| Attendance | 4,000[2] | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Petty Enterprises | ||
| Time | 26.2 seconds[3] | ||
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Ned Jarrett | Charles Robinson | |
| Laps | 140 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 11 | Ned Jarrett | Charles Robinson | |
| Television in the United States | |||
| Network | untelevised | ||
| Announcers | none | ||
Chuck Huckabee's NASCAR Cup debut nets him his lone top-10 finish in ninth place. He wouldn't finish higher than 12th in any of his other 11 Cup starts.
Race report
editTwo hundred laps were done on a dirt track spanning 0.500 miles (0.805 km) for a grand total of 100 miles (160 km) of racing action.[2] The entire race lasted one hour and thirty-eight seconds with four thousand people watching Ned Jarrett defeat Buck Baker by more than seven laps.[2][4] This was the first race competed in by J. D. McDuffie (who drove in a self-sponsored 1961 Ford Galaxie).[2][5]
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.
The average speed of the race was 60.996 miles per hour (98.164 km/h) while Richard Petty would be the fastest driver in qualifying with a speed of 68.700 miles per hour (110.562 km/h).[2] There were no records kept of any cautions committed in this race.[2] Despite McDuffie's later problems, he would finish in 12th place in this race.[2] Bobby Isaac would lead 30 laps before an engine problem would force him to finish in last place. Cale Yarborough would receive his first top-5 finish of his career at this race.[2]
Notable crew chiefs at this race were Herman Beam and Crawford Clements.[6]
The winner would receive $1,000 in winnings ($9,952 in current US dollars) while the last-place finisher would receive a meager $100 for his "hard work" ($995 in current US dollars).[2][4] The total winnings of the race would add up to $4,540 ($45,183 in current US dollars).
Qualifying
edit| Grid[2] | No. | Driver | Manufacturer | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 41 | Richard Petty | '63 Plymouth | Petty Enterprises |
| 2 | 99 | Bobby Isaac | '63 Ford | Bondy Long |
| 3 | 11 | Ned Jarrett | '63 Ford | Charles Robinson |
| 4 | 54 | Jimmy Pardue | '63 Ford | Pete Stewart |
| 5 | 93 | Jim Reitzel | '63 Ford | Lee Reitzel |
| 6 | 19 | Cale Yarborough | '62 Ford | Herman Beam |
| 7 | 2 | Joe Weatherly | '62 Pontiac | Cliff Stewart |
| 8 | 87 | Buck Baker | '63 Pontiac | Buck Baker |
| 9 | 34 | Wendell Scott | '62 Chevrolet | Wendell Scott |
| 10 | 86 | Neil Castles | '62 Chrysler | Buck Baker |
| 11 | 09 | Larry Manning | '62 Chevrolet | Bob Adams |
| 12 | 61 | Mark Hurley | '63 Ford | Mark Hurley |
| 13 | 18 | Stick Elliott | '62 Pontiac | Toy Bolton |
| 14 | X | J.D. McDuffie | '61 Ford | J.D. McDuffie |
| 15 | 96 | Jimmy Massey | '61 Chevrolet | Hubert Westmoreland |
| 16 | 88 | Curtis Crider | '61 Chrysler | Buck Baker |
| 17 | 68 | Ed Livingston | '61 Ford | Ed Livingston |
| 18 | 62 | Chuck Huckabee | '62 Mercury | Curtis Crider |
Timeline
editSection reference:[2]
- Start of race: Bobby Isaac quickly took over the lead from pole position winner Richard Petty.
- Lap 30: Bobby Isaac's vehicle had an engine failure, forcing him out of the race.
- Lap 31: Richard Petty took back the lead from Bobby Isaac.
- Lap 46: Wendell Scott's engine became problematic, causing him to leave the race.
- Lap 60: Richard Petty was involved in a terminal crash, ending his weekend on the track.
- Lap 61: Ned Jarrett took over the lead from Richard Petty.
- Lap 94: Lee Reitzel had his vehicle's engine become problematic, ending his day on the track.
- Lap 119: Jimmy Pardue became the final DNF of the day due to engine problems.
- Finish: Ned Jarrett won the race
Finishing order
editSection reference:[2]
- Ned Jarrett (No. 11)
- Buck Baker (No. 87)
- Joe Weatherly (No. 2)
- Neil Castles (No. 86)
- Cale Yarborough (No. 19)
- Larry Manning (No. 09)
- Jimmy Massey (No. 96)
- Curtis Crider (No. 88)
- Chuck Huckabee (No. 62)
- Stick Elliott (No. 18)
- Jimmy Pardue* (No. 54)
- J. D. McDuffie (No. X)
- Ed Livingston (No. 68)
- Lee Reitzel* (No. 93)
- Richard Petty* (No. 41)
- Wendell Scott* (No. 34)
- Mark Hurley* (No. 61)
- Bobby Isaac* (No. 99)
* DNF
References
edit- ^ "1963 Speedorama 200 weather information". The Old Farmers' Almanac. Retrieved 2011-03-07.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "1963 Speedorama 200 racing results". Racing Reference. Retrieved 2010-12-08.
- ^ "1963 Speedorama 200 pole speed (in seconds)". Ultimate Racing History. Retrieved 2011-03-07.
- ^ a b "1963 Speedorama 200 racing results (third reference)". Everything Stock Car. Archived from the original on 2011-07-17. Retrieved 2010-12-08.
- ^ "Career summary of J.D. McDuffie". NASCAR.COM (Wayback Machine). Archived from the original on October 12, 2012. Retrieved 2014-03-08.
- ^ 1963 Speedorama 200 crew chiefs information at Racing Reference