| Race details[1][2][3] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 3 of 54 in the1969 NASCAR Grand National Series season | |||
 Layout of Riverside International Raceway (1969-1988 version) | |||
| Date | February 1, 1969 (1969-02-01) | ||
| Official name | Motor Trend 500 | ||
| Location | Riverside International Raceway,Riverside, California | ||
| Course | Permanent racing facility | ||
| Course length | 2.700 miles (4.345 km) | ||
| Distance | 186 laps, 502 mi (808 km) | ||
| Weather | Temperatures of 55.9 °F (13.3 °C); wind speeds of 9.9 miles per hour (15.9 km/h) | ||
| Average speed | 110.323 miles per hour (177.548 km/h) | ||
| Attendance | 46,300 | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Jack Bowsher & Associates | ||
| Time | 88.07 seconds | ||
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Richard Petty | Petty Enterprises | |
| Laps | 103 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 43 | Richard Petty | Petty Enterprises | |
| Television in the United States | |||
| Network | Untelevised | ||
| Announcers | None | ||
The1969 Motor Trend 500 was aNASCARGrand National Series event that was held on February 1, 1969, atRiverside International Raceway inRiverside, California.
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 Permatex 200 for sportsman cars was run as a companion event. The winner after a 10 year break from motorsports was Hershel McGriff, 2nd was Ron Grable, followed by Clem Proctor, J.R. Skinner and Vic Irvan, Ron Hornaday Sr. was 6th.
One hundred and eighty-six laps were done on a pavedroad course spanning 2.7 miles (4.3 km).[3] AlthoughA. J. Foyt won the pole position with a qualifying speed of 110.323 miles per hour (177.548 km/h),Richard Petty would win the race, beating Foyt by 25 seconds driving a 1969FordTorino. This was the first time Petty won a race in any car other than a Plymouth and the first time he ran a Cup race in any car but a Plymouth since he switched to the Mopar brand from Oldsmobile near the end of 1959.[3]
More than forty-six thousand fans would watch 44 vehicles start and only 13 finish the race.[3] Most of the DNFs were caused byengine issues.[3]Ford vehicles andChevrolet vehicles made up most of the starting grid.[3] Other notable drivers included:LeeRoy Yarbrough,Ray Elder,Neil Castles,Mario Andretti (his final start), andElmo Langley. Al Unser would get his last top-five finish at this event, he wouldn't make another NASCAR Grand National Series start until 1986.[3] Engine reliability was awful during this race, approximately 25% of the racing grid was afflicted with engine failures and mechanical issues.
Notable crew chiefs at the race wereHarry Hyde,Dale Inman,Glen Wood, andJake Elder.[4]
West Coast racerMarty Kinerk made his top NASCAR Series debut at this event.
The entire race was completed under thegreen flag without any laps being taken for either yellow or red flags;[3] with the final race to go the entire distance without a caution was the2002 EA Sports 500.[5] Average speeds for the entire race approached 105.498 miles per hour (169.783 km/h) and the duration of the race was four hours, forty-five minutes, and thirty-seven seconds.[3] The race's top prize would be $19,650 in American dollars ($168,487 when adjusted for inflation).[3] The overall winnings of this race would be $79,660 in American dollars ($683,038 when adjusted for inflation).
While individual owners would make up the majority of the NASCAR teams during this era, multi-car teams likeHolman Moody,Wood Brothers Racing, andK&K Insurance Racing began to emerge during the late 1960s and early 1970s.[6]
| Grid[3] | No. | Driver | Manufacturer | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | A. J. Foyt | '69 Ford | Jack Bowsher |
| 2 | 98 | LeeRoy Yarbrough | '69 Mercury | Junior Johnson |
| 3 | 121 | Dan Gurney | '69 Mercury | Wood Brothers |
| 4 | 43 | Richard Petty | '69 Ford | Petty Enterprises |
| 5 | 17 | David Pearson | '69 Ford | Holman-Moody |
| 6 | 41 | Al Unser | '69 Dodge | Rudy Hoerr |
| 7 | 97 | Mario Andretti | '69 Ford | Holman-Moody |
| 8 | 71 | Bobby Isaac | '69 Dodge | Nord Krauskopf |
| 9 | 12 | Roger McCluskey | '69 Plymouth | Norm Nelson |
| 10 | 11 | Parnelli Jones | '69 Ford | Holman-Moody |
Section reference:[3]
* Driver failed to finish race
Section reference:[3]
| Preceded by | Motor Trend 500 races 1964-71 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | NASCAR Grand National Series Season 1969 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Richard Petty's Career Wins 1960-1984 | Succeeded by |