The1961 NASCAR Grand National season was the 13th season ofprofessionalstock car racing in theUnited States, and contested over 52 events from November 6, 1960, to October 29, 1961.Ned Jarrett captured the championship which was run on 20 dirt tracks, 31 paved tracks, and one road course. Seventeen events were consideredshort tracks, and 14 events were held atsuper speedways.^[1]Joe Weatherly won the season opening's event at Charlotte, and Jarrett went on to capture the championship with 27,272 points; 830 more than second-place finisherRex White. Emanuel Zervakis finished third in points, withJoe Weatherly fourth andFireball Roberts fifth.^[2]

Ned Jarrett only won one race in 1961, at Birmingham, Alabama, but his consistency proved to be the winning factor in capturing the season's championship. Second place finisher, and 1960s defending champion, Rex White won 7 times throughout the season, but Jarrett's 33 top-10 finishes over 46 of the 52 events was enough to capture the points needed for the season's championship. Third place finisherEmanuel Zervakis captured 2 wins in 38 attempts, and former champion Joe Weatherly won a total of 9 times in only 25 attempts. NASCAR iconFireball Roberts also had two victories, but only raced in 22 events.^[3]

ABC began showing highlights of NASCAR events on itsWide World of Sports television programs in 1961.Pontiac won 30 andChevrolet 11 times over the course of the 52 event season, givingGeneral Motors a dominating performance.Ford managed to capture 7 victories, whileChrysler managed 4 short track wins.^[4] After Pontiac took 5 of the top 6 finishing positions, including the top 3, at the Daytona 500, they began advertisements touting their dominating performance.^[5] Pontiac rose to 3rd in US automotive sales throughout the year.^[4]

Joe Weatherly took the season opening win at theSouthern States Fairgrounds track in Charlotte in November 1960, withLee Petty capturing the next event atJacksonville Speedway Park in Florida. When the series moved to Daytona in February, Weatherly and Fireball Roberts each won their respective qualifying events prior toMarvin Panch grabbing the checkered flag for the Daytona 500. On March 5, defending 1960 NASCAR championRex White^[6] captured his first victory of the season at theAsheville-Weaverville Speedway. Roberts,Cotton Owens, andBob Burdick also won events throughout the month of March.^[1] On April 9Fred Lorenzen, who had previously won aUSAC championship, captured his first NASCAR win atMartinsville Speedway during theVirginia 500. The race was called due to rain after 149 of its scheduled 500 laps, but a follow-up race at Martinsville was then scheduled and was held 3 weeks later, won byJunior Johnson. Lorenzen followed that up with a second win a week after the make-up race, on May 6, at Darlington in the Rebel 300.

On May 28 during the second running of theWorld 600 at Charlotte, future NASCAR legendDavid Pearson also captured his first NASCAR victory. Pearson blew a tire with more than a lap to go, but continued on to win the race even though he finished on just 3 wheels.^[4] Throughout April and MayRichard Petty,Junior Johnson,Lloyd Dane, andEddie Gray all add their names to the list of winners in the 1961 season.^[1]

The thirdDaytona 500 in the history of NASCAR occurred on February 26, 1961.Marvin Panch won the race in more than three hours after teammateFireball Roberts suffers a blown engine while leading. BothLee Petty and son Richard crashed during their respective 100 mile qualifying events, forcingPetty Enterprises into a noncompetitive role for the 1961 Daytona 500. Son Richard crashed through the guardrail and suffered a sprained ankle, and while the car remained upright, the crash kept him from competing. Lee tangled withJohnny Beauchamp when Beauchamp caught Petty's back bumper sending both cars through the guardrail with Petty's car being destroyed. Petty suffered multiple life-threatening injuries, but recovered. While Beauchamp also suffered injuries to his head, they were less serious.^[7] Fireball Roberts and Joe Weatherly each won one of the 100-mile qualifying events.^[4]

1. 20 –Marvin Panch
2. 8 –Joe Weatherly
3. 31 –Paul Goldsmith
4. 80 –Fred Lorenzen
5. 6 –Cotton Owens
6. 47 –Jack Smith
7. 11 –Ned Jarrett
8. 69 –Johnny Allen
9. 87 –Buck Baker
10. 59 –Tom Pistone

This event took place on May 6, 1961.Fred Lorenzen was the winner of this 2½ hour long race.

1. 28 – Fred Lorenzen
2. 21 – Curtis Turner
3. 69 – Johnny Allen
4. 53 – Bob Burdick
5. 22 – Fireball Roberts
6. 3 – Marvin Panch
7. 6 – Ralph Earnhardt
8. 94 -Banjo Matthews
9. 72 – Bobby Johns
10. 11 – Ned Jarrett

This event would makeDavid Pearson the winner on May 28, 1961, atCharlotte Motor Speedway. This was Pearson's first of 105 career victories.Reds Kagle would lose a leg in this race.

1. 3 – David Pearson
2. 22 – Fireball Roberts
3. 4 –Rex White
4. 11 –Ned Jarrett
5. 14 –Jim Paschal
6. 30 – Tiny Lund
7. 46 –Jack Smith
8. 47 –Bob Welborn
9. 27 – Junior Johnson
10. 8 – Joe Weatherly
11. 34 – Wendell Scott

The1961 Dixie 400 was aNASCARGrand National Series racing event that was held on September 17, 1961, atAtlanta International Raceway in the American community ofHampton, Georgia.

Seven automobile manufacturers from the United States would demonstrate their fastest stock car vehicles in an attempt to impress new vehicle sales on Monday. Homologation rules during this era only allowed drivers to bring vehicles that are street-legal and driver to the track directly by the competing driver(s). A filming of a full-length featureHollywood film entitledThundering Wheels was a part of the festivities planned for this racing event in addition to a 210-minute performance by some of the legendary performers from theGrand Ole Opry.

1. 3 – David Pearson
2. 27 – Junior Johnson
3. 22 –Fireball Roberts
4. 47 –Jack Smith
5. 43 –Richard Petty
6. 14 –Johnny Allen
7. 11 –Ned Jarrett
8. 46 –Bob Welborn
9. 51 –Woodie Wilson
10. 6 –Marvin Panch

The1961 National 400 was aNASCARGrand National Series racing event that took place on October 15, 1961, atCharlotte Motor Speedway in the American community ofConcord,North Carolina.

David Pearson,Fireball Roberts andJunior Johnson would dominate the early portion of the race. This race would last for roughly three hours and twenty minutes; an audience of more than 35,000 NASCAR followers would see race cars reaching up to 120 miles per hour (190 km/h).Ken Rush was credited with the last-place finish due to problems with hisrocker arm on lap 16 out of this 267-lap stock car racing event. Junior Johnson's "top ten" finish came as a result of a problem with one of his wheels on lap 256; he was destined for a "top five" finish until he encountered that problem

Most of the vehicles in the race were eitherPontiacs orFord. Junior Johnson,Bob Welborn and Fireball Roberts would be the joint leaders during the middle portion of the race.

1. 8 – Joe Weatherly
2. 43 – Richard Petty
3. 18 –Bob Welborn
4. 6 –Cotton Owens
5. 4 –Rex White
6. 42 –Darel Dieringer
7. 85 –Emanuel Zervakis
8. 14 –Joe Lee Johnson
9. 27 –Junior Johnson
10. 30 –J. C. Hendrix

Bibliography

• Fleischman, Bill; Pearce, Al (2004). "At A Glance: Year-by-Year Summaries; 1961".The Unauthorized NASCAR Fan Guide: 2004. Vol. 2004 (10 ed.). Canton, Michigan: Checkered Flag Press; Visible Ink Press. pp. 148–149.ISBN 0-681-27587-1.

• Fielden, Greg; Auto Editors of Consumer Guide (2005). "1960s".NASCAR: A Fast History. Vol. 2004 (1 ed.). Lincolnwood, Illinois: Publications International, Ltd. pp. 100–109.ISBN 1-4127-1155-X.

• 1961 NASCAR Grand National Series
• 1961 in NASCAR
• NASCAR Cup Series seasons

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