1962 Dixie 400


The 1962 Dixie 400 was a NASCAR Grand National Series event that was held on October 28, 1962, at Atlanta International Raceway in Hampton, Georgia.
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.
This race was not originally scheduled to be the 53rd race of the 1962 NASCAR Grand National Series season. It was initially scheduled for October 21st at South Boston, Virginia but it was finally canceled due to lack of entries. Joe Weatherly would clinch the championship title as a result of the cancelled race in South Boston.

Background

is one of ten current intermediate track to hold NASCAR races; the others are Charlotte Motor Speedway, Chicagoland Speedway, Darlington Raceway, Homestead Miami Speedway, Kansas Speedway, Kentucky Speedway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, New Hampshire Motor Speedway, and Texas Motor Speedway. However, at the time, only Charlotte and Darlington were built.
The layout at Atlanta International Speedway at the time was a four-turn traditional oval track that is long. The track's turns are banked at twenty-four degrees, while the front stretch, the location of the finish line, and the back stretch are banked at five.

Race report

All 44 drivers in this race were born in the United States of America. The major sponsors in this race were Holman Moody, Rex White, and Fred Lovette. H.B. Bailey, making his debut in this race, flipped over after hitting the infield berm. Also in this race, Tommy Irwin's car hit the guardrail and rode along the guardrail on its side. Jimmy Thompson and Woodie Wilson would retire from NASCAR after this race. 23 drivers would fail to finish the race. Notable crew chiefs participating in the event included Ray Fox, Bud Moore, Herman Beam, Banjo Matthews and Lee Petty.
Three cautions would slow this 267-lap race. The total distance of this race was approximately. Fireball Roberts would qualify for the pole position at the speed of. George Green would be the last-place finisher due to an engine problem in his Chevrolet on the third lap. Other notable drivers in this race were Marvin Panch, Richard Petty, Fred Lorenzen, Buck Baker, and Elmo Langley.
At the end of three hours and twelve minutes of racing, Rex White defeated Joe Weatherly by 12 seconds in his 1962 Chevrolet; becoming the final win in White's NASCAR Cup Series career. David Pearson made a one-off start for owner Bud Moore. They wouldn't team up again until 1972, though each found plenty of success separately. In order to win the 1962 Dixie 400, White had to receive assistance from Marvin Panch's vehicle in order to conserve fuel. Individual take-home earnings for each driver ranged from the winner's share of $10,315 to the last-place finisher's share of $250. The total prize purse was $42,510.

Qualifying

Failed to qualify: George Alsobrook, Cotton Wallace, Lee Reitzel, Bruce Brantley

Finishing order

Section reference:
  1. Rex White
  2. Joe Weatherly
  3. Marvin Panch
  4. Richard Petty
  5. Fred Lorenzen
  6. Larry Frank
  7. Stick Elliott
  8. Buck Baker
  9. Jack Smith
  10. Fireball Roberts
  11. David Pearson
  12. Bob Welborn
  13. Elmo Langley
  14. Ralph Earnhardt
  15. Buddy Baker
  16. G.C. Spencer
  17. Jim Paschal
  18. Bunkie Blackburn
  19. Tiny Lund
  20. Johnny Allen
  21. Herman Beam
  22. Jimmy Thompson
  23. Darel Dieringer
  24. Bobby Johns
  25. Jimmy Pardue
  26. Sherman Utsman
  27. Emanuel Zervakis
  28. Tommy Irwin
  29. Larry Thomas
  30. H.B. Bailey
  31. H.G. Rosier
  32. Johnny Sudderth
  33. Cale Yarborough
  34. Doug Yates
  35. Nelson Stacy
  36. Junior Johnson
  37. LeeRoy Yarbrough
  38. Red Foote
  39. Paul Lewis
  40. Ned Jarrett
  41. Woodie Wilson
  42. Tom Cox
  43. Curtis Crider
  44. George Green

    Timeline

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