1960 National 400

Background

Around 29,166 spectators traveled to Charlotte Motor Speedway to watch the race. Located in Concord, North Carolina, Charlotte Motor Speedway is a banked 1.5 mi quad-oval that opened a few months earlier for the inaugural World 600.

Race report

Bob Barron and Friday Hassler would make their NASCAR Grand National debut appearances here. Unfortunately, this would be Bob Barron's only start of the 1960 NASCAR Grand National Series season. Charlie Glotzbach would also make his NASCAR big league debut at this race but to a much smaller fanfare.

The race was held on a dry circuit; with no precipitation recorded around the speedway.

It took three hours and thirty-two minutes to complete 267 laps on a paved oval track spanning 1.500 mi. Seven cautions were waved by NASCAR officials for 34 laps. Speedy Thompson defeated Richard Petty by one lap and twelve seconds in front of nearly 30,000 spectators while going 112.905 mph; helping the Wood Brothers' racing team earn their one of their first NASCAR wins as owners. Thompson would get his penultimate win of his NASCAR Cup career in this race; winning for the last time at the 1960 Capital City 400.

Fireball Roberts was the qualifier for the pole position with a speed of 133.465 mph. Eight notable crew chiefs participated in the event; including Cotton Owens, Leonard Wood and Bud Moore. He would eventually blow a tire on lap 232; causing him to crash and lose the lead. There were fifty drivers who would ultimately participate in this event; all of them were American-born males.

Fred Lorenzen would earn the event's last-place finish for a vibration problem that he developed on lap 4; earning only $200 for that day ($ when adjusted for inflation). Lowe's was one of the corporate sponsors of this racing event.

Qualifying

Failed to qualify: Buddy Baker (#20), Leroy Thomas, Wilbur Rakestraw (#99), Bob Duell (#95), Gerald Duke (#92), Speedy Thompson (#90), Charles Griffin (#78), Elmo Henderson (#70), Tiny Lund (#63), Jim Whitman (#60), Jim Cook (#38), Tommy Irwin (#36), Jimmy Massey (#21), LeeRoy Yarbrough

Top 10 finishers

Timeline

Section reference:

|rowStyle-bordertop=solid 0.1em black |rowStyle-color=lightgrey |rowStyle-texttop=0.6em

|row1-style=rowStyle |row1-1-to=1 |row1-2-colour=white |row1-2-text= Fireball Roberts |row1-2-to= 33 |row1-3-to=267

|row2-style=rowStyle |row2-1-to=34 |row2-2-colour=white |row2-2-text=Jack Smith |row2-2-to=35 |row2-3-to=267

|row3-style=rowStyle |row3-1-to=36 |row3-2-colour=white |row3-2-text= Fireball Roberts |row3-2-to= 64 |row3-3-to=267

|row4-style=rowStyle |row4-1-to=65 |row4-2-colour=white |row4-2-text= Speedy Thompson |row4-2-to= 73 |row4-3-to=267

|row5-style=rowStyle |row5-1-to=74 |row5-2-colour=white |row5-2-text= Fireball Roberts |row5-2-to= 141 |row5-3-to=267

|row6-style=rowStyle |row6-1-to=142 |row6-2-colour=white |row6-2-text= Ned Jarrett |row6-2-to= 154 |row6-3-to=267

|row7-style=rowStyle |row7-1-to=155 |row7-2-colour=white |row7-2-text= Larry Frank |row7-2-to= 165 |row7-3-to=267

|row8-style=rowStyle |row8-1-to=166 |row8-2-colour=white |row8-2-text= Fireball Roberts |row8-2-to= 232 |row8-3-to=267

|row9-style=rowStyle |row9-1-to=233 |row9-2-colour=white |row9-2-text= Speedy Thompson |row9-2-to= 267 |row9-3-to=267

References

before = 1960 Wilkes 320 | after = 1960 Capital City 200| title = NASCAR Grand National Series Season| years = 1960 |

References

1. "1960 National 400 weather information". The Old Farmers' Almanac.
2. "1960 National 400 information". Racing Reference.
3. [http://www.thatsracin.com/2009/05/21/9571/the-beginning-1959-1969.html Charlotte Observer timeline on Charlotte Motor Speedway] {{webarchive. link. (November 2, 2013)
4. "Driver Bob Barron Career Statistics". Racing Reference.
5. "Charlotte NASCAR Climatology". SERCC.
6. "1960 National 400 additional track information". Ultimate Racing History.
7. "1960 National 400 information (exact comparison between Petty and Thompson)". Racin' Today.
8. "Driver Speedy Thompson's Win Statistics". Racing Reference.
9. "1960 National 400 crew chief information". Racing Reference.
10. "1960 National 400 information (second reference)". How Stuff Works.
11. "About the last-place finisher of the 1960 National 400". Everything Stock Car.
12. "1960 National 400 qualifying information". Racing Reference.