April 16, 1967
“Gwyn Staley 400”
Top 5 finishers.....
It happened 7 ½ years earlier, and it happened several times before that, but not in a race of this length at the speedway. Darel Dieringer led all 400 laps in the race. Dieringer’s car was owned by Junior Johnson—that figures. Since then, no driver has led every lap in a Grand Natinoal race at North Wilkesboro. Dieringer’s car was the fastest car in qualifying (21.50seconds/104.693mph). Dieringer earned $5,150 for his efforts. It was the first time a winner at NWS won $5,000.
Two weeks prior, in his last race, Cale Yarborough won at Atlanta. He finished 2nd here at NWS. Yarborough started 4th in the #21 Wood Brothers Ford. He finished one lap behind Dieringer.
Finishing 3rd four laps off the pace was Dick Hutcherson. “Hutch” was the 1966 fall race winner at NWS. After retiring from Holman-Moody as general manager in 1971, Hutcherson formed a business with Eddie Pagan (5th place NWS finisher in 1958) known as Hutcherson-Pagan. Together they built race car chassis for many well known drivers. “Hutch” started this race from the 8th spot.
It was Jim Paschal’s 20th Grand National race at NWS. The 40 year old driver from High Point, NC finished 4th. He started third and completed 396 of the 400 laps.
Starting from the sixth spot, running 392 laps and finishing 5th was William Paul Lewis. It was his second consecutive top five finish at NWS. It would also be his last Grand National race at the speedway. In his career, Lewis made 10 starts at NWS and finished in the top 10 three times.
The race was run in 2 hours, 40 minutes, 16 seconds. There were 6 cautions for a total of 33 laps. 34 cars started the race and 17 were running at the finish. Tiny Lund gained the most positions—19. He started 34th and finished 15th.
Darel Dieringer ran part time for the next 2 seasons and made a handful of races after, but this was his last Grand National race at NWS. His win in the race was his last career Grand National win. At the time, he was the fourth driver to record his last career Grand National win while at NWS. The previous three were Leon Sales (1950), Hershel McGriff (1954) and Junior Johnson (1965). Two more drivers would add their names to this list in the future.
Scenes from the 1967 Gwyn Staley race.....
Drivers enjoy bbq chicken while being shaded under the grandstands
1967 Gwyn Staley 400 pace lap
The crowd is on its feet!
Dieringer wins!!