April 19, 1970
“Gwyn Staley 400”
Top 5 finishers.....
Scoring his 101st career victory was Richard Petty. A blown engine during qualifying cost Petty any kind of qualifying spot. He started the race from the 16th position. It only took him until lap 52 to take the lead, a lead he never lost. He led the final 349 laps. Over the years, the preferred line at NWS was in the low groove. But on this day the track was so slick and Petty ran the high line all day long—a very high line. By the time others realized what he was doing, it was too late. Petty’s winnings topped $6,000, the highest ever for a winner at NWS.
Winning his third straight pole at NWS was Bobby Isaac. Isaac’s lap of 21.02seconds/107.041mph was a new record. Isaac led the first 51 laps in the race and by the halfway point, he found himself lapped by Petty. A caution late in the race, followed by a pit stop by Petty allowed Isaac to get back on the lead lap—at the tail end. The caution Isaac was looking for never came out and as a result, he soon fell off the lead lap for good and finished 2nd. Isaac loved to race so much that in 1963, just four days after being married, he was back with his race team. “It was my first factory ride, and I wasn’t going to give it up,” Bobby explained years later.
LeeRoy Yarbrough started the race third and finished third, also one lap down. Yarbrough ran in the top 5 almost all day long. It was LeeRoy’s 6th consecutive top five finish at North Wilkesboro. Yarbrough was the type who didn’t have respect for fear at all. Nothing out-nerved him whether it be a particular race or another driver for that matter. he had the reputation as the only man tough enough to take on the gigantic Tiny Lund. The two drivers weren't exactly enemies, just friends who didn't see eye to eye, and wouldn't take time to talk things out. The legendary Bud Moore recalled one incident between the two drivers that occurred in his airplane. “LeeRoy and Tiny started fighting before the race," said Moore, "And they fought some more after the race. Then we took off. We got up in the air and LeeRoy and Tiny started fighting all over again. I thought they were going to tear the sides out of the thing. It's a wonder we didn't crash with them two boys fighting like that.”
Starting 4th and finishing 4th was James Hylton. While many drivers abused their equipment and the 5/8 mile track itself toyed with other drivers, Hylton took care of his car. He finished 4 laps behind Petty. Several weeks before the NWS race, Hylton scored his first career Grand National victory at Richmond. He finished third in points in 1970.
In his early years of racing, the fifth place finisher was referred to as Richard Brooks. He soon became known as Dick Brooks. Brooks started the race from the sixth spot. He was running six laps behind at the finish. It would be his first of two top five finishes at the track. Brooks enjoyed over 15 years of NASCAR racing. When he retired, his voice was heard on MRN’s radio broadcasts for many years.
The time of the race was 2 hours, 38 minutes, 41 seconds. There were 3 cautions. The first for a “can of some sort” on the racing surface. The second was for a spin and crash by Donnie Allison. The final for Wendell Scott’s blown engine which put fluid on the racing surface. There were 21 total laps run under caution. The lead change between Petty and Isaac on lap 52 was the only lead change of the day. Petty’s 15 spots gained were the most of any driver in the race. It was the only time a Grand National race was won from the 16th starting position at NWS.
Some of the new faces in a Grand National event at NWS included the 1967 Rookie of the Year, Donnie Allison, future champion Benny Parsons, my fellow Michigander, Ron Keselowski and Augusta, GA native, Frank Warren. Warren was present for the fall race of ’69, but was listed as an alternate and didn’t race. I think there might be someone out there who can share some Frank Warren info with all of us.
ABC took their TV cameras to the track this day. Wild World of Sports aired an hour and a half of live coverage. It was their first live telecast of any NASCAR race. The last half of the race was covered. As the race came on television, viewers saw Richard Petty leading by better than a lap over the second place driver. When it was over, fans stormed the track as Petty stood in victory lane and did his post race interview. After the interview, Petty slowly worked his way thru the crowd that was standing on the track and entered the grandstands. He walked up the grandstands as the remaining fans in the seats watched and waived. Petty went up a second set of steps and disappeared into one of the press boxes. At no time was Petty overwhelmed by the fans, nor did he ignore them. He did not need an escort and the crowd did not need to be maintained. It was a remarkable sight. Good ol’ boys driving race cars, good ol’ boys in the grandstands, both giving the respect that each deserves to get. Where has that gone in today’s racing? Oh, it’s still out there. A lot of folks would say that one has to look beyond NASCAR to find it, and that it is there at almost any local track—a genuine appreciation for the drivers, the fans, and racing in general. And I get the feeling it would still exist should racing develop once again at North Wilkesboro Speedway. Until then, keep replaying the memories. Someone has to..........NASCAR won’t.