Curtis Turner
Rockingham, N.C. (October 31, 1965) – They said he was through. Over the hill, they said. Too old and his reflexes too slow to make a successful return to modern stock car racing. The speeds had gotten too fast for old timers like him, and he may hurt himself.
That’s what they said, but Curtis Turner, the man they were talking about, proved that he still had the ingredients to be a successful driver, and much of the ability left which once made him NASCAR’s biggest drawing card.
Turner, who was suspended from NASCAR in 1961 for trying to organize drivers into the Teamster’s Union, and finally reinstated a few months ago, drove a factory-backed 1965 Ford across the finish line 11 seconds ahead of Cale Yarborough Sunday to win the inaugural American 500 stock car race.
Overcoming such handicaps such as broke ribs and weakening brakes, the 42-year-old Turner took the lead on the 474th lap and withstood one challenger after another to win his first race since returning to NASCAR.
First-place money was $13,090 and the winner averaged 101.942 miles per hour over the brand-new one-mile asphalt.
Yarborough, and the third and fourth place finishers, Marvin Panch and G.C. Spencer, also drove Fords. Richard Petty finished fifth in Jim Paschal’s hemi-powered Plymouth, which he took over on lap 126 after wrecking his car on a lap 58 three-car pile-up.
Some 40,000 fans filled North Carolina Speedway to watch the 500-mile race in which the lead changed hands 15 times. The event was slowed by eight cautions flags which waved for a total of 53 laps.
Junior Johnson of Ronda, N.C., who started on the outside of the front row, took the lead on the first lap, and held it until lap 46 when he pitted. He regained the lead on lap 49 and led it through lap 89. The Ford driver was battling Bobby Isaac of Catawba, N.C., for the lead and the two were running side-by-side down the backstretch with Johnson on the outside and Isaac on the inside.
Going into the third turn, Turner, who was running third at the time, decided he would get into the thick of things. He pulled inside of Isaac, touched him a little, and Isaac was forced into Johnson who slid into the guardrail.
Johnson pitted, changed tires, and returned to the track but was out of serious contention and then his engine blew on lap 154 and he was finished for the day.
After Johnson hit the wall, Isaac took over the lead and kept it until lap 99. Turner grabbed the top spot on lap 100 and held it for 45 laps. Then Panch led, then Turner again before Petty, now driving Paschal’s car, took over on lap 276 and led through lap 359 when he developed mechanical issues.
After Petty dropped out of contention, it was narrowed down to a race between Yarborough and Turner. Turner led from laps 360 to 364, and Yarborough led for the first time on lap 365. Turner took over again on lap 379, and Yarborough went back into the lead on lap 439 and led until Turner took over for good on lap 474.
The last time Yarborough took the lead was when Turner made his final pit stop, and it was apparent that Yarborough would have to stop once more for fuel. He stopped for 12 seconds on lap 474, but it was long enough to give Turner a half-lap lead or a 17-second margin.
Yarborough was never able to cut Turner’s advantage to less than six seconds.
Results –
1. Curtis Turner, Charlotte, N.C.
2. Cale Yarborough, Timmonsville, S.C.
3. Marvin Panch, Daytona Beach, Fla.
4. G.C. Spencer, Inman, S.C.
5. Jim Paschal (Richard Petty relief driver)
6. J.T. Putney, Arden, N.C.
7. Dick Hutcherson, Keokuk, Iowa
8. Elmo Langley, Landover, Md.
9. Buck Baker, Charlotte, N.C.
10.Paul Lewis, Johnson City, Tenn.
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