AUGUSTA  SPEEDWAY   -   AUGUSTA  GA

This track started out as a 1/2 mile dirt oval.  In 1962 three NASCAR Cup races were held.  Joe Weatherly won the first race there. He also won the second race, which saw Richard Petty finish second.  Petty would finish second the next two races also, as Fred Lorenzen and Ned Jarrett claimed those wins.  In 1964 the track was paved and the race distance increased to 300 laps.  Darel Dieringer and Bobby Isaac would battle for the win; with Dieringer claiming it by a half lap.  The next year Dick Hutcherson, David Pearson and Ned Jarrett waged a war to get the win; with Hutcherson holding off Pearson by just over two seconds.  This would be one of nine races Hutcherson won this season.  1966 saw Petty break

throughand get his first win here; and he followed it up with a repeat win in 1967.  In 1968 the track hosted two races. Bobby Isaac won the Spring event while Pearson won in the Fall.  1969 was the final year this facility hosted Cup races and we saw Pearson win in the Spring with Petty once again coming home second.  In October, 1969, a field of 29 cars took the green flag at the track for the last time.  The 4,500 that attended the race only saw two lead changes between Bobby Isaac and Richard Petty.  The entire race went caution free. The race time was only 1:16:12 and the average speed was 78.74 mph.  Isaac claimed the final win by beating out (who else) Richard Petty.  In the twelve races; Petty won twice; finished second five times and third on two occasions.

 

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