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would be the lowest-finishing driver to complete the entire event while Banjo
Matthew's faulty engine prevented him from finishing in the top ten. Lap deficits were noticed between the top cars once Banjo dropped out; forcing the flagman to throw the white flag multiple times. Thirty thousand people
435:
Individual earnings for each driver ranged from the winner's share of $ 9,330 ($ 95,129 when adjusted for inflation) to the last-place finisher's share of $ 200 ($ 2,039 when adjusted for inflation). The total prize purse for this event was $ 39,960 ($ 407,432 when adjusted for inflation). Six
413:
would see David
Pearson defeat Junior Johnson by five seconds. Fred Lorenzen's engine blew, spewing oil on the track. Lorenzen's car spun into a concrete retaining wall and Fireball Roberts narrowly missed him. Dave Mader spun into a guardrail, knocking him unconscious.
427:
the winner. The reason behind this bad call was that one of David
Pearson's laps were never officially counted; they decided to re-mark it as official. Most of the spectators had left by the time that Pearson was given the actual win.
431:
The transition to purpose-built racecars began in the early 1960s and occurred gradually over that decade. Changes made to the sport by the late 1960s brought an end to the "strictly stock" vehicles of the 1950s.
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Start of race: Fireball
Roberts officially started the race with the pole position; Tommy Irwin had to leave the race due to a problem with one of his pistons.
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The layout at
Atlanta International Speedway at the time was a four-turn traditional oval track that is 1.54 miles (2.48 km) long. The track's turns are
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was a part of the festivities planned for this race in addition to a 210-minute performance by some of the legendary performers from the
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Lap 209: Buck Baker could not cope with a problematic engine, forcing him to finish in a miserable 25th place.
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in his vehicle that prevented him from starting the race; he was credited as the last-place finisher.
365:
Fireball
Roberts would qualify at a speed of 136.924 miles per hour (220.358 km/h) to clinch the
111:
Temperatures reaching 69.1 °F (20.6 °C); wind speeds of 15.9 miles per hour (25.6 km/h)
357:, while the front stretch, the location of the finish line, and the back stretch are banked at five.
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389:. These drivers had the monopoly on the first-place position throughout the race; tying with the
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would dominate the earliest parts of this event, the closing moments were a contest between
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This would be the last start for Jesse James Taylor, the same one that finished 2nd in the
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Lap 238: Darel
Dieringer had a terminal crash; forcing him to exit the event prematurely.
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Lap 203: A troublesome piston forced Bill Morgan to leave the race due to safety reasons.
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Lap 10: Engine problems managed to bring Jesse James Taylor's race to a screeching halt.
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369:. The average speed of the race was 125.384 miles per hour (201.786 km/h). While
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would retire from NASCAR Cup Series competition after the conclusion of this event.
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400:-born drivers on the grid out of the 46 who originally qualified for this event.
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Lap 262: Banjo
Matthews managed to blow his engine while racing at high speeds.
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Lap 65: Oil pressure issues effectively eliminate Doug Yates out of the event.
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Lap 63: A problematic piston managed to take George
Alsobrook out of the race.
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Lap 243: Nelson Stacy managed to blow his engine while racing at high speeds.
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Lap 47: Engine problems managed to relegate Tubby
Gonzales to the sidelines.
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Lap 62: Ralph Earnhardt's vehicle developed problems with its transmission.
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The 267-lap race lasted three hours and eleven minutes. There were 42
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Lap 46: Oil pressure issues ended Herb Tillman's day on the track.
346:. However, at the time, only Charlotte and Darlington were built.
1116:
Lap 264: Fireball Roberts took over the lead from Banjo Matthews.
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1122:
Finish: David Pearson officially became the winner of the event.
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Lap 266: David Pearson took over the lead from Fireball Roberts.
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Lap 28: Fred Lorenzen took over the lead from Fireball Roberts.
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Lap 244: Banjo Matthews took over the lead from Nelson Stacy.
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Lap 57: Banjo Matthews took over the lead from Joe Weatherly.
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Lap 200: Bobby Johns took over the lead from Banjo Matthews.
436:
notable crew chiefs would take part in this race, including
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Lap 53: Joe Weatherly took over the lead from Nelson Stacy.
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Lap 36: Nelson Stacy took over the lead from Fred Lorenzen.
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Lap 3: A bearing came loose off of Curtis Crider's vehicle.
1101:
Lap 211: Nelson Stacy took over the lead from Bobby Johns.
420:, and then was critically injured at Lakewood that year.
47:
Layout of Atlanta International Speedway, used until 1996
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NASCAR originally made a bad judgment call and declared
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was chosen to be the queen of the 1961 running of the
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AMS' last September race cause for late celebration
302:(now Atlanta Motor Speedway) is one of ten current
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16:Auto race held at Atlanta Motor Speedway in 1961
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260:event that was held on September 17, 1961, at
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1308:Qualifying information for the 1961 Dixie 400
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1074:Lap 52: Fred Lorenzen had a terminal crash.
1414:
1400:
1295:crew chief information at Racing Reference
1251:"NASCAR Tracks—The Atlanta Motor Speedway"
1214:
119:125.384 miles per hour (201.786 km/h)
41:
1298:
1204:
1202:
1196:at Star-News (Google News Archive Search)
1253:. Atlanta Motor Speedway. Archived from
1071:Lap 51: Dave Mader had a terminal crash.
1508:NASCAR races at Atlanta Motor Speedway
1498:1961 in sports in Georgia (U.S. state)
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1193:Dixie 400 Entries Pour into Atlanta
283:. Local beauty pageant personality
271:A filming of a full-length feature
13:
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14:
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1503:1961 NASCAR Grand National Series
1423:1961 NASCAR Grand National Series
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34:1961 NASCAR Grand National Series
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222:Television in the United States
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1035:* Driver failed to finish race
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393:with the fewest lead changes.
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1:
1320:NASCAR retirements after the
1281:at Fantasy Racing Cheat Sheet
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451:
300:Atlanta International Raceway
294:
262:Atlanta International Raceway
80:Atlanta International Raceway
1348:NASCAR Grand National races
1342:California State Fairgrounds
1140:Weather information for the
340:New Hampshire Motor Speedway
56:September 17, 1961
7:
1276:Racing information for the
1145:at The Old Farmers' Almanac
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103:267 laps, 401 mi (705 km)
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93:Permanent racing facility
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1224:. NASCAR. Archived from
404:would suffer from a bad
336:Las Vegas Motor Speedway
324:Homestead Miami Speedway
312:Charlotte Motor Speedway
789:Junior Johnson (No. 27)
310:races; the others are
1357:1961 Old Dominion 500
786:David Pearson (No. 3)
258:Grand National Series
32:Race 46 of 52 in the
1222:"NASCAR Race Tracks"
344:Texas Motor Speedway
316:Chicagoland Speedway
157:Smokey Yunick Racing
1310:at Racing Reference
1228:on October 12, 2010
1179:at Racing Reference
752:Failed to qualify:
95:1.500 mi (2.400 km)
23:
1177:racing information
1045:Section reference:
1015:Jesse James Taylor
780:Section reference:
769:Jesse James Taylor
320:Darlington Raceway
304:intermediate track
19:
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1381:Succeeded by
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1354:Succeeded by
1340:untitled race at
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418:1951 Southern 500
332:Kentucky Speedway
277:Thundering Wheels
244:
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60:1961-September-17
1515:
1437:Buddy Shuman 250
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1393:
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1375:Dixie 400 races
1368:Preceded by
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1335:Preceded by
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1325:at Race Database
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979:George Alsobrook
949:Bunkie Blackburn
859:Emanuel Zervakis
793:Fireball Roberts
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490:Fireball Roberts
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425:Bunkie Blackburn
391:1960 Atlanta 500
371:Fireball Roberts
266:Hampton, Georgia
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84:Hampton, Georgia
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1452:Greensville 200
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985:Ralph Earnhardt
895:Darel Dieringer
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775:Finishing order
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650:Banjo Matthews
625:Darel Dieringer
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353:at twenty-four
328:Kansas Speedway
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181:Matthews Racing
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21:1961 Dixie 400
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281:Grand Ole Opry
275:film entitled
251:1961 Dixie 400
246:Motor car race
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1257:on 2011-07-21
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1021:Curtis Crider
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638:James Turner
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571:Fred Lorenzen
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504:Smokey Yunick
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470:Manufacturer
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387:David Pearson
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367:pole position
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208:David Pearson
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164:Most laps led
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133:Pole position
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116:Average speed
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68:Official name
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1467:Southern 500
1457:National 400
1446:
1430:Points races
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1315:
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1261:September 2,
1259:. Retrieved
1255:the original
1232:September 2,
1230:. Retrieved
1226:the original
1216:
1192:
1174:
1141:
1135:
1043:
1034:
1033:
1009:Herb Tillman
961:G.C. Spencer
943:Elmo Langley
937:J.C. Hendrix
889:Nelson Stacy
835:Marvin Panch
811:Johnny Allen
778:
763:
751:
691:Shorty Johns
585:Holman-Moody
517:Nelson Stacy
446:Shorty Johns
434:
430:
422:
415:
395:
375:Nelson Stacy
364:
348:
298:
285:Linda Vaughn
276:
270:
250:
248:
27:Race details
1442:Daytona 500
1027:Tommy Irwin
931:Bill Morgan
919:Lee Reitzel
907:Herman Beam
901:L.D. Austin
853:Jim Paschal
847:Bobby Johns
823:Bob Welborn
817:Ned Jarrett
760:Retirements
754:Tony Lavati
718:Rex Lovette
677:Bobby Johns
612:John Masoni
410:Lee Reitzel
402:Tommy Irwin
361:Race report
232:untelevised
215:John Masoni
1492:Categories
1472:Wilkes 200
1127:References
1023:* (No. 62)
1017:* (No. 15)
1011:* (No. 86)
1005:* (No. 80)
999:* (No. 90)
997:Dave Mader
993:* (No. 28)
981:* (No. 99)
975:* (No. 23)
973:Doug Yates
969:* (No. 71)
967:Bob Barron
963:* (No. 48)
957:* (No. 10)
945:* (No. 96)
939:* (No. 78)
933:* (No. 32)
927:* (No. 87)
925:Buck Baker
897:* (No. 24)
891:* (No. 29)
843:* (No. 94)
799:Jack Smith
765:Dave Mader
452:Qualifying
442:Bud Allman
295:Background
237:Announcers
124:Attendance
1477:World 600
1462:Rebel 300
1447:Dixie 400
1029:* (No. 2)
987:* (No. 5)
955:T.C. Hunt
951:* (No. 9)
883:Rex White
865:Tiny Lund
745:Rex White
737:Chevrolet
731:Rex White
558:Bud Moore
289:Dixie 400
273:Hollywood
71:Dixie 400
1040:Timeline
921:(No. 93)
915:(No. 68)
909:(No. 19)
903:(No. 74)
879:(No. 59)
877:Ken Rush
867:(No. 30)
861:(No. 85)
855:(No. 44)
849:(No. 72)
831:(No. 51)
825:(No. 46)
819:(No. 11)
813:(No. 14)
807:(No. 43)
801:(No. 47)
795:(No. 22)
398:American
306:to hold
100:Distance
76:Location
885:(No. 4)
873:(No. 8)
837:(No. 6)
741:133.581
714:133.887
710:Pontiac
687:134.220
660:134.220
635:135.287
631:Pontiac
608:136.778
604:Pontiac
581:134.487
554:135.000
550:Pontiac
527:135.042
500:136.294
496:Pontiac
467:Driver
438:Ray Fox
355:degrees
228:Network
108:Weather
58: (
756:(#66)
478:Owner
406:piston
351:banked
342:, and
308:NASCAR
255:NASCAR
253:was a
196:Winner
169:Driver
139:Driver
127:30,000
90:Course
36:season
1378:1961
1351:1961
474:Speed
459:Grid
202:No. 3
1384:1962
1370:none
1338:1961
1263:2011
1234:2011
767:and
735:'61
708:'61
683:Ford
681:'61
656:Ford
654:'61
629:'60
602:'61
577:Ford
575:'61
548:'61
523:Ford
521:'61
494:'61
444:and
385:and
377:and
249:The
240:none
188:Laps
53:Date
724:10
463:No.
264:in
191:167
1494::
1300:^
1242:^
1201:^
1184:^
1150:^
700:27
697:9
673:72
670:8
646:94
643:7
621:24
618:6
591:5
567:28
564:4
537:3
513:29
510:2
486:22
483:1
448:.
440:,
373:,
338:,
334:,
330:,
326:,
322:,
318:,
314:,
291:.
268:.
82:,
1415:e
1408:t
1401:v
1265:.
1236:.
727:4
594:3
540:8
62:)
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