Paul Lewis, who would eventually be known as the Gentleman Teacher, would make his NASCAR Cup Series debut in this event. Burrhead Nantz would retire from NASCAR Cup Series action after the end of this event.[3]
Background
Through the 1960s and 1970s the NASCAR Grand National Series began focusing on bigger, faster, and longer tracks. Like other short tracks in NASCAR at the time, crowd capacity and purses were small compared to the larger tracks. Over time, Enoch Staley and Jack Combs attempted to keep the facility modern and on pace with the growth of the sport. The West Grandstand was rebuilt with chair-type seats rather than the old bare concrete slabs. New larger restroom facilities were built, and the South Grandstand was expanded. A garage facility was also built within the track, which at the time was rare for short-track venues. But the main focus was on keeping ticket prices affordable. Food and beverage prices were kept low, and event parking and camping were always free. As long as profits covered maintenance costs, Staley was satisfied with the income of the track.
Race report
Glen Wood, Junior Johnson and Lee Petty would dominate the entire 120-minute racing event where more than 9,000 people would see Rex White defeated by the elder Petty by less than a lap.[2] Lee Petty would earn his incredible 49th career win, the most in NASCAR Cup Series history until his son Richard breaks the record.[2]
There were 22 American-born drivers who qualified for this 160-lap extravaganza. Joe Lee Johnson was forced to become the last-place finisher due to troubles with his oil pressure. Even Junior Johnson's start in the pole position was barely enough to give him a "top five" finisher. Johnson's top speed of 83.86 miles per hour (134.96km/h) during solo qualifying runs would allow him to stand up to Wood, Johnson, and both of the Petty family members while participating in this racing event. Lee Petty's son, Richard, would finish a lowly 18th after qualifying in an incredible fourth place due to his youth and general lack of experience behind the wheel.[2]E.J. Trivette would be the lowest-finishing driver to actually finish the event; although he was more than 20 laps behind the lead lap cars by the time the race had ended.[2]
Individual event winnings ranged from the winner's share of $900 ($9,269 when considering inflation) to the last-place finishers' share of $50 ($515 when considering inflation). The total prize purse for the 1960 running of the Gwyn Staley 160 was a then-incredible $3,985 ($41,042 when considering inflation).[4]
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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