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.
The layout at Atlanta International Speedway at the time was a four-turn traditional oval track that is 1.54 miles (2.48km) long.[4] The track's turns are banked at twenty-four degrees, while the front stretch, the location of the finish line, and the back stretch are banked at five.[4]
Race report
There were 44 American-born drivers on the grid; Cale Yarborough defeated Dick Hutcherson by more than one lap in front of 70,000 audience members. Yarborough would score his second career win, along with his first win of 1967, and end a 31-race drought.[2][5] The race lasted nearly four hours with the average speed being 131.288 miles per hour (211.288km/h).[2][5] Yarborough's qualifying speed was 148.996 miles per hour (239.786km/h).[2][5] Veteran NASCAR owner Nord Krauskopf would employ drivers Charlie Glotzbach and Bobby Isaac during the race.[2] Blackie Watt would finish in last-place on lap 2 due to engine failure.[2][5] Meanwhile, windshield problems would knock Don White out of the race at lap 193 of 334.[2][5] Six cautions slowed the field for 39 laps.[2][5]
Fred Lorenzen would race for the final time in his legendary #28 white and blue 1967 Ford Fairlane machine that would make him popular in NASCAR. Curtis Turner, who was driving a Chevrolet owned by Smokey Yunick, would escape being injured in a practice crash.[6]
The purse for this race was $64,995 ($593,906 when adjusted for inflation); the winner's share was $21,035 ($192,212 when adjusted for inflation) while last place received $540 ($4,934 when adjusted for inflation).[5]
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