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.
Race report
It took three hours, eight minutes, and seven seconds for the event to reach its conclusion.[2]David Pearson defeated Bobby Isaac by more than three laps in front of an audience of thirty-two thousand people. Roy Tyner finished 97 laps down and still recorded his only top-10 finish of the season; making this event one of attrition.[2] After this race, Pearson took second on the all-time wins list, where he still sits today some 95 wins behind Petty.[3]
Pearson drove his Ford Torino Talladega to one of his eleven victories of the 1969 NASCAR Cup Series season.[4] Speeds were: 79.737 miles per hour (128.324km/h) as the average speed and 103.424 miles per hour (166.445km/h) as the pole position speed.[2] Eight cautions were waved for 56 laps in this race for a total of 266.5 miles (428.9km).[2] This race would bring Cecil Gordon's first finish in the top five.[2] Even during the late-1960s, starting way back in 24th place and taking fifth at the checkered flag was really considered to be a long distance between the two positions.[2]
Total winnings for this race were $27,685 ($230,022 when adjusted for inflation).[2]
This race's importance in the history book would be that the famous Apollo 11 Moon landing would take place on the same day, with Neil Armstrong making his famous walk on the Moon. Henley Gray deliberately quit the race to get home in time to watch the Moon landing on television; according to urban legend. As a result, he won $550 ($4,570 when adjusted for inflation) in prize money and finished only 206 out of the 500 laps of the race.[2]
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