Official name Savannah 200 | ||
Date May 1, 1964; 52 years ago (1964-05-01) Location Savannah Speedway, Savannah, Georgia Course Permanent racing facility
0.500 mi (0.804 km) Distance 200 laps, 100 mi (160 km) Weather Mild with temperatures approaching 72.3 °F (22.4 °C); wind speeds up to 8 miles per hour (13 km/h) | ||
The 1964 Savannah 200 was a NASCAR Grand National Series (now Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series) event that was held on May 1, 1964, at Savannah Speedway in Savannah, Georgia.
Contents
Andy Buffington's top-10 finish would eventually become his swan song. Over half the field eventually got into the NASCAR Hall of Fame; making this a glorified All-Star Race. Short fields were common in those days because the money was tight for race car drivers, owners and manufacturers alike.
Summary
There were 12 American-born drivers on the grid; Ned Jarrett was credited with the last-place finish due to an engine problem on lap 127 of 200. Jimmy Pardue traded the lead with LeeRoy Yarbrough before he defeated Marvin Panch by one lap. Lug bolts forced Cale Yarborough to end the race on lap 185; though he finished in fifth place. It took nearly 90 minutes for the drivers to complete all 200 laps at speeds averaging up to 70.326 miles per hour (113.179 km/h). Pardue qualified for the pole position by achieving a top speed of 73.111 miles per hour (117.661 km/h) during the solo qualifying sessions. Monetary prizes after this race ranged from $1,000 ($7,722.10 when adjusted for inflation) to $150 ($1,158.32 when adjusted for inflation). The combined purse of the entire race was $3,790 ($29,266.77 when adjusted for inflation).
Andy Buffington made his only start in the racing event, while Yarbrough acquired his first NASCAR Cup Series win. More than half of the racing grid has been nominated to the NASCAR Hall of Fame. An untitled 1964 NASCAR Cup Series racing event at Rambi Speedway in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, ultimately became the final race to host less than 15 drivers on the starting grid.
The transition to purposely-built racers 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; most of the cars were trailered to events or hauled in by trucks.
Finishing order
† signifies that the driver is known to be deceased
* signifies that the driver failed to finish the race