Official name Fireball 200 | ||
Date February 28, 1965; 52 years ago (1965-02-28) Location Asheville-Weaverville Speedway, Weaverville, North Carolina Course Permanent racing facility
0.500 mi (0.804 km) Distance 200 laps, 100 mi (151 km) Weather Chilly with temperatures approaching 64.9 °F (18.3 °C); wind speeds up to 8.9 miles per hour (14.3 km/h) | ||
The 1965 Fireball 200 was a NASCAR Grand National Series (now Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series) event that was held on February 28, 1965, at Asheville-Weaverville Speedway in Weaverville, North Carolina.
Contents
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.
Summary
Two hundred laps took place on a paved oval track spanning 0.500 miles (0.805 km) for a grand total of 100.0 miles (160.9 km). It took an hour and nineteen minutes for the race to reach its conclusion; Ned Jarrett defeated Dick Hutcherson by an unknown length of time in front of 6500 people. Notable speeds were: 75.678 miles per hour (121.792 km/h) as the average speed and 84.230 miles per hour (135.555 km/h) as the pole position speed. Two cautions were given for an unknown number of laps.
Total winnings for this race were $4,490 ($34,123.05 when adjusted for inflation).
Most of the stock car owners were independent with only three "corporate" racing teams showing up for the event. Buddy Baker ended up as the last-place finisher; he would only finish nine laps out of the regulation length of 200 laps due to a problem with the back of his Plymouth vehicle. Most of the starting grid would drive automobiles designed by the Ford Motor Company; with the now-dominant Chevrolet brand only fielding three vehicles.
Timeline
Finishing order
* Driver failed to finish race