Weatherly Captures Controversial Rebel 300 After Late Duel at Darlington
Race Resumes Under Caution; Petty Finishes Second as Roberts’ Charge Ends in Mechanical Failure
DARLINGTON, S.C., May 14 — Joe Weatherly of Norfolk steered his 1960 Ford Starliner to victory Saturday afternoon in one of the most unusual and hotly debated Rebel 300s ever held at Darlington International Raceway. The event, halted by a thunderstorm one week earlier after 74 laps, resumed under a yellow flag and produced both a dramatic finish and considerable controversy.
A crowd of 37,000, far larger than the opening‑day turnout, watched Weatherly regain the lead in the final quarter of the 219‑lap race and hold off a determined field that included rising star Richard Petty, who finished second in a Plymouth.
Restart Under Caution Draws Criticism
The decision to restart the race under caution had been the subject of a week‑long dispute between Weatherly and NASCAR officials. Weatherly had publicly objected to the ruling, and when he arrived at the track Saturday he was greeted by fans waving green flags and homemade signs urging him on.
Once the race resumed, Weatherly quickly moved into contention. He passed Lee Petty on lap 93 and led for 57 laps before surrendering the top spot to Cotton Owens at lap 150. Weatherly regained the lead on lap 174 and was never headed again.
Top Finishers
Behind Weatherly, the finishing order included:
- Richard Petty, Plymouth — 2nd
- Rex White, Chevrolet — 3rd
- Lee Petty, Plymouth — 4th
- Buck Baker, Chevrolet — 5th
- Bobby Johns, Thunderbird — 6th
Weatherly’s average speed was 102.640 mph on a hot, windy afternoon.
Spectacular Crash Delays Race
The race was halted for nearly an hour following a frightening accident at the end of lap 149. Johnny Allen, driving a Chevrolet, broke through the guardrail exiting the fourth turn and crashed into the scorers’ stand. The elevated booth, occupied by 48 lap scorers — most of them women — tilted precariously before officials evacuated it by ladder.
Allen’s car was destroyed, but he escaped injury.
Roberts’ Misfortune
Fireball Roberts, who had led when the race was halted the previous week, lost his advantage almost immediately after the restart. While several drivers pitted after a single slow lap behind the pace car, Roberts waited until the second lap and lost a full lap and a half. A second pit stop under caution cost him another lap.
Roberts then mounted a furious comeback, passing the field twice before mechanical failure ended his run. His right front wheel broke loose on lap 175 when the suspension failed, forcing him out of the race.
Race Notes
- Weatherly’s victory marked one of the most determined drives of his career.
- The event was the most contentious Rebel 300 to date, with debate over the restart overshadowing much of the week.
- Despite the delays and the crash, the race concluded without further incident.
Courtesy of The Charlotte Observer May 15, 1960 via Newspapers.com
Drivers Averages.com Order of Finish
Weatherly Calls Rebel 300 Win His “Best Car Yet” After Long‑Awaited Breakthrough
Veteran Driver Says He Never Counted Victory Until Checkered Flag Fell
DARLINGTON, S.C., May 14 — Fresh from his long‑sought triumph in the Rebel 300, Joe Weatherly stood beside his winning Ford Starliner on Saturday afternoon and admitted he didn’t allow himself a moment’s confidence until the race was over.
“When I got the checkered flag,” Weatherly said with a grin, wiping away the heat and dust of 219 laps. “I learned long ago not to count anything before it’s won.”
The 37‑year‑old Norfolk driver recalled the 1955 Southern 500, when he was leading with two laps to go and already “spending my money in Miami” before a brush with the wall ended his day. That memory, he said, kept him cautious even as he held the lead through the final stretch of Saturday’s resumed race.
Finally Out of Second Place
Weatherly’s victory ended a string of near‑misses at Darlington. He had finished second in the Rebel 300 in each of the past two years and was runner‑up again in last fall’s Southern 500. Saturday’s win marked his first major triumph at the track.
“It feels good to get in the winner’s circle at last,” he said.
Praise for His Crew
Weatherly credited his Holman‑Moody Ford as “the best car I ever had,” and pointed to mechanics Ralph Moody and John Holman as the reason.
“They go first class all the time,” he said.
Moody admitted the week‑long delay — caused when the race was halted by rain after 74 laps on May 7 — had left the team uneasy.
“That car sitting idle for a week just gave us another week to worry,” Moody said. All cars were impounded during the delay, with no work allowed.
Pit Strategy Under Caution
Weatherly said he made no pit stops under green. He had two stops during last week’s rain‑shortened portion and two more under caution on Saturday, totaling 19 minutes. He changed all four tires last week but only the two outside tires during Saturday’s continuation.
No Special Rivalry
Asked whether he was racing anyone in particular, Weatherly shrugged.
“Just anybody who got in my way,” he said. “The traffic was heavy and there were a couple of defaults, but the fellows quit it when they were warned.”
A Victory Hard‑Earned
Weatherly’s win came after a week of debate over NASCAR’s decision to restart the race under caution. But once the green flag waved, he drove steadily, regained the lead on lap 174, and held it to the finish.
For a driver long familiar with second place at Darlington, Saturday’s checkered flag was more than a victory — it was vindication.
Courtesy of The Charlotte Observer May 15, 1960 via Newspapers.com