Lee Petty Wins Shortened Asheville–Weaverville Race
Track Surface Breaks Apart; Event Halted After 168 Laps for Safety
WEAVERVILLE, N.C., April 25 — Veteran driver Lee Petty of Randleman steered his Plymouth through crumbling pavement, dust clouds, and repeated delays Sunday afternoon to claim victory in a NASCAR Grand National race that was stopped well short of its scheduled distance when the track surface became unsafe.
Petty finished less than a lap ahead of Joe Lee Johnson of Chattanooga, who immediately asked officials for a recheck of the scoring. After a lengthy review of the tabulation cards — delayed by the long stoppage and the confusion caused by deteriorating conditions — officials confirmed Petty as the winner shortly after 7 p.m.
Only 10 of the 20 starters were still running when the race was halted at 168 laps.
Track Breaks Up Early
The half‑mile asphalt oval, which appeared sound during qualifying, began to fail almost immediately once the main event was underway. By the 25th lap, large holes had opened in the third and fourth turns, sending up heavy dust and forcing drivers to pick their way through the corners.
At 62 laps, officials stopped the race for more than an hour while crews swept loose asphalt back into the holes and soaked the area with water. Drivers were instructed to stay high on the banking, but once racing resumed it became clear that the surface could not withstand continued competition. The event was finally halted at 168 laps for safety.
Promoter Gene Sluder and NASCAR officials attributed the damage to heavy snow and deep freezes during February and March, which had undermined the pavement. Sluder said the track would be overhauled before the next event.
More than 5,000 spectators attended under clear skies.
Qualifying Produces New Mark
Qualifying earlier in the day produced a new Grand National record for the track. Junior Johnson of Ronda, driving a ’59 Ford, turned a lap of 23.05 seconds, breaking the previous mark of 23.17 set by Bill Amick in 1957. Johnson’s time also tied the overall track record shared by Bob Welborn and Banjo Matthews.
Glen Wood of Stuart, Va., also broke the old mark with a 23.10 lap.
Lead Changes and Attrition
The race itself saw several lead changes before the track conditions took their toll.
- Jack Smith of Spartanburg jumped into the lead at the start in his 1960 Pontiac and built a half‑lap advantage before striking one of the holes and destroying his oil pan on lap 30.
- Banjo Matthews briefly took over, followed by Bob Welborn, who led until pitting after the 62‑lap stoppage.
- A multi‑car tangle on lap 70 involving Matthews, Richard Petty, Larry Frank, and Rex White forced Matthews out of the race. No injuries were reported.
Dust clouds in the third and fourth turns caused several cars to brush the wall or spin, but all drivers escaped unharmed.
Final Standings
Behind Petty and Johnson, the top finishers were:
- Ned Jarrett, Newton, N.C., Ford
- Bob Welborn, Atlanta, Chevrolet
- G.C. Spencer, Inman, S.C., Chevrolet
- Paul Lewis, Johnson City, ’58 Chevrolet
- Rex White, Spartanburg, ’60 Chevrolet
- Buck Baker, Spartanburg, ’60 Chevrolet
- Richard Petty, Randleman, ’60 Plymouth
- Larry Frank, Spartanburg, ’59 Chevrolet
The race, originally scheduled for 100 miles, ended as one of the most unusual and challenging events of the early season — a contest decided as much by crumbling pavement as by horsepower.
Courtesy of The Asheville Citizen-Times April 25, 1960 via Newspapers.com