July 26, 1969- 200 Miles - Purse $14,500

Richard Petty 1969 Nashville 400

Richard Petty with Miss Fairgrounds Speedway and the Union 76 RaceStoppers, after winning the 1969 Nashville 400.  (photo: Fred Marchman)

Holman-Moody driver David Pearson would place sixth in his 1969 Ford Torino. (Photo: Frank Empson The Tennessean)

 

  Richard Petty drove his 1969 Ford Torino to a narrow victory over Bobby Isaac in the K&K Insurance Dodge.  Petty led an incredible 398 of the race's 400 laps.

This was Petty's sixth victory at the Fairgrounds and his 98th career victory.

Isaac was relieved by Dave Marcis on lap 130.  Marcis had dropped out of the race on lap 30 in his Dodge.  Within 70 laps, Isaac was back behind the wheel of the number 71 Dodge. "I think I would have been able to beat Petty if I had able to stay in the car," stated Isaac, "never since I've been racing has the heat gotten to me like that."

Cecil Gordon made his first of 21 Fairgrounds starts at the 1969 Nashville 400. Gordon stands ninth in the record book for most starts at Fairgrounds Speedway.


This was the first event for the Nord Krauskopf owned K & K Insurance Team at the 5/8 mile track.  The team would make 10 appearances at the Fairgrounds and win in 1970 with Bobby Isaac and 1973 with Buddy Baker.

Inman, South Carolina native James Harvey Hylton drove his 1968 Dodge Charger to an impressive 3rd place finish. (Photo: Frank Empson The Tennessean)

 
Average Speed:     78.74 mph Time of Race:       2:32:24 Margin:  1/2 car
Pole Winner:           Richard Petty / 84.918 Attendance:         15,846 Cautions:  5 for 18
Lap Leaders:          Petty 1-128, Pearson 129-130, Petty 131-400
 
DriverDDriver Fin Str Car Team / Owner Car Laps Money Status Led
Richard Petty 1 1 43 East Tenn Ford  - 
Petty Enterprises
69 Ford 400 3,000 Running 398
Bobby Isaac 2 2 71 K & K Insurance  -  Nord Krauskopf 69 Dodge 400 1,700 Running 0
James Hylton 3 4 48 James Hylton 68 Dodge 387 950 Running 0
John Sears 4 8 4 L.G. DeWitt 68 Ford 384 550 Running 0
Neil Castles 5 9 '06 Neil Castles 67 Plymouth 379 500 Running 0
David Pearson 6 3 17 East Tenn Ford  -  Holman-Moody 69 Ford 376 690 Running 2
Coo Coo Marlin 7 7 07 Cunningham-Kelley   - H.B. Cunningham 69 Chevrolet 357 480 Running 0
Wayne Smith 8 10 33 Archie Smith 68 Chevrolet 351 470 Running 0
J.D. McDuffie 9 18 70 J.D. McDuffie 67 Buick 348 460 Running 0
Elmo Langley 10 6 64 Elmo Langley 68 Ford 265 450 Suspension 0
Wendell Scott 11 12 34 Wendell Scott 67 Ford 237 440 Crash 0
  Pete Hazelwood 12 22 12 Pete Hazelwood 68 Ford 228 430 Engine 0
Bill Champion 13 11 10 Bill Champion 68 Ford 200 420 Crash 0
Henley Gray 14 19 19 Harry Melton 68 Ford 115 410 Quit 0
E.J. Trivette 15 14 08 E.C. Reid 69 Chevrolet 97 400 Suspension 0
Cecil Gordon 16 20 47 Bill Seifert 68 Ford 89 390 Fan belt 0
Jabe Thomas 17 23 25 Don Robertson 68 Plymouth 66 380 Rear end 0
Bill Seifert 18 17 45 Bill Seifert 69 Ford 66 370 Quit 0
Dave Marcis 19 5 30 Milt Lunda 69 Dodge 40 360 Ignition 0
  Ken Meisenhelder 20 21 04 Ken Meisenhelder 67 Olds 33 350 Ignition 0
Ben Arnold 21 15 76 Don Culpepper 68 Ford 14 340 Oil leak 0
  Earl Brooks 22 16 26 Earl Brooks 67 Ford 13 330 Vibration 0
  Bobby Mausgrover 23 24 57 Ervin Pruitt 67 Dodge 10 320 Suspension 0
Wayne Gillette 24 13 09 E.C. Reid 67 Chevrolet 5 310 Quit 0