1962 Atlanta 500

[Music] Atlanta fast new moving a city that won't start this is the heart of the South in the core of stock car racing country best place in the world for a stock car race [Music] [Applause] found on the expressway south to the track south to Atlanta International Raceway where a race the race is starting right now the world's most famous spot car drivers peel off in the order Labor [Music] 46 cars parade proudly before a record 55,000 fans drawn from all over America to this Louisville magnet [Music] parade speed is death to these cars tuned to race over 120 miles per hour every driver is impatient deplore his pedal the pace car you can see their faces the faces of the impatient crowd the faces of the cars grinning at you [Music] the green flag the race has begun in your heart is in your throat banjo Matthews Pontiac Oh two jumps to the front [Music] the cars bunch up jockeying for the lead Bobby Johnson Pontiac 72 friend Lorenzen and 428 David Pearson and Pontiac dream cotton Owens and Pontiac 7 they all spur to the front only to be passed [Music] [Music] Nelson Stacy blows a tire and rams the rail that flow out in a broken tie rod put him out of the race here in the second lap now in our camera car right on the track we passed the main grandstand and speed into the first turn high up on the second turn [Music] down the backstretch [Music] up on the third turn [Music] Cece hunt closes tonnage engine and goes into a spectacular skid to other drivers barely missing after only six laps Hut is out Bobby Jon 72 grabs the lead [Music] the tank runs close too close for comfort now watch a rare shot of an accident for beginning the brutal and funky Blackburn and Ford nine Bosa tire loses control spinning spinning into the guardrail the yellow flag is out so is Bucky Blackburn alive safe but out [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] Herman beam and the camera car is in trouble bobby jon's holds his lead but David Pearson 3 and Joel Weatherly 8 stay on his tail [Music] hold it Myra Frank 46 losses among the first turn spins into the second indirect swipe for Jim Purdue 54 George green one Wow placing a bad spot upon the rail backwards [Music] the records brought into the area and pull out what's left [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] some fast furious puddy work and pardhu goes back into action [Music] Rex white screw wrecks up miracles and puts their Chevy back Larry Frank is glad he's alive his car is one of five Ford's trying for the trophy today from the Holman and moody stable in Charlotte [Music] [Music] Ralph moody leads his crew as they bring Frank's board back to life the green flag says go but the sky says maybe not it's clouding up a few drops of rain NASCAR throws out the caution flag rain and racing don't mix so you wait it out the crowd and the pit crews take a break while drivers grind out spirals on the track slowly drying it off the rain makes you think back bank back to Charlotte North Carolina where the Holman and moody team have been grooming their Ford since March for this race two out of three of this year's top races have been won by Holman and moody Ford's incredible because everybody thought Pontiacs would win every race all eyes were on Holman and moody in their five Fords with Fred Lorenzen Marvin Panch Larry Frank Nelson Stacy and Elmo Langley at the wheels those cars were protected like Fort Knox under NASCAR guards through two abortive attempts in March to run this Atlanta race rain stop each try but it didn't stop Holmen and moody they worked all the harder to bring in a winner here at Atlanta [Music] the faces of a NASCAR inspectors tell you they wouldn't stand for any foolishness anybody who wanted to win this race had to do it with a true stock car he had to qualify at the time trials with arrests in the days before the race every driver took his car on the four hottest laps of his life in Atlanta cotton Owens in his number seven Pontiac exceeded 138 miles per hour on a four lap average but it was banjo Matthews Pontiac Oh - took the pole position in the car he personally built in service in Asheville North Carolina the Atlanta raced through the kids one reason was the question-and-answer clinic before the race youngsters got a chance to ask drivers like Fred Lorenzen about their lives as thought car race drivers men from the automotive industry were surprised at the technical knowledge of these kids [Music] autograph hounds got what they came for [Music] [Music] fans who came early watched open-mouthed as crews prepared their cars from the race toy wagons were standard pit transportation the men worked night and day the engines had to be right the cars had to be right by this morning the cars had qualified and were ready for final mass car inspection and fueling [Music] when the association seal went on the car you knew it was honest and safe crowds poured into this modern arena centered in 500 acres of Georgia fans got a wealth of entertainment and refreshment as the minutes ticked off before the race Charlotte's frightfully motorcycle team dazzled the crowd [Music] [Laughter] [Music] and the race went into its first 84 laps now the track is dry again Skouras carefully checked our positions the word goes out in the green flag flies to Weatherly eight leads [Music] [Music] cale yarborough 492 blows his engine Roscoe Thompson's mercury starts to spin out but he gets control [Music] now Fred Lorenzen 28 tsumtsum abroad and takes charge Fred now looks like Coleman and Moody's won best chance of the cup [Music] wait banjo Matthews pulls ahead of Lorenzen and takes command of the race in this 108th left the two close friends begin a two car duel [Music] [Music] other cars pier at the draft drivers know they can save fuel and pick up speed by drafting riding right on another cars too [Music] Karnas are spreading out now they laugh each other so you've got to be sharp this month the real leader right now banjo Matthews Oh - has it and intends to keep it [Music] [Music] parable Roberts is in sixth place and Pitt's the Matthews Lorenzen duel yes tomorrow [Music] the two men are moving around the track like two eyes on a giant face they're pit crews couldn't be happier the track is dry the track is fast speeds between costumes are running over 130 miles per hour [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] in this 130th lab Tom Cox's number 60 Plymouth breaks its axle and Cox goes to the shower Johnny Ellen's Pontiac transmission fails and he's through Ralph's Earnhardt's transmission is gone now drivers must make their scheduled pit stops for fuel and fresh tires Lee petty directs his son Richards pitstop Teddy's Plymouth just can't seem to get steam in this race [Music] [Music] David Pearson three takes the lead momentarily and then Lorenson dashes out front [Music] the drivers but clouds over the track at wonder [Music] Pearson breeze starts picking up lost laps [Music] GC Spencer Chevrolet has bad engine trouble favorite driver among drivers is Little Joe Weatherly in Pontiac number eight in seventh position the irascible Joe has a 10th year of the 156 left to win the race tow blows a tire he's no close to the rail he Rams it there's a sad face on this cloud as Joe drags to the pits there's something mighty tragic about a pit stop you know is costing you the race [Music] now although that grated let attract banjo Matthews and Fred Lorenzen are burning up rubber and asphalt in a spectacle few stock car racing fans have ever seen the other drivers become spectators the lead changes faster than the score is contented banjo leaves on the backstretch Fred pulls ahead on the fourth turn by the time they give the second turn banjo is back in front the Holman and moody team can only wait and watch now [Music] Marvin patches engine smokes this pit stop means out of five home in the Moody boards only Lorenzen is left to win this race [Music] these woman and moody pours out here today are a new kind of convertible with a boat on streamlined top NASCAR wasn't convinced who they were true stock seed and require special ex-members to be welded to the car frames to meet standards [Music] [Music] [Music] eighth place Paul Goldsmith and Pontiac oh one fits a driver hasn't a chance to do much more than wipe his face rest his eyes in a stop lasting less than a minute now here's the lineup in this 180 at the last man Joe Matthews o2 holds the lead for the moment Fred Lorenzen is right behind Tommy John 72 his third fireball Roberts 22 his fourth junior Johnson six is number five David Pearson three is six one of them is going to win [Music] and Livingston is going out with a poor that just won't run anymore [Music] the asphalt jewel roars toward its climax which you can't call it all better not between two men who are like brothers to each other track temperature gets money [Music] drivers look Skyway could it rain again twice in one race could rain suddenly change everybody's hopes and plans for this third Atlanta 500 [Music] no time to think Ralph moody signals Lorenzen to make his pit stop if the rains come the length of the pit stops now will decide the winner well ransom is in yes tires yes and a coke and out in 53 seconds flat [Music] half the sky is black half as white as banjo pits [Music] the second stick on then 20 thirty forty fifty sixty four and banjo is back fighting [Music] fireball Roberts pitstop takes 77 telling seconds [Music] the pitstops give Bobby John 72 the lead in this 211 flat [Music] but 40 seconds later chums must face reality and make his own final pit stop with it goes his lead [Music] [Music] Matthews and Lorenzen slug it out they watched the weather in disbelief banjo and Fred figure it will rain they go for broke never did they drive so hard as this lap to 13 to 14 to 15 Lorenzen pulls ahead [Applause] Rane the race is over not the checkered flag that the yellow plague leaves over the darkened race area Fred Lorenzen takes the race [Music] top money goes to this 28 year old native of Elmhurst Illinois he gets his official notice and trophy in the press box [Applause] and 55,000 head out to till the folks back home of an incredible Pontiac board duel they'll never forget this is the car that did and these for the men who did it the Holmen and moody team bring home the trophy now their score is three out of four this is the wheel fred Lorenzen drove to victory 45 other great drivers had to lose so fred Lorenzen could win this atlanta 500 but there will be more races more work in the garages more new automotive ideas in Detroit in st. Louis and Charlotte and these are the faces of the men who will win those races of a future men born to the track men who love cars and racing and winning [Music] Fred Loe infant will face them all again [Music]

Channel: SMIFF TV

Views: 7,342

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Id: 3IG9u9zDHrs

Length: 27min 50sec (1670 seconds)

Published: Wed Apr 22 2020