How the Times have Changed

H

HardScrabble

Guest
It is 1965,

Ned Jarrett has won his first race of the season on the dirt track at Spartanburg, SC. finishing some 22 laps ahead of the second place car. Following the race Ned announces that he going to run for the Grand National (Winston Cup now) title. He feels very well prepared to pursue the championship.

"I've got three cars and I'm going to all the races."

Three whole cars, and a race schedule of 55 races. Ned ran every race that year and did indeed win the title. Though truth be told the three cars were not quite enough. Mid season on the the way to run Nashville Ned's factory backed Ford was destroyed in a highway accident during a thuderstorm. The tow truck slid into a ditch and flipped onto the trailer crushing the race car. Ned got a ride in another Ford owned by Jabe Thomas and finished second.

Ned battled with newcomer Dick Hutcherson for the points lead through most of season, and came out on top. Ned won 13 races that year and even more impressively had 42 top 5 finishes.

Won some money too, but not by today's standards. Ned's total winnings for the season including race purses and all the championship money totalled $93,624.

Now a little conundrum for ya'll to figure out. Ned started 54 races that season, and ran every race any one driver could possibly enter. The season consisted of 55 races which no single driver could possibly run. How can that be?
 
musta been 2 races at on the same day different parts of the country, let drivers pick the one they wanted to race?
 
Originally posted by toddgee24@Jul 17 2003, 06:41 PM
musta been 2 races at on the same day different parts of the country, let drivers pick the one they wanted to race?
Click to expand...
I'm with you toddgee24, that's the only solution I come up with.
 
Not exactly.

There were two points races on the same day, but geography and race start time were not a problem.
 
mmmm??I think you slipped a few clues in on us,HS...you sly devil you!I am close to having the single answer,I think...
 
So in best Sherlock like fashion,the answer is elementary my dear Watson....one race must have been a tandem driver race...sort of like a 24hrs.of Daytona type thing.Thus:No SINGLE driver could have run them all!



Either that or color me bright red! :unsure:
 
Not that complicated 97........

The race not run was a short one on a big track.............................
 
Still thinking on the little paradox,HS :wacko: By the way...am I mistaken,or did Junior Johnson not tie Jarrett in wins that year?Or was that '66?I think they both won 13 in '65.I remember the stats because Ford won,I think,32 races in a row that year!The boycott by Mopar was on that year over the hemi engine....All good Ford fans remember 1965! :salute:
 
Yep, Junior won 13 races that year as well. Junior only ran 36 races though so he was well back in points.

Cale got his first win that year at Valdosta driving a 1964 Ford........Cale drove some for Banjo Matthews in 1965 as well.]

Matter of fact.........Junior won the one race that Ned was not in.
 
Ok.One last try.Occam's razor,if anyone is familar with the term.The Daytona qualifying races?Jarrett in one...Johnson in the other?
 
Always try to use the spin-off of Occam's ...called KISS

Anyways, exactly right. Back in 1965 the qualifying races at Daytona (100 miles each) were points races. Ned was in the first and finished second to Darel Dieringer. Junior won the second over Lorenzen.

In that second race, btw, there was a 13 car "big one" on the very first lap. Most blamed it on a bunch of rookies trying to make the big show at Daytona, especially since the Chrysler teams were sitting this one out.

Buck Baker was trying to make the field in his privately funded Olds and got caught in the melee. He broke a few ribs and dislocated a kneecap. " I know those guys had to be rookies because they panicked. They sat on the brakes and skidded all over the place. They froze. This is no place for a bunch of monkeys to be running 170 mph and freeze"
 
That's a good bit of trivia there, HardScramble. You had me stumped as well. :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom