The Charlotte News from Charlotte, North Carolina • 16

A Nice Guy Finished First I MO01 4041041 I 4 A Nice Guy Finished First 1 1 Win 00 pectacle 4 Win OT Joe Lee Defied The Odds To ee Defied The Odds To Defied The odds To 7----7111ax Illuh lemon -'We Did okay we tr) 11 The Show ty Won't Be koi Forgotten of 0 ii 'ON I t- 4 5' st 4'0745 4 1f F' I'''5Ftwrw 4 4: 4 4vlo tr 4' x40 I 14' --4 irsQ i 4 1 1 t4''''''''''7 'A ot i'' -N vil A 0 rt! AtNeCto4) illegh 1 '11 'fPon teriotlf t'-: tt 4 1- 12ee ire' Itt 1 ilA 4 40 4 4 1 ie a 4I'vi 1 41 i 4 TIP li of-'1 lp 6 41 141-- i i 7 1 6 2 Ir J41: logibs 1 -I N' i ''l i -c i 4 40: 1 4''' 1O it l' it 4'114 i' 'IV 4 A -r- I 1 -0tr-or 4: yp- 1 pipqo I 4 I '-4 1' 1 r'C 6j 1 r7: f4 'I 4 i ea -4-4: i 2 :37: z-1 lc 1'1 111 1 tf el (:: ----'1 I Iii vv: '-4'' --1541 IL' it Is -1 oli 4(7 fer tir'-'-'' 4'i-0at t- 1AI I l''' 41 ctrylT0 -117647( 11: 1 17:: i 9 1114 s1 nn Ann -r '44e1114IN III 1 "M4011 1 i' 1 i t4 kt 1 i'y i'''' '4 4 1 6 7 4 VA ii Plk 'X 4 e- ''4 t4 qJ '''s''-'1 -t 4 7- '4 -a)''''' x- t'154nlklAtt: '''''''t All :4 r-A Ag ivvripe etNoc 114 re 40IgiNA4: I nA- -001 ---T -c) '''t" 4: i 'i II l' -5 4A1 A 6 urikot ad -d By BOB MYERS Charlotte News Sports Writer Cha' Fortysix year old Lee Petty piled onto a tire in tile pit area took a sip of milk and made a statement that must have staggered the group of autograph hunters huddlAct Forty year -si pit area took a sip have staggered the A lanky son of the Tennessee Hills is the appro priate champion of the first World 600 No one expected Joe Lee Johnson to drive 600 miles at an average 107735 miles per hour and thereby earn the right to Victory Lane because no one knew what to expect The most vivid lesson taught yesterday by Char Iotte Motor Speedway was respect Few answers were discovered It proved as its management hoped an awe some challenge for man and machine The crooked straightaway which seemed no problem in time trials was a monster in competition No less than eight cars brought patrons of the main grandstand out of their seats swirling spins of 10e yards or more At one time the high banked turns claimed four blown tires in four minutes Most drivers expected the worst Wire screens were rigged to protect windshields and undercarriages Rubber mud flaps were attached to rear bumpers Relief drivers suddenly became objects of intense searching Finally there was no more time to worry and wonder The command rasped over the loud- speakers: "Gentlemen start your engines --The Dramatic Moments Began Early Is is tile appro one expected at an average rn the right to it tO eXPeCt erday by Char- an awe answers were hoped dno problem hi '10 less than eight out of their no limo Ilia hi11 Petty who finished fourth -in around him "I thought they stopped the race at 400 miles I had no idea I'd driven 600 miles until I saw that white flag" said the threetime Grand National champion from Randleman around him "I thought they stopp( Paco Photos By Don Hunter Don Martin and David Nance THROUGH THE WINNER'S CIRCLE Joe Lee Johnson wonted crew to get some of the glory too the World 600 behind the of his 1960 Plymouth seemed fresh as the new tire he was sitting on Yet he had never driven: a stock car 600 miles in one race in his long and illustrious career "I guess we made a pretty good showing We all finished" said the little man with the crew cut and silver temples-' Good showing? The three 1960 Plymouths Petty had in the field finished third fourth and fifth and barely got a scratch rr 7: i- I 4 t'- 7: 5': e' 'iltztelavol VO II tratIT LW BOB QUINCY Sports Editor Ronald Myers 2-B- MONDAY JUNE 20 1960 ALMOST PRECISELY at the scheduled 12:30 pm starting time the thousands who packed two grandstands and strained against the infield fence stood en masse as the orderly three abreast parade of unmuffled horsepower sailed under the starter's flapping green flag There was no waiting for the dramatic While fans were still gasping at the case with which Fireball Roberts pulled away from the pack an incredible threecar collision in the first turn followed by a sheet of flame and a spiral of black smoke signalled the fact that Johnny Wolford had made a mistake When he lost control of his '60 Ford he attempted to 'power his way out of trouble hut instead soared into the middle of the high-speed groove where Johnny Allen and Cotton Owens --(struck him violently Minutes later the finely prepared '60 Ford of Jee WeatiuTly smashed Into the first turn rail following a blow out "In a way I'm glad it happened" remarked his Inc chanie Ralph Moody "Now Joe's safe in the pits There's going to be plenty more trouble before this is over" So it was While Roberts tried in vain to put a lap on the 'field the yellow flag flew repeatedly as cars challenged the amazing strength of the guard rail and spun like tops in the dusty apron in front of the main grandstand --Ingo At Patterson Hits 190 At lAteigh-In For Bout Tonight BOBBY JOHNS driving one ot the Petty Plymouths finiwce'd ahead of Lee and young Richard Petty was fifth "My brakes went out at about the half-way point said Lee "I couldn't go into those turns as fast as I wanted to" Petty gave the crowd one -et its biggest thrills when he blew a tire and spun out on the apron in a cloud of dust in front of the packed East "My pace was pretty goe-d but you just don't run into those turns without brakesbe said All of the Petty Plymqutbs looked like M-47 tanks each equipped with special windshield radiator and window screens for protection against flying asphalt "That stuff worked Lee "You don't see any lictles in our windshields do at those other cars (Near1111 the cars looked like they'd been sprayed with machine gun fire and four of them race with giant holes in the wind shield) Runnerup to Jack Smith- for hardest luck was Buck Baker who finished seventh in a 1960 Chevrolet Baker was runnitg second behind winner Joe Lee Johnson when he threw the left front wheel after 586 miles eight laps from the finish A'''' 1A '9 '''F''--'I'' iw It 04: -t r10 7 '44 1 1 4 1 'Pr 4 '04 i 7 -t '1 i 1 i'' 3 4 4 'r 2-'-- '''t 1: 0' "s1' 't 74)N 4(A- 'i dt' 4 v-1- s'f 6 il it' 4' 4- i1-" 3ke0 4 :4 l' 1' A 01 4 I ii-4 2i: Ili: 4' t'i'c34'' A4'vi''L4 4 4" l'' r-4 1 I "it 'I: -t Wit -W4'-1 At 1( 'l'''' 'I: 2 '''i' f4ik: 0-: li: i 47 1 NI 6 -A 'y i 6 5-4 -5'? 541 i41 4 g- i4i '4'' f' iiktx -vo 4 -4 11 4 116 tc4 4 3)-164 -144 t' tp top860Itomati00lk -i 1 to00 1 -4- ''1 e--'' 4 ''ll: i 4 tiI 2 -4 4 4 -4- -1- 41' 4: 'f 45 f': k- '''i i A i' lilf' -Nf1 --1 0 i'' 4 'v 1 4tw'' :4 4 4 4- '4 ft' 14 4 4 1 40k- 4 4': i i 1 t' 7-'-' 1 'Age "t): 'i' 'I l' 74 its 04 NEW YORK (4)) Ingemar Johansson the heavyweight champion from Sweden weighed 194114 pounds to 190 for challenger Floyd Patterson of Rockville Centre for their return 15-round title fight at the Polo Grounds tonight Johansson weighed 196 pOunds lenger's extra weight appeared to Patterson's 182 last 'June 26 to have settled around his neck when he dethroned the American shoulders and arms He said the on a seven-knockdown technical weight had come on naturally knockout at 2:03 of the third but there was no doubt he hoped round to add power to hs punches with lenger's extra weight appeared to have settled around his neck shoulders and arms He said the weight had come on naturally but there was no doubt he hoped to add power to hs punches with 4 A i I I 1- 1 A 1 I I the added poundage High Speed Actually Hurt The track the biggest unknown in the race began to dig Out in the turns but less than almost every driver had ex'" pected: At 2:39 it became necessary for the men in the cock to watch the track surface as carefully as the traffic in front of them And it was about this time that the Pontiac of Fireball Roberts came in for the last time victim of a cut tire "Those several yellow flags killed me" he remarked ''The yellow flags wouldift allow me to get away I don't think all of them tvere necessary either I think NASCAR is yellow flag-happy" "The race has boiled down to this" Roberts explained "If you're running faster than the mass you've got to go where they don't The mass is running in the smooth groove anybody faster has to hit the boles" EDWIN MILQUIST Johans son's adviser said he expected "a much much tougher fight than last time But I believe Ingemar will win" Ile said Johansson if he wins will be tree to negotiate with any promoter or any opponent for his next defense The champion appeared on a live television panel show tele cast last at the same time he was appearing on a taped TV preview of the fight The shows were on different net works Patterson' weight was the heaviest of his career Ile weighed 187li when he knock ed out Olympic champion Pete Rademacher in the sixth round at Seattle Aug 22 1957 Most of the 25-year-o1d chat At 3 o'clock it seemed that Jack Smith could start counting his money His Pontiac had stayed out of trouble and was mounting a gigantic lead But with only 50 miles to go something knocked a hole in his gas tank and the door was opened for a softspoken modest lad named Joe Lee Johnson Joe Lee will be remembered as the king without a king dom He was national champion of NASCAR's convertible cirmit in 19 but in 1960 the ragtop races were abandoned with the lone exception of Darlington's Rebel 300 The man who prepared his car for this unequalled test of endurance? Another quiet man Paul Mc Duffle of Atlanta who had never received his fair share of credit for Fireball Roberts' banner year of 1i)5e Mc Duffle built the car which carried Roberts to victories in two 500-milers and four 250-milers that summer FINISHERS 11 yi AND THEIR Lj EARNINGS FINISHER) AND THEIR EARNINGs 4 Baker moved from second in the last 100 laps and hadn't encountered any trouble until the crippling mechanical fail ure Ile got hack into the race on the final lap ''s A WELLT1MED pace and a late surge paid off for runneriup Johnny Beauchamp Beauchamp said he lapped Baker several times and took second when Baker went out "I set my pace and kept it" said Beauchamp who droVe- a 1960 Chevrolet "I figured to be around when it was over I krov the track was rough It went the way I wanted it to go but I just wasn't quite fast enough'" Ingemar had no solid food for breakfast He planned a steak dinner with vegetables at 3 pm AND THIS IS WHAT THE CHAMP GOT a big buss from pretty Rita Souther plus all that cash for Joe Lee Ahlquist who has a full cornmand of both English and Swedish will be the chief second in the champs corner Others will be Whitey Bimstein Nels Blomberg and Dr Gosta Karlsson of Sweden Patterson was reported in "good sprits" by his cotrainer Buster Watson The former champion sat calmly behind a screen in a room just off the ballroom of the midtown hotel before the fighters weighed in Little Joe Skinned An Elbow TO WIN Joe Lee had defied the rules lie had run out of gas at 200 miles and from that point began to run almost at top speed around 123 miles per hour the remaining distance While he ran others fell by the wayside going out in clouds of smoke and screaming crashes which provided possibly the best show any stock car crowd has ever been privileged to watch It proved beyond a doubt that the thousands of question marks which had surrounded Charlotte Motor Speedway since its conception could be forgotten It was an incredible spectacle filled with everything which might be crammed into a single race Yet the most serious injury suffered was the skinned right elbow of Joe Weatherly Rita Souther a starry-eyed 18-year-old from Campobello who reigned World 600 queen was the first asked to pass an opinion Bruton Smith the Speedway general manager asked her what she thought about the race Rita's eyelids fluttered: "I thought it was very nice" she cooed Very nice indeed for Joe Lee Johnson today $30000 richer and for the 78800 who will never forget the way he made his So Far Yet So Far By The Associated Prue Official order of finishers In World SOS stock car race with winnings xchisive of lao prizes: 1 Joe Lee Johnson Chevrolet $25651 2 John Beauchamo Chevrolet St100 3 Bobby Johns Plymouth 14200 4 Dick Petty Plymouth $3371 Lee Petty Plymouth $200 I Gerald Duke Thunderebird $2200 Buck Baker Chevrolet SI650 I Rex White Chevrolet $1330 Matthews Ford $LIM 10 Tiny Lund Pontiac $00 Shorty Rollins Ford S754 12 David Pearson Chevrolet S650 13 Charlie Griffith Chevrolet $500 14 Jack Smith Pontiac 6401 IS Bob Burdick Chevrolet 1400 la Bob Welborn Ford $400 Ir Herman Beam Ford $400 IL Jim Cook Ford $400 It Jim Pardue Plymouth 1400 It Marvin Pinch Ford 1400 21 Jim Massey Chevrolet 11300 12 Buddy Baker Ford $300 23 Larry Frank Ford 3300 24 Spencer Chevrolet $230 525 Jot Caspolich Oldsmobile 1250 526 Paul Lewis Chevrolet $700 x27 Bunkie Blackburn Ford $700 x21 Jimmy Thompson Thunderbird $200 x2e Speedy Thompson Ford $700 100 Junior Johnson Chevrolet $200 x-Did not finish but were last to drop Out it alith: awn of Fate: $1 le in a 1960 ehevro1ct pullectiup third ITinlIPV WATSON WILL work in Pat terson's corner along with the Florio brothers Dan and Nick Cus D'Amato his unlicensed manager is expected to sit in a ringside seat Patterson watched the taped verson of the TV preview last night on which the films of his 1959 knockout by Ingemar were shown Like the champion -he had no solid breakfast and planned a steak dinner in midafternoon Ilumbert Fugazy executive director of Feature Sports Inc said the fight should draw a crowd of between 35000 and 40 000 By BOB MYERS Charlotte News Sports Writer It seemed that Jack Smith was destined to pave the Charlotte Motor Speedway with gold It was as if a giant protective hand hovered over him and his rocket-like 1960 Pontiac sweep Mg away all that dared' approach him And yet it was the same hand that turned on Smith like a pet lion and wiped away his hopes of winning the World 600 and the longest stock car race in his tory when success seemed so near AROUND THE 230 mark 'Ned Jarrett ('60 Ford) and Jim Itted C60 ale VrOlet) were two tarns behind Smith Jarrett 'spun et his front end badly damaged and Reed crashed into the rear ot'a Both went out Smith's 'halo was luminous A few laps earlier Richard Petty pressured Smith but blew a tire and spun out '''''1'' 1 17 :01 1 04 1 -I 4'41' l'''' ''I''' i 1 7 A4P -i 1 A 4 i 1 0: lk If :45: A 1 ft: i ia Iit3 :2: tks10 t5 ft 1 1 3 1 And fate banded' Smith 114 lead Just as she took II from 1 ')1 ObNfl 41161110Ps" OdW44 -1 zy -Nth -it 164i 7- ig( 'i 4tvX I' I -V-4P 4 '11 te fi VI 4444 i' Ar01 A wok Pt te 41 Pst 14 '-iwt krgroovoi4-- -4 44 tr it- 1 --tk th towolocwv'wl 7 7 icap5-dv40C! At 4 4 ntavai- v4 1 4 -t--' I- madm0 -r ed Pontiac behind the pit rail an unheralded guy Joe Lee Johnson grabbed the lead about the 353rd lap and zoomed to his biggest prize in a 1060 Chevrolet "I NEVER thought anything could go through a gas tank like that It was a freak" said Smith from Spartanburg dejectedly "In stock ear racing one never knows I never feel that I've won anything until that final lap ark' I didn't yesterday Some times it makes a fellow want to throw his hands up and quit" he added There were others who could express the same sentiment those nho knew that Smith's car had the speed that it might not endure the strain of the crumpling track but who couldn't crack Smith's halo For example after nearly 300 of the 400 laps around the pike Bob Welborn running second to Smith lost his bid when the howf on his 1060 Ford flew up in front of the windshield and had to be removed On the same lap Junior Johnson blew two tires on his 10P0 Chevrolet Joe Lee Johrson moved behind Smith and Johnir Beauchamp hirnself4weil JACK SMITH Dejection Personified '1: We See It Too FOR 198 laps-297 1 harlotte fans can be a veteran of many years on the Grand National circuit led the 1 sure of getting a ring- field hitting speeds of 120-123 'i side seat at the heavy 1 miles per hour I championship tic had made but four snappy 1 match bet een I 1 ngemar pit stops after 325 laps which seemed like a test of endurance Jo yd hansson and Flo '54- Patterson I by 0 i they said the Pontiacs could never merely going out to the :1 meet over the bumpy asphalt track He led by Ls many as Coliseum ters seven miles have arranged to get the -4 closed circuit r-: the big rematch Fight accost of It looked like a breeze for I fate guided others Into spin outs and Into the rail and sent lime Is slated at 9:30 them to the pits with bliwn The tin ItIn go may 's ti res 1f also be heard on ISTGC None of this for Smith it had 1 il274 to be a freakish thins like a of metal the size VI the aver 1 No On Would have caught Fireball rtoberts' 1960 but endurance did Roberts' machine lost a wheel hit the fourth turn and went out -near the 180th and Smith charged ahead Roberts who paced the hell for 114 laps streaked aheact for the first 60 laps before making his first pit stop when Tiger Tom ristone took over in a Chevrolet ristone later went out with collapsed steering and Curtis Tiirner who enjoyed the lead for 21 laps blew a head gasket near the 90th lap THIS WAS THE FATE OF THE FAVORITE age fist that crashed through the gas tank and sent him streaming smoke to the pits with a five lap lead after 344 turns A wad of cotton stuffed into the gash failed to stop the flow and font laps later Smith made his final pit stop As the crew pushed wound on the backstretch after cutting a tire early in the race Ile returned to action but another blowout finally put him out for the day Fireball Roberts who started in the pole 'position and was the heavy favorite yesterday in the first annual World 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway spills out t-7 1 ko.