Today In NASCAR History

 

1968: Richard Petty pilots a Plymouth to the 80th win of his career, prevailing in a 200-lap main event at Smoky Mountain Raceway in Maryville, Tenn. Petty’s win was the fifth of what would be a 16-win season and a third-place finish in the points standings. Rookie Pete Hamilton, who would later drive for Petty Enterprises, posts his best finish in the series to that point in second place, one lap down. James Hylton placed third. The half-mile track, which has since switched from pavement to dirt, is still in weekly operation.

Greg Engle
About Greg Engle 7421 Articles
Greg is a published award winning sportswriter who spent 23 years combined active and active reserve military service, much of that in and around the Special Operations community. Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.