1961 Southern 500
{{more citations needed|date=May 2021}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox NASCAR race report|Type=NAS|Details_ref=|Car=29|Distance_km=805.477|Course_km=2.213|Course_mi=1.375|Most_Driver=Fireball Roberts|Most_laps=180|Pole_Driver=Fireball Roberts|Scheduled_laps=364|Season_No=52|Race_Name=Southern 500|Avg=117.787 mph|First_Driver=Nelson Stacy|Distance_laps=364|Date=September 4|Distance_mi=500.5|Race_No=42|Location=Darlington Raceway|Year=1961|Scheduled_mi=500.5|Caption=The 1961 Southern 400 program cover, celebrating the 50th anniversary of naval aviation.|Image=1961 Southern 500 program cover.png}}
The 1961 Southern 500 was a race that took place at Darlington Raceway on 4 September 1961, in the NASCAR Grand National Series. It was the forty-second race of the 1961 NASCAR Grand National Series.
Nelson Stacy won after 364 laps, after taking the lead from Fireball Roberts late in the race.{{cite book|author=Bob Carroll|title=The Sports Video Resource Guide: A Fan's Sourcebook for All the Best in Sports Videos|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UodYAAAAYAAJ|year=1992|publisher=Simon & Schuster|isbn=978-0-671-73446-6|page=185}}{{cite book|author1=Lyle Kenyon Engel|author2=Jim Hunter|title=Stock Car Racing U.S.A.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hiZf0cSmht8C|year=1973|publisher=Dodd, Mead|isbn=978-0-396-06641-5|page=120}} It was the first of Stacy's four Grand National victories in his career.{{cite book |last1=Meinstereifel |first1=Ronald L. |title=Day-By-Day in NASCAR History |date=2004 |publisher=McFarland & Co. |isbn=0786417994 |page=198 |url=https://archive.org/details/daybydayinnascar0000mein/page/198/mode/2up |access-date=17 July 2021}}
Qualifying
| class="wikitable"
|+ !# !Driver !Make !Team/Owner !Time !Avg. Speed (mph) |
| 1
|22 |'61 Pontiac | |128.680 |
|---|
| 2
|28 |'61 Ford | |128.437 |
| 3
|29 |'61 Ford | |127.020 |
| 4
|8 |'61 Pontiac | |126.890 |
| 5
|43 |'61 Plymouth | |125.906 |
| 6
|6 |'61 Pontiac | |125.906 |
| 7
|44 |'61 Pontiac | |125.866 |
| 8
|42 |'61 Plymouth | |125.158 |
| 9
|3 |'61 Pontiac | |127.783 |
| 10
|94 |'61 Ford | |127.012 |
| 11
|87 |'61 Chrysler | |126.339 |
| 12
|72 |'61 Ford | |125.938 |
| 13
|9 |'61 Ford | |125.842 |
| 14
|27 |'61 Pontiac | |125.364 |
| 15
|4 |'61 Pontiac | |124.489 |
| 16
|86 |'61 Chrysler | |124.410 |
| 17
|66 |'61 Ford | |126.372 |
| 18
|46 |'61 Pontiac | |125.994 |
| 19
|24 |unknown* |Pontiac | | |125.245 |
| 20
|52 |'61 Ford | |125.023 |
| 21
|85 |'61 Chevrolet | |124.489 |
| 22
|2 |'61 Chevrolet | |124.387 |
| 23
|32 |'61 Ford | |124.169 |
| 24
|19 |'60 Ford | |120.247 |
| 25
|59 |'61 Pontiac | |126.711 |
| 26
|90 |'61 Chevrolet | |125.578 |
| 27
|14 |'61 Chevrolet | |124.208 |
| 28
|80 |'61 Ford | |124.114 |
| 29
|82 |'61 Ford | |124.029 |
| 30
|1 |'61 Chevrolet | |123.990 |
| 31
|5 |'61 Pontiac | |123.172 |
| 32
|7 |'61 Chevrolet | |123.004 |
| 33
|30 |'60 Chevrolet | |122.517 |
| 34
|11 |'61 Chevrolet | |122.388 |
| 35
|10 |'61 Dodge | |121.988 |
| 36
|54 |'60 Chevrolet | |121.487 |
| 37
|47 |Bob Burdick** |Pontiac | |121.264 |
| 38
|96 |'60 Chevrolet | |120.812 |
| 39
|68 |'61 Ford | |120.072 |
| 40
|62 |'61 Mercury | |119.854 |
| 41
|74 |'61 Chevrolet | |118.060 |
| 42
|75 |'60 Chevrolet | |114.902 |
| 43
|93 |Ford | | |114.576 |
| 44
|99 |'61 Ford | |114.167 |
Results
| class="wikitable" |
| Fin{{Cite web|title=1961 Southern 500 - The Third Turn|url=https://www.thethirdturn.com/wiki/1961_Southern_500|access-date=2021-07-17|website=www.thethirdturn.com|language=en}}{{Cite web|title=1961 Southern 500 race results|url=https://www.racing-reference.info/race-results/1961_Southern_500/W/|url-status=live|website=Racing-Reference|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210428001723/https://www.racing-reference.info/race-results/1961_Southern_500/W/ |archive-date=2021-04-28 }}
!St !# !Driver !Make !Team/Owner !Sponsor !Laps !Led !Status !Pts !Winnings |
|---|
| 1
|3 |29 |'61 Ford |Ron's Ford Sales, Holt-Stacy |364 |72 |running | |$18,430 |
| 2
|1 |22 |'61 Pontiac | |364 |180 |running | |$10,670 |
| 3
|9 |3 |'61 Pontiac |Daytona Kennel |363 |6 |running | |$5,060 |
| 4
|7 |44 |'61 Pontiac | |359 |0 |running | |$2,625 |
| 5
|20 |85 |'61 Chevrolet | |359 |0 |running | |$2,450 |
| 6
|33 |11 |'61 Chevrolet | |354 |0 |running | |$1,500 |
| 7
|26 |14 |'61 Chevrolet | |348 |0 |running | |$1,195 |
| 8
|18 |24 |'60 Pontiac | |347 |0 |running | |$1,195 |
| 9
|6 |6 |'61 Pontiac | |346 |0 |engine | |$875 |
| 10
|36 |47 |'61 Pontiac | |345 |0 |running | |$925 |
| 11
|12 |72 |'61 Ford | |344 |0 |running | |$750 |
| 12
|16 |66 |'61 Ford |Cafe Burgundy |342 |0 |running | |$700 |
| 13
|32 |30 |'60 Chevrolet | |341 |0 |running | |$500 |
| 14
|14 |27 |'61 Pontiac |Holly Famrs |337 |0 |running | |$450 |
| 15
|24 |59 |'61 Pontiac | |323 |0 |crash | |$650 |
| 16
|40 |74 |'61 Chevrolet | |321 |0 |running | |$350 |
| 17
|35 |54 |'60 Chevrolet | |316 |0 |running | |$300 |
| 18
|39 |62 |'61 Mercury |Mims Amusement Co. |312 |0 |running | |$750 |
| 19
|23 |19 |'60 Ford | |312 |0 |running | |$250 |
| 20
|17 |46 |'61 Pontiac | |273 |0 |spindle | |$480 |
| 21
|25 |90 |'61 Chevrolet | |262 |0 |timing | |$280 |
| 22
|4 |8 |'61 Pontiac | |229 |13 |rf hub | |$370 |
| 23
|31 |7 |'61 Chevrolet | |228 |0 |brakes | |$200 |
| 24
|15 |86 |'61 Chrysler | |221 |0 |bearings | |$700 |
| 25
|34 |10 |'61 Dodge | |206 |0 |rear end | |$700 |
| 26
|5 |43 |'61 Plymouth | |201 |41 |engine | |$1,110 |
| 27
|11 |87 |'61 Chrysler | |190 |0 |con rod | |$220 |
| 28
|21 |2 |'61 Chevrolet | |164 |0 |rocker arm | |$200 |
| 29
|2 |28 |'61 Ford | |158 |52 |throttle | |$950 |
| 30
|19 |52 |'61 Ford | |135 |0 |engine | |$200 |
| 31
|8 |42 |'61 Plymouth | |94 |0 |carburetor | |$200 |
| 32
|28 |82 |'61 Ford | |85 |0 |crash | |$200 |
| 33
|29 |1 |'61 Chevrolet | |81 |0 |crash | |$200 |
| 34
|30 |5 |'61 Pontiac | |79 |0 |crash | |$200 |
| 35
|38 |68 |'61 Ford | |79 |0 |head gasket | |$200 |
| 36
|10 |94 |'61 Ford | |65 |0 |engine | |$430 |
| 37
|22 |32 |'61 Ford | |50 |0 |rear end | |$200 |
| 38
|27 |80 |'61 Ford | |45 |0 |rear end | |$300 |
| 39
|13 |9 |'61 Ford | |34 |0 |head gasket | |$200 |
| 40
|37 |96 |'60 Chevrolet | |22 |0 |brakes | |$200 |
| 41
|43 |99 |'61 Ford | |2 |0 |handling | |$200 |
| 42
|41 |75 |'60 Chevrolet | |2 |0 |handling | |$200 |
| 43
|42 |93 |'60 Ford | |2 |0 |handling | |$200 |
Crashes
Among the 43 competitors in the 1961 Southern 500, Marvin Potter, Paul Lewis and Woodie Wilson were involved in a crash, resulting in them coming 32nd, 33rd and 34th respectively.{{cite web |title=NASCAR: 1961 Southern 500 |url=https://www.racinghub.net/races/00002720/nascar-southern-500-1961/ |website=Racinghub |publisher=Racinghub |access-date=17 July 2021}} Tiny Lund crashed toward the end of the race, finishing in 15th position.{{cite book|author=Perry Allen Wood|title=Declarations of Stock Car Independents: Interviews with Twelve Racers of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ypr_kpYZNSoC&pg=PA245|date=10 January 2014|publisher=McFarland|isbn=978-0-7864-5780-9|page=111}}
Thurmond speech
Prior to the commencement of the race, South Carolina Senator Strom Thurmond was present to give a political speech in which he claimed that South Carolina would secede from the United States because of its opposition to civil rights legislation. The American Spectator reported that spectators responded to the speech with enthusiasm, and the infield at Darlington was "so violent and liquor-soaked that the area was fenced off and not even the police would enter for anything less than a shooting".{{cite news |last1=Yates |first1=Brock |title=The NASCAR Red State |url=https://archive.org/details/sim_american-spectator_2005-04_38_3/page/n13/mode/2up |access-date=17 July 2021 |work=Volume 38 Issue 3 |issue=April 2005 |publisher=The American Spectator}}