1968

By Ben White

Driving the No. 17 Holman Moody Ford Torino, David Pearson secured his second NASCAR Cup Series crown during the 1968 season by winning 16 races and logging 38 top-10 finishes in 47 starts.

On the heels of Richard Petty’s amazing 1967 season with 27 wins in 48 starts, Ford Motor Co. officials wanted to come out swinging in 1968.

Ford had not previously sent its factory-backed teams to short-track events, feeling their money should be spent on the races that were 250 miles or more. But to win a championship, their guns needed to be pointed in all directions. 

Dick Hutcherson, a top Ford driver from 1965 to ’67, was asked to step away from driving to work with the up-and-coming David Pearson, already a champion with team owner Cotton Owens in 1966. 

The retired Fred Lorenzen teamed with Bobby Allison at Holman Moody as well, and Cale Yarborough was with Wood Brothers Racing.

Allison’s tenure lasted only three races as did Lorenzen’s, even though he won the season opener in Macon, Georgia. Allison broke out his own Chevrolet, won in Islip, New York, and continued to have good finishes before joining team owner Tom Friedkin in late September.

Pearson went to Victory Lane at Bristol Motor Speedway in March and steadily began building his assault on the championship. In May, he won four straight races with three more consecutive wins coming later in the season.

Pearson captured the Cup Series championship by 126 over Bobby Isaac, who was driving Nord Krauskopf’s Dodge. Isaac only scored three wins.

1968

PRESIDENT: LYNDON B. JOHNSON

NO. 1 AT THE BOX OFFICE: ROSEMARY’S BABY

MOVIES TO WATCH: PLANET OF THE APES AND NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD

NO. 1 SONG: “HEY JUDE” BY THE BEATLES

GALLON OF GAS: 33 CENTS

POP CULTURE A LEATHER-CLAD ELVIS MADE A BIT OF A COMEBACK WITH HIS TELEVISION SPECIAL ON NBC. ARTISTS SUCH AS FLEETWOOD MAC, JAMES TAYLOR, NEIL YOUNG AND JONI MITCHELL DEBUTED ALBUMS.

BEST DRIVER

David Pearson, driver of the No. 17 Holman Moody Ford, was quiet off the track but allowed his Waddell Wilson-built engines to roar on them. The Spartanburg, South Carolina, native enjoyed a phenomenal season in which his average start was 3.4 and average finish was 5.8 in 16 races. He was known for preserving his equipment until the closing laps and then striking. Later in his career, this strategy earned him the nickname “The Silver Fox.”

BEST RACE

Driving the No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford, Cale Yarborough held David Pearson at bay on the tight, single groove Darlington Raceway to win the prestigious Southern 500. Pearson was faster, but Yarborough held him off for several laps as attempts to pass for the lead proved unsuccessful. Yarborough eventually bounced off the steel guard rail and hit Pearson’s Ford, causing Pearson to spin. Pearson recovered but could not pass for the win.

TOP CARS (2)

David Pearson’s No. 17 Holman Moody Ford notched 16 wins and 38 top-10 finishes after 47 Cup Series starts.

Bobby Isaac’s No. 71 Nord Krauskopf-owned Dodge had 35 top-10 results, including three victories, in 49 races.

1968 Season Recap

DATE | LOCATION | WINNER

Nov. 12 | Middle Georgia Raceway | Bobby Allison

Nov. 26 | Montgomery Speedway | Richard Petty

Jan. 21 | Riverside International Raceway | Dan Gurney

Feb. 25 | Daytona International Speedway | Cale Yarborough

March 17 | Bristol Motor Speedway | David Pearson

March 24 | Richmond Raceway | David Pearson

March 31 | Atlanta Motor Speedway | Cale Yarborough

April 7 | Hickory Speedway | Richard Petty

April 13 | Greenville-Pickens Speedway | Richard Petty

April 18 | Columbia Speedway | Bobby Isaac

April 21 | North Wilkesboro Speedway | David Pearson

April 28 | Martinsville Speedway | Cale Yarborough

May 3 | Augusta Speedway | Bobby Isaac

May 5 | Asheville-Weaverville Speedway | David Pearson

May 11 | Darlington Raceway | David Pearson

May 17 | Beltsville Speedway | David Pearson

May 18 | Langley Field Speedway | David Pearson

May 26 | Charlotte Motor Speedway | Buddy Baker

May 31 | Asheville Speedway | Richard Petty

June 2 | Middle Georgia Raceway | David Pearson

June 6 | Smoky Mountain Raceway | Richard Petty

June 8 | Birmingham Speedway | Richard Petty

June 16 | Rockingham Speedway | Donnie Allison

June 22 | Greenville-Pickens Speedway | Richard Petty

July 4 | Daytona International Speedway | Cale Yarborough

July 7 | Islip Speedway | Bobby Allison

July 9 | Oxford Plains Speedway | Richard Petty

July 11 | Fonda Speedway | Richard Petty

July 14 | Trenton Speedway | LeeRoy Yarbrough

July 21 | Bristol Motor Speedway | David Pearson

July 25 | Smoky Mountain Speedway | Richard Petty

July 27 | Fairgrounds Speedway Nashville | David Pearson

Aug. 4 | Atlanta Motor Speedway | LeeRoy Yarbrough 

Aug. 8 | Columbia Speedway | David Pearson

Aug. 10 | Bowman Gray Stadium | David Pearson

Aug. 18 | Asheville-Weaverville Speedway | David Pearson

Aug. 23 | South Boston Speedway | Richard Petty

Aug. 24 | Langley Field Speedway | David Pearson

Sept. 2 | Darlington Raceway | Cale Yarborough

Sept. 6 | Hickory Speedway | David Pearson

Sept. 8 | Richmond Raceway | Richard Petty

Sept. 13 | Beltsville Speedway | Bobby Isaac 

Sept. 15 | Orange Speedway | Richard Petty

Sept. 22 | Martinsville Speedway | Richard Petty

Sept. 29 | North Wilkesboro Speedway | Richard Petty

Oct. 5 | Augusta Speedway | David Pearson

Oct. 20 | Charlotte Motor Speedway | Charlie Glotzbach

Oct. 27 | Rockingham Speedway | Richard Petty

Nov. 3 | Jeffco Speedway | Cale Yarborough