Dewayne "Tiny" Lund
South Boston, Va. (March 15, 1970) - South Carolina stock car driver Dewayne “Tiny” Lund has driven to victory at South Boston Speedway in the NASCAR Grand American race that became as much a battle of the pit crews as of the drivers.
Lund pushed his 1969 Camaro to victory in the $8,350 event after overcoming difficulty with a faulty ignition system while early leader Jim Paschal of High Point, N.C., sat it out in a 1970 Javelin that wouldn't start after running out of gas.
Lund, 40, a racing veteran from Cross, S.C., drove the 231-lap, 100-mile contest over the 3/8-mile track where he had set a new qualifying record of 83.671 miles per hour, leading only twice for a total 12 laps.
Wayne Andrews of Silver City, N.C., who also led part of the way, finished third behind T.C. Hunt of Atlanta after dropping his lead with a series of pit stops around the 85-mile mark.
In order of finish behind Andrews were: Charlie Blanton, Gaffney, S.C.; Frank Sessoms, Darlington, S.C.; Stan Starr Jr., Madison, Tenn.; Phil Wills, Nashville, Tenn.; Ernie Shaw, Winston Salem, N.C.; Richard Childress, Winston-Salem; and Buck Baker, Charlotte, N.C.
Lund started on the pole but lost the lead to Paschal on the first lap and appeared 'headed for a third place finish before the unexpected happened.
The former Daytona 500 winner led two laps early in the race and didn't see the front again until the final 10 laps when Andrews ran out of gas.
The same fate sidelined Paschal who apparently had the race won until running out of gas on lap 246.
Paschal, after taking the lead from Lund on the first lap, stayed out front for 82 laps before going into the pits on lap 82.
Lund took the lead for two laps but gave way to Andrews on lap 85 and Andrews held the lead for 28 laps. Paschal then went back in the lead for 132 laps until he ran out of gas and coasted into the pits on lap 246.
Gas was taken on in what was to be a hasty stop but Paschal was unable to get the car restarted and he finally climbed out, through for the day, finishing 11th.
Andrews, in the driver's seat after the sudden turn of events, appeared headed for his first GT win until running out of gas with just 10 laps remaining. Andrews, like Paschal, was unable to restart and was forced to settle for third place as Lund coasted home followed by Hunt.
The victory for Lund eased a day of frustration for the big man from Cross, S.C.
"We guessed wrong on tires and then I had engine problem and finished the race on six cylinders," commented Lund after the race. "I think the problem was in the ignition system but we still don't know.”
"They had tough luck out there but that's racing. You never know what's going to happen on the track and I never gave up hope of winning it. This makes up for the one I lost recently at Daytona,"
Andrews revealed after the race that it was his first pit stop that was his downfall. "We put in just five gallons of gas where we normally put in about eight and that extra three gallons would have carried me the distance."
Danville entries Pee Wee Wentz and Bobby Fleming were both sidelined in a four-car pileup on the 80th lap, and both were victims of circumstances.
Terry Flynn's 1968 Mustang got out of shape coming into the third turn and was struck by the 1969 Camaro being driven by national champion Ken Rush of High Point. Fleming was unable to avoid Rush and Wentz was hit by Flynn's car after bounced back off the wall.
The Flynn and Rush cars were virtually demolished while Fleming and Wentz suffered only minor damage but all were finished for the day.
The race was completed in one hour, 30 minutes and 29 seconds at an average speed of 58.413 mph. Cold weather limited the crowd to an estimated 1,200.
Results –
1.Tiny Lund
2.T.C. Hunt
3.Wayne Andrews
4.Charlie Blanton
5.Frank Sessoms
6.Stan Starr, Jr.
7.Phil Wills
8.Ernie Shaw
9.Richard Childress
10.Buck Baker
11.Jim Paschal
12.Jimmy Lee Capps
13.David Boggs
14.Stan Starr, Jr.
15.Earl Briggs
16.Ed Conner
17.Jim Vaughn
18.Ken Rush
19.Terry Flynn
20.Pee Wee Wentz
21.Bobby Fleming
22.Joe Dean Huss
23.Phil Kendrick
24.Randy Hutchison
25.Bobby Wilson
26.Jerry Hufflin
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