Donnie Allison
Bristol, Tenn. (July 20, 1968) – Donnie Allison of Hueytown, Ala., grabbed the lead with 190 laps to go, and held on to win the caution-marred Bristol 300 grand touring international run at the Bristol International Speedway on Sunday afternoon.
The victory was worth $1,430 for Allison, who piloted a 1968 Mustang, with an average speed of 71.854 miles per hour.
The race was marred by six caution flags which slowed the pace considerably, with the most spectacular one involving Arnett Autry of Norfolk, Va. Autry lost control of his 1967 Camaro and slammed the retaining wall on the back stretch, bouncing high in the air, and almost overturning. He was treated at the field hospital and released.
Allison, who started the race on the pole, alongside Bunkie Blackburn, grabbed the lead for the first time on lap 23.
The lead changed hands eight times during the race between four different drivers, Blackburn, Allison, Tiny Lund of Cross, S.C., and Bud Moore of Charlotte, N.C., both driving 1968 Cougars.
Lund, however, was forced out after 177 laps when he bumped Frank Sessoms of Darlington, S.C., driving a 1968 Camaro, causing radiator damage.
Blackburn, of Daytona Beach, Fla., driving a 1968 Camaro, was forced out of the race when he lost control on the backstretch and damaged the front end of his car.
Blackburn and Lund out of the race, it developed into a two-car battle between Moore and Allison.
Allison opened up a narrow lead and as the race went on, opened up a three-lap lead on Moore with 70 laps remaining in the race.
Of the 24 cars that started, only 16 were on the track when the race ended.
Moore finished second with Bob Burcham of Chattanooga, Tenn., in third, driving a 1968 Javelin. Harold Dunaway of Charlotte, N.C., was fourth and Bob Yuma, Melbourne, Fla., rounded out the top five.
Country and western singing star Marty Robbins of Nashville, driving a John Sears 1967 Dodge Dart, blew an engine on the 83rd lap. He was running in fifth when he was forced out.
Results –
1. Donnie Allison
2. Bud Moore
3. Bob Burcham
4. Harold Dunaway
5. Bob Yuma
6. Frank Sessoms
7. Roy Tyner
8. Jack Ryan
9. Al Arnold
10.Peter Gregg
11.Jim Allen
12.Dick Staples
13.Al Straub
14.Lee Cutler
15.Jim Vandiver
16.Buck Baker
17.Tiny Lund
18.Arnett Autry
19.Jim Hall
20.Marty Robbins
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