1962 Grand National Series

1962 Grand National Series
Duration	November 5, 1961 through October 28, 1962
Season statistics
No. of races	53
First race	1962-01
Last race	1962 Dixie 400
Drivers' champion	Joe Weatherly
Manufacturers' champion
Rookie of the Year	Tom Cox
Most popular driver	Richard Petty
Previous	1961
Next	1963

The 1962 Grand National Series was the 14th season of the NASCAR Grand National Series. The season began with a race at New Concord Speedway on November 5, 1961 and ended with the Dixie 400 at Atlanta International Raceway on October 28, 1962.

Joe Weatherly won his first championship in his first full-time season, earning nine wins in the season. He became the second driver to win a championship with crew chief Bud Moore.

The season was notable for the return of the Ford factory effort, ending a ban dating from 1957 against auto racing. It was also notable for being the first season where a woman owner won a race (Fred Lorenzen won at Augusta driving for Mamie Reynolds).

Schedule

Round	Date	Race Name	Track
1	November 5, 1961	1962-01	New Concord Speedway
2	November 12, 1961	1962-02	Asheville-Weaverville Speedway
3	February 16, 1962	Daytona 500 Qualifier #1	Daytona International Speedway
4	February 16, 1962	Daytona 500 Qualifier #2	Daytona International Speedway
5	February 18, 1962	Daytona 500	Daytona International Speedway
6	February 25, 1962	1962-06	New Concord Speedway
7	March 4, 1962	1962-07	Asheville-Weaverville Speedway
8	March 17, 1962	St. Patrick's Day 200	Savannah Speedway
9	March 18, 1962	1962-09	Orange Speedway
10	April 1, 1962	Richmond 250	Atlantic Rural Fairgrounds
11	April 13, 1962	Arclite 200	Columbia Speedway
12	April 15, 1962	Gwyn Staley 400	North Wilkesboro Speedway
13	April 19, 1962	Greenville 200	Greenville-Pickens Speedway
14	April 21, 1962	1962-14	Rambi Raceway
15	April 22, 1962	Virginia 500	Martinsville Speedway
16	April 23, 1962	1962-16	Bowman Gray Stadium
17	April 29, 1962	Volunteer 500	Bristol International Speedway
18	May 4, 1962	1962-18	Southside Speedway
19	May 5, 1962	Hickory 250	Hickory Speedway
20	May 6, 1962	1962-20	New Concord Speedway
21	May 12, 1962	Rebel 300	Darlington Raceway
22	May 19, 1962	1962-22	Piedmont Interstate Fairgrounds
23	May 27, 1962	World 600	Charlotte Motor Speedway
24	June 10, 1962	Atlanta 500	Atlanta International Raceway
25	June 16, 1962	Myers Brothers 200	Bowman Gray Stadium
26	June 19, 1962	1962-26	Augusta Speedway
27	June 22, 1962	1962-27	Southside Speedway
28	June 23, 1962	1962-28	South Boston Speedway
29	July 4, 1962	Firecracker 250	Daytona International Speedway
30	July 7, 1962	Sandlapper 200	Columbia Speedway
31	July 13, 1962	1962-31	New Asheville Speedway
32	July 14, 1962	Pickens 200	Greenville-Pickens Speedway
33	July 17, 1962	1962-33	Augusta Speedway
34	July 20, 1962	1962-34	Savannah Speedway
35	July 21, 1962	1962-35	Rambi Raceway
36	July 29, 1962	Southeastern 500	Bristol International Speedway
37	August 3, 1962	Confederate 200	Boyds Speedway
38	August 5, 1962	Nashville 500	Nashville Speedway
39	August 8, 1962	1962-39	Huntsville Speedway
40	August 12, 1962	Western North Carolina 500	Asheville-Weaverville Speedway
41	August 15, 1962	1962-41	Starkey Speedway
42	August 18, 1962	International 200	Bowman Gray Stadium
43	August 21, 1962	1962-43	Piedmont Interstate Fairgrounds
44	August 25, 1962	1962-44	Valdosta Speedway
45	September 3, 1962	Southern 500	Darlington Raceway
46	September 7, 1962	Buddy Shuman 250	Hickory Speedway
47	September 9, 1962	Capital City 300	Atlantic Rural Fairgrounds
48	September 11, 1962	1962-48	Dog Track Speedway
49	September 13, 1962	1962-49	Augusta Speedway
50	September 23, 1962	Old Dominion 500	Martinsville Speedway
51	September 30, 1962	Wilkes 320	North Wilkesboro Speedway
52	October 14, 1962	National 400	Charlotte Motor Speedway
53	October 28, 1962	Dixie 400	Atlanta International Raceway

Results

Round	Race	Pole Winner	Winner	Make	Cautions	Caution Laps	Average Speed	Number of Lead Changes
1	1962-01	Joe Weatherly	Jack Smith				59.405
2	1962-02	Joe Weatherly	Rex White		3	14	68.467	5
3	1962 Daytona 500 Qualifier #1	Fireball Roberts	Fireball Roberts				156.999
4	1962 Daytona 500 Qualifier #2	Darel Dieringer	Joe Weatherly				145.395	2
5	1962 Daytona 500	Fireball Roberts	Fireball Roberts		0	0	152.529	22
6	1962-06	Joe Weatherly	Joe Weatherly				53.161	0
7	1962-07	Rex White	Joe Weatherly		1		75.471	3
8	1962 St. Patrick's Day 200	Rex White	Jack Smith		3		58.775	4
9	1962-09	Joe Weatherly	Rex White				86.948	4
10	1962 Richmond 250	Herman Beam	Rex White		5	32	51.363	7
11	1962 Arclite 200	Joe Weatherly	Ned Jarrett				56.710
12	1962 Gwyn Staley 400	Junior Johnson	Richard Petty		5		84.737	5
13	1962 Greenville 200	Ned Jarrett	Ned Jarrett				57.480
14	1962-14	Ned Jarrett	Jack Smith				63.036
15	1962 Virginia 500	Fred Lorenzen	Richard Petty		2		66.425	6
16	1962-16	Rex White	Rex White				43.392
17	1962 Volunteer 500	Fireball Roberts	Bobby Johns		4	37	73.397	5
18	1962-18	Rex White	Jimmy Pardue				67.747	1
19	1962 Hickory 250	Jack Smith	Jack Smith		1	5	71.216	0
20	1962-20	Richard Petty	Joe Weatherly				57.052	1
21	1962 Rebel 300	Fred Lorenzen	Nelson Stacy		6		117.429	9
22	1962-22	Cotton Owens	Ned Jarrett				60.080
23	1962 World 600	Fireball Roberts	Nelson Stacy		2	14	125.552	18
24	1962 Atlanta 500	Banjo Matthews	Fred Lorenzen		3	61	101.983	23
25	1962 Myers Brothers 200	Rex White	Johnny Allen				45.466	1
26	1962-26	Joe Weatherly	Joe Weatherly				59.850
27	1962-27	Rex White	Jim Paschal		1		66.293	2
28	1962-28	Jack Smith	Rex White				72.540	1
29	1962 Firecracker 250	Banjo Matthews	Fireball Roberts		2	7	153.688	14
30	1962 Sandlapper 200	Jack Smith	Rex White				62.370
31	1962-31	Rex White	Jack Smith		0	0	78.294	2
32	1962 Pickens 200	Rex White	Richard Petty				62.219
33	1962-33	Jack Smith	Joe Weatherly				55.104
34	1962-34	Wendell Scott	Joe Weatherly				67.239
35	1962-35	Ned Jarrett	Ned Jarrett				64.171	2
36	1962 Southeastern 500	Fireball Roberts	Jim Paschal		4	21	75.276	12
37	1962 Confederate 200	Richard Petty	Joe Weatherly				71.145	3
38	1962 Nashville 500	Johnny Allen	Jim Paschal		3	108	64.489	5
39	1962-39	Richard Petty	Richard Petty				54.644	0
40	1962 Western North Carolina 500	Jack Smith	Jim Paschal		2		77.492	1
41	1962-41	Jack Smith	Richard Petty				51.165
42	1962 International 200	Jack Smith	Richard Petty		0	0	46.875	3
43	1962-43	Richard Petty	Richard Petty				59.870
44	1962-44	Richard Petty	Ned Jarrett				61.454
45	1962 Southern 500	Fireball Roberts	Larry Frank		4	27	117.965	9
46	1962 Buddy Shuman 250	Junior Johnson	Rex White				70.574	1
47	1962 Capital City 300	Rex White	Joe Weatherly		1	9	64.981
48	1962-48	Ned Jarrett	Ned Jarrett				43.078	0
49	1962-49	Joe Weatherly	Fred Lorenzen				60.759	2
50	1962 Old Dominion 500	Fireball Roberts	Nelson Stacy		2		66.874	4
51	1962 Wilkes 320	Fred Lorenzen	Richard Petty		3		86.186	2
52	1962 National 400	Fireball Roberts	Junior Johnson		1	6	132.085	10
53	1962 Dixie 400	Fireball Roberts	Rex White		3		124.740	16

Final Points Standings

Pos.	Driver	Races	Wins	Top 5s	Top 10s	Poles	Points	Difference
1	Joe Weatherly	52	9	39	45	7	30836
2	Richard Petty	52	8	32	39	4	28440	-2,396
3	Ned Jarrett	52	6	19	35	4	25336	-5,500
4	Jack Smith	51	5	27	35	7	22870	-7,966
5	Rex White	37	8	18	23	9	19424	-11,412
6	Jim Paschal	39	4	17	24	0	18128	-12,708
7	Fred Lorenzen	19	2	11	12	3	17554	-13,282
8	Fireball Roberts	19	3	9	12	8	16380	-14,456
9	Marvin Panch	17	0	5	8	0	15138	-15,698
10	David Pearson	12	0	1	7	0	14404	-16,432
11	Herman Beam	51	0	0	18	0	13650	-17,186
12	Curtis Crider	52	0	3	18	0	13050	-17,786
13	Buck Baker	37	0	6	14	0	12838	-17,998
14	Larry Frank	19	1	2	8	0	12814	-18,022
15	Bob Welborn	25	0	5	12	0	12368	-18,468
16	George Green	46	0	1	15	0	12132	-18,704
17	Larry Thomas	37	0	3	12	0	11946	-18,890
18	Tom Cox	42	0	3	20	0	11688	-19,148
19	Jimmy Pardue	30	1	5	16	0	11414	-19,422
20	Junior Johnson	23	1	7	8	2	11140	-19,696
21	Nelson Stacy	15	3	5	7	0	10934	-19,902
22	Wendell Scott	41	0	4	19	1	9906	-20,930
23	Buddy Baker	31	0	5	10	0	9828	-21,008
24	G.C. Spencer	42	0	6	13	0	9788	-21,048
25	Bunkie Blackburn	10	0	1	3	0	8016	-22,820
26	Johnny Allen	20	1	5	8	1	7602	-23,234
27	Emanuel Zervakis	11	0	0	2	0	6406	-24,430
28	Bobby Johns	13	1	2	3	0	5670	-25,166
29	Ralph Earnhardt	17	0	2	6	0	5472	-25,364
30	Cotton Owens	16	0	7	8	1	4984	-25,852
31	Banjo Matthews	5	0	1	2	2	4956	-25,880
32	Sherman Utsman	12	0	1	4	0	4896	-25,940
33	Darel Dieringer	14	0	1	3	0	4548	-26,288
34	Tiny Lund	10	0	0	0	0	4384	-26,452
35	Stick Elliott	21	0	0	2	0	4254	-26,582
36	LeeRoy Yarbrough	12	0	1	1	0	4240	-26,596
37	Tommy Irwin	20	0	2	9	0	3980	-26,856
38	Ed Livingston	13	0	0	0	0	3604	-27,232
39	Fred Harb	21	0	0	3	0	3430	-27,406
40	Elmo Langley	6	0	0	0	0	2556	-28,280

Complete statistics can be found at Racing-Reference.info.

Rookie of the Year

With 3 Top 5s and 20 Top 10s in 42 starts, Tom Cox was the 1962 Rookie of the Year.

Position	Driver	Race Wins
1	Tom Cox	0
2	Cale Yarborough	0
3	Ed Livingston	0

Manufacturer's Championship

With 22 wins, Pontiac won the 1962 Manufacturer's Championship.

Position	Make	Race Wins
1		22
2		14
3		11
4		6
5		0