1969 Grand National Series

1969 Grand National Series
Duration	November 17, 1968 through December 7, 1969
Season statistics
No. of races	54
First race	1969 Georgia 500
Last race	1969 Texas 500
Drivers' champion	David Pearson
Manufacturers' champion
Rookie of the Year	Dick Brooks
Most popular driver	Bobby Isaac
Previous	1968
Next	1970

The 1969 Grand National Series was the 21st season of the NASCAR Grand National Series. The season began with the Georgia 500 at Middle Georgia Raceway on November 17, 1968 and ended with the Texas 500 at Texas World Speedway on December 7, 1969.

David Pearson won his third championship in his fourth full-time season, becoming the second three-time champion. It was the fourth time a driver won consecutive championships. He won 11 times in the season. He finished in the top two in over half of his 51 starts and had a career high average finish of 5.3

The season was notable for the formation of the Professional Drivers Association, a second attempt at a driver’s union led by Richard Petty. It gained notoriety for leading a driver’s boycott of the first ever race at Talladega Superspeedway due to unsafe track conditions. At the same race in Talladega, Dodge debuted the new winged Dodge Daytona, which was driven to victory by Richard Brickhouse. In addition to Talladega, new tracks in Michigan, Dover, and College Station, Texas were added to the schedule. Bristol and Rockingham, which had hosted races for multiple seasons, were redesigned in 1969.

Schedule

Round	Date	Race Name	Track
1	November 17, 1968	Georgia 500	Middle Georgia Raceway
2	December 8, 1968	Alabama 200	Montgomery Speedway
3	February 1, 1969	Motor Trend 500	Riverside International Raceway
4	February 20, 1969	Daytona 500 Qualifier #1	Daytona International Speedway
5	February 20, 1969	Daytona 500 Qualifier #2	Daytona International Speedway
6	February 23, 1969	Daytona 500	Daytona International Speedway
7	March 9, 1969	Carolina 500	North Carolina Motor Speedway
8	March 16, 1969	Cracker 200	Augusta Speedway
9	March 23, 1969	Southeastern 500	Bristol International Speedway
10	March 30, 1969	Atlanta 500	Atlanta International Raceway
11	April 3, 1969	Columbia 200	Columbia Speedway
12	April 6, 1969	Hickory 250	Hickory Speedway
13	April 8, 1969	Greenville 200	Greenville-Pickens Speedway
14	April 13, 1969	Richmond 500	Richmond Fairgrounds Raceway
15	April 20, 1969	Gwyn Staley 400	North Wilkesboro Speedway
16	April 27, 1969	Virginia 500	Martinsville Speedway
17	May 4, 1969	Fireball 300	Asheville-Weaverville Speedway
18	May 10, 1969	Rebel 400	Darlington Raceway
19	May 16, 1969	Beltsville 300	Beltsville Speedway
20	May 17, 1969	Tidewater 375	Langley Field Speedway
21	May 25, 1969	World 600	Charlotte Motor Speedway
22	June 1, 1969	Macon 300	Middle Georgia Raceway
23	June 5, 1969	Maryville 300	Smoky Mountain Raceway
24	June 15, 1969	Motor State 500	Michigan International Speedway
25	June 19, 1969	Kingsport 250	Kingsport Speedway
26	June 21, 1969	Pickens 200	Greenville-Pickens Speedway
27	June 26, 1969	North State 200	North Carolina State Fairgrounds
28	July 4, 1969	Medal of Honor Firecracker 400	Daytona International Speedway
29	July 6, 1969	Mason-Dixon 300	Dover Downs International Speedway
30	July 10, 1969	Thompson 200	Thompson Speedway
31	July 13, 1969	Northern 300	Trenton Speedway
32	July 15, 1969	Maryland 300	Beltsville Speedway
33	July 20, 1969	Volunteer 500	Bristol International Speedway
34	July 26, 1969	Nashville 400	Nashville Speedway
35	July 27, 1969	Smoky Mountain 200	Smoky Mountain Raceway
36	August 10, 1969	Dixie 500	Atlanta International Raceway
37	August 17, 1969	Yankee 600	Michigan International Speedway
38	August 21, 1969	South Boston 100	South Boston Speedway
39	August 22, 1969	Myers Brothers 250	Bowman Gray Stadium
40	August 24, 1969	Western North Carolina 500	Asheville-Weaverville Speedway
41	September 1, 1969	Southern 500	Darlington Raceway
42	September 5, 1969	Buddy Shuman 250	Hickory Speedway
43	September 7, 1969	Capital City 250	Richmond Fairgrounds Raceway
44	September 14, 1969	Talladega 500	Alabama International Motor Speedway
45	September 18, 1969	Sandlapper 200	Columbia Speedway
46	September 28, 1969	Old Dominion 500	Martinsville Speedway
47	October 5, 1969	Wilkes 400	North Wilkesboro Speedway
48	October 12, 1969	National 500	Charlotte Motor Speedway
49	October 17, 1969	1969-49	Savannah Speedway
50	October 19, 1969	1969-50	Augusta Speedway
51	October 26, 1969	American 500	North Carolina Motor Speedway
52	November 2, 1969	Commerce 200	Jefco Speedway
53	November 9, 1969	Georgia 500	Middle Georgia Raceway
54	December 7, 1969	Texas 500	Texas World Speedway

Results

Round	Race	Pole Winner	Winner	Make	Cautions	Caution Laps	Average Speed	Number of Lead Changes
1	1969 Georgia 500	David Pearson	Richard Petty		2	16	85.121	12
2	1969 Alabama 200	Richard Petty	Bobby Allison		2	11	73.200	7
3	1969 Motor Trend 500	A.J. Foyt	Richard Petty		0	0	105.498	9
4	1969 Daytona 500 Qualifier #1	Buddy Baker	David Pearson		2	15	152.181	5
5	1969 Daytona 500 Qualifier #2	Bobby Isaac	Bobby Isaac		2	16	151.688	9
6	1969 Daytona 500	Buddy Baker	LeeRoy Yarbrough		5	35	157.950	17
7	1969 Carolina 500	David Pearson	David Pearson		10	82	102.569	23
8	1969 Cracker 200	Bobby Isaac	David Pearson		1	10	77.586	1
9	1969 Southeastern 500	Bobby Isaac	Bobby Allison		4	32	81.455	9
10	1969 Atlanta 500	David Pearson	Cale Yarborough		5	53	132.759	11
11	1969 Columbia 200	Bobby Isaac	Bobby Isaac		4	21	68.558	7
12	1969 Hickory 250	Bobby Isaac	Bobby Isaac		4	19	79.086	0
13	1969 Greenville 200	David Pearson	Bobby Isaac		5	27	64.389	9
14	1969 Richmond 500	David Pearson	David Pearson		6	40	73.752	6
15	1969 Gwyn Staley 400	Bobby Isaac	Bobby Allison		4	30	95.268	11
16	1969 Virginia 500	Bobby Allison	Richard Petty		8	61	64.405	11
17	1969 Fireball 300	Bobby Isaac	Bobby Isaac		3	34	72.581	2
18	1969 Rebel 400	Cale Yarborough	LeeRoy Yarbrough		4	24	131.572	11
19	1969 Beltsville 300	Bobby Isaac	Bobby Isaac		3	29	73.059	0
20	1969 Tidewater 375	David Pearson	David Pearson		1	5	75.789	4
21	1969 World 600	Donnie Allison	LeeRoy Yarbrough		5	45	134.361	13
22	1969 Macon 300	David Pearson	Bobby Isaac		2	28	73.717	3
23	1969 Maryville 300	David Pearson	Bobby Isaac		1	8	81.706	3
24	1969 Motor State 500	Donnie Allison	Cale Yarborough		7	35	139.254	35
25	1969 Kingsport 250	Bobby Isaac	Richard Petty		5	35	73.619	3
26	1969 Pickens 200	Bobby Isaac	Bobby Isaac		5	29	61.813	4
27	1969 North State 200	Bobby Isaac	David Pearson		4	12	65.418	3
28	1969 Medal of Honor Firecracker 400	Cale Yarborough	LeeRoy Yarbrough		2	27	160.875	16
29	1969 Mason-Dixon 300	David Pearson	Richard Petty		4	27	115.772	7
30	1969 Thompson 200	David Pearson	David Pearson		2	13	89.498	4
31	1969 Northern 300	Bobby Isaac	David Pearson		2	10	121.008	8
32	1969 Maryland 300	Richard Petty	Richard Petty		2	9	77.253	8
33	1969 Volunteer 500	Cale Yarborough	David Pearson		8	56	79.737	9
34	1969 Nashville 400	Richard Petty	Richard Petty		5	18	78.740	2
35	1969 Smoky Mountain 200	David Pearson	Richard Petty		1	7	82.417	4
36	1969 Dixie 500	Cale Yarborough	LeeRoy Yarbrough		3	31	133.001	19
37	1969 Yankee 600	David Pearson	David Pearson		7	78	115.508	26
38	1969 South Boston 100	Bobby Isaac	Bobby Isaac		2	13	76.906	3
39	1969 Myers Brothers 250	Richard Petty	Richard Petty		3	17	47.458	2
40	1969 Western North Carolina 500	Bobby Isaac	Bobby Isaac		4	17	80.450	7
41	1969 Southern 500	Cale Yarborough	LeeRoy Yarbrough		7	85	105.612	20
42	1969 Buddy Shuman 250	Bobby Isaac	Bobby Isaac		3	11	80.519	4
43	1969 Capital City 250	Richard Petty	Bobby Allison		6	39	76.388	3
44	1969 Talladega 500	Bobby Isaac	Richard Brickhouse		7	38	153.778	35
45	1969 Sandlapper 200	Richard Petty	Bobby Isaac		2	15	70.230	3
46	1969 Old Dominion 500	David Pearson	Richard Petty		11	61	63.127	11
47	1969 Wilkes 400	Bobby Isaac	David Pearson		3	23	93.429	6
48	1969 National 500	Cale Yarborough	Donnie Allison		9	50	131.271	28
49	1969-49	Bobby Isaac	Bobby Isaac		2	11	78.482	2
50	1969-50	Bobby Isaac	Bobby Isaac		0	0	78.740	2
51	1969 American 500	Charlie Glotzbach	LeeRoy Yarbrough		7	66	111.938	25
52	1969 Commerce 200	David Pearson	Bobby Isaac		1	4	85.106	1
53	1969 Georgia 500	Bobby Isaac	Bobby Allison		10	58	81.079	14
54	1969 Texas 500	Buddy Baker	Bobby Isaac		3	29	144.277	35

Final Points Standings

Pos.	Driver	Races	Wins	Top 5s	Top 10s	Poles	Points	Difference
1	David Pearson	51	11	42	44	14	4170
2	Richard Petty	50	10	31	38	6	3813	-357
3	James Hylton	52	0	27	39	0	3750	-420
4	Neil Castles	52	0	14	30	0	3530	-640
5	Elmo Langley	52	0	13	28	0	3383	-787
6	Bobby Isaac	50	17	29	33	19	3301	-869
7	John Sears	52	0	17	27	0	3166	-1,004
8	Jabe Thomas	51	0	0	12	0	3103	-1,067
9	Wendell Scott	51	0	0	11	0	3015	-1,155
10	Cecil Gordon	51	0	1	8	0	3002	-1,168
11	E.J. Trivette	49	0	0	15	0	2988	-1,182
12	Bill Champion	49	0	1	10	0	2813	-1,357
13	Bill Seifert	50	0	1	15	0	2765	-1,405
14	J.D. McDuffie	50	0	0	12	0	2741	-1,429
15	Ben Arnold	48	0	0	8	0	2736	-1,434
16	LeeRoy Yarbrough	30	7	16	21	0	2712	-1,458
17	Henley Gray	48	0	0	5	0	2517	-1,653
18	Earl Brooks	49	0	1	6	0	2454	-1,716
19	Dave Marcis	37	0	3	11	0	2348	-1,822
20	Bobby Allison	27	5	13	15	1	2055	-2,115
21	Dick Brooks	28	0	3	12	0	1780	-2,390
22	Buddy Baker	18	0	9	11	2	1769	-2,401
23	Cale Yarborough	19	2	7	8	6	1715	-2,455
24	Donnie Allison	16	1	10	11	2	1662	-2,508
25	Richard Brickhouse	24	1	2	9	0	1660	-2,510
26	G.C. Spencer	26	0	4	8	0	1562	-2,608
27	Ed Negre	31	0	0	4	0	1465	-2,705
28	Friday Hassler	18	0	0	7	0	1421	-2,749
29	Frank Warren	23	0	0	1	0	1299	-2,871
30	Hoss Ellington	15	0	0	4	0	1210	-2,960
31	Roy Tyner	21	0	0	1	0	1191	-2,979
32	Ed Hessert	16	0	0	4	0	1113	-3,057
33	Buddy Arrington	16	0	2	6	0	1099	-3,071
34	Dick Johnson	22	0	0	4	0	1055	-3,115
35	Buddy Young	21	0	1	6	0	981	-3,189
36	Dub Simpson	20	0	0	0	0	959	-3,211
37	Charlie Glotzbach	12	0	5	6	1	944	-3,226
38	Roy Mayne	13	0	0	0	0	924	-3,246
39	Wayne Smith	16	0	0	2	0	922	-3,248
40	Paul Goldsmith	11	0	4	5	0	892	-3,278

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

Rookie of the Year

With 3 Top 5s and 12 Top 10s in 28 starts, Dick Brooks was the 1969 Rookie of the Year.

Position	Driver	Race Wins
1	Dick Brooks	0
2	Buddy Young	0
3	Hoss Ellington	0

Manufacturer's Championship

With 26 wins, Ford won the 1969 Manufacturer's Championship.

Position	Make	Race Wins
1		26
2		22
3		2
4		4
5		0