The 1960 NASCAR Grand National Series marked the 12th season of the division, featuring 44 races across a diverse array of tracks including dirt ovals, paved superspeedways, and short tracks, spanning from November 8, 1959, at Southern States Fairgrounds in Charlotte to October 16, 1960, at Charlotte Motor Speedway with the National 400. Rex White captured the championship with 21,164 points, driving a Chevrolet to six victories, three poles, 25 top-five finishes, and 35 top-10s in 40 starts, showcasing remarkable consistency that kept him atop the standings for much of the year. Richard Petty finished second with 17,068 points, earning three wins and strong results in 39 starts, while Bobby Johns took third with 14,964 points and one win; Ned Jarrett (five wins) and Buck Baker (two wins) rounded out the top five.
Notable highlights included Junior Johnson’s victory in the Daytona 500 on February 14 at Daytona International Speedway, where he outpaced Bobby Johns and Richard Petty, and Joe Lee Johnson’s win in the inaugural World 600 on May 29 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Other multi-time winners were Ned Jarrett and Lee Petty with five each, alongside contributions from drivers like Jack Smith (three wins) and Joe Weatherly (three wins); the season also featured a controversy at Wilson Speedway on April 17, where Emanuel Zervakis was disqualified post-race for an oversized fuel tank, marking the last such winner disqualification until 2022. Overall, the year emphasized growing competition and emerging talents like Petty amid a mix of track types and one-time venues like Dixie Speedway.
April 18, 1960
May 14, 1960
Early August
September 25, 1960
