The 1969 Motor State 500 was the inaugural NASCAR Grand National Series race at the brand-new Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Michigan, held on June 15, 1969. It was the 24th race of the 54-race season and ran a scheduled 250 laps (the distance adjusted due to the 2-mile track layout).
Cale Yarborough, driving the #21 Wood Brothers Racing Mercury, started fourth and led 38 laps to score the victory, holding off David Pearson by about five car lengths after more than three and a half hours of racing. Pearson finished second (leading 57 laps), with Richard Petty third. LeeRoy Yarbrough dominated early, pacing a race-high 136 laps in his #98 Mercury before crashing on lap 249; he tried to limp the damaged car across the line but fell just short.
The event highlighted the intense competition among Ford and Mercury teams on the fast new superspeedway, with several mechanical failures and incidents marking the day. Yarborough’s win added momentum to his strong 1969 campaign.
