The 1962 Western North Carolina 500 was a 500-lap NASCAR Grand National Series race held on the half-mile paved track at Asheville-Weaverville Speedway in North Carolina. A crowd of 6,000 fans attended the event, with 25 cars starting the race. Jack Smith won the pole position with a qualifying speed of 82.720 mph and led the first 163 laps.
Jim Paschal, driving the #42 Petty Engineering Plymouth, took over the lead and dominated the remainder of the race to score a convincing victory. He finished three full laps ahead of the field with an average speed of 77.492 mph. There were two cautions during the event. Joe Weatherly finished second, followed by Rex White in third, Ned Jarrett in fourth, and Jack Smith in fifth. Paschal earned $2,350 for the win — his fourth victory of the 1962 season and his third driving for Petty Enterprises.
This race was a strong showing for the Petty Plymouth on the fast Asheville-Weaverville short track.
