The 1966 Gwyn Staley Memorial at North Wilkesboro Speedway on April 17 was a 400-lap Grand National race on the track’s .625-mile paved oval, held during NASCAR’s tense Ford boycott era. Even with several Ford teams absent, 37 cars started the race with only 6,000 fans turning out for the annual spring classic. Jim Paschal won the pole at 102.693 mph and then delivered a near-flawless performance in the No. 14 Friedkin Enterprises Plymouth.
Paschal quickly established control and led 308 of the 400 laps, setting the pace through eight caution flags for 48 laps. Although the race had numerous cautions, most of the attrition came from mechanical trouble and the strain of 400 laps on cars pushed hard around the demanding short track. As rivals dropped back or retired, Paschal continued to widen his margin and ultimately won by an astounding six laps over G. C. Spencer. His average speed was 89.045 mph, and the victory was worth $4,950. Only 14 cars were still running at the finish.
Spencer claimed second, followed by David Pearson in third, Wendell Scott in fourth, and Henley Gray in fifth. In a season filled with outside manufacturer controversy, the 1966 Gwyn Staley Memorial stood out for Paschal’s domination, and the mechanical endurance test it became.
