A crowd estimated at 18,000 fans attended the Volunteer 500 held at Bristol International Speedway on July 24, 1966. The 36-car field would battle for 500 laps on the high-banked half-mile track. Veteran Curtis Turner, making one of his comeback appearances after reinstatement, captured the pole position in Toy Bolton’s 1966 Chevrolet with a qualifying speed of 84.309 mph, leading the first 80 laps before an engine failure ended his day.
Paul Goldsmith, driving the #99 Nichels Engineering Plymouth, emerged victorious in a thrilling late-race charge. He overcame a two-lap deficit in the final 150 laps, capitalizing on superior handling, a couple of caution periods, and the physical toll on the leader. Richard Petty had dominated much of the race after taking over on lap 160, leading a commanding 336 laps total, but a lingering neck injury from a prior wreck forced him to hand the wheel to relief driver Jim Paschal on lap 376. Paschal maintained the lead until the closing stages.
Goldsmith made the decisive pass on lap 496, pulling ahead by about three car lengths at the checkered flag after a hard-fought battle. David Pearson finished a solid third in Cotton Owens’ Dodge, followed by local favorite Paul Lewis in fourth and Bobby Allison in fifth. The race featured only three lead changes among the top contenders, two cautions for a total of 24 laps, and ran in a brisk 3 hours and 12 minutes with an average speed of 77.963 mph.
This marked Goldsmith’s ninth and final career NASCAR Grand National win and earned him $5,400. The event highlighted the era’s mix of short-track intensity, mechanical reliability challenges, and strategic relief driving, with Petty’s team showing resilience even in defeat. It remains a memorable chapter in Bristol’s early history and Goldsmith’s accomplished but relatively brief stock car career.
