The 1967 Dixie 500 held on August 6th at Atlanta International Raceway drew a crowd of 36,000 fans to watch another competitive 44-car field in NASCAR’s Grand National Series. Cale Yarborough claimed the pole position, this time with a qualifying speed of 150.669 mph, setting a fast pace for the 500-mile event on the 1.5-mile speedway.
Dick Hutcherson emerged victorious, driving the Bondy Long #29 Ford to his first career superspeedway win. Hutcherson took the checkered flag ahead of Paul Goldsmith in second place. LeeRoy Yarbrough finished third, followed by Donnie Allison in fourth and Bud Moore in fifth. The race ran at an average speed of 132.286 mph and was slowed by six caution periods totaling 38 laps. Hutcherson earned $16,500 for the victory.
The afternoon belonged to Richard Petty early on, as the King led three different times for a race-high 127 laps. However, Petty’s strong run ended dramatically when he blew an engine while leading — his first DNF in 26 consecutive races. The attrition and strategic battles allowed Hutcherson to capitalize and secure the win. After the race, Petty maintained a commanding 1,874-point lead over James Hylton in the championship standings.
