The 1970 Gwyn Staley 400, run on April 18th at North Wilkesboro Speedway, drew 11,500 fans to the .625-mile short track for a 400-lap NASCAR Grand National race. Bobby Isaac captured the pole with a speed of 107.041 mph and led the early stages, while Richard Petty began the day deep in the field in 16th position. Working his way forward through the 30-car lineup, Petty steadily closed the gap on the leaders before making his move.
The decisive moment came on lap 52, when Petty took the lead from Isaac and never looked back. The race itself was relatively clean, slowed by just three cautions for 21 laps. Isaac, despite losing the top spot, turned in a strong performance to finish second, followed by LeeRoy Yarbrough in third. James Hylton and Dick Brooks completed the top five. At the finish, Petty had lapped the entire field, winning by a full lap in an impressive drive from mid-pack to victory at one of NASCAR’s most challenging short tracks.
