1966 Columbia 200

The 1966 Columbia 200 was a NASCAR Grand National Series event that was held on April 7, 1966, at Columbia Speedway in Columbia, South Carolina.

Background
Columbia Speedway was an oval racetrack located in Cayce, a suburb of Columbia, South Carolina. It was the site of auto races for NASCAR's top series from 1951 through 1971. For most of its history, the racing surface was dirt. The races in April and August 1970 were two of the final three Grand National Series races ever held on a dirt track.

The track was paved before hosting its last two Grand National races in 1971.

While Columbia Speedway was shut down to cars in 1979, noise complaints, it reopened as a velodrome in 2001.

Race report
Two hundred laps were done on a dirt track spanning 0.500 mi. The race took an hour and thirty-one minutes to decide that David Pearson defeated Paul Goldsmith by a margin of one car length (less than one lap ). Eleven thousand people attended this race which had eight cautions for 19 laps.

All 24 competitors were born in the United States of America and were male. Buck Baker and Tiny Lund failed to collect any winnings from this race. This race was dominated by Chevrolet and Ford entries. Speeds for the racing weekend reached 72.202 mph in qualifying (achieved by Tom Pistone) and 65.747 mph during the actual race. The speeds were equalized by the dirt surface; which slowed down the stock cars during the 1950s and 1960s but brought exciting racing for those who were not quite ready for the blistering fast pace of asphalt racing.

Buddy Baker was involved in the event's only crash at lap 95. Frankie Scott and Dale Inman were the two crew chiefs that were the most notable during the race.

The transition to purpose-built racecars began in the early 1960s and occurred gradually over that decade. Changes made to the sport by the late 1960s brought an end to the "strictly stock" vehicles of the 1950s.

Finishing order

 * 1) David Pearson (No. 6)
 * 2) Paul Goldsmith (No. 02)
 * 3) Tom Pistone (No. 59)
 * 4) J.T. Putney (No. 19)
 * 5) John Sears (No. 04)
 * 6) Richard Petty (No. 43)
 * 7) Roy Tyner (No. 9)
 * 8) Toy Bolton (No. 61)
 * 9) Wendell Scott (No. 34)
 * 10) Henley Gray (No. 97)
 * 11) Wayne Woodward (No. 66)
 * 12) Clyde Lynn (No. 20)
 * 13) Gene Cline (No. 95)
 * 14) J.D. McDuffie (No. 70)
 * 15) Neil Castles (No. 86)
 * 16) Joel Davis (No. 77)
 * 17) Jim Tatum (No. 45)
 * 18) Stick Elliott* (No. 18)
 * 19) Jimmy Helms* (No. 53)
 * 20) Buddy Baker* (No. 88)
 * 21) Bill Seifert* (No. 74)
 * 22) Elmo Langley* (No. 64)
 * 23) Buck Baker* (No. 87)
 * 24) Tiny Lund* (No. 55)

* Driver failed to finish race

Timeline
Section reference:
 * Start of race: Tim Pistone started the race with the pole position.
 * Lap 13: Tiny Lund's overheating vehicle apparently sealed his last-place finish in this event.
 * Lap 16: The water pump on Buck Baker's vehicle developed problems, causing him to leave the race early.
 * Lap 54: David Pearson took over the lead from Tom Pistone.
 * Lap 63: Bill Seifert's brakes acted up; Elmo Langley managed to blow the engine of his vehicle.
 * Lap 85: J.T. Putney took over the lead from David Pearson.
 * Lap 86: Paul Goldsmith took over the lead from J.T. Putney.
 * Lap 95: Buddy Baker had a terminal crash, ending his hopes of winning the race.
 * Lap 102: David Pearson took over the lead from Paul Goldsmith.
 * Lap 123: Jimmy Helms' vehicle ended up overheating, causing him to withdraw from the event.
 * Lap 161: Stick Elliott's engine became problematic, forcing him to leave the race.
 * Finish: David Pearson was officially declared the winner of the event.