1961 NASCAR Cup Series Season

The 1961 NASCAR Cup Series season featured 52 races across 29 tracks, with 19 different drivers reaching victory lane. Ned Jarrett captured the championship driving a Chevrolet.

Total Races

Different Winners

Ned Jarrett

Champion

Tracks Visited

Manufacturer wins: Pontiac: 30, Chevrolet: 11, Ford: 7, Plymouth: 3, Chrysler: 1

Race-by-Race Results

#	Race	Track	Winner	Mfr	Entries
1	100 Miles at Southern States Fairgrounds	Southern States Fairgrounds	Joe Weatherly	Ford	20
2	100 Miles at Speedway Park	Speedway Park	Lee Petty	Plymouth	22
3	Daytona 500 Qualifer #1	Daytona International Speedway	Fireball Roberts	Pontiac	34
4	Daytona 500 Qualifer #2	Daytona International Speedway	Joe Weatherly	Pontiac	33
5	Daytona 500	Daytona International Speedway	Marvin Panch	Pontiac	58
6	100 Miles at Piedmont Interstate Fairgrounds	Piedmont Interstate Fairgrounds	Cotton Owens	Pontiac	18
7	100 Miles at Asheville-Weaverville Speedway	Asheville-Weaverville Speedway	Rex White	Chevrolet	15
8	249 Miles at Marchbanks Speedway	Marchbanks Speedway	Fireball Roberts	Pontiac	36
9	Atlanta 500	Atlanta Motor Speedway	Bob Burdick	Pontiac	46
10	Greenville 200	Greenville-Pickens Speedway	Emanuel Zervakis	Chevrolet	21
11	99 Miles at Occoneechee Speedway	Occoneechee Speedway	Cotton Owens	Pontiac	20
12	38 Miles at Bowman-Gray Stadium	Bowman Gray Stadium	Rex White	Chevrolet	18
13	Grand National 200	Martinsville Speedway	Fred Lorenzen	Ford	27
14	Gwyn Staley 400	North Wilkesboro Speedway	Rex White	Chevrolet	25
15	100 Miles at Columbia Speedway	Columbia Speedway	Cotton Owens	Pontiac	22
16	Hickory 250	Hickory Speedway	Junior Johnson	Pontiac	23
17	Richmond 200	Richmond Raceway	Richard Petty	Plymouth	12
18	Virginia 500	Martinsville Speedway	Junior Johnson	Pontiac	30
19	Rebel 300	Darlington Raceway	Fred Lorenzen	Ford	32
20	102 Miles at Riverside International Raceway	Riverside International Raceway	Lloyd Dane	Chevrolet	27
21	World 600 Qualifier #2	Charlotte Motor Speedway	Joe Weatherly	Pontiac	19
22	World 600 Qualifier #1	Charlotte Motor Speedway	Richard Petty	Plymouth	19
23	100 Miles at Ascot Stadium	Ascot Stadium	Eddie Gray	Ford	22
24	World 600	Charlotte Motor Speedway	David Pearson	Pontiac	55
25	100 Miles at Piedmont Interstate Fairgrounds	Piedmont Interstate Fairgrounds	Jim Paschal	Pontiac	21
26	125 Miles at Birmingham International Raceway	Birmingham International Raceway	Ned Jarrett	Chevrolet	13
27	Pickens 200	Greenville-Pickens Speedway	Jack Smith	Pontiac	26
28	Myers Brothers 200	Bowman Gray Stadium	Rex White	Chevrolet	22
29	Yankee 500	Norwood Arena	Emanuel Zervakis	Chevrolet	18
30	50 Miles at Hartsville Speedway	Hartsville Speedway	Buck Baker	Chrysler	18
31	38 Miles at Starkey Speedway	Starkey Speedway	Junior Johnson	Pontiac	20
32	Firecracker 250	Daytona International Speedway	David Pearson	Pontiac	30
33	Festival 250	Atlanta Motor Speedway	Fred Lorenzen	Ford	42
34	100 Miles at Columbia Speedway	Columbia Speedway	Cotton Owens	Pontiac	21
35	108 Miles at Rambi Race Track	Rambi Race Track	Joe Weatherly	Pontiac	22
36	Volunteer 500	Bristol Motor Speedway	Jack Smith	Pontiac	42
37	Nasvhille 500	Nashville Speedway	Jim Paschal	Pontiac	24
38	Bowman-Gray 500	Bowman Gray Stadium	Rex White	Chevrolet	23
39	Western North Carolina 500	Asheville-Weaverville Speedway	Junior Johnson	Pontiac	38
40	50 Miles at Southside Speedway	Southside Speedway	Junior Johnson	Pontiac	19
41	80 Miles at South Boston Speedway	South Boston Speedway	Junior Johnson	Pontiac	21
42	Southern 500	Darlington Raceway	Nelson Stacy	Ford	43
43	Buddy Shuman 250	Hickory Speedway	Rex White	Chevrolet	20
44	100 Miles at California State Fairgrounds	California State Fairgrounds	Eddie Gray	Ford	32
45	Capital City 200	Richmond Raceway	Joe Weatherly	Pontiac	25
46	Dixie 400	Atlanta Motor Speedway	David Pearson	Pontiac	42
47	Old Dominion 500	Martinsville Speedway	Joe Weatherly	Pontiac	29
48	Wilkes 200	North Wilkesboro Speedway	Rex White	Chevrolet	30
49	National 400	Charlotte Motor Speedway	Joe Weatherly	Pontiac	43
50	Southeastern 500	Bristol Motor Speedway	Joe Weatherly	Pontiac	38
51	100 Miles at Greenville-Pickens Speedway	Greenville-Pickens Speedway	Junior Johnson	Pontiac	18
52	149 Miles at Occoneechee Speedway	Occoneechee Speedway	Joe Weatherly	Pontiac	20

Season Standings (Top 30)

Rank	Driver	Wins	Top 5	Top 10	Races	Avg Finish
1	Joe Weatherly	9	14	18	25	7.4
2	Rex White	7	29	38	47	7.0
3	Junior Johnson	7	16	22	41	12.1
4	Cotton Owens	4	11	11	17	9.1
5	David Pearson	3	7	8	19	14.6
6	Fred Lorenzen	3	6	6	15	17.3
7	Emanuel Zervakis	2	19	28	38	7.8
8	Richard Petty	2	18	23	42	11.0
9	Fireball Roberts	2	13	14	22	11.0
10	Jim Paschal	2	12	16	23	9.2
11	Jack Smith	2	10	14	25	11.2
12	Eddie Gray	2	3	3	4	5.0
13	Ned Jarrett ★	1	23	34	46	7.6
14	Buck Baker	1	11	15	42	14.2
15	Nelson Stacy	1	4	8	15	18.4
16	Marvin Panch	1	3	6	9	14.3
17	Lee Petty	1	2	2	3	6.3
18	Bob Burdick	1	2	3	5	15.2
19	Lloyd Dane	1	1	2	4	12.3
20	Don Noel	0	3	3	4	5.3
21	Bob Welborn	0	3	7	14	11.1
22	Glen Wood	0	3	3	6	11.2
23	G.C. Spencer	0	3	18	31	13.0
24	Jimmy Pardue	0	3	16	44	14.0
25	Jim Reed	0	3	4	8	14.3
26	Johnny Allen	0	3	11	22	15.3
27	Tommy Irwin	0	3	8	26	18.5
28	Danny Weinberg	0	2	3	4	8.8
29	Ralph Earnhardt	0	2	5	8	11.0
30	Maurice Petty	0	2	4	9	11.3