1962
ATLANTA 500

     The rain-shortened 1962 Atlanta 500, won by Fred Lorenzen in his white #28 Holman-Moody Ford, is now available on a new 36-minute color DVD from Rare Sportsfilms Inc! As an added bonus, you will not only see the original racefilm in its entirety, but also scenes of the race shot by another film company showing completely different views of the racing action!

     Before the race and throughout the DVD, nice closeup shots show pole-sitter Banjo Matthews, Joe Weatherly, Cotton Owens, David Pearson, Bobby Johns, Lorenzen, Paul Goldsmith, Jack Smith, Marvin Panch, Lee & Richard Petty, Junior Johnson, Rex White and Larry Frank.

     In a race filled with action, some seen from the rear bumper camera of the #19 Ford driven by Herman Beam, Nelson Stacy's #29 Ford breaks a tie rod and smacks the guardrail after only two laps! Four laps later, T.C. Hunt's #10 Dodge blows an engine. Next out is #9 Bunkie Blackburns' Ford which crashes into the pit entrance! Great camera shots from both film companies show the crash in detail.

     Both companies also capture the biggest accident of the race, which occurs in turn one, when Larry Frank spins, collecting Jim Pardue, Rex White, and George Green. The disabled #4 (White) and #66 (Frank) are shown being towed back to the garage area. Pardue is able to drive to the pits, where his crew is shown cutting sheet metal and part of the bumper off his car. Meanwhile behind the wall, Ralph Moody is shown repairing Franks' Ford. A caution comes out for rain, and during the delay, the original film reverts back to pre-race practice and qualifications. The Holman-Moody Ford team is shown back at the shop. This is a team that has surprised the Pontiac fans so far in 1962, winning the last two superspeedway races, and going for a third in a row at Atlanta!

     After a brief rain shower, racing resumes with Joe Weatherly leading. On lap 89, young Cale Yarborough blows the engine in his #92 Julian-Buesink Ford. Other drivers are also having their problems. Roscoe Thompson almost spins out his #81 Mercury. Tom Cox's #60 Plymouth breaks an axle. The transmission in #16 Ralph Earnhardt's Happy Steigel Pontiac gives out after 132 laps. G.C. Spencer nurses a sick engine in #79. Joe Weatherly's #8 Pontiac blows a tire and hits the guardrail, effectively ending his chances of winning, and the engine in Ed Livingston's #68 blows after 181 laps.

     Throughout the race, drivers shown in the pits include Weatherly, Paul Goldsmith, Fireball Roberts, Bobby Johns, Richard Petty, and of course, Matthews and Lorenzen.

     After 180 laps, Banjo is leading with Lorenzen second, followed by Johns, Roberts, Junior Johnson and David Pearson. As dark, menacing clouds threaten to drop rain at any moment, Matthews and Lorenzen stage an exciting side-by-side battle for many laps (the lead changes 23 times during the race)! The final pit stops by Banjo and Lorenzen are shown as Johns temporarily goes into first place on lap 211. Lorenzen's quicker stop just before the storm hits is the key to victory, and as rain pours down in torrents, the race is halted with Lorenzen declared the winner!

     Now you can get your own color copy of this historic race, never before available on DVD, for only $29.95 plus $4.00 shipping (Illinois residents must add $2.00 sales tax!)