1963 FOURTEENTH ANNUAL SOUTHERN 500 NASCAR RACE

This film covers the 1963 Southern 500, a NASCAR Cup Series stock car race in Darlington, South Carolina. It is produced by Custom Films, Inc. and Grey-Rock, and features a 3-minute promotion of Grey-Rock auto products as well as play-by-play commentary of the race. 00:06 Sequence of shots shows Darlington Raceway, empty. 00:19 Race cars begin to move onto the track. One takes off fast and laps the track multiple times. 01:32 Mechanics work on race car in the pit garage while race cars run practice laps. 02:20 A mechanic operates an Ammco brake show grinding tool while mechanics open a box of Grey-Rock copper woven and molded brake lining. 03:02 Race cars line up on the race track in a long row of two. Crews tend to cars, waiting for the race to begin. 03:42 Fans set atop a trailer in a crowded parking lot. 03:59 A pace car leads the racers in warm up laps, past 80,000 fans in the grandstand. 05:38 The race begins! 05:47 The line of racers scream around the first turn. Driver Fred Lorenzen leads. 06:04 The racers fly past the grandstand. 06:09 The racers begin lap 2. 06:20 Junior Johnson swings wide and passes Lorenzen. 06:30 Pit crews hold up a pit boards containing information for the drivers such as position, remaining laps, pit stop request, etc. These boards read: “Freddy 302” and “Pancho 132.” 06:36 Marvin ‘Pancho’ Panch in car 21 takes third place. 06:47 Ed Livingston, car 22, skids across the track avoiding danger. 06:58 The racers slow, caution flags wave. 07:14 The race continues. 07:21 Pit crew hold up the “Pancho 133” pit board indicating Panch’s speed. 07:27 A crew member holds up “Fireball 47,” indicating Fireball has turned laps in 37 seconds. 07:40 Billy Wade skids against the backstretch wall. Bob James loses a wheel. His car hobbles to the infield. 07:58 Car 11, Ned Jarrett, bounces off the guard rail and hobbles past the apron. 08:27 Junior Johnson pulls in for a pit stop for refueling and tire change. 08:55 Driver Richard Petty climbs out of his car and assess engine trouble. 09:09 Fireball eases car 22 into the pit for fuel and tire change. 09:34 Cars lap the track. 09:41 Montage of pit crew looking on and holding up pit boards. 09:57 Views of the race from inside a race car and from aerial. 10:24 Car 22 comes to rest in the pit. 10:36 The race continues. Fans in the grandstand look on. 10:49 A crew member writes a message on a pit board. 10:57 Race cars scorch the track at full speed. 11:02 Pit boards: “Freddy 30-6” and “Pancho 133.” 11:08 Panch takes the lead. 11:13 Lorenzen makes an unscheduled pit stop. 11:27 Cars 9 and 22 jockey for second place. Various shots of the race and pit crew reactions. 11:55 Junior Johnson pulls into the pit area and the hood on his Chevy goes up. 12:29 Fireball Roberts passes Panch and takes the lead. 14:20 Panch pulls in for a pit stop. 15:05 Pit crew writes message on Fireball’s pit board for him to refuel. 15:16 Lorenzen takes first place then pulls into the pit. 16:01 Mechanic Glen Wood watches on helplessly. 16:06 Lorenzen puts pressure on Roberts. 16:21 A white flag waves indicating one more lap. The crowd rises to its feet. 16:32 The checkered flag waves and Fireball Roberts, car 22, crosses. 16:57 Roberts rolls into the winners circle. 17:08 Roberts greets the awaiting crowd. 17:35 Roberts answers a journalist’s questions and interacts with beauty pageant winners, has his photograph taken, poses with trophy cup. 18:31 The crowd begins to meander and disburse. 19:15 Wide shot of the winners circle and the activity. 19:24 END