| Race details[1][2] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 45 of 53 in the 1962 NASCAR Grand National Series season | |||
 1962 Southern 500 program cover | |||
| Date | September 3, 1962 | ||
| Official name | Southern 500 | ||
| Location | Darlington Raceway, Darlington, South Carolina | ||
| Course |
Permanent racing facility 1.375 mi (2.213 km) | ||
| Distance | 364 laps, 501.3 mi (806.7 km) | ||
| Weather | Temperatures of 93 °F (34 °C); wind speeds of 8.9 miles per hour (14.3 km/h) | ||
| Average speed | 117.965 mph (189.846 km/h) | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Jim Stephens | ||
| Time | 130.246 miles per hour (209.611 km/h) | ||
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Richard Petty | Petty Enterprises | |
| Laps | 95 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 66 | Larry Frank | Ratus Walters | |
| Television in the United States | |||
| Network | ABC | ||
| Announcers | Jim McKay | ||
The 1962 Southern 500, the 13th running of the event, was a NASCAR Grand National Series event that was held on September 3, 1962, at Darlington Raceway in Darlington, South Carolina.
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. Ralph Earnhardt drove the #47 car for Jack Smith. The car had "Jack" written on the roof, but Earnhardt drove the race and was involved in a spin entering turn one.
- ^ "1962 Southern 500 weather information". The Old Farmers' Almanac. Retrieved 2012-06-12.
- ^ "1962 Southern 500 information". Racing Reference. Retrieved 2011-02-15.