1961 NASCAR Grand National Series Season

The 1961 NASCAR Grand National Series (today's Cup Series) season: 52 points races, 19 different winners, and Joe Weatherly won the most races, 9. The full schedule with every winner, and the season leaders.

Champion

Season	Champion
1961	Ned Jarrett

Schedule and winners

No.	Date	Race	Track	Winner	Laps led by winner
1	November 6, 1960	Charlotte Fairgrounds, November 6, 1960	Charlotte Fairgrounds	Joe Weatherly	40
2	November 20, 1960	Speedway Park, November 20, 1960	Speedway Park	Lee Petty	18
3	February 24, 1961	Daytona 500 Qualifier #1	Daytona	Fireball Roberts	25
4	February 24, 1961	Daytona 500 Qualifier #2	Daytona	Joe Weatherly	3
5	February 26, 1961	Daytona 500	Daytona	Marvin Panch	13
6	March 4, 1961	Piedmont Interstate Fairgrounds, March 4	Piedmont Interstate Fairgrounds	Cotton Owens	25
7	March 5, 1961	Asheville-Weaverville Speedway, March 5	Asheville-Weaverville Speedway	Rex White	200
8	March 12, 1961	Marchbanks Speedway, March 12	Marchbanks Speedway	Fireball Roberts	178
9	March 26, 1961	Atlanta 500	Atlanta	Bob Burdick	44
10	April 1, 1961	Greenville 200	Greenville-Pickens Speedway	Emanuel Zervakis	25
11	April 2, 1961	Occoneechee Speedway, April 2	Occoneechee Speedway	Cotton Owens	20
12	April 3, 1961	Bowman Gray Stadium, April 3	Bowman Gray Stadium	Rex White	148
13	April 9, 1961	Virginia 500	Martinsville	Fred Lorenzen	31
14	April 16, 1961	Gwyn Staley 400	North Wilkesboro	Rex White	221
15	April 20, 1961	Columbia Speedway, April 20	Columbia Speedway	Cotton Owens	4
16	April 22, 1961	Hickory 250	Hickory Motor Speedway	Junior Johnson	219
17	April 23, 1961	Richmond 200	Richmond	Richard Petty	182
18	April 30, 1961	Virginia 500 Sweepstakes	Martinsville	Junior Johnson	135
19	May 6, 1961	Rebel 300	Darlington	Fred Lorenzen	69
20	May 21, 1961	World 600 Qualifier #1	Charlotte	Richard Petty	24
21	May 21, 1961	World 600 Qualifier #2	Charlotte	Joe Weatherly	3
22	May 21, 1961	Riverside International Raceway, May 21	Riverside International Raceway	Lloyd Dane	27
23	May 27, 1961	Ascot Stadium, May 27	Ascot Stadium	Eddie Gray	0
24	May 28, 1961	World 600	Charlotte	David Pearson	225
25	June 2, 1961	Piedmont Interstate Fairgrounds, June 2	Piedmont Interstate Fairgrounds	Jim Paschal	19
26	June 4, 1961	Southland 200	Fairgrounds Raceway	Ned Jarrett	0
27	June 8, 1961	Pickens 200	Greenville-Pickens Speedway	Jack Smith	30
28	June 10, 1961	Myers Brothers 200	Bowman Gray Stadium	Rex White	0
29	June 17, 1961	Yankee 500	Norwood Arena	Emanuel Zervakis	361
30	June 23, 1961	Hartsville Speedway, June 23	Hartsville Speedway	Buck Baker	0
31	June 24, 1961	Starkey Speedway, June 24	Starkey Speedway	Junior Johnson	119
32	July 4, 1961	Firecracker 250	Daytona	David Pearson	11
33	July 9, 1961	Festival 250	Atlanta	Fred Lorenzen	52
34	July 20, 1961	Columbia Speedway, July 20	Columbia Speedway	Cotton Owens	8
35	July 22, 1961	Myrtle Beach Speedway, July 22	Myrtle Beach Speedway	Joe Weatherly	80
36	July 30, 1961	Volunteer 500	Bristol	Jack Smith	243
37	August 6, 1961	Nashville 500	Nashville Speedway	Jim Paschal	41
38	August 9, 1961	Bowman Gray Stadium, August 9	Bowman Gray Stadium	Rex White	12
39	August 13, 1961	Western North Carolina 500	Asheville-Weaverville Speedway	Junior Johnson	258
40	August 18, 1961	Southside Speedway, August 18	Southside Speedway	Junior Johnson	150
41	August 27, 1961	South Boston Speedway, August 27	South Boston Speedway	Junior Johnson	168
42	September 4, 1961	Southern 500	Darlington	Nelson Stacy	72
43	September 8, 1961	Buddy Shuman 250	Hickory Motor Speedway	Rex White	32
44	September 10, 1961	Capital City 200	Richmond	Joe Weatherly	101
45	September 10, 1961	California State Fairgrounds, September 10	California State Fairgrounds	Eddie Gray	75
46	September 17, 1961	Dixie 400	Atlanta	David Pearson	2
47	September 24, 1961	Old Dominion 500	Martinsville	Joe Weatherly	116
48	October 1, 1961	Wilkes 200	North Wilkesboro	Rex White	201
49	October 15, 1961	National 400	Charlotte	Joe Weatherly	5
50	October 22, 1961	Southeastern 500	Bristol	Joe Weatherly	82
51	October 28, 1961	Greenville-Pickens Speedway, October 28	Greenville-Pickens Speedway	Junior Johnson	26
52	October 29, 1961	Occoneechee Speedway, October 29	Occoneechee Speedway	Joe Weatherly	164

Most wins

Driver	Wins	Starts
Joe Weatherly	9	25
Rex White	7	47
Junior Johnson	7	41
Cotton Owens	4	17
David Pearson	3	19
Fred Lorenzen	3	15
Emanuel Zervakis	2	38
Richard Petty	2	42
Fireball Roberts	2	22
Jim Paschal	2	23

Most top 5s

Driver	Top 5	Starts
Rex White	29	47
Ned Jarrett	23	46
Emanuel Zervakis	19	38
Richard Petty	18	42
Junior Johnson	16	41
Joe Weatherly	14	25
Fireball Roberts	13	22
Jim Paschal	12	23
Cotton Owens	11	17
Buck Baker	11	42

Most top 10s

Driver	Top 10	Starts
Rex White	38	47
Ned Jarrett	34	46
Emanuel Zervakis	28	38
Richard Petty	23	42
Junior Johnson	22	41
Joe Weatherly	18	25
G.C. Spencer	18	31
Jim Paschal	16	23
Jimmy Pardue	16	44
Buck Baker	15	42

Most laps led

Driver	Laps led	Starts
Junior Johnson	2602	41
Rex White	1390	47
Fireball Roberts	975	22
Joe Weatherly	856	25
Fred Lorenzen	803	15
Richard Petty	703	42
Ned Jarrett	625	46
Emanuel Zervakis	386	38
Jack Smith	278	25
David Pearson	248	19

Best average finish (at least 26 starts)

Driver	Avg finish	Starts
Rex White	7	47
Ned Jarrett	7.6	46
Emanuel Zervakis	7.8	38
Richard Petty	11.1	42
Junior Johnson	12.1	41
G.C. Spencer	13	31
Herman Beam	13.3	41
Jimmy Pardue	14	44
Buck Baker	14.2	42
Fred Harb	16.5	27