Through the 1960s and 1970s the NASCAR Grand National Series began focusing on bigger, faster, and longer tracks.

Over time, Enoch Staley and Jack Combs attempted to keep the facility modern and on pace with the growth of the sport.

In the Gwyn Staley 160 of 1960, Junior Johnson beat 21 other drivers for the pole position with a lap speed of 83.860 mph.

The crowd of 9,200 pelted Petty with bottles, rocks, and debris after his win; he had done their local hero wrong.

When Petty took the microphone in Victory Lane to explain his side of the story, the crowd began jeering.

Rex White posted the fastest qualifying lap and dethroned Lee Petty from his three-race winning streak at North Wilkesboro.

1960 Grand National Champion Rex White, who started on the outside pole, led the remaining 221 laps and won the race.

Tommy Irwin started the race in sixth position and finished the Gwyn Staley 400 two laps behind White.

In the 1963 Wilkes 400, Fred Lorenzen captured his third straight pole at the track by breaking his own record with a lap time of 23.30 seconds / 96.566 mph.

Panch did not start the 1963 season until halfway through because he had nearly lost his life in a crash while testing a Maserati at Daytona that February.

Holman-Moody took the next three spots in the final rundown, with Lorenzen second, Nelson Stacy third, and Fireball Roberts fourth.

The track was repaved just prior to the Gwyn Staley 400 in 1964, and the resulting lack of traction wreaked havoc.

Junior Johnson took the lead from the fading Lorenzen to pick up his 50th and final Grand National Series victory by two laps over Cale Yarborough.

Jim Paschal started the 1966 Gwyn Staley 400 from the pole position with a record lap time and speed of 21.91 sec / 102.693 mph.

Spencer, the largest margin of victory at North Wilkesboro in a Grand National Series race.

Two hours and forty minutes were required to fully resolve 400 laps of action that took place on a paved track spanning 0.675 miles (1.086 km).

[3] Larry Miller received the last-place finish due to a problem related to his brakes during the first lap of the race.