June 15, 1969 – The first NASCAR race at MIS — called the Motor State 500 — set the stage for years of door-banging, paint-swapping, neck-and-neck finishes. Cale Yarborough and LeeRoy Yarbrough battled for most of the final 150 laps in the Motor State 500. On the last lap, they touched twice entering Turn 1, with Yarbrough brushing the outside wall. After drafting down the back stretch, Yarbrough spun coming out of the final turn and crashed just 300 yards from the finish line, giving Yarborough the victory.
Cale Yarborough Victory Photo, June 15, 1969 Motor State 500
Sources:
Michigan International Speedway wikipedia entry.
LeAnne Smith, “Peek Through Time: 10 Memorable Michigan International Speedway Races“, MLive, June 10, 2015.