NASCAR's long running late model sportsman division was significantly revamped beginning in 1982. Gone was the LMS moniker and boocoodle of races. In its place was a shortened schedule and a re-branding as the Budweiser Late Model Sportsman Division.
Despite the dramatic changes to the series, one constant remained on the schedule - the Dogwood 500 at Martinsville. The 1982 edition of the LMS / modified races was scheduled for March 21, 1982 - the same day Cup raced in Atlanta.
Qualifying was held, and Geoff Bodine won the pole for both races. Bodine won the 1981 LMS half of the Dogwood twins. He was looking to accomplish what only one driver had done in the Dogwood 500 - win both races from the pole. Ray Hendrick turned that trick in 1970. Paul Radford won both races in 1977, but he didn't start from the pole in either of them. [ Dave Fulton RHM ]
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On race day, however, rain arrived. The race was postponed one week to March 28 - the same day Cup raced at Rockingham.
In 2015, Martinsville recognized Diane Teel as the first woman to start an Xfini ... err, Nationwi ... um Busc ... I mean BUDWEISER LMS race. Just about every website and article will quote the same "fact".
In the most literal sense, Teel was the first female to start a race in the newly rebranded series. But in my opinion, they slight her accomplishment by ignoring the fact she also raced in the Dogwood 500 a year earlier - BEFORE Anheuser-Busch's money arrived. NASCAR still seems to struggle with how to adapt pre-1982 LMS stats into the post-1981 era. (Another example, it is frequently stated Dale Earnhardt won the first Xfinity Series race. Again, true on some levels - but wrong on many others.)
The opening 250 lap LMS race included some tremendous and expected racing action.
From Getty Images
The race came down to a great battle between Sam Ard and Butch Lindley. Ard got the win after nipping Lindley at the line.
From Getty Images
New York hot shoe Greg Sacks captured the closing 250-lap modified race. As with Ard's close win, Sacks had to defeat perhaps the greatest modified driver - Richie Evans. Sacks led much of the last 50 laps, but Evans kept him honest until the checkered flag fell.
Looking back, it seemed NASCAR, Anheuser, the tracks, owners, drivers, TV, etc. had a pretty good idea. Reform the series into a contemporary format - yet keep many of the traditional elements. But...that concept wasn't sustained.
As it turned out, the 1982 Dogwood 500 was the final one. In 1983, only the LMS (later renamed Busch Grand National) cars returned for the spring race. The modifieds ran occasionally but not as a spring pairing with the Busch race. The twice-annual LMS races at Martinsville were reduced to a single Busch race at track. Then following the 1994 season, the race was dropped from Martinsville's schedule altogether.
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Schaefer: It's not just for racing anymore.
updated by @tmc-chase: 03/26/17 01:47:23PM
