Racing History Minute - September 16, 1973

September 16th is not a popular date for NASCAR racing, evidently, as I had to come all the way to 1973 to find a Grand National Race on this date, although there was a convertible division event on this date in 1956 at Memphis-Arkansas Speedway in LeHi, Arkansas which was won by Curtis Turner. I chose the Grand National date for the "Delaware 500" run at Dover Downs International Speedway on September 16, 1973.

Forty cars started the race with David Pearson on the pole in the Wood Brothers Mercury at a speed of 124.649 mph. Benny Parsons would start second in the L.G. DeWitt Chevy, Bobby Allison in a Chevrolet third, Richard Petty in a Dodge fourth and Donnie Allison in the DiGard Chevrolet fifth.

Much as the crowd of 25,000 expected, Pearson took the lead at the start and stayed out front until lap 55 when Richard Petty moved in front for two laps. Bobby Allison took over on lap 57 and led until lap 64. The lead then began to swap between Pearson, Petty and Bobby Allison, joined by Buddy Baker and Benny Parsons with no one able to stay in front for too long before being displaced.

On lap 349 of the 500 laps on the one mile oval Pearson had a lap lead over second and holding steady in typical Silver Fox fashion. Dick May, who was driving in relief for Henley Gray, spun going into turn one. Cecil Gordon got into Gray as he was spinning and this caused Gordon to slide into the path of a flying Cale Yarborough. The result of the powerful impact of those two cars sent both behind the wall but the problem for Pearson was Dick May sliding down the steep Dover banking into the right front fender of Mercury. The fender was ripped from the beautiful Wood Brothers machine and, as David would comment after the race, that was the first time he "had put a scratch on that car". David went on to say he was IN the wreck before he even SAW the wreck.

It took the swift Wood Brothers crew two laps to make repairs to the number 21 so David was now one lap behind leader Bobby Allison and second place runner Buddy Baker. Pearson went to work. On lap 442, Pearson was back on the lead lap but almost the full one mile behind but it was then that Eddie Pettyjohn spun and brought out the seventh caution flag which put Pearson right on the bumper of the two lead cars.

When the green flag flew again Pearson went to work in the damaged Mercury. Although he would say after the race that the car was "a handful to drive" David was in the mirrors of Allison and Baker and it soon became a matter of when, not if, Pearson was going to make a move for the lead. He made that move with 17 laps to go and was back in front. David would win with a 1.8 second lead on Bobby Allison and Buddy Baker was pushing Bobby for the position when the race ended.

It should also be noted that Toby Tobias, a Sprint Car driver of fame entered the race in the Norris Reed Mercury. He qualified 29th but suffered a blown engine on lap 50 of the race which relegated him to a 38th place finish.

Top five finishers:

1. David Pearson, Wood Brothers Mercury, winning $16.325.00

2. Bobby Allison, Allison Chevrolet, winning $10,125.00

3. Buddy Baker, K&K Insurance Dodge, winning $7,050.00

4. Benny Parsons, L.G.DeWitt Chevrolet, winning $4,175.00 (7 laps down)

5. J.D. McDuffie, McDuffie Chevrolet, winning $3,275.00 (16 laps down)

Sixth through tenth were Coo Coo Marlin, Richard Petty, Elmo Langley, Lennie Pond and Eddie Pettyjohn. Donnie Allison finished 12th, Mel Larson 13th, Jabe Thomas 14th, Richard Childress 16th, James Hylton 19th, and Darrell Waltrip 20th. Cale Yarborough would claim 25th, Cecil Gordon 27th, G.C. Spencer 30th, John Sears 31st, Ron Keselowski 32nd, Earl Brooks 33rd, and D. K. Ulrich 35th. Buddy Arrington would finish 40th after falling out on lap 33 with engine issues.

Honor the past, embrace the present, dream for the future

A couple of notes about this race:

J.D. McDuffie's 5th place finish was one of 12 top-5s in his career. 1973 was his high water mark with two other top-5s besides this Dover run.

The 32nd place finisher, Ron Keselowski is the uncle of Brad & Brian Keselowski.

Dover honcho, Mel Joseph reached into his wallet to help promote local attendance. 10th place finisher, Eddie Pettyjohn was a big dirt winner on the DelMarVa peninsula who we read about weekly in National Speed Sport News and Area Auto Racing News. Pettyjohn made 4 career Cup starts, all at Dover and all in Richmond car owner, Junie Donlavey's #90 financed by Mel Joseph.

In 2009, a 63 year old Pettyjohn unretired and beat his own sons!!! See below:

Eddie Pettyjohn returns to victory lane after ten year absence in delaware late models

By Charlie Brown,

Delmar, DE (8/15/09)

The Pettyjohn name has been prolific in Delaware Late Model racing. Kenny (104 wins and 10 championships), David (11 wins and one championship) and Mark (two wins) have all deeply etched the Pettyjohn name into the record books. But it was the patriarch of the family and local legend in racing, Eddie Pettyjohn that stood in victory lane following the 20-lap Super Late Model feature Saturday night at the Delaware International Speedway. It had been more than ten years since his last victory. Running on a limited basis and now at age 63, many thought the 1986 track champion had closed the book on his career at the track which included 51 wins in the Late Models, 24 Modified wins, three Vintage Car and one Econo Modified victory. Now they realize that it has simply been reopened.

Eddie started on the pole in the 20-lap main with his son Mark starting in second. He took control at the drop of the green and by lap two it was a Pettyjohn top three with Eddie, Mark and David leading the way. The first yellow was out on lap four when Mike Parsons lost a wheel coming off the second turn. On the restart, Kerry King got by David Pettyjohn for third.

Ross Robinson quickly moved from eight to fourth as the yellow was out again as Bob Geiger rolled to a stop. On the restart, Robinson went to work on King for third. Both Mark Pettyjohn and King got out of shape shuffling the top five with Robinson climbing to second and Richard Jarvis, Jr. shooting into third. David Pettyjohn held down the fourth spot and Mark Pettyjohn recovered to hold on to fifth.

On lap twelve, Mark Pettyjohn suddenly slowed in the fourth turn stacking up Staci Warrington, Rick Whaley and Ray Davis, Jr. Robinson made a bid for the lead and seemed to have the momentum but the yellow was out for a final time on lap sixteen when Donald Lingo, Jr., who was running in fifth, came to a stop.

Eddie Pettyjohn, in his Hitchens Bros. Trucking/Swartz opened a two car length advantage on the restart and drove to his 52nd career win to the standing ovation by the crowd. The last time I won in a Late Model, pondered Pettyjohn. Oh my dear, I think it was a C.J. Rayburn car, Im not sure, back in 96 or 97. Thank the good Lord for a good night.

Robinson collected a well earned second with Jarvis third. Fourth went to David Pettyjohn and Whaley rounded out the top five. Heats were won by Robinson and David Pettyjohn.

From Spartanburg Herald

On the same day David won in Dover, his son Larry got a start in his own racing career at Harris Speedway.

Program cover

Two other stock car races on this same exact date of September 16, 1973....

Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin - Joe Ruttman beat Dick Trickle in a Late Model Stock Car race at Dells Motor Speedway.

Tracy, California - Jimmy Insolo beat Sonny Easley in the Olympia Beer 100 NASCAR Winston West go at Altamont Raceway. It was from Altamount that Johnny Mallonee's and Tommy Clinard's 300,000 nudist neighbors at Middle Georgia Raceway in 1970 for the Atlanta Pop Festival might have learned their craft. In 1969 at Altamont, the Rolling Stones hired the Hell's Angels for security for $500 worth of free beer at a huge outdoor concert that turned into a riot when a Hell's Angel stabbed a gun toting concert fan.