November 14, 1971: Richard Petty wins Capital City 500 and his 3rd Title

Back on November 14, 2011, I posted a blog entry about Richard Petty's win in the 1971 Capital City 500 at Richmond. I did so as part of my blog series about each of Petty's 200 wins. But looking back, I really didn't include as much about the race as I could have as I was trying to blow through so many posts in a quick period of time. Here is a link to that original blog entry:

https://bench-racing.blogspot.com/2011/11/november-14-this-day-in-petty-history_14.html

And I posted about it here on RacersReunion here where some good comments were noted by Dave Fulton:

http://racersreunion.com/community/forum/stock-car-racing-history/10070/november-14-petty-wins-at-augusta-and-richmond

To tie in with Tim Leeming's Racing History Minute series, I thought I'd a bit more material about the race here.

By merely starting the race, the King clinched his third NASCAR Grand National championship and his first (and the sponsor's first) title as the Winston Cup.

The race was originally scheduled for September 12. First round qualifying was held on September 10, and the pole winner certainly had a deep Virginia flavor to it. Virginian Bill Dennis won the pole in Virginian Junie Donlavey's Ford on the Richmond, Virginia half-mile track.

Source: Spartanburg Herald

However, steady rains on race day forced the postponement of the race until October 3rd.

The teams returned in early October, and the race was rained out a second time. Source: Wilmington Star-News

The race was then rescheduled yet again for November 14 - sandwiched between late season races at Middle Georgia Raceway in Macon and North Wilkesboro. Some participants believed in superstitions and such ( *cough* David Pearson, Bobby Isaac). Billy Wood was brought in to the race to hex the field in FAVOR of Isaac. Dave Fulton started a good post about Billy Wood's peculiar behaviors here:

http://racersreunion.com/community/forum/general/10072/billy-wood-his-hexes-at-the-nascar-tracks

The few newspaper reports of the race I found were sparse and pretty much all the same - a limited AP wire service report indicating Petty won the race by a lap over 2nd place Bobby Allison. I'm guessing that after 2 attempts to run the race in September and October that sports editors (and the writers) weren't chomping at the bit to return to Richmond a 3rd time. The better write-up of the race is the article shared with me by Jerry Bushmire and included in my blog post. I think it is from Southern Motorsports Journal.

I have no recollection of being at this race... but then again, I went to a heck of a lot of Richmond races. I was living/working in Wilson, NC at the time of this event.

I note in the original typed starting lineup for the event that Charlie Glotzbach is shown in the customary #3 Richard Howard/Junior Johnson 1971 Chevy (Monte Carlo) - but, in the race recaps posted at Racing Reference and Ultimate Racing History, Glotzbach is shown in the #98 Richard Howard Chevy, as he is also shown earlier in 1971 at Dover.

For the fall 1971 Charlotte race, Howard had Junior prepare two identical Monte Carlos - the #3 for Glotzbach and the #98 for Cale Yarborough. Cale withdrew because of Indy Car obligations to Firestone tires (Cup was all Goodyear in 1971) and Junior (Howard) replaced him with LeeRoy Yarbrough in the #98 Monte Carlo.

Anybody know how/why the #3 Monte Carlo qualified by Glotzbach at Richmond turned into a #98 Monte Carlo when the race was finally run?

Don't have an answer for you Dave. The twin Richard Howard / Junior Johnson Chevys were featured on the cover of the Feb 1972 issue of Stock Car Racing magazine. I'm guessing the photo shoot for the cover was done in late 1971 though I don't know for certain. Speculation here - but is it possible Junior trotted out the 'best available car' when needed regardless of number, kind of like what the Pettys did in the early through mid 60s?

Another possibility - maybe the 3 car simply wasn't ready. Two weeks before the Richmond race, Glotzbach wrecked the 3 Chevy at Rockingham. Neither the 3 nor the 98 cars raced the following week at Middle Georgia. Richmond wasn't originally scheduled for November, so perhaps the rebuild of the 3 car wasn't done yet. Possible they pulled the 98 off the shelf to race it instead?

If that was indeed the case - that the Howard team swapped cars for Glotzbach between September and November - its interesting that NASCAR still allowed him to start 2nd.

I'll buy into your theory. Sounds reasonable to me. The Howard / Johnson Monte Carlo only showed up at tracks where the promoter paid deal money... $7,500 short track / $10,000 Speedways. Middle Georgia evidently didn't ante up.

Notes column from American 500 2 weeks before the rescheduled Richmond race. From Spartanburg Herald

Thanks to Russ Thompson, here are some additional photos from Racing Pictorial and the March 1972 issue of Stock Car Racing magazine.

That's a great photo of legendary P.A. announcer Ray Melton with Richard at Richmond in Victory Lane.

Note the sponsorship on Bill Dennis' #90 Junie Donlavey Mercury reads "Truck Equip. Corp." The company, headquartered in Buffalo with a big manufacturing operation in Richmond, would become the more familiar "TRUXMORE" the following year.

Thanks to Russ Thompson for the photos.