This weekend, I'm headed to Charlotte for the 500-mile race sponsored by some big, bailed-out bank. While I've got a pretty good track record of attending the spring 600, this will be my first trip to the fall 500 since 1993 - the forgettable year when Rick Wilson was chosen to drive what I believed to be the coveted seat of the Petty Enterprises STP Pontiac vacated by The King. My what a disaster.
Anyway... 20 years before that 1993 race was the 1973 edition of the National 500. One of the dominant story lines was the good points battle going on between the champion King Richard and the underdog contender Benny Parsons. But race weekend ended up having plenty of unexpected supplemental story lines. - Motor Racing Programme Covers
Charlie Glotzbach took over Hoss Ellington's Chevy earlier in 1973 after Fred Lorenzen abandoned the ride late in 1972. Lorenzen deemed the car un-competitive, but Glotzbach wore the field out on qualifying day to claim the pole. David Pearson who may have held a bit back during practice ended up laying down the quickest lap before Glotzbach's run knocked him off the pole. - Spartanburg Herald
Rookie-of-the-year candidate Lennie Pond was quickest in the second round of qualifying as another story line was explored as the season began drawing to a close: who would be the 1973 ROTY? Pond or Darrell Waltrip? - Spartanburg Herald
Today, we have Twitter at our fingertips to get rapid fire, up-to-the-minute, news blurbs from the track. Back in the day, we had Gene Grangers notes columns including an ooh that musta hurt yet funny update on Marty Robbins. - Spartanburg Herald
On Saturday as final tech inspections and qualifying were to begin, NASCAR uttered the words made famous by Lee Corso on ESPN: "Not so fast my friend." Inspectors determined Ellington's team had monkeyed with the required carburetor restrictor plate. Glotzbach's pole-winning time was disallowed, and he was forced to re-qualify in the last session. Though fastest in the session, he had to start his #28 Chevy in 36th position. - Spartanburg Herald
David Pearson was elevated from second to the top starting spot with Cale alongside him. With Pearson up front, he began a streak of 11 consecutive pole wins at Charlotte stretching to the 1978 National 500. Bobby Allison was moved to third and Richard Petty to fourth.
Starting 17th in Junie Donlaveys #90 Truxmore Ford was an established Carolina late model hot shoe making his Cup debut: Handsome Harry Gant. While Gant was making his first start, another legendary driver was making his final one. Wendell Scott made a return from a savage wreck at Talladega several weeks earlier to make one final start. He put Doc Faustinas #5 Kmart Dodge Charger in the field in 38th starting spot. - Billy Kingsley
The field lined up and ready for the green. - Chuck Johnson
Chargin Charlies weekend went from good to bad to worse. After winning the pole and then losing it, he then crashed coming out of turn 4 on lap 47. Pearson plowed right into Glotzbach, and the pole winner's day was done. Darrell Waltrip who was still looking to make a favorable impression upon car owner Bud Moore also got collected in the melee. Cale and Richard dodged the accident and continued on to the finish. - Bumpertag
Cale dominated about two-thirds of the race in Juniors Kar Kare Chevy. He led 257 of the races 334 laps. Though he and Petty swapped the lead from time to time, The King only led 52 laps and finished second to the 11 car the only other car on the lead lap.
Cale held on and went to victory lane. RR member Colbert Seagraves joined the Junior Johnson team in victory lane and got the opportunity to hold the winners trophy. - Colbert Seagraves
Gant finished a respectable 11th in his Cup debut, and Wendell Scott went out on a high note. He rallied from 38th starting spot to finish 12th. Finishing 40th was Wayne Andrews who was making his 6th and final Winston Cup start. The engine in his #98 James Hylton owned Mercury failed after 5 laps, and his day and Cup career was over.
Dick Trickle finished 5th in his only Cup start in the 1973 season and just his 3rd career start. He raced a #1 Richard Howard-owned Chevy - perhaps the same car Billy Scott drove in the spring World 600.
Buddy Baker completed 228 laps. But when NASCAR informed crew chief Harry Hyde that they planned to inspect the #71 Dodge's restrictor plate after the race, Hyde and Nord Krauskopf said "nope". They ordered Baker to park the car, and the team left CMS. Consequently, NASCAR DQ'd Baker and placed him 41st, last in the running order.
Race report - Spartanburg Herald
Race report - Spartanburg Herald
Allison finished third in his self-owned Chevy but began raising a ruckus as soon as the checkered flag fell. He paid a $100 fee and protested the cars of Yarborough and Petty because he believed their engines may have been oversized or something else going on to allow them to generate more HP than his engine. NASCAR insisted all cars were going to be checked despite Allison's protest.
CMS president and promoter Richard Howard was very vocal in his support of Cale as the winner. Well of course he did. After all, he just happened to be the listed car owner of Yarborough's Chevy (as well as for Trickle's 5th place car)!
A day later, NASCAR conceded its inspection process could use some improvements. Yet, they refunded Allison his protest fee and said the finishing order would stand. - Spartanburg Herald
Fin | Driver | Sponsor / Owner | Car |
1 | Cale Yarborough | Kar-Kare (Richard Howard) | '73 Chevrolet |
2 | Richard Petty | STP (Petty Enterprises) | '73 Dodge |
3 | Bobby Allison | Coca-Cola (Bobby Allison) | '73 Chevrolet |
4 | Benny Parsons | DeWitt Racing (L.G. DeWitt) | '73 Chevrolet |
5 | Dick Trickle | A&W Root Beer (Richard Howard) | '73 Chevrolet |
6 | Lennie Pond | Master Chevy Sales (Ronnie Elder) | '73 Chevrolet |
7 | Buddy Arrington | Cherokee Construction (Buddy Arrington) | '72 Plymouth |
8 | Elmo Langley | Langley Racing (Elmo Langley) | '72 Ford |
9 | Cecil Gordon | Gordon Racing (Cecil Gordon) | '72 Chevrolet |
10 | Henley Gray | Warren Lindsey (Henley Gray) | '71 Mercury |
11 | Harry Gant | Truxmore Industries (Junie Donlavey) | '72 Ford |
12 | Wendell Scott | Faustina Racing / Kmart Special (Doc Faustina) | '73 Dodge |
13 | James Hylton | Stott Chevrolet (James Hylton) | '73 Chevrolet |
14 | Charlie Roberts | Sunny King (Charlie Roberts) | '72 Chevrolet |
15 | Johnny Barnes | Hopper-Crews (J.C. Crews) | '71 Mercury |
16 | Jimmy Crawford | Black Part (Crawford Brothers) | '72 Plymouth |
17 | Jim Vandiver | Bradford Enterprises (O.L. Nixon) | '72 Dodge |
18 | Richard Childress | L.C. Newton Trucking (Tom Garn) | '73 Chevrolet |
19 | Coo Coo Marlin | Cunningham-Kelley (H.B. Cunningham) | '72 Chevrolet |
20 | Eddie Bond | Bond Racing (Eddie Bond) | '72 Dodge |
21 | David Sisco | Sisco Racing (Charlie McGee) | '72 Chevrolet |
22 | Joe Frasson | Pizza Huts of Charlotte (Joe Frasson) | '73 Dodge |
23 | Walter Ballard | Textilease (Vic Ballard) | '71 Mercury |
24 | Dave Marcis | Marcis Racing (Dave Marcis) | '73 Matador |
25 | Jabe Thomas | Robertson Racing (Don Robertson) | '73 Dodge |
26 | Bill Champion | Earl Powell Auto Parts (Bill Champion) | '71 Mercury |
27 | Ed Negre | Brown Racing (Jerry Brown) | '71 Chevrolet |
28 | L.D. Ottinger | Lonesome Pine Raceway (James Bryant) | '73 Chevrolet |
29 | J.D. McDuffie | McDuffie Racing (J.D. McDuffie) | '72 Chevrolet |
30 | Dean Dalton | Belden Asphalt (Dean Dalton) | '71 Mercury |
31 | Neil Castles | Howard Furniture (Neil Castles) | '73 Dodge |
32 | Donnie Allison | DiGard Racing (DiGard) | '73 Chevrolet |
33 | Raymond Williams | Williams Racing (Raymond Williams) | '72 Ford |
34 | Dick Brooks | Brooks Racing (Dick Brooks) | '73 Dodge |
35 | Frank Warren | Hinson Construction (Frank Warren) | '73 Dodge |
36 | David Pearson | Purolator (Wood Brothers) | '71 Mercury |
37 | Charlie Glotzbach | Pylon Wiper Blades (Hoss Ellington) | '73 Chevrolet |
38 | Darrell Waltrip | Sta-Power Industries (Bud Moore) | '73 Ford |
39 | G.C. Spencer | Spencer Racing (G.C. Spencer) | '72 Dodge |
40 | Wayne Andrews | Hylton Engineering (James Hylton) | '71 Mercury |
41 | Buddy Baker | K & K Insurance (Nord Krauskopf) | '73 Dodge |
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Schaefer: It's not just for racing anymore.
updated by @tmc-chase: 02/04/19 04:00:21PM