Racing History Minutes - April 27, 1980
Stock Car Racing History
Well, well, this date was NOT an easy one to pick. I did find two other races run on April 27th, but both of those were won by Richard Petty and I didn't want Chase coming after me with a chrome bumper so I picked the third race for this date. Those who know me will enjoy the irony of the winner of the race in question.
April 27, 1980, was the date the Grand National (then Winston Cup) cars took the green flag at Martinsville, Virginia to run 500 laps on that half mile asphalt track. Darrell Waltrip (these days known as "D.W.") started from the pole in his Di-Gard Chevrolet with Buddy Baker in another Chevy to his outside.
The first 185 laps belonged to D.W. and then Buddy Baker took the lead he would hold until lap 247. Cale took the lead from Buddy on the 248th circuit and Cale's Junior Johnson Chevrolet would hold on to the front spot until lap 305. Richard Petty then took the point and stayed in front until lap 377 when Benny Parsons took over. On lap 383, D.W. went back into the lead he would hold until the checkered flag.
The story of the race is that D.W. had actually lost four laps due, in part, to a convoluted tire rule NASCAR had established in their effort to "curb expenses". Basically, any car changing tires on a yellow flag stop was penalized two laps. D.W. messed it up twice and admitted it was his error.
The race was red flagged for rain and while sitting on the track in the raindrops, the tire on Buddy Baker's car went flat. When the race was to restart, the yellow was displayed and as the cars began to move around the track, Baker pitted to change the flat tire. "Two Lap Penalty" screamed NASCAR as he changed the flat under caution. Baker was livid over that call and all his efforts to explain what going around the track on the rim would have done to the track and to his car fell on the deaf ears of NASCAR officials.
Bobby Allison was trying to stretch the tire wear on his Ford when he blew a tire on lap 342 and hit the wall. Greg Fielden's book states "Allison escaped injury" so it can be assumed the wreck was more than just a wall bump.
Another casualty of the race, although he finished in fifth place that day, was Joe Millikan. Joe was driving the L. D. DeWitt owned Chevrolet but even with the fifth place finish, DeWitt disbanded his team two days after the race. Mr. Dewitt cited lack of sponsorship, the high costs of racing, and less than outstanding performance.
Top Five Finishers were:
1. Darrell Waltrip, DiGard Chevrolet, winning $26,850.00
2. Benny Parsons, M.C. Anderson Chevrolet, winning $15,400.00
3. Richard Petty, Petty Enterprises Chevrolet, winning $13,475.00
4. Cale Yarborough, Junior Johnson Chevrolet, winning $8,750.00
5. Joe Millikan, L.G. DeWitt Chevrolet, winning $6,800.00
Sixth through tenth were Neil Bonnett, Jody Ridley, Dave Marcis, Slick Johnson and Buddy Arrington.
Richard Childress finished 11th and Dale Earnhardt finished 13th driving for Rod Osterlund. Kyle Petty was 15th, Cecil Gordon 17th, James Hylton 18th and Harry Gant 21st.
Stock car racing was a different sport back then, even in 1980, but, apparently, NASCAR was experimenting, even then, with penalties. Reading through much of the 1980 season today,it seems there were often penalties handed down for reasons that seem odd by today's standards.
Honor the past, embrace the present, dream for the future.
updated by @tim-leeming: 12/05/16 04:00:58PM
