The 1,000th race in the history of what is now NASCAR's Nationwide Series is set for this Friday night at Richmond International Raceway.
In 1982, NASCAR took its ever more expensive Late Model Sportsman Series off the weekly tracks as a local weekly division and turned it into the touring Budweiser Late Model Sportsman Series. I still call it the Busch Series, its longtime name.
Race #1 in the new touring series was the Goodys 300 on February 13, 1982 at Daytona. I was fortunate to stand in victory lane at the conclusion of race #1 as Manager of Wrangler NASCAR Special Events. My driver, Dale Earnhardt, brought the blue & yellow #15 Robert Gee owned and built Wrangler Jeans Pontiac home first in the inaugural event.
Russell photo of winning Daytona car driven by Dale Earnhardt in Nationwide Race #1
The late Tom Chambers stands next to Dale Earnhardt in front of the Robert Gee Pontiac - ISC photo
When I blew up the victory lane photo, I saw my head (replete with its annual "winter" mustache) in the background, just below Dale's upraised elbow, framed by two Pepsi cans on the roof of the car prepared by the incomparable Robert Gee, the "Guvnor".
Teresa Earnhardt's uncle, Tommy Houston would win race #2 in the series the following Saturday, appropriately at Richmond, site of the 1,000th race in the series.
1982 Goody's 300
NASCAR Budweiser Late Model Sportsman Series race number 1 of 29
Saturday, February 13, 1982 at Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, FL
120 laps on a 2.500 mile paved track (300.0 miles)
Time of race: 1:56:29
Average Speed: 154.529 mph
Pole Speed: 184.569 mph Cautions: 5 for 21 laps
Margin of Victory: 1 cl
Attendance: 75,000
Lead changes: 31
Fin St # Driver Sponsor / Owner Car Laps Money Status Led Points
1 5 15 Dale Earnhardt Wrangler Jeans (Robert Gee) Pontiac 120 14,700 running 180 2 3 98 Jody Ridley Cumberland Mills Pontiac 120 15,950 running 170
3 4 00 Sam Ard Thomas Brothers Country Ham (Howard Thomas) Oldsmobile 120 13,470 running 165
4 33 75 Gary Balough Rahmoc Racing (Butch Mock) Pontiac 120 6,740 running 160
5 2 99 Geoffrey Bodine Hagerstown Speedway (Frank Plessinger) Pontiac 120 9,365 running 155
6 9 77 Harry Gant Skoal Bandit (Harry Gant) Pontiac 119 4,890 running 150
7 1 3 Mike Porter Associated Construction Pontiac 119 4,090 running 146
8 7 28 Phil Parsons Skoal Bandit (Johnny Hayes) Pontiac 118 3,540 running 142
9 23 27 Tommy Houston Kings Inn Daytona (Mike Day) Chevrolet 116 5,140 running 138
10 20 24 Dale Jarrett Komfort Koach (Marvin Thackston) Ford 116 3,975 running 134
11 19 04 Rick Hanley Go-Jo Industrial Pontiac 116 2,520 running 130
12 13 29 Joe Thurman Longwood Restaurant (Buddy Arrington) Dodge 116 2,320 running 127
13 24 35 Bill Venturini Prototype Racing Engineering (Bill Venturini) Buick 115 2,220 running 124
14 14 22 David Rogers Rogers Racing Pontiac 115 2,120 running 121
15 16 32 Mike Riley TGR Enterprises Pontiac 115 2,120 running 118
16 34 02 Dennis Crowder CAM 2 Pontiac 114 1,895 running 115
17 27 37 Delma Cowart Grooms Construction Chevrolet 113 1,845 running 112
18 26 16 Mark Beard Beard Oil (Mark Beard) Pontiac 113 1,795 running 109
19 22 50 John Anderson Kirk Ford Co. Mercury 110 1,770 plug wire 106
20 24 62 John Linville Automotive Specialist (John Linville) Pontiac 110 1,695 running 103
21 18 33 George Dalton Ghant Racing Pontiac 103 1,695 running 100
22 10 12 Tommy Ellis Industrial Boiler Pontiac 96 3,195 engine 97
23 25 90 Mark Gibson Kokomo Kit Kar (Mark Gibson) Pontiac 70 1,545 ignition 94
24 17 19 Darryl Sage American Performance Pontiac 61 1,570 crash 91
25 21 7 Stuart Huffman Huffman Racing (Dwight Huffman) Pontiac 56 1,495 clutch 88
26 6 9 Gene Morgan Stuart Developers Pontiac 55 1,345 clutch 85
27 28 18 Roy McGraw McGraw's Used Auto Parts Pontiac 55 1,295 piston 82
28 15 40 Dennis Bennett Bennett Brothers Pontiac 51 1,245 crash 79
29 8 4 Connie Saylor CMT Pontiac 47 1,195 engine 76
30 11 25 Mickey Gibbs Gibbs Racing Pontiac 29 1,145 vibration 73
31 12 11 Jack Ingram Oak Stove (Jack Ingram) Pontiac 24 2,620 engine 70
32 30 07 Mike Potter Seivers Pontiac 16 1,095 engine 67
33 32 82 John McFadden Broadway Motors Pontiac 14 1,070 transmission 64
34 31 79 Bob Park Walther's Auto Wrecking Pontiac 2 1,060 engine 61
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"Any Day is Good for Stock Car Racing"
updated by @dave-fulton: 12/16/16 07:54:05AM
