On this date in 1970, 8,800 folks showed up to cheering their favorites in the "Wilkes 400" run on the .625 mile asphalt track at North Wilkesboro. One of the "original" tracks of early NASCAR, the venue always provided exciting racing, whether dirt or asphalt and the event in 1970 was no different.
Bobby Isaac, already at ten time winner in the 1970 season, and leader in the points coming into the event, put the K&K Insurance Dodge on the pole with a speed of 105.406 mph. Donnie Allison, in a Junior Johnson Ford would start second, Richard Petty in the Petty Enterprises Plymouth would start third, Bobby Allison in the Mario Rossi Dodge fourth and Friday Hassler driving a James Hanley Chevrolet qualified fifth.
Bobby Isaac led the first four laps before Donnie Allison muscled his way around the swift Dodge of Isaac. Four laps later, Isaac ascerted the Dodge power and went in front where he would stay until lap 131. Richard Petty took over on lap 132 and stayed out front until lap 178 when Isaac took over but only for one lap. From lap 181 through lap 353 it was a back and forth battle between Petty and Isaac with the leader never more than a couple car lengths from second place.
Isaac stopped, a scheduled pit stop, on lap 388 and while changing tires, the jack sunk into the soft asphalt causing Bobby to lose a lap to Richard. Bobby blasted from the pits and soon unlapped himself but was left with almost half a mile to make up if he wanted to win the race. Then. with 25 laps to go, Bub Strickler, running well back, spun and brought out the fourth and final caution flag.
Crew chief for Isaac, Harry Hyde, called his driver into the pits and went about changing tires to a softer compound for the short run to the checkers. Petty did not pit. The green flag flew again and Bobby was on a mission. With 12 laps to go, Bobby put the red K&K Dodge out front with Petty now in hot pusuit. The new, softer compound tires allowed Bobby to literally fly through the turns and he was able to hold off Petty by six car lengths at the finish.This was the 32nd win in the Grand National Division of NASCAR for Bobby Isaac. The fans were treated to a thrilling race between Isaac and Petty and surely went home happy.
Top five finishers:
1. Bobby Isaac, K&K Insurance Dodge, winning $5,825.00
2. Richard Petty, Petty Enterprises Plymouth, winning $2,850.00 (6 seconds back)
3. Donnie Allison, Junior Johnson Ford, winning $1,975.00 (1 lap down)
4. Bobby Allison, Mario Rossi Dodge, winning $1,250.00 (5 laps down)
5. James Hylton, Hylton Engineering Ford, winnint $900.00 (7 laps down)
Sixth through tenth were Benny Parsons, Neil Castles, Clyde Lynn, Friday Hassler and Jabe Thomas. Elmo Langley would finish 11th, Frank Warren 12th, Dave Marcis 13th, Cecil Gordon 14th and Wendell Scott 15th. J.D. McDuffie was 21st, Roy Mayne 23rd, Bill Champion 25th, Dick Brooks 26th, Buddy Arrington 28th. Credited with 30th and the final position was G.C. Spencer who was involved in a crash on lap 63 and was finished for the day.
Four caution flags for 32 laps kept the average speed to 90.162 mph for the winning Isaac.
On a very sad note for this date, same day, October 4, 1970, the racing world lost Curtis Turner. "Pops" was flying his Aero Commander 500 when it crashed near DuBois, PA. Curtis and his passenger, golf pro Clarence King were both killed in the crash. From the earliest days of NASCAR, Curtis had been a force that propelled the growth and popularity of the sport. The stories about Curtis are legendary in the racing world.
Curtis and his buddy Joe Weatherly, put on some of the best racing ever on the dirt tracks, and at Darlington, but were also known for their parties. "Pops" was always ready to start another party. He lived his life to the fullest and gave so much of that life to the sport of stock car racing.
PERSONAL NOTE: I had the opportunity to meet Curtis Turner and actually hang around him several times at the track. One night at the then dirt track, Columbia Speedway, a big Lincoln with Texas Longhorn steer horns mounted on the hood pulled in and Curtis got out dressed in a dark suit with a white shirt and dark tie. He appeared headed out to dinner rather than to the steering wheel of a race car. He drove the race in that suit, tie and white shirt.
As I sit here and recall each encounter I had with Curtis Turner, it is difficult for me to remember any time when he seemed to be serious in conversation. Oh, he was serious in the race car but it seemed he was always up for having fun with people. I was at Rockingham that October 31, 1965 when Curtis won the first race on that track in the Wood Brothers Ford. NASCAR, which had banned him for life, realized they needed him to revive a season that suffered dismal attendance. Watching him that day was reminisent of watching him in those 56 Fords tearing up the dirt tracks and Darlington. It would be so grand to have Curtis around to enjoy the get-togethers we have with RacersReunion. He would add so much. We are fortunate to have his daughter, Margaret Sue Turner Wright, a very gifted artist, attend many of the events, keeping her father's legacy alive for the new generation of fans. It is a legacy well worth continuing.
Honor the past, embrace the present, dream for the future.
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What a change! It's been awhile since I've checked in and I'm quite surprised. It may take me awhile to figure it our but first look it's really great.
updated by @tim-leeming: 12/05/16 04:00:58PM
