The Grand National drivers arrived in Bristol TN on July 19, 1970, for the first of three Tennessee races in six days. The Volunteer 500 ran on Sunday the 19th, the East Tennessee ran on Friday the 24th at Smoky Mountain Raceway in Maryville, and the Nashville 420 ran on Saturday evening the 25th.
From Motor Racing Programme Covers
Preview article from Knoxville News Sentinel
Fred Lorenzen was scheduled to make this third start of the season. He made his return after a three-year absence at the World 600 in Charlotte in a Richard Howard-owned Dodge crewed by Mario Rossi. He then raced in the Firecracker 400 at Daytona in a Ray Fox Dodge numbered in Lorenzen's traditional #28 vs. Fox's traditional #3.
For Bristol, Lorenzen belted into a Dodge fielded by H.B. Ranier, the father of the late Harry Ranier - a car owner in his own right. From what I can tell based on this pic of Donnie Allison with the 28's grill in the background, I believe the car was a Dodge Coronet rather than a Charger.
Ranier fielded a Coronet Super Bee for driver Bobby Watson in Bristol's spring Southeastern 500 as well as a couple of 1970 ARCA races. I believe it's this car that was prepared for Lorenzen to race. If so, it was repainted pearl white as noted in article below.
Greg Fielden's Forty Years of Stock Car Racing has Richard Howard listed as the owner - as does Racing-Reference.info - and every other website that has replicated that information. I can't do anything about Fielden's book, but I will be sending this info to R-R for a correction there.
Pic of Bobby Watson car from Randy Ayers Modeling Forum .
With us now being smack dab in the middle of a national political season, perhaps it's fitting there was a political angle to Lorenzen's car.
Perennial Tennessee political candidate - and future head of STP Corporation - John Jay Hooker was back for another election. Four years earlier, Hooker ran for TN governor and incorporated his name into the number on Buddy Baker's car at Bristol.
Hooker didn't win in 1966 (he never did), but he was back for another shot on the Democratic side of the ledger in the Tennessee gubernatorial election (emphasis on goober). Hooker chose to sponsor Ranier's Dodge with Lorenzen aboard and arranged to have his wife be the honorary starter. (Another article I found seemed to indicate he may have sponsored the race itself.)
Oh yeah, The Killer - Jerry Lee Lewis - performed a Saturday night concert at the track. And folks think Talladega gets crazy! 
Lorenzen had engine issues in qualifying and started 13th. Despite making some tweaks, the issues continued, and Lorenzen was done in the race after only 48 laps. Hooker had issues down the stretch as well. Once again, he was not elected. The people voted Winfield Dunn as the new governor that fall, the first Republican governor elected in Tennessee since 1920.
The first half of the race saw many wrecks and cautions. Both Cale Yarborough and David Pearson took a couple of hard licks. Fielden notes in his book (think about Dale Jr's recent news about his concussions) about Pearson's wreck around lap 100:
David Pearson provided a scare when his Ford popped a tire and nailed the inside pit wall head-on. The impact was severe and there was little movement in the driver's compartment for a few minutes. "That was a hard lick," Pearson said afterwards. "I've always been told that if you hit something hard enough to knock your shoes off, you're dead. When I came to, I looked on the floorboard and saw my shoes laying there. I thought for sure I was dead."
Cale led a lot of the first half of the race. Like Pearson, however, he cut a tire and walloped the wall. The wreck finished him and the Wood Brothers Mercury for the day after only 221 laps.
With Cale out of the race, Bobby Allison became the lap bully. He continued to lead but became aware of something going on in the pits. Lee Roy Yarbrough, who elevated his Junior Johnson to second, got relief help - and from all drivers, DONNIE Allison.
The King also got worn out from the scorching Tennessee summer and got relief from Pete Hamilton. The 43 Plymouth was never quite "on" for the weekend and eventually lost an engine. Because of the attrition and the competition difference between the up-front cars and the rest of the field, Petty still notched a fifth place finish.
Dave Marcis had fallen out of the race after only about 80 laps. With Lee Roy and King Richard getting relief, Bobby became concerned fresh arms at each wheel might put more pressure on him as he grew tired. Finally, he turned his Mario Rossi-prepared, Coca-Cola Dodge over to Marcis. The duo managed to fend off Lee Roy and the 10 other cars still running at the finish. Bobby was credited with a two-lap win over second place Yarbrough.
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Schaefer: It's not just for racing anymore.
updated by @tmc-chase: 07/19/17 09:56:02AM
