Forum Activity for @tmc-chase

The average speed for the 1980 Daytona 500 of 177 remains the fastest 500 ever. Really hard to believe considering the unrestricted engines on the smaller cars from 1981 through 1988 and the aero slick but engine-restricted cars of recent years. Six Talladega races have a higher average speed - one in 1985, 2 in the 1990s, two in the early 2000s, and Jamie McMurray's win last fall. Doesn't look like Charlotte, Atlanta or Michigan had anything quicker. So it looks like Baker's race is still the 7th quickest of all time - 34 years later.

Baker was in his 2nd year with Harry Ranier and Waddell WIlson. After those many frustrating outings of having a hoss in the 500 but unable to finish the race, Baker finally won the 500 he cherished. - Robbie Solesbee

Dave Fulton and I wrote about a couple of the preliminary races of 1980 Speedweeks a year ago. Dave posted about the Busch Clash won by the 1979 Rookie Of The Year Dale Earnhardt here:

http://racersreunion.com/community/forum/stock-car-racing-history/21181/busch-clash-a-springboard-to-earnhardts-1st-championship

And I posted about the ARCA 200 won by John Rezek - but with strong protest by Lake Speed and Russ Thompson - here:

http://racersreunion.com/community/forum/stock-car-racing-history/21244/1980-arca-200-at-daytona

Jack Ingram won the Permatex 300 sportsman race for the second time. - David Hawkins

A couple of next-generation drivers attempted the 500. Sterling Marlin ran the 2nd qualifying twin in J.D. Stacy's Olds, but he failed to finish well enough to transfer to the big show. He raced in the 500, but he started in place of his father in the family's familiar #14 Cunningham-Kelly Chevrolet. - Jerry Bushmire

Kyle Petty's first Daytona start was the memorable ARCA 200 a year earlier, but he wrecked while trying to qualify for the 1979 Firecracker 400.Kyle attempted to make the 1980 500 as his first Cup start there. - TMC archives

But again, his Cup debut at Daytona would have to wait another 5 months because he was caught up in a wreck in his 125-mile twin initiated by Gary Baker in his Waylon Jennings Olds. Baker was a Nashville attorney who along with Lanny Hester assumed the lease for the Nashville fairgrounds speedway and bought Bristol. In more recent years, he and Mike Curb (who sponsored Earnhardt in 1980) bought the assets of Brewco Motorsports to form the now-defunct Baker-Curb Busch / Nationwide team.

The starting line-up for the 500...

... and the field takes the green.

Future Cup champions Earnhardt and Terry Labonte race side by side along with Janet Guthrie.

Buddy celebrates that long-awaited 500 victory and receives the Governor's Cup. With the awarding of the Harley J. Earl trophy now, does anyone know if the Governor's Cup trophy is even presented anymore? If not, I wonder when that tradition ended.

Baker's win made the cover of National Speed Sport News. - Russ Thompson

And Speedweeks in general was the cover story for the May 1980 issue of Stock Car Racing magazine.

The first Daytona 500 for me to attend was the 1980 edition. My first trip to Florida - and first time on a plane - was about 3 months earlier when my family flew to Jacksonville for my uncle Earl's wedding. There my uncle Ronald who had intro'd me to racing about 6 years earlier committed to taking me to Daytona in February. With King Richard having won the 1979 500 AND the year's championship, I was on a high knowing he'd likely return strong in the 1980 race. Plus, simply going to Daytona was going to be huge.

As much as I love my uncle, he has always been somewhat of a free spirit. As time grew near, the plans changed a bit. Rather than have me ride with him to Jacksonville to stay with my uncle / his brother, he called my mother to say he was already IN Jacksonville and put me on a bus! Today, I'd be frustrated as hell if he pulled that stunt - but then it was simply no big deal. I kept my eye on the prize and really wasn't worried about the details - even if my parents were.

So my mother took me to the Nashville bus station, and she put me on the 'Hound - on a Friday night - for an all-night trip to Jacksonville. I naively slept pretty much the whole way. Fortunately, my uncle did at least pick me up at the station down there - well at least Earl did. Ronald, who'd promised the trip, was a no-show. All I can do now is just laugh about it.

On Saturday night, Earl surprised me with an unexpected outing. He took me to NWA wrasslin' at Jacksonville's Memorial Coliseum. Earl was very intellectual, college educated, informed of current events and opinionated about them, and a sports junkie. But professional wrestling was kind of his 'soap opera' or 'trashy novel' vice. Unlike many who immersed themselves in it, he knew what was real vs. staged. But he still enjoyed and laughed heartily at the story lines. We got to see The American Dream Dusty Rhodes, Harley Race and the largest man I've ever seen in my life Andre The Giant.

My uncle's father-in-law had a mid-size motor home - the kind with one of the bunks over the cab. Earl and my new aunt, Ronald and his girlfriend, and I left Sunday morning. As Tim said, I remember the cold morning. I was going to Florida where I thought it was always the sun always shone and was always warm. * EHHHHH, wrong answer * I had a long sleeve shirt, a denim jacket and a orange/blue Petty ball cap.

Best I can recall, I think we entered the infield from a crossover up near turn 2. As soon as I caught sight of the asphalt, banking, grandstands, the lake, the campers, and all the flag, I remember my jaw dropping and my heart pounding.

Unlike Tim's normal spot, I vaguely remember being somewhat in the center of the infield. We were in front of the lake without a really clear view of anything - not of the pits or of turns 3 and 4. I could make out the S/F line through the myriad of folks on the tops of their motorhomes and the 'roofs' covering the pit stalls. And we had a pretty good view of turns 1 and 2 as they headed down the backstretch.

With the 43 starting 4th, that dayglo red and Petty blue popped from the starting grid whereas the gray pole winning car of Baker was hard to spot anywhere on the track from where we were.

The 43 was competitive, and I remember shaking as he made lap after lap in the draft. Part of it was adrenalin - but I'm sure a lot of it was because the temps were definitely dropping as a stiff wind blew. But I simply could not believe it when Petty disappeared from the track.

Knowing I use a scanner today and that I used a Winston AM radio headset back in the late 80s/early 90s, I find it funny I didn't wear any sort of radio back then. I had no idea what had happened. By the time 43 disappeared, Ronald had already climbed down from top and disappeared into the motorhome. Partly to get warm by the interior but also to get warm with several nips from a bottle of Jack D! He had MRN on the radio, and that's where I had to learn 43 was done for the day after climbing down myself.

Either I've forgotten or perhaps didn't stay on top of it back then, but I have no memory of Kyle having missed his 1st 500 because of the wreck in the 125. But 1980 Speedweeks wasn't nearly as kind to the Petty team as the 1979 edition - or 1981.

Yet the race continued, so I went back on top. After another dozen laps, the cold got the best of the rest of 'em. One by one, my aunt, Ronald's girlfriend and then Earl all retreated to the motorhome leaving me alone up top. I shivered with hands thrust in my pockets and my collar upturned as a hedge against the wind.I know Buddy won. But try as I might to squint from our position, I simply could not see that gray Olds cross the line.

The race is one of a few where I don't have a ticket stub. I think we just paid a flat fee or maybe a per head fee to get in the infield. But my collectibles I bought - 2 of which I still have were:

The program

A patch with the old DIS logo - that I got at Stuckey's - on the way back to Jax. My mother stitched it plus multiple other racing patches to the back of that jean jacket I wore to the race.

And a DIS t-shirt. I wore that shirt until it was thread bare - well, actually until I piled on the Freshman Fifteen (and then some) in college. I'd hate to think what I'd look like if I tried to sport a shirt that small today. Ha.

The arrangement between my uncle and my parents - which I guess was written in sand I guess - was that Ronald would drive me back to Tennessee on Monday. I can't remember if the day was a holiday - President's Day maybe? - or if I simply missed school. I did, however, need to get back to return on Tuesday. But again, plans are always fluid with Ronald. Instead of driving me back, he decided he'd stay a few more days. So he took me to Jax airport and bought me a one-way ticket on Eastern Airlines to Nashville. At least he did park and wait with me at the gate until flight time. I was still relatively new to racing faces to go with names, and I certainly doubt I could pick many out of a crowd except maybe the King. While waiting at our gate, Ronald nudged me and said "you recognize those two?". I wasn't sure who he was referring to as I scanned around. Finally he pointed - "Right there. Its Junior Johnson and Cale."

Suddenly it was an "oh yeah!" moment yet I just sat there. I had the opportunity the meet them both at my first Cup race at Nashville in 1978. But because Cale dominated for the win and because I'd drawn a bead on getting to the 43 after the race (and hopefully Richard), I passed up my shot. In February 1980, I passed on opportunity #2. I still was no big fan of that 3x champion, so I let it go even though it was cool to spot them at the airport. I recall Ronald laughing as he said I may be taking being a Petty loyalist a little too far.

When the 43 returned to victory lane in 1981, I was obviously excited - especially with the way he won it vs. Bobby Allison. Yet I was frustrated a bit because I'd been to the middle year between wins in 79 and 81. The feeling subsided though. Its still fun to recall my 1st trip to the beach and only my 2nd Cup race to attend.

A couple of days ago, Dave Fulton replied to the post about the 1977 Daytona 500. He referenced Tighe Scott and his being from Pen Argyl, PA. That led to Dave posting an article and promo video about the final days of Mitch Zanette, a dye-in-the-wool race fan from Pen Argyl.

http://racersreunion.com/community/forum/stock-car-racing-history/30854/racing-history-minute-daytona-500-1977

The full story that aired on ESPN was tremendous. Well worth the 7 minutes to watch. Its a sad story - yet one that'll have you cheering "Yeah, THAT's the way to do it!"

The era of live TV for NASCAR racing began with the 1979 Daytona 500. Despite the beliefs of many, however, the first live broadcast of a full race wasn't that race. It was a 1971 race won by Bobby Isaac at Greenville Pickens Speedway. But the timing and technology weren't right for the networks to do more, so races reverted to being packaged into segments for shows like Wide World of Sports, American Sports Calvacade, Car and Track, etc.

CBS and NASCAR revisited the idea later in the decade, and the deal was struck to air the full 1979 Daytona. I've often heard it referred to as 'flag to flag' coverage though I never understood why because of the number of commercials. Yet, the broadcast - especially its finish - drew large ratings, and the race is arguably the most famous Cup race of all time. The effort set in motion a new permanence of races being broadcast on over-the-air network and cable TV channels.

Ticket stub scan courtesy of Jerry Bushmire

As pretty much everyone knows, Richard Petty won his 6th Daytona 500. Before Petty took the checkers, however, many wondered if his career was done. His last win had been at Daytona 18 months earlier in the 1977 Firecracker 400. He raced his STP Dodge Charger the rest of 1977 without a win. He began 1978 in a Dodge Magnum, but the wins didn't return. About two-thirds of the way through the season, he changed from Dodge to General Motors - but the results were the same. The only glimmers of hope were a close but controversial finish at Atlanta and a Winston West win in Phoenix, AZ.

Source: Motor Racing Programme Covers

Also, Richard's health coming into the Daytona 500 was a big question mark.

• The stress of the losing streak - including how it affected the lives of his family and crew - wore on him.
• The King had never been one to embrace an athlete's diet. He feasted on Pepsi colas, aspirin powders, and mayonnaise sandwiches.
• Richard's son - Kyle - indicated he was ready to start his racing career. Richard agreed, and plans were put into action to help get a car ready, land a sponsor, and find a way to get Kyle some meaningful testing time.
• Petty was at a crossroads of sorts with his sponsor since 1972, STP. As the 1979 season began, the 43 did not have the STP logos on the hood at the season-opening Riverside race or at Daytona. - Jerry Bushmire
  

The toll of all these variables in the years leading to the end of 1978 resulted in significant ulcers for the King. Shortly after his Phoenix Winston West win, he underwent stomach surgery. His physicians advised him to skip the early portion of the 1979 season to help his recovery. Instead, he qualified 6th at Riverside in January - though he finished 32nd because of a failed engine. And then he headed to Daytona for Speedweeks. Being back at the track likely helped vs. hurt Richard's recovery - at least publicly he was saying as much.

Source: Wilmington Morning-Star, December 8, 1978

The 500 was just the beginning of a magical season for the sport - equaled or exceeded perhaps only by the 1992 season. Cale Yarborough and his Junior Johnson team were seeking to extend history by chasing their 4th consecutive championship. And a bumper crop rookie class arrived on the scene with talent that I'm not sure has been matched before or since. Included in the class was...

• Joe Millikan who parlayed his time with Petty Enterprises including two late model sportsman wins at Daytona and Talladega into a full-time Cup ride. He replaced Benny Parsons in the perennial favorite L.G. DeWitt ride. - Thomas K. Craig
  

• Terry Labonte

• Harry Gant - Mike Shaub
  

• Geoff Bodine - Ray Lamm
  

• and Dale Earnhardt

The two hot shoes in qualifying were driving a pair of Oldsmobiles. Donnie Allison was quick on pole day - and throughtout Speedweeks - in Hoss Ellington's Hawaiian Tropic Olds. But Buddy Baker went even quicker in his new ride to take the pole. Buddy Baker won the pole in his first outing with the #28 Harry Ranier team. - Matt Butcosk

Baker joined the team after a single season with M.C. Anderson in 1978.The inaugural Busch Clash for the pole winners of 1978 was held the same day as qualifying, and Baker went 2 for 2 as he made quick work of the short, made-for-TV event.

Packaged with qualifying and the Busch Clash was the annual ARCA 200. The 1979 edition had more eyes on it than in many years because of a true rookie driver making his first professional start: Kyle Petty.

Kyle started his first career race - at Daytona - on the outside of the front row - in one of Richard's hand-me-down Dodge Magnums discarded during the 1978 season. Despite some challenges during the race, Kyle made some crafty moves and won the race. The win was huge for Kyle, Petty Enterprises, Richard's healing, a lead-in story to the 500 for CBS television, etc. (For the career of this writer , however, I don't think Kyle's win had much of an impact at all. His article includes more failures than a college physics class.)

In the 1st qualifying race, pole winner Baker had the 3x defending Cup champ and 2x Daytona 500 winner Cale Yarborough alongside him in yet another Olds.- Richard Guido

In the 2nd qualifying race, Allison was flanked by what? ... yep, another Olds driver - Darrell Waltrip. Coincidentally, Waltrip took took over from Donnie in 1975. - Richard Guido

For the qualifying twins, rookie Earnhardt raced the Rod Osterland Olds that he'd qualified the previous Sunday. The raw talented son of Ralph Earnhardt turned heads with his performance. He finished 4th in the Olds which easily transferred him to the 500.

But for reasons I don't understand, the team swapped to a Buick for the 500. Most teams did well to bring two cars to the beach in that era - a primary and perhaps a less-than-ready backup. For Osterland to have brought 2 cars of 2 different makes was quite surprising. Even more surprising is that NASCAR did not make the team surrender its 10th place starting position after making the car swap. - Craig Bontrager

Bobby Fisher - brother of Woody Fisher who bought a winning Dodge Charger from the Pettys - qualified D.K. Ulrich's Buick and raced it in the win. Afterwards, Fisher was removed from the ride with Ulrich schedule to take over. But on race day, CBS announced Dick May was put in the car at the last moment. I honestly have no idea if that was the case or not - though Ulrich's name is credited in the final running order. Here is Fisher racing Paul Fess in the twin. - Rick Meason

For the wonderment the 1979 Cup season brought, the late model sportsman season began ina much more somber way. During the Permatex 300, Joe Frasson's Marion Cox Ford was hit by Freddie Smith in the 43. Frasson's car was jacked up as he spun helplessly downthe backstretch. Suddenly, Delma Cowart center punched the rear-end of Frasson's #50 which caused the fuel cell to explode into an inferno.

Incredibly, Frasson was able to whoa the car and bail out. He suffered minor burns and a singed beard but was otherwise OK. Sadly, however, the same can't be said for Don Williams. The young, part-time driver was trailing the accident when he ran into parts flying from it. He too wrecked but didn't walk away. Williams was injured badly, transferred to the hospital, lapsed into a coma, and never recovered. He came out of his coma but was forever brain damaged. Don lingered for 10 more years under the constant care of his mother before passing away. - Mike Cox

Mike Cox

Mike Cox

After the multi-car accident, the race did continue. Darrell Waltrip won it to continue his hot streak of winning multiple preliminary races as the 500 eluded him.

Heavy rains fell on the speedway Saturday night before the 500. After an extensive drying effort, the track was just about ready. CBS prepared to air its first live flag-to-flag race - and I'm sure they were puckered about the possibility of a delayed start or even a cancellation. Fortunately, the rain stopped, and the track dried pretty quickly.

Credit to and courtesy of Jerry Bushmire

Darrell Waltrip and his DiGard/Gatorade team took a bit of a risk and agreed to be a 'rabbit' for NASCAR. As the rest of the field followed the pace car, Waltrip agreed to rip a couple of laps at race-speed to make sure the track was completely dry. He radioed to his team and track officials that it was OK to drop the green. Had the track not been ready and/or if Waltrip had wrecked ... well, I'm not sure what Ol' DeeDubya and NASCAR had as Plan B.

Hard-luck Baker once again had little to show for his 500. His ultra-fast Gray Ghost was fast on pole day and in the Clash, but his engine went kaput after only 28 laps into the 500. He'd have to wait another year before finally bagging the coveted trophy.

Donnie Allison led almost half the race despite an early caution when he, brother Bobby Allison, and Cale Yarborough all spun. The three of them ended up in the soggy, sandy mud left from the overnight rains. Good fortunes fell to Donnie and Cale as they were able to unlap themselves - and Donnie even returned to leading laps.

Most race fans - young and old, vets and noobs, deeply interested and casual followers - are familiar with the race finish. Donnie and Cale found themselves again back at the front of the field with enough distance on third place A.J. Foyt to settle it between themselves. Instead, they crashed on the backstretch in front of a national TV audience, slid down to the same mud pit through which they spun earlier, jawed at each other as Bobby Allison pulled up to say 'wazzup?' and then had a brief scrap post-hyped to have been the second coming of The Thrilla in Manilla.

Meanwhile, Foyt backed off as word of the wreck happened allowing Petty and Waltrip to pass him. Late in the race, Waltrip was said to have dropped a cylinder. Even though he was able to draft Petty and Foyt, his engine apparently didn't have the burst it needed to make the key pass when it was time to go. With so much dampness in the air a few hours earlier that may have affected engine performance, I've often wondered if DW's rabbit laps earlier ended up coming back to haunt him as the checkers fell on the 43.

Legendary racing radio and TV announcer Ken Squier helped partner CBS Sports and the Daytona 500. Some sound bites stand the test of time - because of their spontaneity, brevity, and accuracy. Squier's post-race reactions as the winning 43 cruised down victory lane are included in that exclusive list of hall of fame exclamations:

And there's a fight! The tempers ... overflowing. They're angry.
They know they have lost. And what a bitter defeat.

Equally interesting to me, however, is how Squier helped the production crew and camera operators as Petty led Waltrip to the checkers. Once Donnie and Cale wrecked, everyone immediately knew someone from the next group of cars would win. But CBS couldn't seem to find them! One camera went to the start-finish line. Another one panned around. It required the on-air, calm, directing demeanor of Squier to help his team. I'm sure he was supposed to keep his eyes on the monitors, but he directed his crew to look towards turns three and four. Getting them reconnected with Petty's car helped CBS ensure they got the winning shot.

The call of the last lap and post-race fireworks by CBS' Ken Squier and David Hobbs...

And a historical revisit of The Fight - including comments from Donnie, Cale and Bobby and the MRN radio call by Barney Hall, Mike Joy, and Eli Gold.

If you want the high-test, full-octane, caffeinated, whole enchilada version, here is the 1979 race in its entirety.

Joe Biddle, who wrote the following article, grew up in east Tennessee. After his stint with the Daytona paper, he moved back to the Volunteer State to cover sports in middle Tennessee for the Nashville Banner and The Tennessean. In an e-mail exchange I had with Biddle a couple of years ago, he acknowledged he hadn't covered NASCAR much and was a bit out of his element. But he submitted a great article with several great quips - from the drivers and himself - seldom included in articles today such as:

• Biddle: Down the backstretch they charged. Time to intimidate. No room for error.
  
• Biddle: ...the force richocheting them pell mell to the infield grass...
  
• Cale: He smarted off, and I knocked the hell out of him.
  
• Gary Balough: It felt really good out there. I was Cadillacing out there.
  

The coincidence of the issue number of the Daytona Beach Morning Journal's paper the day after the race wasn't lost on me - number 43.

Source: Daytona Beach Morning Journal, February 19, 1979

Finishing order

Fin	Driver	Car
1	Richard Petty	Oldsmobile
2	Darrell Waltrip	Oldsmobile
3	A.J. Foyt	Oldsmobile
4	Donnie Allison	Oldsmobile
5	Cale Yarborough	Oldsmobile
6	Tighe Scott	Buick
7	Chuck Bown	Buick
8	Dale Earnhardt	Buick
9	Coo Coo Marlin	Chevrolet
10	Frank Warren	Dodge
11	Bobby Allison	Ford
12	Buddy Arrington	Dodge
13	D.K. Ulrich	Buick
14	Bill Dennis	Chevrolet
15	Ralph Jones	Ford
16	Terry Labonte	Buick
17	Richard Childress	Oldsmobile
18	Benny Parsons	Oldsmobile
19	Bruce Hill	Oldsmobile
20	Blackie Wangerin	Mercury
21	Bobby Wawak	Oldsmobile
22	Paul Fess	Oldsmobile
23	Grant Adcox	Chevrolet
24	Dave Marcis	Chevrolet
25	J.D. McDuffie	Oldsmobile
26	Dave Watson	Chevrolet
27	Dick Brooks	Oldsmobile
28	John Utsman	Chevrolet
29	Geoffrey Bodine	Oldsmobile
30	Lennie Pond	Oldsmobile
31	Ricky Rudd	Mercury
32	Neil Bonnett	Oldsmobile
33	Harry Gant	Oldsmobile
34	Ronnie Thomas	Chevrolet
35	Gary Balough	Oldsmobile
36	Joe Millikan	Oldsmobile
37	David Pearson	Mercury
38	Skip Manning	Oldsmobile
39	Butch Mock	Buick
40	Buddy Baker	Oldsmobile
41	Jim Vandiver	Oldsmobile

One of the most absolute nonsensical schticks slathered upon us was Michael Waltrip's grid walk. But I have to admit I chuckled loudly at MW's encounter with Sparkle Pony beginning around 1:20 mark. Pretty clear he agrees with the King's assessment of her opportunities to win.

Its all I can do to type this statement but here goes - I'm OK with Dale Jr having won that race. There, I said it. I think the guy genuinely had 'em covered, didn't back into it, wasn't the beneficiary of an oddly timed caution or lucky dog, etc. And he really reacted afterwards with the exuberance of a first time winner. Can't say I was happy with another HMS win - but hey, the arms race of cash is simply the reality anymore. Cubic dollars = wins + championships.

The part of the broadcast I absolutely loathed though was DW's commentary down the stretch when he all but shut down Mike Joy and Larry McReynolds.

When Greg Biffle's Ford went to the front and began to bob and weave amongst the 2 lines, Waltrip all but labeled him reckless. "What's he doing?" "He's all over the place" "He can't hold 'em off for long that way."

Yet when 'Junebug' went back out front & did the same thing, DW treated it was a strategy of brilliance.

Daytona 1993 was a special day for TV. I was perfectly OK then as I am 20+ years later when Ned Jarrett excitedly but calmly called his son to the finish line. Daytona 2014, I was nauseous listening to Waltrip call home 'Junebug' as if Jr was his own flesh and blood.

THAT kind of reaction is one of many reasons I simply can't break through to be a Jr fan. Its not fair to the driver because I've heard many times from him his admiration for the old schoolers. He also seems to have done as good a job as can be expected to keep his fame in check. But the syrupy, open championing by a network's hired anchors and analysts for a specific driver to win was about enough for me to purge the few bottles of suds I'd otherwise enjoyed yesterday.

To be honest, I really have no memories of this race - and it had nothing to do with an excessive amount of suds. I would've been at my parents I'm sure. I don't know if I simply ignored it because of the disappointments of 76-77, if I was sick, if we had to go somewhere vs. being in front of the TV, homework, whether my hard-working dad wanted to watch something else, or what. I simply don't remember any TV or even MRN coverage. I do remember the Magnum replacing the Charger - and I seem to remember seeing the picture in the paper the next day of Petty, Waltrip and Peason all wrecking. But that's about it.

After an incredible run of success by the Petty team with the Dodge Charger from 1972 through 1977, its day was done in Cup racing. The Dodge teams had to roll out a new model. And what did the engineers and marketers bring to use? The brick of a car named the Magnum. The Petty team put it through its paces in winter testing but were never really happy with it.

Even when the colors of Petty blue and STP red were applied, I still think it was a bit like putting lipstick on a pig.

Fellow Mopar driver, Buddy Arrington, also brought a Magnum to Daytona. While not much better looking than the 43, the look was a bit unique compared the normal paint scheme used by Buddy in the 1970s and 80s. - Craig Bontrager

Neil Bonnett's J.D. Stacy team also switched the Magnum with limited sponsorship by Armor All. The team as well as the Pettys ran the Dodge for about two-thirds the season. The Pettys then changed to a Chevy for competitive reasons. Stacy changed cars for Bonnett to Chevys and Olds too, however, it was for financial reasons instead. Stacy couldn't pay the bills to keep the Dodge team intact. Instead, he contracted for GM cars to be built by Rod Osterland's team and raced by Neil.

For 1978, Buddy Baker moved from Bud Moore's team to join forces with M.C. Anderson after Sam Somers left following the 1977 season. In my opinion, the car was one of the best looking ones to hit the track - though I'm sure Anderson and Baker would have preferred to have some sponsorship on the sides. - Ray Lamm

As Tim referenced, rain and gloomy weather interfered with much of the schedule. The IROC race was run on a cold, damp day, and the 125 mile twins were postponed from Thursday to Friday. One team came prepared. Driver Jerry Jolly made 5 career Cup starts (one for RR's Will Cronkrite), and the 1978 Daytona race was his debut. But his team made a veteran (?) move with their rain ready headgear. - DBMJ

In the first qualifying twin, the former and current drivers for Bud Moore found each other. Baker's car wasn't badly damaged. Allison's Ford, however, was really used up. As described more in the video clip below, the Bud Moore team thrashed on Friday and Saturdy to rebuild vs. replace the 15 car. Come race day for the 500, it was all put back together and ready to win.

The calm before the storm in the 500 with three NASCAR HOFers running nose to tail 1,2, 3. - Richard Guido

But when the 43's tire let go, the back end stepped out on Petty's Magnum. With a nudge of Jaws by the Silver Fox, the first, second and third place running cars all skidded towards the muddy infield grass.

Waltrip was able to continue, and Pearson was done. The King took the worst lick of the three of them when he hit an inside guardrail - nearly going over it.

For the King, the wreck capped a pretty miserable Speedweeks. He finished 2nd to Waltrip in his qualifying twin, but that was about the only bright spot. In the IROC race, he tangled with Al Unser, Sr. and Johnny Rutherford. Unser sailed over the sand bank on the backstretch and almost ended up in Lake Lloyd. Petty and Rutherford came together, and Petty apparently hit his head on something in the car that knocked him out for a few minutes. Doctors believed he may have suffered a concussion. Today, he likely would be forced to sit. Back then, it was just a matter of 'getting your bell rung.'

I found a video clip of the IROC race; however, it can't be embedded here. You'l have to click the link to go to YouTube to watch it.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0XmaTsa-rI

From DBMJ

Another racing legend had a brutally tough day in the 500. Benny Parsons blew a tire going into turn 1 with A.J. Foyt and Allison right behind him. Parsons spun down through the grass, but he remarkably had little damage and continued around to his pit stall. Foyt had to check up as Parsons began to spin but then lost the car. He spun down to the grass that was still water logged from several events of rain and then began to flip as his car caught the wet grass.He had to be taken from the car and patched up a bit in the care center before being transported to the hospital.

Bobby Allison and Bud Moore reminesce about their coming together for 1978 - and almost falling apart before the 500 even took the green.

Video highlights

In the Permatex 300 late model sportsman race, the '74 Charger lived to race another day. Petty Enterprises driver Joe Millikan raced it as a #04 STP Charger.

He finished third behind Waltrip and Donnie Allison. All in all, Waltrip had a pretty good Speedweeks - somewhat like Kyle Busch has a lot these days. Waltrip won his qualifying twin, the sportsman and the modified races; and he finished 2nd in the IROC finale. - DBMJ

A.C. York raced this Chevelle to a 16th place finish in the sportsman race. Now I'm hungry for a pre-race, shoe-leather steak. - Danny Quick

Umm, no. A simple question to a question from the media has expanded waaaay too much.

King's comment - whether you agree with it or not - was succinct and visual.

Smoke's reply was just downright dumb and long-winded.

Enough already.

Wow. Not sure what more I can say. Will definitely be looking for the full airing on TV or YouTube. Might need to propose inducting Mitch posthumously into the Schaefer Hall of Fame.