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Racing History Minute - 1977 Winston-Western 500

Stock Car Racing History

The first race of the 1977 season was the annual event at the nine turn road course in Riverside, California. However, this would NOT be a 500 mile event lasting over 5 hours as the race had been reduced to 311.78 miles. A crowd of 60,000 would show up to make this one of the largest crowds to attend the January season starter.

Cale Yarborough would capture the pole in his Junior Johnson Chevrolet at a speed of 112.686 mph. David Pearson would line up in second place driving the Wood Brothers Mercury. Darrell Waltrip in the DiGard Chevrolet would start third, Jimmy Insolo in a Chevy fourth and Dave Marcis in a Roger Penske Chevrolet fifth.

Pearson led lap one but a very hard charging Cale Yarborough put the "chicken machine" in front on lap 2 and he was gone, leaving a trail of chicken feathers behind him. Cale would maintain the lead until lap 103 when he got into some sand on turn eight while holding a 5 second lead on Pearson. Cale looped the Chevrolet but quickly got back on course in hot pursuit of the Mercury driven by Pearson. Cale could not make up the distance in the laps remaining and would finish in second place, nine seconds behind Pearson.

Cale said afterwards that "I got into some sand and dirt of the track and that contributed to my spin". David said " Cale messed up and that helped, but I was catching him before he spun. I'm not saying I would have won if he hadn't spun, but it would have been close".

Before giving the finishing order, we should note that Richard Childress was driving his own Chevrolet and finished a strong sixth. Neil Bonnett made his first start in what was formerly the K&K Insurance Dodge but now known as the Nord Krauskopf Dodge but Neil did not adapt well to the road course and finished some 17 laps behind the winner. Bobby Allison was in his own independent Matador which had enjoyed success at Riverside but this time managed to blow the engine on the third lap leaving Bobby to finish dead last in the event.

Jimmy Insolo, a west coast driver of great repute, qualified fourth but managed on four laps before the engine blew in his independent Chevrolet and he finished 34th.

Leaving California and heading to Daytona, Cale and David were tied for the points lead and Cale actually won more money at Riverside finishing second than did David for winning.

Finishing order:

1. David Pearson, Wood Brothers Mercury, winning $15,400.00

2. Cale Yarborough, Junior Johnson Chevrolet, winning $16,220.00 (9 seconds back)

3. Richard Petty, Petty Enterprises Dodge, winning $11,095.00 (1 lap down)

4. Dave Marcis, Roger Penske Chevrolet, winning $8,645.00 (3 laps down)

5. Sonny Easley, Haddrick Ford, winning $6,290.00 (4 laps down)

6. Richard Childress

7. Hershel McGriff

8. Hugh Pearson

9. Darrell Waltrip

10. Eddie Bradshaw

11. Cecil Gordon

12. Buddy Baker

13. Chuck Bown

14. James Hylton

15. D. K. Ulrich

16. Jim Thirkettle

17. Neil Bonnett

18.Bobby Wawak

19. Bill Schmidt

20. Gary Johnson

21. Benny Parsons

22. Roy Smith

23. Norm Palmer

24. Gary Matthews

25. Frank Warren

26.Chuck Wahl

27.Ed Negre

28. Bill Baker

29.J. D. McDuffie

30. Don Puskarich

31. Carl Joiner

32. Henley Gray

33. Glen Francis

34. Jimmy Insolo

35. Bobby Allison

PERSONAL NOTE: The reduction in distance of this race at Riverside was, in my opinion, the first acknowledgement by NASCAR that fans weren't willing to sit more than 5 hours to watch a small portion of the road course they could see from the stands. As our previous History Minutes have stated, the 500 miles lasted five hours or more.This event lasted 2 hours 54 minutes and 46 seconds. The average speed was 107.038 which was NOT slowed by a single caution. Whether it was Winston or NASCAR that made the determination to shorten the event is not of importance. I think racing at Riverside was usually great and having the road course was good for the sport, but I can see it getting out of hand for some fans. But then I have to consider that football games are timed events to last ONE hour with the clock stopping and starting. So, go figure that the average football game exceeds three hours (something networks can't seem to grasp when setting scheduling).

Honor the past, embrace the present, dream for the future

updated by @tim-leeming: 12/05/16 04:00:58PM

RacersReunion®

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Well, for sure, a very Happy Birthday!!! Many accolades to all this site has accomplished and continues to accomplish due to the fine efforts of those involved. Thank you all.

Racing History Minute - 1976 Winston Western 500

Stock Car Racing History

The 1976 500 mile race at Riverside, the first race of a new season, would see one who had experienced heartbreak and drama all those years on the road course, come to the top of the heap on the January afternoon. In fact, the young driver would lead all but one of the final 79 laps to win the event.

Bobby Allison qualified the Roger Penske Matador on the pole with a speed of 112.416 mph with David Pearson in the Wood Brothers Mercury capturing the second starting spot. Third place started was Benny Parsons in the L.G. DeWitt Chevrolet and fourth place was Buddy Baker in the Bud Moore Ford. Dave Marcis put the K&K Insurance Dodge in fifth starting spot.

Bobby Allison would lead the first 18 laps before yielding to Dave Marcis who led for one lap. On lap 20, Richard Petty who returned to the track after major stomach surgery, took over first spot in his Dodge, having moved up from 27th starting position. Richard gave way to Benny Parsons on lap 24 and Benny stayed out front for 13 laps, finally losing the front spot to Cecil Gordon. Gordon's lead was short lived as he led one lap before Chuck Wahl moved in front for 3 laps.

On lap 42 it was Marcis in the red K&K Dodge back out front until Cale ran him down and took over on lap 48. Two laps later, Pearson moved past Cale and led until lap 65 when Petty took over again for 10 laps. On lap 75 the engine in the Petty Dodge began to sputter and finally, on lap 83, it was over for the STP entry as Petty went behind the wall. David Pearson, Chuck Bown, Cale Yarborough and Dave Marcis ran together and swapped the lead back and forth through lap 82 when Pearson showed some Wood Brothers power and took over for 45 laps before a scheduled pit stop which allowed Cale to lead one lap. Once Cale stopped, it was all Pearson to the end. Pearson would win his first Riverside Race and the 6th one for the Wood Brothers. Pearson had a 35.9 second lead over second place Cale Yarborough as 54,700 fans watched the race.

Bobby Allison blew the engine in the Matador in the early going but the Penske crew installed a new engine in 63 minutes to return Bobby to the competition. With two laps to go, the second engine blew but Bobby was able to salvage a 15th place finish for the day.

After the race, Pearson said, from Victory Lane "I have always had bad luck here, but everything went just fine this time. The Wood boys didn't change a nut or bolt on this car since it got here". The average speed for the event was 99.180 mph having been slowed by 5 caution flags for a total of 20 laps of the 191 run.

Finishing order:

1. David Pearson, Wood Brothers Mercury, winning $17.295.00

2. Cale Yarborough, Junior Johnson Chevrolet, winning $14,920.00 (35.9 secs back)

3. Jimmy Insolo, Roger Paquette Chevrolet, winning $8,620.00

4. Ray Elder, Fred Elder Dodge, winning $6,745.00 (1 lap down)

5. Benny Parsons, L.G. DeWitt Chevrolet, winning $4,445.00 (2 laps down)

6. Lennie Pond

7. Richard Childress

8. Dave Marcis

9. James Hylton

10. Bill Schmidt

11. Frank Warren

12. D. K. Ulrich

13. Larry Esau

14. Ron Esau

15. Bobby Allison

16. Chuck Bown

17. Gary Matthews

18. Ed Bradshaw

19. J. D. McDuffie

20. Carl Joiner

21. Darrell Waltrip

22. Chuck Wahl

23. Cecil Gordon

24. Hugh Pearson

25. Richard Petty

26.Bill Polich

27. Don Puskarich

28. Buddy Baker

29. Gary Johnson

30. Hershel McGriff

31. Johnny Ray

32. Sonny Easley

33. Dick Brooks

34. Sam Beler

35. Harry Jefferson

Honor the past, embrace the present, dream for the future.

updated by @tim-leeming: 12/05/16 04:00:58PM

NASCAR looking to make winning a necessity with eliminations in Chase and winner-takes-all finale

Current NASCAR

Very interesting. I'll have to give this one some thought.

King & Almirola Bring Home Bacon; Thank You, Paula Deen

Current NASCAR

Well, I will be buying Smithfield products for sure. Wonder how the bacon will taste with some STP on it?

Racing History Minute - 1975 Winston Western 500

Stock Car Racing History

Another death at Riverside. I didn't even know about this one. Thanks for putting up all the information Chase.

Racing History Minute - 1975 Winston Western 500

Stock Car Racing History

Yeah, Dave. Cecil was walking. Oh, and by the way, I really missed you not being around for the Tuesday night show. Hope you weren't sick.

Racing History Minute - 1975 Winston Western 500

Stock Car Racing History

What can be said about the 1975 trip to the 2.62 mile, 9 turn road course at
Riverside, California, that doesn't simply scream "Bobby Allison and that Matador"? First, Bobby wins the pole in the Roger Penske AMC Matador at a speed of 110.382 mph. David Pearson would qualify the Wood Brothers Mercury in second place and the Wood Brothers had a long history of winning the 500 out west. Third place starter was Richard Petty in the Petty/STP Dodge and Petty had shown he could negotiate the twisting track, having won before. Fourth place starter was Benny Parsons in the L. G. DeWitt Chevrolet while Chuck Bown in the Dick Bown Dodge would take the green flag in fifth place.

Bobby Allison jumped into the lead on the green flag and stayed there until lap 11 before Richard Petty could push by him. Petty led 3 laps and then Allison took over but while Petty and Allison were fighting for the position, David Pearson had moved his Mercury into position to take over. Pearson did lead lap 17 but Bobby went right back by him and led until lap 34 when Sonny Easley took over on pit stops. Ray Elder, a previous 500 winner, led lap 37 but then Allison went back to the point and was pulling away. When Allison made a scheduled stop on lap 64, Pearson had a one lap turn out front but Bobby went right back to the lead on Pearson's stop. Although Pearson and Allison traded the lead on pit stops, it was truly all Allison the rest of the way. In fact, Bobby led all but 18 of the 191 laps making up the race.

The checkered flag waved first on the Matador and Bobby Allison won his 45th Grand National Race. It was the third win for the Penske Team. David Pearson would cross the line 22.6 seconds behind Allison for second place. Although lap leader records don't reflect it, the number 43 of Richard Petty applied most of the serious pressure to Allison during the early stages of the event but on lap 33, Petty got off course and backed into the turn nine wall. He lost 19 laps in the pits while having his STP Dodge repaired. After the race, Bobby said, "Idon't know what happened to him (Petty). In the mirror I could see Richard going low and then up into the wall.

Petty said, afterwards, that he "got off in the dirt a little and I had my foot on the brake pedal, clutch and the gas all at the same time. My hands were full of steering wheel - then I was in the wall". Petty did rally to finish 7th, still 19 laps behind.

The noticeably absent Junior Johnson - Cale Yarborough team was one of the most discussed topics in the crowd of 55,000 as well as in the garage area. Cale had finished second to Petty in the 1974 Championship and was expect to try for the 1975 title.

The average speed for the race was 98.627 mph having been slowed by 5 caution flags for 29 laps.

Finishing Order:

1. Bobby Allison, Roger Penske Matador, winning $14,735.00

2. David Pearson, Wood Brothers Mercury, winning $11,135.00 (22.6 secs back)

3. Cecil Gordon, Gordon Chevrolet,winning $8,535.00 (7 laps down)

4. Dave Marcis, K&K Insurance Dodge, winning $8,235.00 (8 laps down)

5. Elmo Langley, Langley Ford, winning $4,535.00 (13 laps down)

6. James Hylton

7. Richard Petty

8Gary Matthews

9. Ed Negre

10. Hershel McGriff

11. Richard Childress

12. Don Puskarich

13. Ray Elder

14. J. D. McDuffie

15. Larry Esau

16. Bill Osborne

17. Chuck Wahl

18. Bill Schmidt

19.Richard White

20. Don Reynolds

21. Sonny Easley

22.Ron Esau

23. Hugh Pearson

24.Benny Parsons

25. Glen Francis

26. Pete Torres

27. Chuck Bown

28. Chuck Little

29 G. T. Tallis

30. Dick Bown

31. Walter Ballard

32. Harold Jefferson

33. Jimmy Insolo

34. Carl Adams

35. Ivan Baldwin

Honor the past, embrace the present, dream for the future.

updated by @tim-leeming: 01/10/18 06:40:55PM

Racing History Minute - 1974 Winston Western 500 at Riverside Raceway

Stock Car Racing History

The first race of the 1974 season started on a Sunday afternoon and finished the following Saturday. No, it was not that the cars were slowed by restrictor plates for the 500 miles around the 9 turn Riverside road course but rather because rain moved in on Sunday afternoon at the 63 lap mark of the 1919 to be run. When the race was red flagged by NASCAR, Bobby Allison was leading.

David Pearson had captured the pole in a Wood Brothers Mercury at a speed of 110.098 mph. Second place starter was Cale Yarborough in the Richard Howard Chevrolet set up by Junior Johnson. Bobby Allison started third in his Chevy, with George Follmer in the Bud Moore Ford fourth. Follmer was a road racing specialist who had signed to drive for Moore and was running well until the brakes failed on the Ford on lap 143. Gary Bettenhausen would start the Penske Matador in fifth.

Bobby Allison led the first two laps before giving way to David Pearson. Pearson stayed out front for two laps before Jimmy Insolo took over for one lap. Jack McCoy led laps 12 through 15 before Allison took over for a lap. Cale Yarborough came charging to the front spot on lap 17 and would lead,pulling away, until lap 39. Pearson went back in front then for two circuits until giving up the lead to Allison. Allison led until lap 64 before Yarborough took over again. Remember the race was stopped on lap 63 for the rain and Yarborough had pitted just before the red flag was displayed. When the race restarted the next Saturday, Cale was seventh in line, but all those in front of him had to make a pit stop for gas and tires and that moved Cale back to the front. Cale stayed in front until lap 93 when the next round of pit stops gave the lead to Bobby Allison for a lap and then David Pearson for a lap before Cale went back out front on lap 96 where he would stay until lap 115 when Pearson took over.

Pearson led through lap 119 before Cale went back out front to lead the remainder of the laps. It was not an easy win for Cale as his car began to sputter as the gas was running out with two laps to go. Richard Petty was charging hard in his Dodge and cutting into Cale's lead quickly. As Cale crossed the line, his car ran out of gas and he coasted down the track as Petty's Dodge flashed by him to finish second just over 3 seconds behind.

A crowd of 46,000 watched the beginning of the race on the Sunday afternoon before the rain, but only 32,500 returned on Saturday for the finish. One of those NOT returning to the track was Junior Johnson who maintained the Richard Howard winning car. He did not get to celebrate Cale's 19th Grand National win.

NASCAR had devised a new points system for the 1974 season, based, in part, on a multiple of the prize money and number of events the driver entered. For his win, Cale earned 11.025 points and Richard earned 6.525 while third place Pearson earned 5.025.

Finishing order:

1. Cale Yarborough, Richard Howard Chevrolet, winning $19,325.00

2. Richard Petty, Petty Enterprises Dodge, winning $12,825.00 (3 seconds down)

3. David Pearson, Wood Brothers Mercury, winning $8,525.00

4. Benny Parsons, L.G. DeWitt Chevrolet, winning $8,825.00 (2 laps down)

5. Bobby Allison, Allison Chevrolet, winning $6,975.00 (3 laps down)

6. Donnie Allison

7. Gary Bettenhausen

8.Cecil Gordon

9. Richie Panch

10. Hershell McGriff

11. J. C. Danielson

12. Sonny Easley

13. Carl Adams

14. Dick May

15. Elmo Langley

16. Charlie Roberts

17. Tony Bettenhausen

18. George Follmer

19.Richard White

20. Johnny Anderson

21.Jack McCoy

22. J.D. McDuffie

23. Jimmy Insolo

24. Odie Robertson

25. Jim Gilliam

26. Bill Osbourne

27. Harry Jefferson

28.Dave Marcis

29. George Esau

30. Jerry Grant

31. Dick Bown

32. Don Pruitt

33. Ross Surgenor

34. Ray Elder

35. Chuck Bown

Average speed for the 500 miles was 101.040 mph, slowed by only 2 full course cautions.

Honor the past, embrace the present, dream for the future.

updated by @tim-leeming: 12/05/16 04:00:58PM

Racing History Minute - 1973 Winston-Western 500

Stock Car Racing History

The 1973 Grand National season began on January 21, 1973, on the 2.62 mile road course at Riverside, California. A crowd of 51,000 fans watched the starting line up roll to the green flag with David Pearson on the pole. Pearson had qualified his Wood Brothers Mercury at a speed of 110.856 mph. Pearson would leave the race on lap 95 with a blown engine and, in fact, would never lead a lap in the event.

Bobby Allison started his Allison Chevrolet in second, and Hershel McGriff would start the Beryl Jackson Plymouth third. Fourth place starter was Mark Donohue in a Matador in the second attempt by Roger Penske to get that make into a NASCAR Victory Lane. Fifth place starter was Richard Petty in the Petty Enterprises Dodge.

Bobby Allison took the lead on the green and held on for 10 laps before that Matador went around to lead the next 20 laps. Petty took over on lap 32 but could only stay out front for 3 laps before Donohue went back to the point. Petty passed Donohue on lap 63 and was moving away with the lead when the red and blue Dodge limped to the pits trailing a cloud of smoke from a blown engine.

With Petty behind the wall, Donohue put the spunky little Matador back in front, giving up the lead to Allison on lap 113 on a pit stop.When Allison stopped on lap 116, Donohue took over at the front of the pack again and he would not be shaken from the spot for the remainder of the race. The Matador would win the race by more than a lap over second place Bobby Allison. This was Donohue's fifth start in NASCAR Grand National competition and his first win.

The car Donohue was driving was equiped with four wheel disc brakes, an anomoly in NASCAR at the time, and Mark credited that innovation with the ability to drive deeper into the turns which allowed him to keep the competition in the rear view mirror. Roger Penske praised the ability of Donohue, however, over and above the disc brakes. Roger said "One of the reasons Mark is so good is that he can evaluate what we're doing on the drawing board"........"He is the most consistent driver in the business. He's not driving 102 per cent over his head, he's driving more like 98 percent. There is always something in reserve".

Bobby Isaac was making his first start in the Bud Moore Ford, which would be his ride for the 1973 season. Unfortunately, the Ford lost the engine on lap 61 and was out of the race.

Finishing order:

1. Mark Donohue, Roger Penskey AMC Matador, winning $15,170.00

2. Bobby Allison, Allison Chevrolet, winning $10,770.00 (1 lap down)

3. Ray Elder, Fred Elder Dodge, winning $6,120.00 (2 laps down)

4. Bobby Unser, Holman-Moody Ford, winning $4,520.00 (4 laps down)

5. Jimmy Insolo, Roger Paquette Chevrolet, winning $3,070.00 (7 laps down)

6. Jack McCoy

7. Elmo Langley

8. Richard White

9. J. C. Danielson

10. Henley Gray

11. Charlie Roberts

12. James Hylton

13. Carl Adams

14. Benny Parsons

15. Gerald Thompson

16.Bill Champion

17. Dick Bown

18.Jim Whitt

19. Walter Ballard

20. Cecil Gordon

21. Richard Petty

22. David Pearson

23. Hershel McGriff

24. Cale Yarborough

25. Sonny Easley

26. John Soares, Jr.

27.Bobby Isaac

28. Johnny Anderson

29. Chuck Bown

30. John Hren

31. Glenn Francis

32. J. D. McDuffie

33. Carl Joiner

34. Harry Jefferson

35. Buddy Baker

36. Hugh Pearson

37. Bob Kauf

38. Clem Proctor

39. Jerry Grant

40. Dave Marcis

Honor the past, embrace the present, dream for the future.

updated by @tim-leeming: 12/05/16 04:00:58PM