April 7, 1974 - Darlington's Rebel 500

NASCAR's seventh race of its 1974 season was the Rebel 500 at Darlington Raceway - except it wasn't.

Source: Motor Racing Programme Covers

As was the case for about the first half of the 1974 season, NASCAR trimmed its race distances by 10 percent in response to the US energy crisis. Darlington's spring race, therefore, was only 450  miles - though it remained billed as the Rebel 500. 

Donnie Allison captured the pole in a DiGard Chevy recently purchased from Banjo Matthews. The pole was his second in three races after also starting first at Bristol. Donnie's top spot was a mild surprise as he bumped David Pearson to the second spot in the legendary Wood Brothers Mercury. Pearson had won the pole in three of the past four Darlington races - including both races in 1973.

Bobby Allison and Buddy Baker comprised the second row, and Dave Marcis completed the top five starters in Roger Penske's AMC Matador.

Richard Petty timed tenth - not the best starting spot but certainly not the worst. Hershel McGriff entered the race in a second Petty Enterprises-prepared Dodge Charger. McGriff raced in Darlington's first race in 1950. After a couple of days of practice that didn't yield the speed needed to be competitive, the team withdrew from the race without making a legit qualifying run. 

The Allison brothers tag-teamed to lead the first 25 laps. Pearson soon rose to the occasion to pocket 25 laps of his own out front. Baker banked about 15 laps for himself as the race neared its one-third mark.

The race featured three pretty frightening accidents. Around lap 60, 1973 Winston Cup Champion Benny Parsons spun and was drilled by Bobby Isaac. Fortunately, neither were injured.

The second major incident happened about 60 laps later when journeyman racer Johnny Barnes lost an engine. James Hylton hammered Barnes in the driver's side door. After being briefly knocked out, Barnes was treated and released from a nearby hospital without any serious injuries. Just rub some dirt on that noggin, son. It'll be a'ight. 

The third major accident occurred around lap 215 when Lennie Pond, the 1973 Rookie of the Year, blew an engine and wiped out about 20 feet of guardrail including six fence posts. Pond was OK, but NASCAR red-flagged the race for about 40 minutes as safety crews made repairs to the railing.

After the three major hits, Joe Frasson brought a good bit of levity to everyone as the red flag was lifted. The long-time independent racer made a beeline for Pearson's #21 Mercury rather than return to his own car. Pearson had to wrangle the sizable Frasson from his seat so everyone could return to racing action.

The second half of the race featured great racing action between the Allison brothers, Buddy Baker, and Pearson. Though they raced for different teams and manufacturers, the one thing they had in common - at least the Allisons and Pearson - was a smaller engine. 

As Detroit's engines changed in passenger cars, NASCAR began a similar transition. Dodge racers such as Petty and Baker continued to race the famed Hemi engine. NASCAR, however, mandated the engines be fitted with a restrictor plate. The Allisons and Pearson; however, raced with smaller cubic-inch engines - but without a plate. It became apparent the smaller, unrestricted engine - along with less nose weight - made a big difference.

Though Petty's Hemi had been a powerful beast for 10 years, it gave up the ghost just past the race's two-thirds mark.

With 50 laps to go, Donnie Allison and Baker faded a bit. The battle narrowed to just Bobby Allison and Pearson. Each took a turn leading a double-digit number of laps before the other returned - all as both managed their fuel mileage. Pearson re-assumed the lead for the final time with 11 laps to go when Bobby's engine sputtered a bit as he sought every last fuel drop. Allison barely held onto P2 as Baker charged hard in a failed effort to pass him for the position.

Pearson's 78th career win was also his third Rebel win in a row and fourth in five years.

Audio of Universal Racing Network's radio broadcast of the race is available on Appalachian State's library website. 

Source: Sumter Daily Item

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May 25 - This day in Petty history

Greetings from North Carolina! I started my long weekend Thursday by arriving in Charlotte to watch qualifying for the Coca-Cola 600. This morning, I'll be en route to hallowed ground: Level Cross, NC. We plan to visit Petty's Garage in Level Cross, the Richard Petty Museum in Randleman, and .... well, who knows what else may unfold.

1975 - Starting third, Richard Petty leads 234 of 400 laps and finally wins the World 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway to claim his 170th career NASCAR Winston Cup win.

Source: Motor Racing Programme Covers

Schaefer Ring of Honor member GaPettyFan remembers:

The race was still held on Monday (Memorial Day) at that time. They (Humpy Wheeler I presume) awarded prize money to the driver who led the most laps in each 50 lap segment of the race. The King started third and led 234 laps, grabbing segment after segment. We were sitting near some Pearson fans, and they were giving Richard hell all day. I was dying inside, afraid he was gonna torch the motor leading so many laps. It was a long ride home back to Georgia that night but, man, what a great one.

From the time Charlotte opened in 1960, Petty Enterprises had reaped its share of success at the track. Lee Petty, Richard Petty and Bobby Johns in a third Petty Plymouth started the inaugural World 600. Richard won a World 600 qualifying race in 1961 that was counted by NASCAR as an official win. Other wins by Petty Enterprises cars included the 1964 World 600 (Jim Paschal), 1966 World 600 (Marvin Panch) and the 1972 World 600 (Buddy Baker). Richard, however, somehow could not break through for his own win in the World 600 or National 500. Finally in 1975, the King finally nabbed his first major win at Charlotte in his STP Dodge Charger.

Schaefer Hall of Fame co-founder and charter member, Philly, has these memories:

I can vividly remember the 1975 World 600 as I was there! I had been a Richard Petty fan since 1971 first seeing the Petty Blue at Martinsville - and that was my car forever. By 1975, I had been to several races at Martinsville, North Wilkesboro, Bristol, Darlington, Charlotte and Rockingham. I was 11 years old and had never seen the King win. He ran away with the race in 1975 and led over 200 laps. I remember sitting on the edge of my seat watching his car every lap hoping nothing would break or he would wreck. I knew he could win. At the end of the race, he was nearly a lap ahead of the field. I remember Cale came in second in the Holly Farms car. David Pearson and Darrell Waltrip ran 3rd and 4th. Not sure which was which. I think Buddy Baker was in the hunt for a top 5. I also remember a Petty blue Dodge that had yellow stripes and the number 8 on it. I didn't know it then as kid but figured it out years later. I was also at Dale Earnhardt's first Grand National race.

Speaking of first-timers at Charlotte and in a Dodge - and as referenced by Philly, another future 7-time Cup champion, Dale Earnhardt, made his first career Winston Cup start. He finished 22nd in a Dodge owned by Ed Negre.

Courtesy of composerp of Randy Ayers Modeling Forum

For about 10 years, journeyman and underfunded driver Joe Frasson made a handful of starts. He lacked in key statistical categories such as wins, laps led, and top finishes. But he more than offset those deficits with his sense of humor. After not making the field for the 1975 World 600 in his Pontiac, he retired the body style by publicly beating the snot out of it with a jack handle.

Frasson most often raced Plymouths and Dodges during his abbreviated career. But in 1975, he raced a Pontiac at Talladega (shown below) and hoped to do so again at Charlotte. I wish someone had a video clip of what had to be a gut-busting, funny scene when Joe announced the Pontiac's retirement.

Joe's hood after he finished making his statement...

As for the race, Bumpertag, a fellow member at RacersReunion.com remembers:

I've been a Richard Petty fan since 1972 and started going to races in 1973. It wasn't until the 1975 World 600 at Charlotte that I witnessed The King win. It was special because Petty had not won at Charlotte before. My uncle hated Richard Petty because he was the biggest menace to his guy, David Pearson. He had told me many times during our weekend racing debates that if Petty ever won at Charlotte he would never go back. After the World 600 and later that year the National 500, both of which Petty won in 1975, my uncle never went to another race at Charlotte.

Courtesy of Jerry Bushmire

Article courtesy of Jerry Bushmire In 1977, Bill Libby published a book titled simply King Richard. A chapter of the book focusing on Petty's win in the 1975 World 600 was excerpted in the September 1977 issue of Stock Car Racing magazine. I didn't keep all of my SCRs - but I definitely do still have that issue.

1975 World 600 SCR
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