The 12th race of the 30-race, NASCAR Winston Cup Series 1975 schedule was the Mason-Dixon 500 slated for Sunday, May 18th at Dover Downs International Speedway.
David Pearson was also a previous Dover winner with three consecutive victories from 1972-1973. After three stellar seasons with the Wood Brothers from 1972-1974; however, Pearson had gone winless through the first third of the 1975 season. Though many believed he and the 21 team could contend for the win at Dover, it was anyone's guess if he would do so.
Having said that - and to the surprise of no one, Pearson plopped his Purolator Mercury on the pole. In seven previous Dover starts, Pearson had four poles and started no worse than fifth. Buddy Baker qualified second in Bud Moore's Ford. The King, Cale Yarborough, and Dick Brooks rounded out the top five starters.
Darrell Waltrip laid down the eighth quickest time - and was perhaps aided by full flowing adrenalin. Ol' DW was a week removed from his first career Cup win at his home track, Nashville's fairgrounds speedway.
As the race got underway, Pearson seized the hole shot and led the first ten laps. Once Baker got Bud's Ford wound up though, he roared past Pearson and led the next eleven laps.
When the first caution flew around lap 20, the leaders hit pit road for an early stop. Good ol' Coo Coo Marlin stayed on the track and found himself scored as the leader for a handful of laps. After he surrendered the lead to pit and the race returned the green, Baker went back to the point - but only for a lap.
Fourth place starter Yarborough in his white, Junior Johnson Monte Carlo - recently adorned with Holly Farms Chicken as a sponsor - shot past Baker to grab the top spot. Yarborough had won the previous year's Mason-Dixon 500 after leading 200+ laps but winning only because the King inexplicably ruptured an engine while leading with three laps to go.
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| Credit: Lee Greenawalt |
Once out front, Cale found his groove and intended to make short work of the the 500-mile marathon. He led a stretch of 70+ laps before making an emergency stop for a cut tire. As he pitted, Pearson took over for a couple of laps before the handling suddenly soured forcing him to pit road as well.
Benny Parsons, who'd started way back in 23rd spot, had worked his way into the top 10 during the first 100 laps and found himself out front as Cale and Pearson made their stops. Ten laps later, rain arrived.
Cale returned to the attention of his crew as did Pearson, Petty, and pretty much everyone else. Parsons, however, stayed on track. Light rain persisted, the field continued under caution, and BP remained in the lead lap after lap after slow lap.
NASCAR wasn't quite ready to stop the race and instead allowed the field to continue circling the track. As the average race pace fell precipitously, the Wood Brothers crew had plenty of time to diagnose their handling woes. As it turns out, the 21 had a broken shock mount. Over the next 30 laps, Pearson pitted eleven times to make the needed repair.
After those 30 laps when the rain wouldn't relent and Parsons wouldn't pit, NASCAR threw in the towel for the day. When the red flag was displayed, soggy fans headed for the parking lots as the cars headed for the garage at lap 140 - well short of halfway and an official race.
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| Source: Wilmington Morning News |
Drivers, crews, and much of the crowd returned on Monday to give it another go. Parsons picked up where he left off on Sunday afternoon by leading the opening five laps of chapter two - albeit under caution before the race returned to green. Pearson had new life after believing his handling issues were resolved by replacing the broken shock mount. And Cale looked to remind the field that despite the overnight delay he still had the the car to beat.
Instead of returning to his dominating way, Yarborough struggled throughout the new day. He didn't lead another lap and puked a motor just before lap 300. Shortly before Cale's exit, Petty had his own issues - though they didn't result in a DNF as happened to Yarborough.
Independent Dean Dalton blew a right front tire and spun into the fence between turns one and two. Rather than go low, Petty guessed Dalton may slide down the track and took the high line. The King then whipped his wheel hard left but nonetheless clipped Dalton and slid himself to the muddy apron. Safety crews pushed the 43 from the mud but not before Petty had lost valuable track position. He fell further behind as the Petty Enterprises crew made a few battlefield repairs. Though he soldiered on, the four time Dover winner could only muster a third place finish, ten laps down to the winner.
As the race made its way into the second half on the second day, Parsons' #72 Monte Carlo continued to hang with Pearson's Mercury. Pearson led big chunks of laps, but Parsons occasionally made his way back out front.
With 140 to go, however, Parsons suffered the same fate as Yarborough: engine failure. Buddy Baker inherited P2 with Parsons out of the picture. Yet he too lost an engine - but in more spectacular fashion than Parsons or Yarborough. With about 30 laps to go, Baker's engine let go as he sailed through turn one. His Ford swapped ends, it side slapped the wall, and flames erupted from underneath the car as Baker rolled down the banking to a stop.
With virtually every other name driver out of the race, Pearson led the final 140 laps and won by seven laps over second place Cecil Gordon. The P2 was a career best for the independent race who later worked for Richard Childress Racing during Dale Earnhardt's Goodwrench era.
As Pearson celebrated his 85th career Cup win, fourth Dover victory, and first of 1975, a reporter asked him how his motor lasted the full 500 miles when much of his competition broke one engine after another. The Silver Fox replied "I guess they didn't have the right oil filter."
Audio of Universal Racing Network's radio broadcast of the race is available on Appalachian State's library website.
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| Source: Philadelphia Inquirer |
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