April 15, 1973 - Darlington's Rebel 500

The eighth race of the 1973 NASCAR Winston Cup season was the Rebel 500 at South Carolina's Darlington Raceway. What better way than to race on tax day! (Cue the tax accountants: Technically, the filing day would likely have been extended to Monday, April 16th because of the weekend. ENOUGH!)

Source: Motor Racing Programme Covers

After a dozen years or so of being known first as the Rebel 300 and then the Rebel 400, the race distance was extended for the first time to 500 miles to match the length of the traditional Labor Day weekend Southern 500.

Though the race distance was extended 100 miles, the track length remained the same. And David Pearson knew how to navigate it. He won the pole in the Wood Brothers' Purolator Mercury just as he'd done in his debut with the team a year earlier. 

Pearson's top speed extended the roll he was on in the early part of the 1973 season. The Wood Brothers team skipped the short tracks at Richmond, Bristol, and North Wilkesboro. But Pearson and the 21 bunch won the previous two races they'd entered at Rockingham and Atlanta.

Cale Yarborough - another Darlington master - qualified second. The Three B's - Bobby Allison, Bobby Isaac, and Buddy Baker - rounded out the top five starters. (Tax accountants return: Technically, we counted eight B's. SHUT UP, Green Shades!)

Forty cars took the green that Sunday afternoon. Four hours later, however, attrition thinned the finishers to about a third of that number. It wasn't the extra 74 laps that did 'em in as more than half the field DNF'd well before the 400-mile mark.

Engines failed on many cars, but others retired early from accidents - some from driver errors according to those caught up in the accidents or near them. 

It didn't take long for the action to begin. Pearson seized the lead at the start. On lap three, however, Dave Marcis collided with Rookie of the Year candidate Lennie Pond. Marcis got the worst end of the deal and finished dead last as Pond continued.

Pond had more issues later in the race. Though he started second, Yarborough never led a lap. He tangled with Pond near lap 40, and Pond's second incident put his Chevy on the trailer. Cale kept a'goin, but a blown engine about three-quarters of the way through the race sent him to his nearby home with a 19th place finish.

For the first half of the race, fans witnessed a number of different leaders. Pearson, Allison, Richard Petty, Benny Parsons, and rookie Darrell Waltrip all had opportunities at the front. 

• As happened with Cale, however, the engine in Waltrip's brown Mercury laid down sending him back to Tennessee with a P24 in his Darlington debut. 
• Petty settled from the lead back into a top five pace; however, the quick pace eventually put him down a couple of laps - with more problems yet to come.
• Parsons ran a pace similar to Petty, contributed to Petty's problems, yet salvaged a good points day.

Allison's self-owned Coke Machine was the only one who could consistently keep pace with Pearson - at least through the first half. Once the second act began, however, it was all Pearson and in a big sort of way.

As was often the case at Darlington, Pearson and the Woods found a remarkable balance of speed, handling, and smoothness in banking lap after lap. For the 15 or so cars remaining on the track, seeing the 21 Mercury lap them time and again may have been equally as painful as loading early. Pearson's run was so dominant that many fans also DNF'd as they headed for the exits. (Tax accountants: What true fan leaves a race early? You never know what might happen. YOU AGA...? Oh OK, finally you make a fair point.)

Those already on the road missed the last couple rounds of drama. First, Allison's Chevy started smoking with about 25 laps to go - all but gift wrapping the presumed win for Pearson. And then The Big One unfolded a couple of laps later. 

Virginia's Buddy Arrington, though laps down, was in the racing groove. He prevented Parsons from getting by - as Petty quickly closed the gap to Parsons. Petty and Parsons remained in the hunt for a top five, and Arrington factored into which one would get the differential pay for the day.

Arrington finally took the hint and moved to the inside. He did so, however, about the same as Parsons had seen enough and dropped to the inside as well. As Parsons popped his brakes to avoid Arrington, Petty plowed into Benny who then pinballed into Arrington anyway. Arrington was turned headfirst into the wall as Petty t-boned him on the right side. Parsons squirted by the two of them and stumbled on the track apron the rest of the way, but Roy Mayne and Dick Brooks joined the fray to really make a mess of things.

As the race concluded, Pearson took the checkers to go back-to-back in the Rebel. Despite his slow crawl, Parsons survived the day for a P2. The effort paid dividends in November 1973 when he captured the Winston Cup title by a scant few points. Allison's car could go no more as the final green waved. Despite pulling off the track with a blown engine and DNF, Allison still managed to finish third. Two independents - Richard Childress and J.D. McDuffie - survived the wrecks, kept their cars in one piece, and had career days by finishing third and fourth, respectively. As crazy as it sounds, Petty had already showered and dressed before learning he still managed to finish seventh.

Pearson earned his 69th career Cup trophy with a 13 lap - THIRTEEN - win over second place Parsons. The margin of victory may be topped as the worst Cup beatdown only by Ned Jarrett's 14-lap win in the 1965 Southern 500.

 

Source: Charlotte News

TMC

June 3, 1978: My first Cup race

As has been mentioned a time or two here over the years, one of my mother's older brothers introduced me to racing in 1974. For all the years I've known him, my uncle has seemingly lived a life of Laissez les bons temps rouler. I don't think there was any advance plans to go to Nashville's fairgrounds speedway that night. He just decided he wanted to go, drove to Nashville from about 90 minutes away, dropped by our house, asked my dad and me to join him, and off we went. I was hooked from the drop of the first green flag for the night's mini-stock races.

My aunt and uncle also took me to my first Winston Cup race - again in Nashville - on June 3, 1978 for the Music City USA 420. Again, he just made the decision to drive to town and stopped by my parents to see if I wanted to go. Though I can't recall specifically leaving our driveway, I'm sure I was in the car before my uncle could hug my mother and shake my dad's hand.

I bought my first race program that night - and still have it.

Only recently did I learn Nashville bought a ready-made program that was also sold by North Wilkesboro a couple of months earlier for its spring Gwyn Staley 400 race. I have no idea why someone would have approved the proof of the cover with U.S.A. 420 in quotation marks.

As noted on the program, Nashville's race was originally scheduled for Saturday May 13th. A week earlier, however, Talladega's Winston 500 was rained out. NASCAR rescheduled it for the following Sunday, May 14th - the day after Nashville's night race. As a result, Nashville was then forced to move its date to June 3.

Source: Spartanburg Herald via Google News Archive

One of the pre-race stories written by Larry Woody, the long-time racing beat writer for The Tennessean, was about Jimmy 'Smut' Means. Means was the fairgrounds' local late model champion. In 1976, he made the decision to head for the big time and invest his efforts and resources into Cup racing. He remained an independent driver on the circuit for almost 20 years, and he remains in the sport today as a Nationwide Series car owner for driver Joey Gase. (Twitter)

Source: The Tennessean

Most remember Means for racing car number 52 in Cup. When he raced at the fairgrounds, however, he raced number 92. His car number was used in a promotional decal for the track in the mid 1970s. Billy Hagan's Stratagraph team with driver Skip Manning was regularly using 92 when Means got to Cup, so he adopted 52. 

I remember perusing the limited inventory of the souvenir stands on the concourse behind the grandstands (no driver-specific trailers in those days) - as my uncle presumably sought out a couple of cold beers. My aunt bought me this photo of Richard and Kyle Petty - a pic I still have. After holding it for all these years, I finally had the King autograph it at Phoenix in fall 2013. Next goal: Kyle.

Another long-time independent driver, Lennie Pond, won the pole for the race. Cale Yarborough qualified second, and two-time Nashville track champion Darrell Waltrip timed third in his #88 DiGard Gatorade Chevrolet. Dave Marcis and Benny Parsons rounded out the top 5. 

For the 1978 season, Pond caught a break and latched on with upstart car owner Harry Ranier. Pond had four other poles in 1978 - the second Nashville race, one at Bristol, and both Martinsville races. He also won his only career race in the Talladega 500 that summer. Yet he lost his ride after only one season. 

King Richard had an incredible run of success from 1972 through 1977 with the STP Dodge Charger. The body style became obsolete after the 1977 season, and Petty Enterprises chose to race the ill-fated, boxy Dodge Magnum. Though Petty led several laps in the Daytona 500 and at Wilkesboro, the car rarely had a nose for the front. The 43 accumulated a few top 10 finishes, but the finishes masked how non-competitive the Magnum was. The team raced the Magnum only six more times after Nashville before ditching it for a Chevrolet Monte Carlo. 

The nine-time Nashville winner qualified seventh for the 420. (Cup regular and former Nashville track champion Coo Coo Marlin started eighth. He needed relief driving help during the race and got it from his son, relative Nashville newcomer Sterling.)

Photo courtesy of Russ Thompson

The Magnum did find a second life, however, as the starter car for Kyle Petty. In his first professional race in Daytona's ARCA 200 in February 1979, Kyle won it racing one of Richard's discarded Magnum.

Back to Nashville...

The race wasn't very memorable - unless you were a Cale Yarborough fan. The Timmonsville Flash led every stinkin' lap. Green ones, yellow ones, during pit stops, all of them. Even with the 11 car pacing the field lap after lap, I was mesmerized as the track's lights rebounded from each of the cars on a muggy Nashville night.

Source: The Tennessean

Four races later, the Cup teams returned to the fairgrounds for the Nashville 420. Cale took it a bit easier on the competition by leading only 411 of the 420 laps. Four races after the second Nashville event, Cale dominated the Volunteer 500, Bristol's first race under the lights. The victory gave the #11 Junior Johnson team three wins in Tennessee's four races that season.

Pond showed his pole run was no fluke by finishing second to Cale - albeit two laps down to the winner. The 43 Magnum surprisingly had a good third place finish. Again, however, the finish wasn't reflective of the gap between the Dodge and other teams because Petty finished four laps down to Cale.

Unfortunately, the pre-race, feel-good story about Smut Means having success at a track he knew well didn't happen. He had ignition problems, lasted only 12 laps, and finished 30th - dead last.

Following the race as was the norm in those days, the track opened the gate in the fence below the starter's stand. Fans were allowed to cross over the track and mingle among the cars, crews and drivers. I had a single objective - find the King. As we pressed towards the transporters, my uncle grabbed me by the shoulder to slow my roll and said "Here comes Cale and Junior."

They were apparently being led back across the track for media interviews. In a decision based on teenaged Petty fandom and one I now regret, I looked at my uncle as if to say hell no. The 11 car had just punished the field by leading every lap and pummeled the 43 by four laps. Why would I want his autograph? A few years later, I had another opportunity to meet Junior Johnson and DID get his autograph. To this day, however, I've never had the second opportunity to meet Cale.

As my eyes searched for the day-glo red and Petty blue Magnum, I spotted a Petty Enterprises crewman who looked vaguely familiar. Then it clicked - it was Kyle Petty! He was one day beyond his 18th birthday and nearing his high school graduation. Then as is the case 30+ years later, he was kind enough to this kid to stop for a picture with my GAF 110 camera and sign my program with my pathetic Bic ballpoint pin.

Having the chance to meet Kyle affirmed my decision to pass on Cale and Junior. But quickly I resumed my search. Finally, I spotted the STP transporter! It was a box truck with an open flat-bed trailer. The car wasn't there yet, but I was trying to get in a position so my aunt could take my photo with the transporter in the background. As she was about to snap, my uncle walked up and started laughing. He pointed to a car being pushed to the trailer. It was Buddy Arrington's #67 Magnum instead of the 43. Arrington, yet another independent driver of the era, often bought gently used Petty equipment with his limited funds - including the transporter. I had a lot of admiration for Buddy, but I was clearly at the wrong spot.

My panic mode began to amp a bit by then as I tried to figure out where the car was. If you've ever seen an STP race car live, you know how vibrant that day-glo red can be. How could I not find it? Finally, we spotted it already loaded on the truck down near the 'garage' area entrance by turn 1. (Nashville's garage was actually just an inner loop between the quarter-mile inner race track and the .596-mile outer speedway.)

I broke into a run to get there and made it in time. I didn't meet the King, but at least I did get to stand by my hero's car. Looking back, perhaps I should have taken the time to seek out Richard, Maurice Petty, Dale Inman, or any other crewman. Shoot, by then my 'in' was Kyle who I'd just met. Maybe I should've leveraged my friendship with him! But as it was, I had a smile permanently pasted on my face after seeing the car up so close.

We returned to the pits where we ran into two drivers who later sadly lost their lives doing what they loved - racing.

• J.D. McDuffie

• Neil Bonnett

After we got home and went in the house, I of course told my folks about the 43 car, meeting Kyle, and such. My uncle then announced "He's coming with us for the night." He was working a construction job in Hartsville, TN, about an hour from Nashville. He and my aunt were staying with friends in the area during the duration of the job. He didn't ask my parents if I could go with them to spend the night. He told them I was going. It was just his personality style that my parents knew well.

I don't remember if I fell asleep on the way there - or if I babbled all the way (likely the latter). But after all these years, I do remember how much it meant for them to take me to the race, help me find the 43, and treat me as if it was me who was the king that weekend.

As the decades have passed, my uncle and I don't get to see each other as often. But when we do, the conversation always and quickly turns to racing.

TMC

July 31 - This day in Petty history

1965 - In only his second Grand National race back after a six-month sabbatical from NASCAR, Richard Petty wins the pole, leads 335 of 400 laps, and wins the Nashville 400 by six laps over Ned Jarrett at Fairgrounds Speedway in Nashville, TN to claim his 37th career NASCAR Grand National victory.

NASCAR banned Chrysler's high-performance hemi engine following the 1964 season. As a consequence, Chrysler Corporation withdrew its factory-supported Grand National teams for 1965 - including the Petty Enterprises' Plymouth team. To stay busy, be competitive and earn money, Richard and his team went drag racing for much of 1965 racing a #43 Jr. Plymouth Barracuda.

Once Bill France, Sr. and the Chrysler brass worked out their differences, Chrysler rescinded its boycott. Petty Enterprises was free to return to the world of left-handed turns. Petty's first race back was in the Volunteer 500 at Bristol. Nashville was the next event, and Richard won by six laps over second-place finisher, Ned Jarrett.

Source: The Tennessean - July 25, 1965

While the Nashville race was Petty's second NASCAR Grand National race of 1965, it was his third stock car race.  On May 2, 1965, the 43 team raced in the USAC stock car series Yankee 300 at Indianapolis Raceway Park and finished 14th in the 22 car field.

Credit: Henry Ford Museum Flickr gallery

Long-time Dodge driver (and Virginia moonshine hauler), Buddy Arrington, finished third in the race - a career-best matched by another third place finish fourteen years later in the 1979 Winston 500 at Talladega.

Arrington was the hand-me-down beneficiary of older Petty cars and parts for years, and his son Joey Arrington builds a lot of the high-performance, after-market engines installed by Petty's Garage in customer Mopar vehicles. So in some respects, I kind of view Buddy's third place finish at Nashville as a quasi-Petty top 5.

Once Chrysler chose to lift its boycott and allow its factory-supported race teams to return, Lee Petty intimated Richard might make his return in the July 4, 1965, Firecracker 400 at Daytona.


For whatever reason, Petty Enterprises didn't field a car for Richard at Daytona, and he made his return a couple of weeks later at Bristol. That doesn't mean, however, the Petty team wasn't involved at the beach. Red Vogt hired Nelson Stacy to run the race in a Petty Enterprises-prepared Plymouth, and Richard's brother - Maurice Petty - led Stacy's crew for the race.

The King made his GN return at Bristol on July 25, 1965 - but it wasn't a great return. Tiny Lund blew an engine, and G.C. Spencer and Junior Johnson got caught up in it. Petty slowed and was about to avoid it, but J.T. Putney plowed into the rear of Petty's car. The 43 continued for a few laps but then had to park it.

The Petty team thrashed on the car over the next week, banged out the damage, painted the repairs and hauled it six days later to Nashville - albeit without a driver's side 43.

Result in race number 2 of Petty's return? Victory lane. Bang.

Photo courtesy of Russ Thompson

Article courtesy of Jerry Bushmire

TMC

September 14 - This day in Petty history

1975 - Richard wins his 174th race the hard way and in dramatic fashion in the Delaware 500 at Dover. He leads much of the race and builds a sizable lead. But with about 150 laps to go, he has problems, pits, and is lapped eight times. Yet he un-laps himself down the stretch and still manages to win the race.

Source: Motor Racing Programme Covers

Greg Fielden writes in Forty Years of Stock Car Racing - The Modern Era:

Buddy Arrington, running over 50 laps behind, parked his Plymouth in a turn in an effort to bring out the day's fifth and final caution flag with less than 15 miles remaining. NASCAR officials decided Arrington's car was out of the main racing groove and left the green light on. Arrington drove the car to the pits and after talking with his pit crew, drove back on to the track and parked in the upper groove in the third turn. He waited there until NASCAR dropped the yellow flag. The caution period enabled Petty to close the gap on leaders Dick Brooks and Benny Parsons... After the yellow flag came out, Arrington drove to the pit area where NASCAR black-flagged him for the day. But the damage had been done. Petty, manning the fastest car in the race, drove around Brooks and Parsons with nine laps to to go and won going away... Arrington had just purchased a car-hauler from Petty Enterprises..."I couldn't have won without that last caution flag," Petty admitted. "I don't know anything about that, so I'd best not say anything about it." pp. 140-141

The King closes the gap on Bobby Allison in his #16 American Motors Matador and Jabe Thomas in #25.

Photo credit to and courtesy of Lee Greenawalt at RacersReunion.com

Source: Free Lance Star via Google News Archive

TMC
Edited September 14, 2014