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{{short description|Auto race held at Ontario Motor Speedway in 1976}}
{{NASCAR race season infobox
{{NASCAR race season infobox
| Type = CUST
| Type = CUST
| Description = Race 30 of 30 in the [[1976 NASCAR Winston Cup Series]] season
| Description = Race 30 of 30 in the [[1976 NASCAR Winston Cup Series]] season
| country = United States
| Race Name = Los Angeles Times 500
| Race Name = Los Angeles Times 500
| Details ref = <ref name="race weather">{{cite web | url = http://www.almanac.com/weather/history/CA/Ontario/1976-11-21 | title = 1976 Los Angeles Times 500 weather information | publisher = The Old Farmers' Almanac | accessdate = 2012-06-12}}</ref>
| Details ref = <ref name="race weather">{{cite web | url = http://www.almanac.com/weather/history/CA/Ontario/1976-11-21 | title = 1976 Los Angeles Times 500 weather information | publisher = The Old Farmers' Almanac | accessdate = 2012-06-12}}</ref>
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| Official name = Los Angeles Times 500
| Official name = Los Angeles Times 500
| Location = [[Ontario Motor Speedway]], [[Ontario, California]]
| Location = [[Ontario Motor Speedway]], [[Ontario, California]]
| Weather = Mild with temperatures reaching a high of {{convert|77|F|C}}; wind speeds up to {{convert|8|mph|km/h}}
| Weather = Mild with temperatures of {{convert|77|F|C}}; wind speeds of {{convert|8|mph|km/h}}
| Course_mi = 2.500
| Course_mi = 2.500
| Course_km = 4.023
| Course_km = 4.023
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}}
}}


The '''1976 Los Angeles Times 500''' was a [[NASCAR]] [[Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series|Winston Cup Series]] racing event that took place on November 21, 1976, at [[Ontario Motor Speedway]] in [[Ontario, California]].<ref name="1976lat500">{{cite web | url = http://racing-reference.info/race/1976_Los_Angeles_Times_500/W | title = 1976 Los Angeles Times 500 racing information | publisher = Racing Reference | accessdate = 2012-03-24}}</ref><ref name="racedatabase">{{cite web | url = http://www.race-database.com/results/results.php?year=1976&race=30&series_id=2 | title = 1976 Los Angeles Times 500 racing information | publisher = Race Database | accessdate = 2012-03-24}}</ref> Each copy of the souvenir magazine was an inexpensive $2 USD per copy (${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|2|1976|r=2}}}} when adjusted for inflation).
The '''1976 Los Angeles Times 500''' was a [[NASCAR]] [[NASCAR Cup Series|Winston Cup Series]] race that took place on November 21, 1976, at [[Ontario Motor Speedway]] in [[Ontario, California]].<ref name="1976lat500">{{cite web | url = http://racing-reference.info/race/1976_Los_Angeles_Times_500/W | title = 1976 Los Angeles Times 500 racing information | publisher = Racing Reference | accessdate = 2012-03-24}}</ref><ref name="racedatabase">{{cite web | url = http://www.race-database.com/results/results.php?year=1976&race=30&series_id=2 | title = 1976 Los Angeles Times 500 racing information | publisher = Race Database | accessdate = 2012-03-24}}</ref> Each copy of the souvenir program was $2 (${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|2|1976|r=2}}}} when adjusted for inflation).


The five drivers that dominated the 1976 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season were David Pearson (average finish of 7th place), Cale Yarborough (average finish of 8th place), Richard Petty (average finish of 9th place), Benny Parsons (average finish of 10th place), and Bobby Allison (average finish 12th place).
==Summary==
⚫
There were 40 drivers on the racing grid;<ref name="racedatabase"/><ref name="cheatsheet">{{cite web | url = http://fantasyracingcheatsheet.com/nascar/races/results/1976/ontario-motor-speedway/los-angeles-times-500/1408 | title = 1976 Los Angeles Times 500 racing information | publisher = Fantasy Racing Cheat Sheet | accessdate = 2012-03-24}}</ref> 39 of them were born in the [[United States|United States of America]] while [[Roy Smith (racing driver)|Roy Smith]] was born in [[Canada]].<ref name="1976lat500"/> [[Darrell Waltrip]] would earn the last-place finish of the race due to an [[engine]] issue on lap 10 out of 200.<ref name="1976lat500"/><ref name="racedatabase"/><ref name="cheatsheet"/> A grand total of $155,639 was handed out after this race was over (${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|155639|1976|r=2}}}} in when adjusted for inflation); Pearson received a handsome $27,715 (${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|27715|1976|r=2}}}} when adjusted for inflation) while Waltrip walked away only $3,660 wealthier (${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|3660|1976|r=2}}}} when adjusted for inflation).<ref name="cheatsheet"/>


==Background==
⚫
[[David Pearson (racing driver)|David Pearson]] managed to defeat [[Lennie Pond]] by at least one lap in front of 44,702 people.<ref name="1976lat500"/><ref name="racedatabase"/> There were four lead changes and two cautions for 19 laps in this three-hour-and-thirty-eight-minute race.<ref name="1976lat500"/><ref name="racedatabase"/><ref name="cheatsheet"/><ref name="decadesofracing">{{cite web | url = http://www.decadesofracing.net/76LATimes500.htm | title = 1976 Los Angeles Times 500 racing information | publisher = Decades of Racing | accessdate = 2012-03-24}}</ref> Pearson would earn the [[pole position]] with a top speed of {{convert|153.964|mph|km/h}} while the average speed of the race would only be {{convert|137.101|mph|km/h}}.<ref name="1976lat500"/><ref name="racedatabase"/><ref name="cheatsheet"/>
Ontario Motor Speedway was a motorsport venue located in [[Ontario, California]]. It was the first and only automobile racing facility built to accommodate major races sanctioned by all of the four dominant racing sanctioning bodies: [[United States Auto Club|USAC]] (and now [[IndyCar Series]]) for open-wheel oval car races; [[NASCAR]] for a {{convert|500|mi|km|adj=on}} oval stock car races; [[NHRA]] for drag races; and [[FIA]] for [[Formula One]] road course races. Constructed in less than two years, the track opened in August 1970 and was considered [[state of the art]] at the time.<ref name=domsp>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=XVYqAAAAIBAJ&sjid=9VMEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5869%2C375914 |newspaper=The Dispatch |location=Lexington, North Carolina |last=White |first=Ben |title=Defunct Ontario Motor Speedway lived in the wrong period of history |date=September 5, 2006 |page=1B}}</ref><ref name=ntioao>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=JOpWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=iu0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=1672%2C3236883 |newspaper=Spokesman-Review |agency=Associated Press |title=New track is opened at Ontario |date=August 23, 1970 |page=1, sports }}</ref>


The first full year of racing included the Indy-style open-wheel Inaugural California 500 on September 6, 1970; the [[Miller High Life]] 500 stock car race on February 28, 1971, the Super Nationals drag race on November 21, 1970 and the [[Questor Grand Prix]] on March 28, 1971. Each of these inaugural races drew attendance second only to their established counterparts, the USAC [[Indianapolis 500]], the NASCAR [[Daytona 500]], the [[NHRA]] [[NHRA U.S. Nationals|U.S. Nationals]], and the U.S. Formula One race at [[Watkins Glen International|Watkins Glen]].
Former IndyCar driver [[Mike Hiss]] would make his only NASCAR start here. This race helped to revitalize the state of California (and the spirit of American motorsports) after the [[1976 swine flu outbreak]] ended. What started out as a strain of the [[H1N1]] [[influenza]] virus found inside [[Fort Dix]]<ref name="Gaydos+2006">{{cite journal|vauthors=Gaydos JC, Top FH, Hodder RA, Russell PK |title=Swine influenza a outbreak, Fort Dix, New Jersey, 1976 |journal=Emerging Infectious Diseases |volume=12 |issue=1 |pages=23–8 |date=January 2006 |pmid=16494712 |doi=10.3201/eid1201.050965 |url=https://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/EID/vol12no01/05-0965.htm |issn= |archiveurl=https://www.webcitation.org/5iRlKb0XD?url=http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/EID/vol12no01/05-0965.htm |archivedate=2009-07-22 |deadurl=no |accessdate=2009-06-23 |df= }}</ref> resulted in mass immunization even as far away as California. Since the previous race at Ontario Motor Speedway took place the year prior to the influenza outbreak, none of the drivers were affected by the illness.

==Race report==
⚫
There were 40 drivers on the grid;<ref name="racedatabase"/><ref name="cheatsheet">{{cite web | url = http://fantasyracingcheatsheet.com/nascar/races/results/1976/ontario-motor-speedway/los-angeles-times-500/1408 | title = 1976 Los Angeles Times 500 racing information | publisher = Fantasy Racing Cheat Sheet | accessdate = 2012-03-24}}</ref> 39 of them were born in the [[United States|United States of America]] while [[Roy Smith (racing driver)|Roy Smith]] was born in [[Canada]].<ref name="1976lat500"/> [[Darrell Waltrip]] would earn the last-place finish of the race due to an [[engine]] issue on lap 10 of 200.<ref name="1976lat500"/><ref name="racedatabase"/><ref name="cheatsheet"/> A grand total of $155,639 was awarded for this race (${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|155639|1976|r=0}}}} in when adjusted for inflation); Pearson received $27,715 (${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|27715|1976|r=0}}}} when adjusted for inflation) while Waltrip won $3,660 (${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|3660|1976|r=0}}}} when adjusted for inflation).<ref name="cheatsheet"/>

⚫
[[David Pearson (racing driver)|David Pearson]] defeated [[Lennie Pond]] by one lap in front of 44,702 people; giving Pearson at least one win at each of the 16 tracks in use at that time.<ref name="1976lat500"/><ref name="racedatabase"/> Petty lacked only Ontario (where he would never win).<ref name="1976lat500"/><ref name="racedatabase"/> There were four lead changes and two cautions for 19 laps in this three-hour-and-thirty-eight-minute race.<ref name="1976lat500"/><ref name="racedatabase"/><ref name="cheatsheet"/><ref name="decadesofracing">{{cite web | url = http://www.decadesofracing.net/76LATimes500.htm | title = 1976 Los Angeles Times 500 racing information | publisher = Decades of Racing | accessdate = 2012-03-24}}</ref> Pearson would earn the [[pole position]] with a top speed of {{convert|153.964|mph|km/h}} while the average speed of the race was {{convert|137.101|mph|km/h}}.<ref name="1976lat500"/><ref name="racedatabase"/><ref name="cheatsheet"/>

Former IndyCar driver [[Mike Hiss]] would make his only NASCAR start here.<ref name="1976lat500"/> This race saw the rare occurrence of both a husband and wife being entered in the same NASCAR race looking to race as IndyCar competitors Mike and Arlene Hiss both attempted to qualify for the race.<ref name="1976lat500"/> Arlene Hiss failed to qualify although the late Mike Hiss, as mentioned above, did both qualify for and finish the race.<ref name="1976lat500"/>

There was a brutal level of attrition due to mechanical problems in this race, even by 1976 standards.<ref name="1976lat500"/> Blown engines in addition to transmission failures and clutch failures forced a lot of the star drivers out of the race; allowing a lot of independent drivers to have decent finishes.<ref name="1976lat500"/>

Notable crew chiefs for this race included [[Billy Hagan (racing driver)|Billy Hagan]], [[Junie Donlavey]], [[Jake Elder]], [[Harry Hyde]], [[Dale Inman]], [[Bud Moore (NASCAR owner)|Bud Moore]] among many others.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://racing-reference.info/entrylist/1976-30/enwiki/w/C | title = 1976 Los Angeles Times 500 crew chief information | publisher = Racing Reference | accessdate = 2018-08-01}}</ref>


===Qualifying===
===Qualifying===
{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|-
! Grid<ref name="1976lat500"/>
! Grid
! {{Tooltip|No.|Car number}}
! {{Tooltip|No.|Car number}}
! Driver
! Driver
! Manufacturer
! Manufacturer
! Owner
|-
|-
! 1
! 1
| 21 || [[David Pearson (racing driver)|David Pearson]] || Mercury
| 21 || [[David Pearson (racing driver)|David Pearson]] || Mercury || Wood Brothers
|-
|-
! 2
! 2
| 71 || [[Dave Marcis]] || Dodge
| 71 || [[Dave Marcis]] || Dodge || Nord Krauskopf
|-
|-
! 3
! 3
| 11 || [[Cale Yarborough]] || Chevrolet
| 11 || [[Cale Yarborough]] || Chevrolet || Junior Johnson
|-
|-
! 4
! 4
| 15 || [[Buddy Baker]] || Ford
| 15 || [[Buddy Baker]] || Ford || Bud Moore
|-
|-
! 5
! 5
| 2 || [[Bobby Allison]] || Mercury
| 2 || [[Bobby Allison]] || Mercury || Roger Penske
|-
|-
! 6
! 6
| 88 || [[Darrell Waltrip]] || Chevrolet
| 88 || [[Darrell Waltrip]] || Chevrolet || DiGard Racing
|-
|-
! 7
! 7
| 43 || [[Richard Petty]] || Dodge
| 43 || [[Richard Petty]] || Dodge || Petty Enterprises
|-
|-
! 8
! 8
| 28 || [[Donnie Allison]] || Chevrolet
| 28 || [[Donnie Allison]] || Chevrolet || Hoss Ellington
|-
|-
! 9
! 9
| 72 || [[Benny Parsons]] || Chevrolet
| 72 || [[Benny Parsons]] || Chevrolet || L.G. DeWitt
|-
|-
! 10
! 10
| 67 || [[Sonny Easley]] || Ford
| 67 || [[Sonny Easley]] || Ford || Jerry Lankford
|-
|-
! 11
! 11
| 54 || [[Lennie Pond]] || Chevrolet
| 54 || [[Lennie Pond]] || Chevrolet || Ronnie Elder
|-
|-
! 12
! 12
| 90 || [[Dick Brooks]] || Ford
| 90 || [[Dick Brooks]] || Ford || Junie Donlavey
|-
|-
! 13
! 13
| 01 || [[Chuck Bown]] || Chevrolet
| 01 || [[Chuck Bown]] || Chevrolet || Gerald Craker
|-
|-
! 14
! 14
| 81 || [[Terry Ryan (racing driver)|Terry Ryan]] || Chevrolet
| 81 || [[Terry Ryan (racing driver)|Terry Ryan]] || Chevrolet || Bill Monaghan
|-
|-
! 15
! 15
| 50 || [[Terry Bivins]] || Chevrolet
| 50 || [[Terry Bivins]] || Chevrolet || Michael Brockman
|}
|}


Failed to qualify: Bill Osborne (#94), Hugh Pearson (#76), Buddy Arrington (#67), Tom Williams (#52), Don Graham (#52), Jimmy Means (#52), Travis Tiller (#46), Gary Johnson (#44), Marty Robbins (#42), John Weibel (#80), Sumner McKnight (#82), Jack Simpson (#53), Perry Cottingham (#99), Jerry Barnett (#99), Harry Jefferson (#95), Norm Palmer (#93), Chris Monoleos (#92), Don Reynolds (#89), Dick Whalen (#86), Ernie Stierly (#41), Terry Wood (#39), Arlene Hiss (#38), Coo Coo Marlin (#14), Leon Fox (#10), Eddie Bradshaw (#09), Dean Dalton (#7), Doc Faustina (#5), Ross Kusah (#4), Richard White (#2), Earle Canavan (#01), Dennis Wilson (#16), John Dineen (#18), Bruce Jacobi (#37), Chuck Wahl (#37), Ray Elder (#32), Walter Ballard (#30), Sue Williams (#25), Bryce Mann (#24), John Hamson (#22), Ron Esau (#20) and Steve Pfeifer (#0).<ref>{{cite web | url = http://racing-reference.info/getqualify/1976-30/W | title = 1976 Los Angeles Times 500 qualifying information | publisher = Racing Reference | accessdate = 2017-04-08}}</ref>
Failed to qualify: [[Bill Osborne (racing driver)|Bill Osborne]] (#94), [[Hugh Pearson (racing driver)|Hugh Pearson]] (#76), [[Buddy Arrington]] (#67), [[Tom Williams (racing driver)|Tom Williams]] (#52), [[Don Graham (racing driver)|Don Graham]] (#52), [[Jimmy Means]] (#52), [[Travis Tiller]] (#46), [[Gary Johnson (racing driver)|Gary Johnson]] (#44), [[Marty Robbins]] (#42), [[John Weibel (racing driver)|John Weibel]] (#80), [[Sumner McKnight]] (#82), [[Jack Simpson (racing driver)|Jack Simpson]] (#53), [[Perry Cottingham]] (#99), [[Jerry Barnett]] (#99), [[Harry Jefferson (racing driver)|Harry Jefferson]] (#95), [[Norm Palmer]] (#93), [[Chris Monoleos]] (#92), [[Don Reynolds (racing driver)|Don Reynolds]] (#89), [[Dick Whalen]] (#86), [[Ernie Stierly]] (#41), [[Terry Wood]] (#39), [[Arlene Hiss]] (#38), [[Coo Coo Marlin]] (#14), [[Leon Fox]] (#10), [[Eddie Bradshaw]] (#09), [[Dean Dalton]] (#7), [[Doc Faustina]] (#5), [[Ross Kusah]] (#4), [[Richard White (racing driver)|Richard White]] (#2), [[Earle Canavan]] (#01), [[Dennis Wilson (racing driver)|Dennis Wilson]] (#16), [[John Dineen (racing driver)|John Dineen]] (#18), [[Bruce Jacobi]] (#37), [[Chuck Wahl]] (#37), [[Ray Elder]] (#32), [[Walter Ballard]] (#30), [[Sue Williams (racing driver)|Sue Williams]] (#25), [[Bryce Mann]] (#24), [[John Hamson]] (#22), [[Ron Esau]] (#20), and [[Steve Pfeifer]] (#0).<ref>{{cite web | url = http://racing-reference.info/getqualify/1976-30/W | title = 1976 Los Angeles Times 500 qualifying information | publisher = Racing Reference | accessdate = 2017-04-08}}</ref>


==Top ten finishers==
==Top 10 finishers==
<small>Section reference: <ref name="1976lat500"/></small>
⚫
# [[David Pearson (racing driver)|David Pearson]] (No. 21)
# [[Lennie Pond]] (No. 54), 1 lap behind
# [[David Pearson (racing driver)|David Pearson]] (No. 21), official time 3:38:49
# [[Benny Parsons]] (No. 72), 2 laps behind
# [[Lennie Pond]] (No. 54), 1 lap down
# [[Dick Brooks]] (No. 90), 2 laps behind
# [[Benny Parsons]] (No. 72), 2 laps down
# [[James Hylton]] (No. 48), 4 laps behind
# [[Dick Brooks]] (No. 90), 2 laps down
# [[Bobby Wawak]] (No. 36), 4 laps behind
# [[James Hylton]] (No. 48), 4 laps down
# [[Terry Bivins]] (No. 50), 6 laps behind
# [[Bobby Wawak]] (No. 36), 4 laps down
# [[Skip Manning]] (No. 92), 8 laps behind
# [[Terry Bivins]] (No. 50), 6 laps down
# [[Terry Ryan (racing driver)|Terry Ryan]] (No. 81), 8 laps behind
# [[Skip Manning]] (No. 92), 8 laps down
# [[Bruce Hill (racing driver)|Bruce Hill]] (No. 47), 8 laps behind
# [[Terry Ryan (racing driver)|Terry Ryan]] (No. 81), 8 laps down
⚫
# [[Bruce Hill (racing driver)|Bruce Hill]] (No. 47), 8 laps down


==Timeline==
==Timeline==
<small>Section reference: <ref name="1976lat500"/></small>
* Start of race: David Pearson started the race but Cale Yarborough quickly overtook him
* Start of race: David Pearson started the race but Cale Yarborough quickly overtook him.
⚫
* Lap 10: Darrell Waltrip managed to blow his engine while racing
* Lap 12: Buddy Baker managed to wreck his vehicle's transmission
* Lap 10: Darrell Waltrip managed to blow his engine while racing.
* Lap 23: Roy Smith managed to blow an engine while racing
* Lap 12: Buddy Baker managed to wreck his vehicle's transmission.
* Lap 24: Richard Petty took over the lead from Cale Yarborough
* Lap 23: Roy Smith managed to blow an engine while racing.
* Lap 35: Cale Yarborough took over the lead from Richard Petty
* Lap 24: Richard Petty took over the lead from Cale Yarborough.
⚫
* Lap 35: Cale Yarborough took over the lead from Richard Petty.
* Lap 48: Henley Gray suffered through some transmission issues with forced him out of the race
* Lap 48: Henley Gray suffered through some transmission issues with forced him out of the race.
* Lap 54: Richard Childress managed to overheat his vehicle
* Lap 54: Richard Childress managed to overheat his vehicle.
⚫
* Lap 80: David Pearson took over the lead from Cale Yarborough
* Lap 80: David Pearson took over the lead from Cale Yarborough.
* Lap 111: Carl Joiner, Jr. had a terminal crash, forcing him to exit the race
* Lap 168: Cale Yarborough had troubles dealing with his vehicle's clutch
* Lap 111: Carl Joiner, Jr. had a terminal crash, forcing him to exit the race.
* Lap 168: Cale Yarborough had troubles dealing with his vehicle's clutch.
* Lap 171: The battery inside Jimmy Insolo's vehicle no longer worked properly
* Lap 171: The battery inside Jimmy Insolo's vehicle no longer worked properly.
* Lap 177: Janet Guthrie experiences problems with her vehicle's hub
* Lap 177: Janet Guthrie experiences problems with her vehicle's hub.
* Lap 178: Chuck Bown managed to blow an engine while racing
⚫
* Lap 178: Chuck Bown managed to blow an engine while racing.
* Finish: Cale Yarborough was officially declared the winner of the event
* Finish: David Pearson was officially declared the winner of the event.


==Standings after the race==
==Standings after the race==
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{{Los Angeles Times 500}}
{{Los Angeles Times 500}}


[[Category:1976 in California|Los Angeles Times 500]]
[[Category:1976 in sports in California|Los Angeles Times 500]]
[[Category:1976 NASCAR Winston Cup Series|Los Angeles Times 500]]
[[Category:1976 NASCAR Winston Cup Series|Los Angeles Times 500]]
[[Category:November 1976 sports events in the United States|Los Angeles Times 500]]
[[Category:NASCAR races at Ontario Motor Speedway]]
[[Category:NASCAR races at Ontario Motor Speedway]]

Latest revision as of 21:33, 4 September 2021

1976 Los Angeles Times 500
Race details[1]
Race 30 of 30 in the 1976 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season
Official racing program of the 1976 Los Angeles Times 500
Official racing program of the 1976 Los Angeles Times 500
Date November 21, 1976 (1976-November-21)
Official name Los Angeles Times 500
Location Ontario Motor Speedway, Ontario, California
Course Permanent racing facility
2.500 mi (4.023 km)
Distance 200 laps, 500 mi (804 km)
Weather Mild with temperatures of 77 °F (25 °C); wind speeds of 8 miles per hour (13 km/h)
Average speed 137.101 miles per hour (220.643 km/h)
Pole position
Driver
Wood Brothers
Most laps led
Driver David Pearson Wood Brothers
Laps 121
Winner
No. 21 David Pearson Wood Brothers
Television in the United States
Network CBS
Announcers Ken Squier
Lee Petty

The 1976 Los Angeles Times 500 was a NASCAR Winston Cup Series race that took place on November 21, 1976, at Ontario Motor Speedway in Ontario, California.[2][3] Each copy of the souvenir program was $2 ($10.71 when adjusted for inflation).

The five drivers that dominated the 1976 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season were David Pearson (average finish of 7th place), Cale Yarborough (average finish of 8th place), Richard Petty (average finish of 9th place), Benny Parsons (average finish of 10th place), and Bobby Allison (average finish 12th place).

Background

[edit]

Ontario Motor Speedway was a motorsport venue located in Ontario, California. It was the first and only automobile racing facility built to accommodate major races sanctioned by all of the four dominant racing sanctioning bodies: USAC (and now IndyCar Series) for open-wheel oval car races; NASCAR for a 500-mile (800 km) oval stock car races; NHRA for drag races; and FIA for Formula One road course races. Constructed in less than two years, the track opened in August 1970 and was considered state of the art at the time.[4][5]

The first full year of racing included the Indy-style open-wheel Inaugural California 500 on September 6, 1970; the Miller High Life 500 stock car race on February 28, 1971, the Super Nationals drag race on November 21, 1970 and the Questor Grand Prix on March 28, 1971. Each of these inaugural races drew attendance second only to their established counterparts, the USAC Indianapolis 500, the NASCAR Daytona 500, the NHRA U.S. Nationals, and the U.S. Formula One race at Watkins Glen.

Race report

[edit]

There were 40 drivers on the grid;[3][6] 39 of them were born in the United States of America while Roy Smith was born in Canada.[2] Darrell Waltrip would earn the last-place finish of the race due to an engine issue on lap 10 of 200.[2][3][6] A grand total of $155,639 was awarded for this race ($833,351 in when adjusted for inflation); Pearson received $27,715 ($148,397 when adjusted for inflation) while Waltrip won $3,660 ($19,597 when adjusted for inflation).[6]

David Pearson defeated Lennie Pond by one lap in front of 44,702 people; giving Pearson at least one win at each of the 16 tracks in use at that time.[2][3] Petty lacked only Ontario (where he would never win).[2][3] There were four lead changes and two cautions for 19 laps in this three-hour-and-thirty-eight-minute race.[2][3][6][7] Pearson would earn the pole position with a top speed of 153.964 miles per hour (247.781 km/h) while the average speed of the race was 137.101 miles per hour (220.643 km/h).[2][3][6]

Former IndyCar driver Mike Hiss would make his only NASCAR start here.[2] This race saw the rare occurrence of both a husband and wife being entered in the same NASCAR race looking to race as IndyCar competitors Mike and Arlene Hiss both attempted to qualify for the race.[2] Arlene Hiss failed to qualify although the late Mike Hiss, as mentioned above, did both qualify for and finish the race.[2]

There was a brutal level of attrition due to mechanical problems in this race, even by 1976 standards.[2] Blown engines in addition to transmission failures and clutch failures forced a lot of the star drivers out of the race; allowing a lot of independent drivers to have decent finishes.[2]

Notable crew chiefs for this race included Billy Hagan, Junie Donlavey, Jake Elder, Harry Hyde, Dale Inman, Bud Moore among many others.[8]

Qualifying

[edit]
Grid[2] No. Driver Manufacturer Owner
1 21 David Pearson Mercury Wood Brothers
2 71 Dave Marcis Dodge Nord Krauskopf
3 11 Cale Yarborough Chevrolet Junior Johnson
4 15 Buddy Baker Ford Bud Moore
5 2 Bobby Allison Mercury Roger Penske
6 88 Darrell Waltrip Chevrolet DiGard Racing
7 43 Richard Petty Dodge Petty Enterprises
8 28 Donnie Allison Chevrolet Hoss Ellington
9 72 Benny Parsons Chevrolet L.G. DeWitt
10 67 Sonny Easley Ford Jerry Lankford
11 54 Lennie Pond Chevrolet Ronnie Elder
12 90 Dick Brooks Ford Junie Donlavey
13 01 Chuck Bown Chevrolet Gerald Craker
14 81 Terry Ryan Chevrolet Bill Monaghan
15 50 Terry Bivins Chevrolet Michael Brockman

Failed to qualify: Bill Osborne (#94), Hugh Pearson (#76), Buddy Arrington (#67), Tom Williams (#52), Don Graham (#52), Jimmy Means (#52), Travis Tiller (#46), Gary Johnson (#44), Marty Robbins (#42), John Weibel (#80), Sumner McKnight (#82), Jack Simpson (#53), Perry Cottingham (#99), Jerry Barnett (#99), Harry Jefferson (#95), Norm Palmer (#93), Chris Monoleos (#92), Don Reynolds (#89), Dick Whalen (#86), Ernie Stierly (#41), Terry Wood (#39), Arlene Hiss (#38), Coo Coo Marlin (#14), Leon Fox (#10), Eddie Bradshaw (#09), Dean Dalton (#7), Doc Faustina (#5), Ross Kusah (#4), Richard White (#2), Earle Canavan (#01), Dennis Wilson (#16), John Dineen (#18), Bruce Jacobi (#37), Chuck Wahl (#37), Ray Elder (#32), Walter Ballard (#30), Sue Williams (#25), Bryce Mann (#24), John Hamson (#22), Ron Esau (#20), and Steve Pfeifer (#0).[9]

Top 10 finishers

[edit]

Section reference: [2]

  1. David Pearson (No. 21), official time 3:38:49
  2. Lennie Pond (No. 54), 1 lap down
  3. Benny Parsons (No. 72), 2 laps down
  4. Dick Brooks (No. 90), 2 laps down
  5. James Hylton (No. 48), 4 laps down
  6. Bobby Wawak (No. 36), 4 laps down
  7. Terry Bivins (No. 50), 6 laps down
  8. Skip Manning (No. 92), 8 laps down
  9. Terry Ryan (No. 81), 8 laps down
  10. Bruce Hill (No. 47), 8 laps down

Timeline

[edit]

Section reference: [2]

  • Start of race: David Pearson started the race but Cale Yarborough quickly overtook him.
  • Lap 10: Darrell Waltrip managed to blow his engine while racing.
  • Lap 12: Buddy Baker managed to wreck his vehicle's transmission.
  • Lap 23: Roy Smith managed to blow an engine while racing.
  • Lap 24: Richard Petty took over the lead from Cale Yarborough.
  • Lap 35: Cale Yarborough took over the lead from Richard Petty.
  • Lap 48: Henley Gray suffered through some transmission issues with forced him out of the race.
  • Lap 54: Richard Childress managed to overheat his vehicle.
  • Lap 80: David Pearson took over the lead from Cale Yarborough.
  • Lap 111: Carl Joiner, Jr. had a terminal crash, forcing him to exit the race.
  • Lap 168: Cale Yarborough had troubles dealing with his vehicle's clutch.
  • Lap 171: The battery inside Jimmy Insolo's vehicle no longer worked properly.
  • Lap 177: Janet Guthrie experiences problems with her vehicle's hub.
  • Lap 178: Chuck Bown managed to blow an engine while racing.
  • Finish: David Pearson was officially declared the winner of the event.

Standings after the race

[edit]
Pos Driver Points[2] Differential
1 Cale Yarborough 4644 0
2 Richard Petty 4449 -195
3 Benny Parsons 4304 -340
4 Bobby Allison 4097 -547
5 Increase Lennie Pond 3930 -714
6 Decrease Dave Marcis 3785 -769
7 Buddy Baker 3745 -899
8 Darrell Waltrip 3505 -1139
9 Increase David Pearson 3483 -1161
10 Increase Dick Brooks 3447 -1197

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "1976 Los Angeles Times 500 weather information". The Old Farmers' Almanac. Retrieved 2012-06-12.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p "1976 Los Angeles Times 500 racing information". Racing Reference. Retrieved 2012-03-24.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g "1976 Los Angeles Times 500 racing information". Race Database. Retrieved 2012-03-24.
  4. ^ White, Ben (September 5, 2006). "Defunct Ontario Motor Speedway lived in the wrong period of history". The Dispatch. Lexington, North Carolina. p. 1B.
  5. ^ "New track is opened at Ontario". Spokesman-Review. Associated Press. August 23, 1970. p. 1, sports.
  6. ^ a b c d e "1976 Los Angeles Times 500 racing information". Fantasy Racing Cheat Sheet. Retrieved 2012-03-24.
  7. ^ "1976 Los Angeles Times 500 racing information". Decades of Racing. Retrieved 2012-03-24.
  8. ^ "1976 Los Angeles Times 500 crew chief information". Racing Reference. Retrieved 2018-08-01.
  9. ^ "1976 Los Angeles Times 500 qualifying information". Racing Reference. Retrieved 2017-04-08.
Preceded by NASCAR Winston Cup Series Season
1976-77 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Los Angeles Times 500 races
1976 		Succeeded by
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