1974 Winston 500: Difference between revisions
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The '''1974 Winston 500''' was a [[NASCAR]] [[NASCAR Cup Series|Winston Cup Series]] racing event that was held on May 5, 1974, at [[Talladega Superspeedway|Alabama International Motor Speedway]] in [[Talladega, Alabama|Talladega]], [[Alabama]]. |
The '''1974 Winston 500''' was a [[NASCAR]] [[NASCAR Cup Series|Winston Cup Series]] racing event that was held on May 5, 1974, at [[Talladega Superspeedway|Alabama International Motor Speedway]] in [[Talladega, Alabama|Talladega]], [[Alabama]]. |
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David Pearson acquired one of his superspeedway victories for the 1974 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season at this event.<ref>[http://blog.al.com/bn/2008/10/40_years_of_talladega.html 40 years of Talladega -- Birmingham News special report] at AL.com</ref> Tickets at this event sold at an average price of $10 (${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|10|1974|r=2}}}} when adjusted for inflation). The green flag was waved at 1:00 PM, the checkered flag was waved at 4:28 PM. |
[[David Pearson (racing driver)|David Pearson]] acquired one of his superspeedway victories for the 1974 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season at this event.<ref>[http://blog.al.com/bn/2008/10/40_years_of_talladega.html 40 years of Talladega -- Birmingham News special report] at AL.com</ref> Tickets at this event sold at an average price of $10 (${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|10|1974|r=2}}}} when adjusted for inflation). The green flag was waved at 1:00 PM, the checkered flag was waved at 4:28 PM. |
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==Background== |
==Background== |
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[[Jerry Schild]] made his NASCAR Winston Cup Series debut in this event; starting in 37th and finishing 40th. [[David Pearson (racing driver)|David Pearson]] defeated [[Benny Parsons]] by 0.2 seconds after racing for 210 minutes.<ref name="1974w500"/> Sixty of these 170 laps were raced under yellow.<ref name="1974w500"/> This race was interrupted by rain approximately three times that day.<ref name="1974w500"/> David Pearson was the best driver on the racing grid during the event, everyone else was just hanging on trying to keep up with him.<ref name="1974w500"/> Bobby Allison had just as good a car and it seemed like he led more than 15 laps.<ref name="1974w500"/> Pearson survived when all of his top competition didn't finish.<ref name="1974w500"/> |
[[Jerry Schild]] made his NASCAR Winston Cup Series debut in this event; starting in 37th and finishing 40th. [[David Pearson (racing driver)|David Pearson]] defeated [[Benny Parsons]] by 0.2 seconds after racing for 210 minutes.<ref name="1974w500"/> Sixty of these 170 laps were raced under yellow.<ref name="1974w500"/> This race was interrupted by rain approximately three times that day.<ref name="1974w500"/> David Pearson was the best driver on the racing grid during the event, everyone else was just hanging on trying to keep up with him.<ref name="1974w500"/> Bobby Allison had just as good a car and it seemed like he led more than 15 laps.<ref name="1974w500"/> Pearson survived when all of his top competition didn't finish.<ref name="1974w500"/> |
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A crowd of forty thousand would see the lead change 53 times.<ref name="1974w500"/> [[Chevrolet]] and [[Dodge]] vehicles would dominate the race's grid while [[Ford Motor Company|Ford]]s led the most laps.<ref name="1974w500"/> Gary Bettenhausen was dominating the early portions of the race in an AMC Matador until he got run into in the pits on lap 105.<ref name="1974w500"/> People who attended this race still remember sitting in the rain, hoping they would get the race in and they finally did. This was [[Iggy Katona]]'s only NASCAR Cup Series race in the 1970s and his only one at Talladega. Katona's previous start had been in 1966.<ref>[https://www.racing-reference.info/driver/Iggy_Katona Driver Iggy Katona Career Statistics] at Racing Reference</ref> |
A crowd of forty thousand would see the lead change 53 times.<ref name="1974w500"/> [[Chevrolet]] and [[Dodge]] vehicles would dominate the race's grid while [[Ford Motor Company|Ford]]s led the most laps.<ref name="1974w500"/> Gary Bettenhausen was dominating the early portions of the race in an [[AMC Matador]] until he got run into in the pits on lap 105.<ref name="1974w500"/> People who attended this race still remember sitting in the rain, hoping they would get the race in and they finally did. This was [[Iggy Katona]]'s only NASCAR Cup Series race in the 1970s and his only one at Talladega. Katona's previous start had been in 1966.<ref>[https://www.racing-reference.info/driver/Iggy_Katona Driver Iggy Katona Career Statistics] at Racing Reference</ref> |
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[[Grant Adcox]] qualified for the event. With a hundred laps in the books, a caution came out as [[Donnie Allison]] |
[[Grant Adcox]] qualified for the event. With a hundred laps in the books, a caution came out as [[Donnie Allison]]'s clutch burned out and [[David Sisco]]'s motor went up in smoke. [[Gary Bettenhausen]], who had pitted a lap after the leaders, and was up on jacks as young Adcox came down for service. Adcox's car hit an oil and water patch and slammed straight into the Bettenhausen Matador, causing catch can man [[Don Miller (Penske Racing)|Don Miller]] to be crushed between the cars. A young crew member of the [[Nord Krauskopf]] team who was pitted nearby, [[Buddy Parrott]], came rushing down to help, while Penske crewmembers John Woodward and Dale Watson were also injured. Miller was taken to the hospital and eventually had his right leg amputated. Learning of the extent of Miller's injuries, an upset Adcox withdrew from the event. |
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[[Richard Petty]] was slow in qualifying; starting in 24th place.<ref name="1974w500"/> Petty and Yarborough had brought out their big block engines thinking that the reliability would pay off, but Pearson running a 351 Cleveland held on for the win. Both of the Allisons ran the small-block Chevrolets but they didn't hold up as well as the Fords. This was Charlie Roberts' last race as an owner.<ref name="1974w500"/> He owned [[Neil Bonnett]] |
[[Richard Petty]] was slow in qualifying; starting in 24th place.<ref name="1974w500"/> Petty and Yarborough had brought out their big block engines thinking that the reliability would pay off, but Pearson running a 351 Cleveland held on for the win. Both of the Allisons ran the small-block Chevrolets but they didn't hold up as well as the Fords. This was Charlie Roberts' last race as an owner.<ref name="1974w500"/> He owned [[Neil Bonnett]]'s car in this race.<ref name="1974w500"/> |
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The entire prize purse of this race was $144,280 (${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|144280|1974|r=0}}}} when adjusted for inflation); with the winner receiving $20,785 (${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|20785|1974|r=0}}}} when adjusted for inflation) while the last-place finisher received $1,175 (${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|1175|1974|r=0}}}} when adjusted for inflation). A 1973 [[Mercury Montego]] would become the winning vehicle at this race. David Pearson would earn the pole position at {{convert|186.086|mph|km/h}} during qualifying, as it was the first Talladega Cup race after NASCAR's phase out of |
The entire prize purse of this race was $144,280 (${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|144280|1974|r=0}}}} when adjusted for inflation); with the winner receiving $20,785 (${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|20785|1974|r=0}}}} when adjusted for inflation) while the last-place finisher received $1,175 (${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|1175|1974|r=0}}}} when adjusted for inflation). A 1973 [[Mercury Montego]] would become the winning vehicle at this race. David Pearson would earn the pole position at {{convert|186.086|mph|km/h}} during qualifying, as it was the first Talladega Cup race after NASCAR's phase out of the seven-litre engines, with all teams using a 358 ci (5833cc) engine formula that as of 2022 is still in use by NASCAR.<ref>[http://fantasyracingcheatsheet.com/nascar/races/results/1974/talladega-superspeedway/winston-500/1328 ''1974 Winston 500''] at Fantasy Racing Cheat Sheet</ref> it was the slowest Talladega Cup pole speed until [[Jeremy Mayfield]]'s pole speed at the [[2000 DieHard 500|2000 spring race]].<ref>[https://www.espn.com/auto/nascar/news/2000/0414/482272.html Pole speed comparisons: 1974 vs 2000] at ESPN.com</ref> |
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===Top 10 finishers=== |
===Top 10 finishers=== |
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Latest revision as of 05:00, 15 July 2024
| Race details[1] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 10 of 30 in the 1974 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season | |||
 Layout of Talladega Superspeedway | |||
| Date | May 5, 1974 | ||
| Official name | Winston 500 | ||
| Location | Alabama International Motor Speedway, Talladega, Alabama | ||
| Course |
Permanent racing facility 2.660 mi (4.280 km) | ||
| Distance | 170 laps, 452.2 mi (727.6 km) | ||
| Weather | Very hot with temperatures of 82.9 °F (28.3 °C); wind speeds of 9.9 miles per hour (15.9 km/h) | ||
| Average speed | 130.220 miles per hour (209.569 km/h) | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Wood Brothers Racing | ||
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | David Pearson | Wood Brothers Racing | |
| Laps | 58 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 21 | David Pearson | Wood Brothers Racing | |
The 1974 Winston 500 was a NASCAR Winston Cup Series racing event that was held on May 5, 1974, at Alabama International Motor Speedway in Talladega, Alabama.
David Pearson acquired one of his superspeedway victories for the 1974 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season at this event.[2] Tickets at this event sold at an average price of $10 ($61.78 when adjusted for inflation). The green flag was waved at 1:00 PM, the checkered flag was waved at 4:28 PM.
Background
[edit]Talladega Superspeedway, originally known as Alabama International Motor Superspeedway (AIMS), is a motorsports complex located north of Talladega, Alabama. It is located on the former Anniston Air Force Base in the small city of Lincoln. The track is a Tri-oval and was constructed by International Speedway Corporation, a business controlled by the France Family, in the 1960s. Talladega is most known for its steep banking and the unique location of the start/finish line - located just past the exit to pit road. The track currently hosts the NASCAR series such as the Sprint Cup Series, Xfinity Series, and the Camping World Truck Series. Talladega Superspeedway is the longest NASCAR oval with a length of 2.66 miles (4.28 km), and the track at its peak had a seating capacity of 175,000 spectators.[3]
Race report
[edit]As was the case for the first half of the 1974 season, races were reduced by 10% because of the energy crisis. As such, the 450-mile race symbolically started on "Lap 19," with the first 18 laps being listed as "not scored". Engine problems caused most of the drivers not to finish the race.[4]
Jerry Schild made his NASCAR Winston Cup Series debut in this event; starting in 37th and finishing 40th. David Pearson defeated Benny Parsons by 0.2 seconds after racing for 210 minutes.[4] Sixty of these 170 laps were raced under yellow.[4] This race was interrupted by rain approximately three times that day.[4] David Pearson was the best driver on the racing grid during the event, everyone else was just hanging on trying to keep up with him.[4] Bobby Allison had just as good a car and it seemed like he led more than 15 laps.[4] Pearson survived when all of his top competition didn't finish.[4]
A crowd of forty thousand would see the lead change 53 times.[4] Chevrolet and Dodge vehicles would dominate the race's grid while Fords led the most laps.[4] Gary Bettenhausen was dominating the early portions of the race in an AMC Matador until he got run into in the pits on lap 105.[4] People who attended this race still remember sitting in the rain, hoping they would get the race in and they finally did. This was Iggy Katona's only NASCAR Cup Series race in the 1970s and his only one at Talladega. Katona's previous start had been in 1966.[5]
Grant Adcox qualified for the event. With a hundred laps in the books, a caution came out as Donnie Allison's clutch burned out and David Sisco's motor went up in smoke. Gary Bettenhausen, who had pitted a lap after the leaders, and was up on jacks as young Adcox came down for service. Adcox's car hit an oil and water patch and slammed straight into the Bettenhausen Matador, causing catch can man Don Miller to be crushed between the cars. A young crew member of the Nord Krauskopf team who was pitted nearby, Buddy Parrott, came rushing down to help, while Penske crewmembers John Woodward and Dale Watson were also injured. Miller was taken to the hospital and eventually had his right leg amputated. Learning of the extent of Miller's injuries, an upset Adcox withdrew from the event.
Richard Petty was slow in qualifying; starting in 24th place.[4] Petty and Yarborough had brought out their big block engines thinking that the reliability would pay off, but Pearson running a 351 Cleveland held on for the win. Both of the Allisons ran the small-block Chevrolets but they didn't hold up as well as the Fords. This was Charlie Roberts' last race as an owner.[4] He owned Neil Bonnett's car in this race.[4]
The entire prize purse of this race was $144,280 ($891,382 when adjusted for inflation); with the winner receiving $20,785 ($128,413 when adjusted for inflation) while the last-place finisher received $1,175 ($7,259 when adjusted for inflation). A 1973 Mercury Montego would become the winning vehicle at this race. David Pearson would earn the pole position at 186.086 miles per hour (299.476 km/h) during qualifying, as it was the first Talladega Cup race after NASCAR's phase out of the seven-litre engines, with all teams using a 358 ci (5833cc) engine formula that as of 2022 is still in use by NASCAR.[6] it was the slowest Talladega Cup pole speed until Jeremy Mayfield's pole speed at the 2000 spring race.[7]
Top 10 finishers
[edit]| Pos[4] | Grid | No. | Driver | Manufacturer | Laps | Laps led | Time/Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 21 | David Pearson | '73 Mercury | 170 | 58 | 3:28:09 |
| 2 | 11 | 72 | Benny Parsons | '74 Chevrolet | 170 | 9 | +0.17 seconds |
| 3 | 24 | 43 | Richard Petty | '74 Dodge | 170 | 0 | Lead lap under green flag |
| 4 | 19 | 90 | Charlie Glotzbach | '72 Ford | 170 | 1 | Lead lap under green flag |
| 5 | 26 | 54 | Lennie Pond | '74 Chevrolet | 169 | 0 | +1 lap |
| 6 | 22 | 2 | Dave Marcis | '73 Dodge | 169 | 0 | +1 lap |
| 7 | 13 | 14 | Coo Coo Marlin | '73 Chevrolet | 169 | 7 | +1 lap |
| 8 | 9 | 28 | Sam McQuagg | '74 Chevrolet | 169 | 1 | +1 lap |
| 9 | 5 | 11 | Cale Yarborough | '74 Chevrolet | 169 | 0 | +1 lap |
| 10 | 48 | 57 | Bob Burcham | '74 Chevrolet | 169 | 0 | +1 lap |
References
[edit]- ^ Weather information for the 1974 Winston 500 at The Old Farmers' Almanac
- ^ 40 years of Talladega -- Birmingham News special report at AL.com
- ^ "Track Facts". talladegasuperspeedway.com. Talladega Superspeedway. November 1, 2012. Archived from the original on November 1, 2012. Retrieved April 27, 2015.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n 1974 Winston 500 at Racing Reference
- ^ Driver Iggy Katona Career Statistics at Racing Reference
- ^ 1974 Winston 500 at Fantasy Racing Cheat Sheet
- ^ Pole speed comparisons: 1974 vs 2000 at ESPN.com