1971 Miller High Life 500
| Race details | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 5 of 48 in the 1971 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season | |||
| Date | February 28, 1971 | ||
| Official name | Miller High Life 500 | ||
| Location | Ontario Motor Speedway (Ontario, California, U.S.A.) | ||
| Course |
Permanent racing facility 2.500 mi (4.023 km) | ||
| Distance | 200 laps, 500 mi (804 km) | ||
| Weather | Temperatures reaching up to 60.1 °F (15.6 °C); wind speeds up to 12 miles per hour (19 km/h)[1] | ||
| Average speed | 134.168 miles per hour (215.922 km/h) | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Wood Brothers | ||
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | A.J. Foyt | Wood Brothers | |
| Laps | 118 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 21 | A.J. Foyt | Wood Brothers | |
| Television in the United States | |||
| Network | ABC | ||
| Announcers |
Jim McCay Jackie Stewart Chris Economaki | ||
The 1971 Miller High Life 500 was a NASCAR Winston Cup Series (now Sprint Cup Series) event that took place at Ontario Motor Speedway in the American community of Ontario, California.[2]
Summary
Two hundred laps were taken on a paved oval track spanning 2.500 miles (4.023 km).[2] The total time of the race was three hours, forty-three minutes, and thirty-six seconds.[2] This would be the first event to ever take place at Ontario Speedway. The day of the race was February 28, 1971.[2]
Average speed was 134.168 miles per hour (215.922 km/h) and the pole position speed was 151.711 miles per hour (244.155 km/h).[2] There were five cautions for 21 laps and the margin of victory was 8½ seconds.[2] With an attendance of 78810 people, the race was well attended even by modern standards.[2] The top ten finishers were: A.J. Foyt (winner), Buddy Baker, Richard Petty, Bobby Isaac, LeeRoy Yarbrough, Ray Elder, Tiny Lund, Benny Parsons, and James Hylton.[2][3] Major sponsors participating at the event were Purolator and Coca-Cola.[2] In the 51-man entire racing grid, there were 50 Americans and only one Mexican (by the name of Pedro Rodríguez who finished in 47th due to an electrical fault).[2] It was the 1000th race ever to be accomplished in NASCAR history. Rodríguez would retire from the NASCAR Winston Cup Series after his race here. Dean Dalton would finish in last place due to being black flagged and disqualified on lap 2.[2]
The total winnings of the race were considered to be $180,200 ($1,355,719.97 in today's money) - making it the biggest non-Daytona purse during that era.[4] Manufacturers involved in the event included Chevrolet, Ford, Dodge, Mercury, and Plymouth.[2] Other notable drivers included Elmo Langley, Fred Lorenzen, and Ron Hornaday, Sr. (whose son is a four-time Craftsman Truck Series champion).[2] Marty Kinerk would also retire after this race.
References
- ^ "1971 Miller High Life 500 weather information". The Old Farmer's Almanac. Retrieved 2012-08-03.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "1971 Miller High Life 500 information". Racing Reference. Retrieved 2009-10-21.
- ^ "1971 Miller High Life 500 information (third reference)". Fantasy Racing Cheat Sheet. Retrieved 2011-05-06.
- ^ "1971 Miller High Life 500 information (second reference)". Stat Sheet. Retrieved 2009-10-21.