1976 in NASCAR - Notable Races

Notable Races

  • Daytona 500 – From disallowance of qualifying times for A.J. Foyt, Dave Marcis, and Darrell Waltrip to the crashing of race leaders Richard Petty and David Pearson a half-mile from the checkered flag - the finish broadcast live on Wide World of Sports - the 1976 500 became one of the most celebrated races in history.
  • Carolina 500 – Richard Petty won going away in a race marred by a huge melee on the backstretch where Bobby Allison tumbled.
  • Atlanta 500 – David Pearson spent 225 laps to get back onto the lead lap and took his third win of the season.
  • Rebel 500 - Pearson ran down Buddy Baker in a race where his father Buck finished sixth.
  • Virginia 500 – Darrell Waltrip took the win, his first with Gatorade sponsorship.
  • Winston 500 – Buddy Baker became the first driver to win a 500-miler in less than three hours.
  • World 600 – Pearson edged Petty and Cale Yarborough as Bruton Smith made his official return to Charlotte Motor Speedway. Janet Guthrie made her NASCAR debut.
  • Michigan 400 - Cale Yarborough dominated until he lost power and Pearson took his seventh win of the season.
  • Firecracker 400 - Cale Yarborough edged Pearson for his first Daytona win since 1968.
  • Purolator 500 – The lead changed 47 times as Pearson's blown tire coming to the white flag gave Petty only his second win of the season.
  • Talladega 500 – Dave Marcis took his only Talladega win and the first for crew chief Harry Hyde. The lead changed a season-high 57 times.
  • Yankee 400 – David Pearson took his eighth win of the season, but first since the June event at Michigan International Speedway.
  • Southern 500 – Pearson took the one race he had sought his entire career. A big wreck occurred after Buddy Baker blew up and spun; behind him Skip Manning spun and was hit in the left side door by Joe Frasson.
  • Delaware 500 Cale Yarborough made up two laps on two separate occasions and won his second straight race.
  • National 500 Donnie Allison surprised the field in a backup Hoss Ellington Monte Carlo; the engine measured a tick over the legal displacement in immediate post race inspection but after cooling down the engine was within limits.
  • American 500 Richard Petty took the win, only his third of the season. Lennie Pond finished second. Green flag pitstops became frequent as Petty spent a total of 125 seconds in the pits to Pond's 54 seconds.
  • Dixie 500 – Dave Marcis took his final superspeedway win. Dale Earnhardt made his third career start in this race and survived a vicious tumble after hitting the spinning Ford of Dick Brooks.
  • LA Times 500 – Pearson posted his eighth superspeedway win and tenth overall of the season.

Read more about this topic:  1976 In NASCAR

Famous quotes containing the words notable and/or races:

    “In one notable instance, where the United States Army and a hundred years of persuasion failed, a highway has succeeded. The Seminole Indians surrendered to the Tamiami Trail. From the Everglades the remnants of this race emerged, soon after the trail was built, to set up their palm-thatched villages along the road and to hoist tribal flags as a lure to passing motorists.”
    —For the State of Florida, U.S. public relief program (1935-1943)

    “Women are most fascinating between the ages of thirty-five and forty, after they have won a few races and know how to pace themselves. Since few women ever pass forty, maximum fascination can continue indefinitely.”
    —Christian Dior (1905–1957)