French
Deutsch1976 American 500
| Race details[1] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 28 of 30 in the 1976 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season | |||
 Layout of Rockingham Speedway | |||
| Date | October 24, 1976 | ||
| Official name | American 500 | ||
| Location | North Carolina Motor Speedway, Rockingham, North Carolina | ||
| Course | Permanent racing facility 1.017 mi (1.636 km) | ||
| Distance | 492 laps, 500 mi (804 km) | ||
| Weather | Mild with temperatures of 72 °F (22 °C); wind speeds of 4.9 miles per hour (7.9 km/h) | ||
| Average speed | 117.718 miles per hour (189.449 km/h) | ||
| Attendance | 32,500[2] | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Wood Brothers | ||
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Richard Petty | Petty Enterprises | |
| Laps | 193 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 43 | Richard Petty | Petty Enterprises | |
| Television in the United States | |||
| Network | untelevised | ||
| Announcers | none | ||
The 1976 American 500 was the 28th official race (out of 30) in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series season.[2]
Race report
[edit]This race took place on October 24, 1976, at North Carolina Motor Speedway in Rockingham, North Carolina.[2] The race took four hours, fifteen minutes, and one second.[2] Six cautions slowed the race for 35 laps.[2][3]
Richard Petty would end up lapping the field as he scored the season sweep at Rockingham.[2][4] Thirty-two thousand and five hundred spectators attended this event.[2] David Pearson gained the pole position qualifying at a speed of 139.117 miles per hour (223.887 km/h) but eventually finished in sixth place.[2] Henley Gray was the last-place finisher due to an engine issue on the first lap.[2]
Notable crew chiefs in the race were Junie Donlavey, Jake Elder, Harry Hyde, Dale Inman, Bud Moore, Tim Brewer among others.[5]
Richard Petty's teenage son Kyle would attend his father's victory celebrations; getting ready for his NASCAR career.[6] The average speed of the race was 117.718 miles per hour (189.449 km/h).[2] Jack Donohue was the only Canadian competitor out of the 36-car grid.[2]
Qualifying
[edit]| Grid[2] | No. | Driver | Manufacturer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 21 | David Pearson | Mercury |
| 2 | 71 | Dave Marcis | Dodge |
| 3 | 15 | Buddy Baker | Ford |
| 4 | 43 | Richard Petty | Dodge |
| 5 | 1 | Donnie Allison | Chevrolet |
| 6 | 67 | Buddy Arrington | Chevrolet |
| 7 | 2 | Bobby Allison | Mercury |
| 8 | 88 | Darrell Waltrip | Chevrolet |
| 9 | 11 | Cale Yarborough | Chevrolet |
| 10 | 40 | D.K. Ulrich | Chevrolet |
| 11 | 54 | Lennie Pond | Chevrolet |
| 12 | 90 | Dick Brooks | Ford |
| 13 | 60 | Jackie Rogers | Chevrolet |
| 14 | 36 | Bobby Wawak | Chevrolet |
| 15 | 92 | Skip Manning | Chevrolet |
| 16 | 3 | Richard Childress | Chevrolet |
| 17 | 67 | Buddy Arrington | Dodge |
| 18 | 55 | Sonny Easley | Ford |
| 19 | 49 | Henley Gray | Dodge |
| 20 | 5 | James Hylton | Dodge |
| 21 | 41 | Grant Adcox | Chevrolet |
| 22 | 14 | Coo Coo Marlin | Chevrolet |
| 23 | 24 | Cecil Gordon | Chevrolet |
| 24 | 05 | David Sisco | Chevrolet |
| 25 | 30 | Terry Bivins | Chevrolet |
Finishing order
[edit]Section reference: [2]
- Richard Petty
- Lennie Pond
- Darrell Waltrip
- Bobby Allison
- Cale Yarborough
- David Pearson
- Donnie Allison
- Dick Brooks
- Skip Manning
- Coo Coo Marlin
- Sonny Easley
- Grant Adcox
- Ed Negre
- D.K. Ulrich
- Cecil Gordon
- Buddy Arrington
- Terry Bivins
- Rick Newsom
- Jackie Rogers
- David Sisco
- Jack Donohue
- Frank Warren
- Jimmy Means
- Tommy Gale
- Dave Marcis
- J.D. McDuffie
- Richard Childress
- Buddy Baker
- James Hylton
- Dick May
- Benny Parsons
- Travis Tiller
- Bobby Wawak
- Gary Myers
- Bruce Hill
- Henley Gray
Timeline
[edit]Section reference: [2]
- Start: David Pearson was leading the racing grid as the first official lap commenced.
- Lap 2: Bruce Hill blew his engine while driving at high speeds.
- Lap 5: Gary Myers blew his engine while driving at high speeds.
- Lap 32: Dave Marcis took over the lead from David Pearson.
- Lap 76: Bobby Wawak managed to overheat his vehicle.
- Lap 85: Lennie Pond took over the lead from Dave Marcis.
- Lap 88: Travis Tiller blew his engine while driving at high speeds.
- Lap 96: Dave Marcis took over the lead from Lennie Pond.
- Lap 117: Benny Parsons blew his engine while driving at high speeds.
- Lap 127: Dick May blew his engine while driving at high speeds.
- Lap 171: The rear end of James Hylton's vehicle came off in an unsafe manner.
- Lap 180: Lennie Pond took over the lead from Dave Marcis.
- Lap 191: Dave Marcis took over the lead from Lennie Pond.
- Lap 208: Lennie Pond took over the lead from Dave Marcis.
- Lap 216: Donnie Allison took over the lead from Lennie Pond.
- Lap 217: Lennie Pond took over the lead from Donnie Allison.
- Lap 227: Richard Petty took over the lead from Lennie Pond.
- Lap 264: Lennie Pond took over the lead from Richard Petty.
- Lap 299: The throttle on Buddy Baker's vehicle was acting badly enough to knock him out of the race.
- Lap 322: Richard Petty took over the lead from Lennie Pond.
- Lap 324: Lennie Pond took over the lead from Richard Petty.
- Lap 329: Richard Petty took over the lead from Lennie Pond.
- Lap 363: Richard Childress blew his engine while driving at high speeds.
- Lap 389: J.D. McDuffie blew his engine while driving at high speeds.
- Lap 413: Lennie Pond took over the lead from Richard Petty, Dave Marcis blew his engine while driving at high speeds.
- Lap 423: Richard Petty took over the lead from Lennie Pond.
- Lap 486: Donnie Allison's fuel pump was beginning to cause problems for him.
- Finish: Richard Petty was officially declared the winner of the event.
Standings after the race
[edit]| Pos | Driver | Points[2] | Differential |
|---|---|---|---|
1  | Cale Yarborough | 4380 | 0 |
| 2 | Richard Petty | 4283 | -97 |
| 3 | Benny Parsons | 3984 | -396 |
| 4 | Bobby Allison | 3948 | -432 |
5  | Lennie Pond | 3669 | -711 |
6  | Dave Marcis | 3599 | -781 |
| 7 | Buddy Baker | 3539 | -841 |
| 8 | Darrell Waltrip | 3316 | -1064 |
| 9 | Richard Childress | 3285 | -1095 |
| 10 | Dick Brooks | 3211 | -1169 |
References
[edit]- ^ "1976 American 500 weather information". The Old Farmers' Almanac. Retrieved 2012-08-04.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o "1976 American 500 information". Racing Reference. Retrieved 2010-12-05.
- ^ "1976 American 500 drivers' sponsor information". Fantasy Racing Cheat Sheet. Retrieved 2014-08-19.
- ^ "1976 American 500 information (second reference)". Driver Averages. Archived from the original on 2011-10-05. Retrieved 2010-12-06.
- ^ "1976 American 500 crew chiefs information". Racing Reference. Retrieved 2018-08-23.
- ^ Houston, Rick; Hallman, Bryan (2013). Kyle Petty at the 1976 American 500. ISBN 9780738599496. Retrieved 2014-08-19.