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The 1971 NASCAR Winston West Series was the 18th season of the series. The title was eventually won by Ray Elder, his third in succession.
| | This article needs additional citations for verification .(November 2024) |
The 1971 NASCAR Winston West Series was the 18th season of the series. The title was eventually won by Ray Elder, his third in succession.
The 1971 season included 26 individual races, although some tracks were run twice.
† This race was not given a name.
Atlanta Motor Speedway is a 1.540 mi (2.478 km) quad-oval intermediate speedway in Hampton, Georgia. The track has hosted a variety of sanctioning bodies since its inaugural season of racing in 1960, including NASCAR and IndyCar. The track has been owned by Speedway Motorsports, LLC (SMI) since 1990, with Brandon Hutchison currently serving as the track's general manager. Atlanta Motor Speedway is served by the nearby concurrent U.S. Route 41 and U.S. Route 19, along with Georgia State Route 20.
Talladega Superspeedway is a 2.66-mile (4.28 km) tri-oval superspeedway in Lincoln, Alabama. The track has hosted a variety of racing events since its inaugural season of racing in 1969; primarily races sanctioned by NASCAR. The track has been owned by NASCAR since 2019 with Brian Crichton serving as the track's president. The facility has a grandstand capacity of 80,000 as of 2022. Along with the main track, the track complex also features a 4-mile (6.4 km) long roval-style road course.
North Wilkesboro Speedway is a 0.625 mi (1.006 km) paved oval short track in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina. The track has hosted a variety of racing events since its inaugural season of racing in 1947; primarily races sanctioned by NASCAR. It has been owned by Speedway Motorsports, LLC (SMI) since 2007 with Ronald Queen serving as director of operations. North Wilkesboro Speedway is served by U.S. Route 421.
John Delphus McDuffie Jr. was an American racing driver. He competed in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series from 1963 to 1991, collecting 106 top-10 finishes during his career, despite never finishing on the lead lap of any race in his career, and holding the record for the most starts in NASCAR's top level without a win with 653. He died in a racing accident during the Budweiser at The Glen at Watkins Glen International in 1991.
Michael Gregory Helton is an American businessman and the current vice chairman for the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, better known as NASCAR. He is best known for being NASCAR's third president and for officially announcing to the public the death of Dale Earnhardt. He previously held management positions at various racetracks across the United States before becoming the president of NASCAR. In 2015, he became the vice chairman of NASCAR, overseeing competition in NASCAR's national series.
Raymond Marvin Elder was a NASCAR Grand National and Winston Cup Series driver.
The 1971 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season began on January 10 and ended on November 20. Richard Petty was the champion for this Winston Cup season. After 20 years of being named the NASCAR Grand National Series, R. J. Reynolds first became the primary sponsor in a decade where the growing anti-tobacco movement banned its advertisement on television and motorsports was the ideal place to place their advertisements. Through NASCAR, Winston merchandise was unveiled to live viewers of the races. This kind of merchandise would also be given out at stores that sold cigarettes in subsequent years. Race car drivers were encouraged to smoke cigarettes until the mid-2000s brought in strict drug testing policies in addition to a smoking cessation program by Nicorette, a GlaxoSmithKline brand.
The 1971 Motor Trend 500 was the first race in NASCAR's Winston Cup era that took place on January 10, 1971. 191 laps on a road course at Riverside International Raceway in Riverside, California that spanned a total distance of 2.620 miles (4.216 km).
The 1994 Winston Select 500 was the ninth stock car race of the 1994 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season and the 25th iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, May 1, 1994, before an audience of 150,000 in Lincoln, Alabama, at Talladega Superspeedway, a 2.66-mile (4.28 km) permanent triangle-shaped superspeedway. The race took the scheduled 188 laps to complete. In the final laps of the race, Richard Childress Racing driver Dale Earnhardt would make a charge to the front with six to go, defending the lead for the final five laps to take his 62nd career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his third victory of the season. Earnhardt dedicated his win to the late Ayrton Senna, who lost his life earlier that day in a crash at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix. To fill out the top three, Robert Yates Racing driver Ernie Irvan and Bahari Racing driver Michael Waltrip would finish second and third, respectively.
The 1989 Holly Farms 400 was the 26th stock car race of the 1989 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season and the 40th iteration of the event. The race was originally scheduled to be held on Sunday, October 1, 1989, but due to rain throughout the race's weekend, the race was postponed until Sunday, October 15. The race was held in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina at the North Wilkesboro Speedway, a 0.625 miles (1.006 km) oval short track. The race took the scheduled 400 laps to complete. On the final lap of the race, a battle between Richard Childress Racing driver Dale Earnhardt and King Racing driver Ricky Rudd that had been culminating since the final restart of the race on lap 398 came to a head. Heading into the first turn, Rudd would dive-bomb Earnhardt, which led Rudd into Earnhardt's car, spinning both cars. As a result of the spin, the third place driver at the time, Hendrick Motorsports driver Geoff Bodine, would manage to avoid the wreck and take the victory. The victory was Bodine's seventh career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his only victory of the season. Rudd and Earnhardt would finish ninth and tenth, respectively.
The 1986 Goodwrench 500 was the third stock car race of the 1986 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season and the 21st iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, March 2, 1986, before an audience of 47,500 in Rockingham, North Carolina, at North Carolina Motor Speedway, a 1.017 miles (1.637 km) permanent high-banked racetrack. The race took the scheduled 492 laps to complete.
The 1989 Autoworks 500 was the 28th and penultimate stock car race of the 1989 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season, the 11th and final race of the 1989 NASCAR Winston West Series season, and the second iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, November 5, 1989, before an audience of 65,000 in Avondale, Arizona at Phoenix International Raceway, a 1-mile (1.6 km) permanent low-banked tri-oval race track. The race took the scheduled 312 laps to complete. Assisted by a late-race crash from the championship leader at the time, Rusty Wallace, Melling Racing driver Bill Elliott would manage to take over control for the final 48 laps of the race to take his 32nd career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his third and final victory of the season. To fill out the top three, Junior Johnson & Associates driver Terry Labonte and Roush Racing driver Mark Martin would finish second and third, respectively.
The 1994 Slick 50 500 was the 30th and penultimate stock car race of the 1994 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season, the 30th and penultimate race of the 1994 NASCAR Winston West Series, and the seventh iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, October 30, 1994, before an audience of 96,000 in Avondale, Arizona at Phoenix International Raceway, a 1-mile (1.6 km) permanent low-banked tri-oval race track. The race took the scheduled 312 laps to complete. At race's end, Hendrick Motorsports driver Terry Labonte would manage to dominate the late stages of the race to take his 14th career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his third and final victory of the season. To fill out the top three, Roush Racing driver Mark Martin and Morgan–McClure Motorsports driver Sterling Marlin would finish second and third, respectively.
The 1991 Banquet Frozen Foods 300 was the 12th stock car race of the 1991 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season, the third race of the 1991 NASCAR Winston West Series season, and the third iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, June 9, 1991, before an audience of 62,000 at the Grand Prix layout of Sears Point Raceway, a 2.52 miles (4.06 km) permanent road course layout. The race took the scheduled 74 laps to complete. In the final laps of the race, Robert Yates Racing driver Davey Allison, with the assist of a late-race penalty on leader Ricky Rudd, would manage to comeback from a late-race spin to take his tenth career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his second victory of the season. To fill out the top three, the aforementioned Ricky Rudd and Penske Racing South driver Rusty Wallace would finish second and third, respectively.
The 1988 Miller High Life 400 was the 22nd stock car race of the 1988 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season and the 31st iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, September 11, 1988, before an audience of 60,000 in Richmond, Virginia, at Richmond International Raceway, a 0.75 miles (1.21 km) D-shaped oval. The race took the scheduled 400 laps to complete. At race's end, Ranier-Lundy Racing's Davey Allison would manage to dominate the majority of the race, leading 262 laps to take his fourth career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his second and final victory of the season. To fill out the top three, Richard Childress Racing's Dale Earnhardt and Junior Johnson & Associates' Terry Labonte would finish second and third, respectively.
The NASCAR Winston Cup Series era was the period of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) from 1971 to 2003. In 1971, NASCAR leased its naming rights to the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company who named the series after its premier brand "Winston". The series was referred to as the NASCAR Winston Cup Series from that point forward. Many view the changes that resulted from RJR's involvement in the series as well as from the reduction in schedule from 48 to 31 races per year established 1972 as a time in which NASCAR entered the "modern era" of spectator sports. During this era, NASCAR experienced a significant rise in popularity that persisted until Winston left the sport after the 2003 season.
The United Rentals 176 at The Glen was a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series racing event at the Watkins Glen International road course in Watkins Glen, New York.
The 1996 Winston Select 500 was the ninth stock car race of the 1996 NASCAR Winston Cup Series and the 27th iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, April 28, 1996, in Lincoln, Alabama at Talladega Superspeedway, a 2.66 miles permanent triangle-shaped superspeedway. The race took the scheduled 188 laps to complete. At race's end, Morgan–McClure Motorsports driver Sterling Marlin would manage to hold off the field in the final 20 laps to take his fifth career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his first victory of the season. To fill out the top three, Robert Yates Racing driver Dale Jarrett and Richard Childress Racing driver Dale Earnhardt would finish second and third, respectively.
The 1995 Dura Lube 500 was the 30th and penultimate stock car race of the 1995 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, the 15th and final race of the 1995 NASCAR Winston West Series, and the eighth iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, October 29, 1995, in Avondale, Arizona at Phoenix International Raceway, a 1-mile (1.6 km) permanent low-banked tri-oval race track. The race took the scheduled 312 laps to complete. On the final restart with six to go, Ricky Rudd, driving for his own Rudd Performance Motorsports team, would manage to defend the field to take his 16th career NASCAR Winston Cup Series season, his only victory of the season, and with the win, maintaining a streak of 13 straight seasons with a victory. To fill out the top three, Bobby Allison Motorsports driver Derrike Cope and Richard Childress Racing driver Dale Earnhardt would finish second and third, respectively.
The 1993 The Bud at The Glen was the 19th stock car race of the 1993 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season and the eighth iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, August 8, 1993, before an audience of 150,000 in Watkins Glen, New York, at the shortened layout of Watkins Glen International, a 2.45-mile (3.94 km) permanent road course layout. The race took the scheduled 90 laps to complete. On the final restart with three to go, Roush Racing driver Mark Martin would manage to climb to the front of the field, climbing back from earlier bad luck in the race to take his eighth career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his first victory of the season. To fill out the top three, Roush Racing driver Wally Dallenbach Jr. and Bobby Allison Motorsports driver Jimmy Spencer would finish second and third, respectively.