1971 Winston 500

Last updated
1971 Winston 500
Race details [1]
Race 18 of 48 in the 1971 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season
Talladega Superspeedway.png
Layout of Talladega Superspeedway
Date May 16, 1971 (1971-May-16)
Official name Winston 500
Location Alabama International Motor Speedway, Talladega, Alabama
Course Permanent racing facility
2.660 mi (4.280 km)
Distance 188 laps, 500.1 mi (804.8 km)
Weather Temperatures of 78.1 °F (25.6 °C); wind speeds of 6 miles per hour (9.7 km/h)
Average speed 147.419 miles per hour (237.248 km/h)
Attendance 29,000 [2]
Pole position
Driver
 Wood Brothers
Most laps led
Driver Bobby Allison Holman-Moody
Laps 70
Winner
No. 21Donnie AllisonWood Brothers
Television in the United States
Network ABC
Announcers Keith Jackson
Chris Economaki

The 1971 Winston 500 was a NASCAR Winston Cup Series race that took place on May 16, 1971, at Alabama International Motor Speedway (now Talladega Superspeedway) in Talladega, Alabama. [2]

Contents

George Altheide, Doc Faustina and David Sisco would make their NASCAR Winston Cup Series debuts in this race. [3]

Background

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 NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series, and the NASCAR 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. [4]

Qualifying

GridNo.DriverManufacturer
121Donnie Allison'69 Mercury
271Dave Marcis'71 Dodge
312Bobby Allison'69 Mercury
499Fred Lorenzen'71 Plymouth
543Richard Petty'71 Plymouth
66Pete Hamilton'71 Plymouth
711Buddy Baker'71 Dodge
833David Pearson'71 Pontiac
990Bill Dennis'69 Mercury
1048James Hylton'70 Ford
1179Frank Warren'69 Dodge
1210Bill Champion'70 Ford
1324Cecil Gordon'69 Mercury
1403Tommy Gale'69 Mercury
1588Ron Keselowski'70 Dodge
1660Maynard Troyer'69 Mercury
1739Friday Hassler'69 Chevrolet
1870J.D. McDuffie'69 Mercury
1947Raymond Williams'71 Ford
2076Ben Arnold'69 Ford

Race report

Twenty-nine thousand people saw Donnie Allison (racing for the Wood Brothers racing team) defeat his brother Bobby (racing for Holman-Moody) by six car lengths. [2] Both of them were driving 1969 Mercury Cyclones. [2] [3] The race took three hours and thirty-two minutes to complete. [2] [3] Seven cautions slowed the race for forty-five laps. [2] [3]

Other finishers in the top ten included: Buddy Baker (driving for Petty Enterprises), Pete Hamilton, Fred Lorenzen, Jim Vandiver, James Hylton, Bill Dennis, Dave Marcis, and Larry Baumel. There were 45 lead changes between four drivers. [2] [3] Marcis was a contender for the win until his engine blew on lap 181; marking the first good finish of a NASCAR Winston Cup Series race on live television. [2] [3]

Notable drivers in the race included: Richard Petty, J.D. McDuffie, Coo Coo Marlin, Benny Parsons, Neil Castles, and Ron Keselowski (uncle of current NASCAR driver Brad Keselowski). [2] [3] Bobby Isaac was hospitalized and could not compete in the race due to kidney stones.

The prize purse was $145,040 ($915,646.94 when adjusted for inflation); Donnie Allison received $31,140 for winning ($196,588.84 when adjusted for inflation) while last-place finisher Bub Strickler got $1,000 ($6,313.06 when adjusted for inflation). [5]

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References

  1. ↑ Weather information for the 1971 Winston 500 at The Old Farmers' Almanac
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1971 Winston 500 racing information at Racing Reference
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1971 Winston 500 racing information at Race Database
  4. ↑ "Track Facts". talladegasuperspeedway.com. Talladega Superspeedway. November 1, 2012. Archived from the original on November 1, 2012. Retrieved April 27, 2015.
  5. ↑ 1971 Winston 500 racing information at FantasyRacingCheatSheet.com
Preceded by
1971 Halifax County 100 		NASCAR Winston Cup Series Races
1971		Succeeded by
1971 Asheville 300
Preceded by
debut		 Winston 500 races
1971		Succeeded by
1972
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