This was the last race where the car's model year was part of the race info.[2] From 1975 onwards, the passenger vehicles that people actually drove in real life started to deviate from the stock cars exhibited in NASCAR due to environmental regulations on the automobile industry. The gulf between NASCAR vehicles and regular passenger automobiles started to become even greater throughout the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. By the 21st century, regular passenger vehicles had nothing to do with the NASCAR vehicles except for the manufacturer name and the model of the vehicle.
Race report
Two hundred laps were completed in three hours and thirty-three minutes on the paved track spanning 2.500 miles (4.023km).[2][3] More than 50,000 spectators see Buddy Baker defeat David Pearson by 29.4 seconds in the #15 Norris Industries Ford machine.[2][4] Only one caution for nine laps slowed the action.[2][3] Pearson would earn the pole position with a speed of 153.525 miles per hour (247.075km/h), the average race of the speed would be 140.712 miles per hour (226.454km/h).[2][3] The total prize purse was $140,775 ($797,115.58 when adjusted for inflation); Baker would receive $35,300 of it ($199,880.52 when adjusted for inflation) while Negre earned $1,050 ($5,945.45 when adjusted for inflation).[3]
Out of the 40-driver grid, 39 were American-born while Roy Smith was a Canadian. Cecil Gordon had engine problems that put him out of the race on lap 141; which nearly destroyed his vehicle.[2] A tie-rod end had backed out and was just hanging on.
Ed Negre would be the last-place finisher due to an engine problem on the second lap.[2][3] Richard Childress finished tenth in his final race at the wheel of Tom Garn's #96.[2][3] Childress became an owner-driver for 1976 and changed numbers to #3.
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