1976 Daytona 500

Last updated
1976 Daytona 500
Race details [1]
Race 2 of 30 in the 1976 NASCAR Winston Cup Series
Daytona International Speedway.svg
Track map of Daytona International Speedway.
Date February 15, 1976 (1976-02-15)
Location Daytona International Speedway
Daytona Beach, Florida, U.S.
Course Permanent racing facility
2.5 mi (4.023 km)
Distance 200 laps, 500 mi (804.672 km)
Weather Temperatures reaching up to 77 °F (25 °C); wind speeds approaching 14 miles per hour (23 km/h)
Average speed 152.181 miles per hour (244.912 km/h)
Pole position
Driver Norris Reed
Qualifying race winners
Duel 1 Winner Dave Marcis Nord Krauskopf
Duel 2 Winner Darrell Waltrip DiGard Motorsports
Most laps led
Driver A. J. Foyt Ellington Racing
Laps 66
Winner
No. 21 David Pearson Wood Brothers Racing
Television in the United States
Network ABC's WWOS
Announcers Bill Flemming
Jackie Stewart
Chris Economaki
Nielsen Ratings 12.8/37
(18.3 million viewers)

The 1976 Daytona 500, the 18th running of the event, [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] happened on Feb. 15th, 1976 at Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, Fl. It is remembered for the late-race duel and accident between David Pearson and Richard Petty. Many fans consider this finish to be the greatest in the history of NASCAR. [7] The end of the race was televised live on American network ABC. [8]

Contents

First Daytona 500 starts for Neil Bonnett, Terry Ryan, Salt Walther, D. K. Ulrich, Roy Smith, Jimmy Lee Capps, Skip Manning, Tighe Scott, Dick May, and Jimmy Means. [6] Only Daytona 500 starts for Terry Bivins, Johnny Ray, Dr. Dick Skillen, David Hobbs, and Tom Williams. [6] Last Daytona 500 starts for Joe Frasson, Jackie Rogers, David Sisco, and Earl Ross. [6]

Qualifying

USAC stock car racer Ramo Stott won his only career NASCAR pole position. [8] There was a major speed discrepancy between cars in their qualification runs. Top teams were qualifying in the 178 miles per hour (286 km/h) to 179 miles per hour (288 km/h) range and a few teams qualified in the 186 miles per hour (299 km/h) range. Two of the teams who qualified in the 186 miles per hour (299 km/h) range were disqualified after NASCAR inspectors found suspicious extra fuel lines. Some teams attributed these lines to performance-enhancing nitrous oxide. [8] One driver later admitted that he deliberately qualified slower to let the time from "offending" teams stick out. [8]

In the 125-mile qualifying races, Dave Marcis won race 1, while Darrell Waltrip claimed race 2.

Race

The opening laps were a battle for the lead between Buddy Baker, Waltrip, and David Pearson. AJ Foyt rocketed from the rear to lead 68 laps before falling out with engine failure. An accident on lap 112 involving Johnny Ray and Skip Manning ended Ray's racing career. [9]

Late in the race, Richard Petty and David Pearson were nose-to-tail, two laps ahead of all other competitors. On the final lap, Pearson passed Petty on the backstretch, and Petty attempted to re-pass in turn 3. Petty did not completely clear Pearson and the two cars made contact with each other and the wall, sending them spinning into the infield grass, just yards from the finish line. Petty's car stalled and would not re-fire. Pearson re-started his stricken car and crossed the finish line to win. Petty, with the help of a push-start from his crew, crossed the line for 2nd.

Box Score

Margin of victory: 50 yards

FinGridCar #DriverCar
Make
LapsStatusLaps
Led
Points
1721David PearsonMercury2003:17:0837180 (5)
2643Richard PettyDodge199Crash40175
33272Benny ParsonsChevrolet199Running16170 (5)
41154Lennie PondChevrolet198Running0160
51312Neil BonnettChevrolet197Running0155
6281Terry RyanChevrolet196Running1155 (5)
74170J.D. McDuffieChevrolet193Running0146
81963Terry BivinsChevrolet193Running6147 (5)
9363Richard ChildressChevrolet191Running0138
103479Frank WarrenDodge190Running0134
113767Buddy ArringtonDodge190Running0130
12264Salt WaltherChevrolet187running00
13428Ed NegreDodge185running0124
142218Joe FrassonChevrolet183running0121
152360Jackie RogersChevrolet183running1123 (5)
161595Jim HurtubiseChevrolet180engine0115
172161Joe MihalicChevrolet159running0112
181724Cecil GordonChevrolet158running0109
192740D.K. UlrichChevrolet151axle0106
203929Roy SmithChevrolet148clutch0103
211014Coo Coo MarlinChevrolet147engine0100
223128A.J. FoytChevrolet143engine660
232948James HyltonChevrolet138running094
242426Jimmy Lee CappsChevrolet133engine091
2582Bobby AllisonMercury123engine293 (5)
26183Ramo StottChevrolet113engine0
27371Dave MarcisDodge112running082
283510Johnny RayChevrolet111crash079
294005David SiscoChevrolet110running076
303082Skip ManningDodge107crash073
312878Dick SkillenChevrolet99overheating070
32488Darrell WaltripChevrolet87engine067
33515Buddy BakerFord83engine2869 (5)
341673David HobbsChevrolet68crash266 (5)
351830Tighe ScottChevrolet58crash058
363347Bruce HillChevrolet43engine055
372538Tom WilliamsChevrolet41engine052
383833Dick MayChevrolet36engine049
391252Earl RossChevrolet28engine046
40205Jimmy MeansChevrolet20engine148 (5)
41990Dick BrooksFord5engine040
421411Cale YarboroughChevrolet1engine037

(5) Indicates 5 bonus points added to normal race points scored for leading 1 lap
(10) Indicates 10 bonus points added to normal race points scored for leading 1 lap & leading the most laps
Note: A.J. Foyt led the most laps but was not eligible for NASCAR points.

Failed to qualify, withdrew, or driver changes

Driver#Car Make
Earle Canavan01Dodge
Gary Myers04Chevrolet
Doc Faustina5Dodge
Elliott Forbes-Robinson6Chevrolet
Bob Burcham19Chevrolet
Ricky Rudd22Chevrolet
Jabe Thomas25Chevrolet
Dave Decker32Chevrolet
Bill Seifert34Chevrolet
Darel Dieringer35Ford
Bruce Jacobi37Chevrolet
Blackie Wangerin39Ford
Grant Adcox41Chevrolet
Baxter Price45Chevrolet
Travis Tiller46Dodge
John Utsman49Dodge
Darrell Bryant50Chevrolet
John Banks55Dodge
Tommy Gale64Ford
Terry Link66Pontiac
Bill Polich69Chevrolet
Bill Champion77Chevrolet
Harold Miller91Chevrolet
Skip Manning92Chevrolet
Jim Fleming99Chevrolet
Ferrel Harris (Driver Change)82Dodge

Caution flags

7 for 35 laps

From
Lap
To
Lap
# Of
Laps
Reason
11166Car # 05 engine
35395Car # 52 engine
62654Car # 30 engine
68714Car # 73 accident
85906Car #’s 83,82,10 accident
1751784Car # 63 accident
2002001Car #’s 43 & #21 accident

Percent of race run under caution: 14.5%
Average green flag run: 24.4 laps

Lap leader breakdown

Lead changes: 36

LeaderFrom
Lap
To
Lap
# Of
Laps
Buddy Baker144
David Pearson562
Buddy Baker7115
Terry Ryan12121
Jimmy Means13131
Terry Bivins14152
Jackie Rogers16161
Buddy Baker173519
David Hobbs36372
David Pearson38392
Bobby Allison40401
A.J. Foyt41433
David Pearson44441
A.J. Foyt455612
Richard Petty57615
Benny Parsons62621
A.J. Foyt637311
Richard Petty748411
A.J. Foyt85851
Terry Bivins86894
Bobby Allison90901
Richard Petty91922
A.J. Foyt93964
David Pearson97982
A.J. Foyt991035
David Pearson1041063
A.J. Foyt10711812
David Pearson1191224
A.J. Foyt12314018
Benny Parsons14115414
David Pearson15516511
Richard Petty16617510
Benny Parsons1761761
David Pearson17718711
Richard Petty18819912
David Pearson2002001

Standings after the race

PosDriverPoints [6] Differential
1 David Pearson 3650
2 Benny Parsons 330-35
3 Lennie Pond 310-55
4 Richard Childress 286-81
5 Richard Petty 268-97
6 Frank Warren 264-101
7 J.D. McDuffie 252-113
8 D.K. Ulrich 233-132
9 James Hylton 232-133
10 Dave Marcis 229-136

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References

  1. "Weather of the 1976 Daytona 500". The Old Farmers' Almanac. Retrieved 2014-03-09.
  2. NASCAR.COM – Daytona Countdown: '76 – Jan 21, 2005
  3. NASCAR.com – The 1976 Daytona 500 – July 28, 2003
  4. Restrictor-Plate This :: The `Best of' the Daytona 500: 1976
  5. No. 8 – Feb. 15, 1976: Duel at Daytona -- dailypress.com
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 1976 Daytona 500 – Racing-Reference.info
  7. Howstuffworks "No. 1: The 1976 Daytona 500"
  8. 1 2 3 4 Falk, Duane (2002). The Daytona 500: The Great American Race . Metro Books. pp.  72–74. ISBN   1-58663-169-1.
  9. "Ray's condition serious after three-car wreck". Gadsden, AL: The Gadsden Times , February 16, 1976, p.7.