1976 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 reaching a maximum of 72 °F (22 °C); wind speeds approaching 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]
Only manual transmission vehicles were allowed to participate in this race; a policy that NASCAR has retained to the present day.
Summary
This racing event took place on October 24, 1976, at North Carolina Motor Speedway at Rockingham, North Carolina.[2] In order to resolve itself, the race took four hours, fifteen minutes, and one second.[2] Six cautions were given out for a duration of 35 laps.[2][3]
As a result, Richard Petty would eventually defeat Lennie Pond by more than a lap.[2][4] Thirty-two thousand and five hundred live 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 officially recorded as the last-place finisher due to an engine issue on the first lap.[2] Richard Petty's teenage son Kyle would attend his father's victory celebrations; getting ready for his NASCAR career.[5]
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]
Finishing order
- 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
- 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
| 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
- ↑ "1976 American 500 weather information". The Old Farmers' Almanac. Retrieved 2012-08-04.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 "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. Retrieved 2010-12-06.
- ↑ "Kyle Petty at the 1976 American 500". Google Books. Retrieved 2014-08-19.
| Preceded by 1976 National 500 |
NASCAR Winston Cup Series Season 1976 |
Succeeded by 1976 Dixie 500 |
| Preceded by 1975 |
American 500 races 1976 |
Succeeded by 1977 |