This week in 1977: Waltrip wins Nashville 420
After enduring fender-benders and heat, Darrell Waltrip took home the Nashville 420 trophy in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series.Waltrip led 300 laps out of the 420-lap, 250-mile race and led the final 251. Waltrip averaged a speed of 78.999 mph as he and his Chevrolet edged out second place Richard Petty and his Dodge by two laps (afterwards, Petty was dropped to third, and Bobby Allison moved up to second).The race was brutal for everyone involved, with heat, bumping and grinding and numerous accidents prolonging the three hour and 10 minute race. 10 caution flags were thrown for 54 laps out of the race. The race also sparked some conflict between Waltrip and Petty. “Well, do you think I lucked into this one? I thought we won this fair and square,” said Waltrip regarding Petty’s comments, stating that Waltrip won some races he shouldn’t have that season. “They ought to stay off the Chevrolets and look into that Dodge of Petty’s.”
Content
James Hunt Gets His First 1977 GP Win
~a&b Hunt, dehnbinE-~mld
l o t Necessary
~
By Riahud A. Wright Ch.mplon. -red his 1Lnt c r a i o News Ssrvlce r i n o i t h e 1 O n u w n J u l y 16 rlth a rlotory in his horn. The U.B. doesn't haveto haveaguo1ll.o OruId F v h ahonrge, but "if smpld thlngs ue done. Hunt recovered tmm m poor . t U t t h . t U W h l m ~ t o we could have one," according to C h u l e s R. Bitter, wnior ~icepreaid~mt. Exxon folmth PL.w, W Y t.ldw UBA. the lead on lap .pee W c o n t i n u i n g U n ~ ~ t 0 , w i n b y m Bitter told the Automotive News World Congress that guoline supplies appear .eoon& ooarNtlclLaada,who to be ample to meet demand through the retrinsdbi.arir1UdWitha summer and that upacityof U.B. refinermanna plum tlni.h. ies i s sufficient to m w i d e m m d for the Hunt oorsraf 100.8 mfIwin next few m a . ~ m v i d e d the mvernment -row. 31 minu*s, 4 3 . M restrict useof l e d and doea not l&fmuaavarg.~ ~ . S m p h , W m o v a u p t o the octane-Improving additlve MMT. MMT is a manganese-based d&tivm k plpce In tho atmdinp. used to D m e n t enpine h o c k With Un?ullmportwxtreeL. leaded &oline. I.62is wed forthe same purpoae in g ~ ~ o I i for n e cars built befora
1ms
Sitter said unleaded fuel now account8 for about one-third of totalpuolinesrles. BY l m , it will be l a d and within another dn y a m , all guloline rill be unlerded. he -- said. -~ The average l e d content is declining ss older c u a are replaced, and Bitter said this trend will bring average lead content . 7 g r a G per gallon t o from the present 1 0.5gramoverthenext five years.ButEPA Winston Cup teams return next May. It milem an hour, the race going under the rules call for an 0.8-gram average by Jan. By Q a a O m n p r wu, a fitting climax to 20 waaons of caution 10 times for 54 laps. 1 of next year. He became only the fifth driver to win NASHVILLE. Tenn-The Nashville 420 competition on theold fairgrounds tmck. Sitter said this requirement can be However, it was a very frustrating 250- ul many a s two races here, joining Petty waived and said his projections of ade~atirday night w u raminiscent of yesteryear. when wdl-ban-, fender- mile. 420-la0 event for most of the drivers (8).Cale Yarborough (4). Jim Paschal (3) quate gasoline capacity prs h u e d on the bending and angry outbumts were w m - rn the 30-c& field. It wa8 agreat week for and Benny Parsons (2). asaumntion of such a waiver and no ban D a m l l Waltnp. who had a Waltrip day monplk. WalMp won the first race of hin career on MM'T. IfeithertheO.8Lead requirement Add a sweltering 90 degrees and you held m his honor on Wednesday a t n e u h y here in his 50th start, the 1975Music City or an MMT ban goes into effect. refinen, h da l l the ingredient8 of a wild nIght of RankIin. 420. His sixth win came in start No. 115. would have to reduce gasoline output He led300 laps,includingthelast251, in racing at any local dirt track. It wss a bitter loss for pole winner lower octane levels, he said. Bitter called for more dialog between But this war thestar-studded 17thw e n t posting his t h M victory of the season. It Puaons. who wss trying to become the in the Winston Cup series. The spit and was not an easy win,althoughtheDiOud third driver to win three Nashville races the oil and auto industries. notinu that a poliahed late model m a c h m s showed Gatorade Chevrolet driver won by two in a row and the first to take three ban on MMT might help auto makirs. but could create problems for refiners that moreasarandtearaiterthersoethanyou laps over the battered and bruised 8TP consecutive 250-milers. Dodge driven by Richard Petty. wuld bslieve. Pstty,who has won only one of the last would eventually hurt both industries. Waltrip. 30,fought off the sizzling heat. 1 It waa the 28th and ladt race for the cam 18 here, had hopes of breaking a 15"If MMT wsre banned. it would m i r e and drivers on the ,588-mile Nashville survived numerous accidents and ended race losing atreak on the short tracks. a a billion iv&tment by 188J to keep circuit he once dominated. His last short- octane up t o currant levels." he said. "11 track win was recorded on Nov. 2,1975,at could cause a shortfall by 1979 of 500.000 Bristol. Tenn. ConUnued On Next Pam And the losing streaksol Bobby Allison and Buddy Baker continued. AUiaon hss TR7'S WIN AT MID-OHIO lost 53 races in a row dating back to the AND WATKINS GLEN 1875 Bouthem 500. Baker i s winless in his l a d 37 starts, his last victory being O n Pohhw. m hs n n ml. . a OP I( Ud-Mow *11y 11. m t .Mind . a M n OWnhdf m maha TR7 K a Sll* mldl rt 11provide bo&s prize money of $&O. $200, and g50 to the top three mgistsmd in the 1878 Winston 500. n l u b the rur bl YdOha, lull I 1 climbing out of the car. Weltrip W 1st finishers in Showroom Stock B racing. The V W of A bucks en,in s aAfter e & o l y n w w e i d "Well, do you think I lucked into this w II MkeFmW, mud* addition to any guaranteed payback from other sources. Contlnwd Om Pago 16 &&Opt YC Md@ R Is1
waItr* ScoresNbshidliii 420 win
~~
MidOhio's CanAm raoe August 8, ~ m O r e to d be the site of an insurrection whemin promoter Lea Griebling would allow turbos and let the SCCA do as it would. will be "a box-stock CanAm." according to the track. No turbos, no trick stuff. But the August 28 IMSA weekend will feature 50 cars, a $10.000 bonus for the overall win, and the track has made up a list of 22 leading drivers who will not be allowed to pair up in the three hour race in an effort to get more cars. Camel GTU driver Walt Maas, leading the series at the midpoint of the season, has had hie sponaorship incmaaed by Automation and Garretson Enterprises so he can run the rest of the year. He had initially had enough money for aelected races only. Everywhere you look. there's a kid going fast: German Hans Surer has been signed to team with B N ~ O Giacomelli on the Meroh FZ team. Surer, who has raced with American Eddie Cheever in a
Ford Backs Out Of Airbag Deal
DEARBORN. Mich.-Ford Motor Co. h u turned down the Ransportation Department's request that the company follow t l u o u ~ h on the construction of a K t of carao&ipped with a ~ ~ b a gass, agreed upon w ~ t h the previous Admioistration. Ae long a s passive restrahta now have been mandated, chairman Henry Ford U told DOT Secretary Brock Adams. work on the project has been terminated ''hwaune we believe it is neither prudent nor nweseary mto conUnue:'
FruBlr 1st I*" E"km 2cd )w)lo. W d , *IY I1 Id la"" YulM FP Itt Smljlhn Wtinr On. J u h I7 W Id Am W r R 1st rmwsmmaa b r "N,w CS 1st SY 2nd PQslltm EQ 2nd Wuno b n p Atlanta. July I1 orcm HP in ~p in a 3 m s 'p 1st k* S t l u r
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For the conect award schedule coveri~ class. write to: Earl: Mike b r r a t t West: Jim CMI b 0 Willow Tree Rd. 442 Valley Drirc Lmnia. N.J. 07605 Brishne. CA 94005
4201) 461-7300
(415)467-9402
~a&b Hunt, dehnbinE-~mld
l o t Necessary
~
By Riahud A. Wright Ch.mplon. -red his 1Lnt c r a i o News Ssrvlce r i n o i t h e 1 O n u w n J u l y 16 rlth a rlotory in his horn. The U.B. doesn't haveto haveaguo1ll.o OruId F v h ahonrge, but "if smpld thlngs ue done. Hunt recovered tmm m poor . t U t t h . t U W h l m ~ t o we could have one," according to C h u l e s R. Bitter, wnior ~icepreaid~mt. Exxon folmth PL.w, W Y t.ldw UBA. the lead on lap .pee W c o n t i n u i n g U n ~ ~ t 0 , w i n b y m Bitter told the Automotive News World Congress that guoline supplies appear .eoon& ooarNtlclLaada,who to be ample to meet demand through the retrinsdbi.arir1UdWitha summer and that upacityof U.B. refinermanna plum tlni.h. ies i s sufficient to m w i d e m m d for the Hunt oorsraf 100.8 mfIwin next few m a . ~ m v i d e d the mvernment -row. 31 minu*s, 4 3 . M restrict useof l e d and doea not l&fmuaavarg.~ ~ . S m p h , W m o v a u p t o the octane-Improving additlve MMT. MMT is a manganese-based d&tivm k plpce In tho atmdinp. used to D m e n t enpine h o c k With Un?ullmportwxtreeL. leaded &oline. I.62is wed forthe same purpoae in g ~ ~ o I i for n e cars built befora
1ms
Sitter said unleaded fuel now account8 for about one-third of totalpuolinesrles. BY l m , it will be l a d and within another dn y a m , all guloline rill be unlerded. he -- said. -~ The average l e d content is declining ss older c u a are replaced, and Bitter said this trend will bring average lead content . 7 g r a G per gallon t o from the present 1 0.5gramoverthenext five years.ButEPA Winston Cup teams return next May. It milem an hour, the race going under the rules call for an 0.8-gram average by Jan. By Q a a O m n p r wu, a fitting climax to 20 waaons of caution 10 times for 54 laps. 1 of next year. He became only the fifth driver to win NASHVILLE. Tenn-The Nashville 420 competition on theold fairgrounds tmck. Sitter said this requirement can be However, it was a very frustrating 250- ul many a s two races here, joining Petty waived and said his projections of ade~atirday night w u raminiscent of yesteryear. when wdl-ban-, fender- mile. 420-la0 event for most of the drivers (8).Cale Yarborough (4). Jim Paschal (3) quate gasoline capacity prs h u e d on the bending and angry outbumts were w m - rn the 30-c& field. It wa8 agreat week for and Benny Parsons (2). asaumntion of such a waiver and no ban D a m l l Waltnp. who had a Waltrip day monplk. WalMp won the first race of hin career on MM'T. IfeithertheO.8Lead requirement Add a sweltering 90 degrees and you held m his honor on Wednesday a t n e u h y here in his 50th start, the 1975Music City or an MMT ban goes into effect. refinen, h da l l the ingredient8 of a wild nIght of RankIin. 420. His sixth win came in start No. 115. would have to reduce gasoline output He led300 laps,includingthelast251, in racing at any local dirt track. It wss a bitter loss for pole winner lower octane levels, he said. Bitter called for more dialog between But this war thestar-studded 17thw e n t posting his t h M victory of the season. It Puaons. who wss trying to become the in the Winston Cup series. The spit and was not an easy win,althoughtheDiOud third driver to win three Nashville races the oil and auto industries. notinu that a poliahed late model m a c h m s showed Gatorade Chevrolet driver won by two in a row and the first to take three ban on MMT might help auto makirs. but could create problems for refiners that moreasarandtearaiterthersoethanyou laps over the battered and bruised 8TP consecutive 250-milers. Dodge driven by Richard Petty. wuld bslieve. Pstty,who has won only one of the last would eventually hurt both industries. Waltrip. 30,fought off the sizzling heat. 1 It waa the 28th and ladt race for the cam 18 here, had hopes of breaking a 15"If MMT wsre banned. it would m i r e and drivers on the ,588-mile Nashville survived numerous accidents and ended race losing atreak on the short tracks. a a billion iv&tment by 188J to keep circuit he once dominated. His last short- octane up t o currant levels." he said. "11 track win was recorded on Nov. 2,1975,at could cause a shortfall by 1979 of 500.000 Bristol. Tenn. ConUnued On Next Pam And the losing streaksol Bobby Allison and Buddy Baker continued. AUiaon hss TR7'S WIN AT MID-OHIO lost 53 races in a row dating back to the AND WATKINS GLEN 1875 Bouthem 500. Baker i s winless in his l a d 37 starts, his last victory being O n Pohhw. m hs n n ml. . a OP I( Ud-Mow *11y 11. m t .Mind . a M n OWnhdf m maha TR7 K a Sll* mldl rt 11provide bo&s prize money of $&O. $200, and g50 to the top three mgistsmd in the 1878 Winston 500. n l u b the rur bl YdOha, lull I 1 climbing out of the car. Weltrip W 1st finishers in Showroom Stock B racing. The V W of A bucks en,in s aAfter e & o l y n w w e i d "Well, do you think I lucked into this w II MkeFmW, mud* addition to any guaranteed payback from other sources. Contlnwd Om Pago 16 &&Opt YC Md@ R Is1
waItr* ScoresNbshidliii 420 win
~~
MidOhio's CanAm raoe August 8, ~ m O r e to d be the site of an insurrection whemin promoter Lea Griebling would allow turbos and let the SCCA do as it would. will be "a box-stock CanAm." according to the track. No turbos, no trick stuff. But the August 28 IMSA weekend will feature 50 cars, a $10.000 bonus for the overall win, and the track has made up a list of 22 leading drivers who will not be allowed to pair up in the three hour race in an effort to get more cars. Camel GTU driver Walt Maas, leading the series at the midpoint of the season, has had hie sponaorship incmaaed by Automation and Garretson Enterprises so he can run the rest of the year. He had initially had enough money for aelected races only. Everywhere you look. there's a kid going fast: German Hans Surer has been signed to team with B N ~ O Giacomelli on the Meroh FZ team. Surer, who has raced with American Eddie Cheever in a
Ford Backs Out Of Airbag Deal
DEARBORN. Mich.-Ford Motor Co. h u turned down the Ransportation Department's request that the company follow t l u o u ~ h on the construction of a K t of carao&ipped with a ~ ~ b a gass, agreed upon w ~ t h the previous Admioistration. Ae long a s passive restrahta now have been mandated, chairman Henry Ford U told DOT Secretary Brock Adams. work on the project has been terminated ''hwaune we believe it is neither prudent nor nweseary mto conUnue:'
FruBlr 1st I*" E"km 2cd )w)lo. W d , *IY I1 Id la"" YulM FP Itt Smljlhn Wtinr On. J u h I7 W Id Am W r R 1st rmwsmmaa b r "N,w CS 1st SY 2nd PQslltm EQ 2nd Wuno b n p Atlanta. July I1 orcm HP in ~p in a 3 m s 'p 1st k* S t l u r
V
hwuxu
MI
CS
w
%,nu splnll
spnin Yn, 1Rl MCB
Spr* spr81 sp,rnr
rn,
For the conect award schedule coveri~ class. write to: Earl: Mike b r r a t t West: Jim CMI b 0 Willow Tree Rd. 442 Valley Drirc Lmnia. N.J. 07605 Brishne. CA 94005
4201) 461-7300
(415)467-9402
