1970 American 500
| Race details | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 47 of 48 in the 1970 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season
|
|||
| Date | November 15, 1970 | ||
| Location | North Carolina Motor Speedway (Rockingham, North Carolina, USA) | ||
| Course | Permanent racing facility 1.017 mi (1.636 km) |
||
| Distance | 492 laps, 500 mi (804 km) | ||
| Avg Speed | 117.811 miles per hour (189.598 km/h) | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Charlie Glotzbach | Ray Nichels | |
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Cale Yarborough | Wood Brothers | |
| Laps | 205 | ||
| Winner | |||
| 21 |
Cale Yarborough |
Wood Brothers | |
| Television | |||
| Network | untelevised | ||
| Announcers | none | ||
The 1970 American 500 was a 500-mile NASCAR Grand National (now Sprint Cup Series) race that took place on November 15, 1970 at the North Carolina Motor Speedway in Rockingham, North Carolina, USA.[1]
[edit] Summary
Twenty thousand people attended the race which lasted for 4 hours, 14 minutes, and 24 seconds.[1] The average speed was 117.811 miles per hour (189.598 km/h) while the pole speed was 136.496 miles per hour (219.669 km/h).[1] There were seven cautions that lasted for forty-six laps and the margin of victory was four seconds.[1] The top ten finishers of the race were Cale Yarborough (winner), David Pearson, Bobby Allison, Donnie Allison, Buddy Baker, Richard Petty (racing for Petty Enterprises), Bobby Isaac, James Hylton, Friday Hassler, and Buddy Young.[1] As the second to final race in NASCAR's Grand National era, this race was crucial for people wanting to win the 1970 NASCAR Grand National Championship. Major sponsors for the drivers included 7-Up,[1] Coca-Cola,[1] and 60 Minute Cleaners.[1]
492 laps were done on a paved oval track spanning 1.017 miles (1.637 km).[1] The winner's purse was considered to be $20,445[1] ($122,354.65 in today's money) while last place (40th) paid $540[1] ($2,992.29 in today's money). Drivers who were eliminated from the race had to deal with engine problems in addition to crashes, transmission problems, and problems with their fan pulley (in addition to their rear end).[1] Pete Hamilton would do his final race for Petty Enterprises here while Cale Yarborough would do his final race for the Wood Brothers at the same location. Coincidentally, Hoss Ellington would retire from NASCAR after this race.
[edit] Finishing order
- Cale Yarborough (would eventually transfer himself to the USAC Indy Car Series in 1971[2])
- David Pearson
- Bobby Allison
- Donnie Allison
- Buddy Baker
- Richard Petty
- Bobby Isaac
- James Hylton
- Friday Hassler
- Buddy Young
- Joe Frasson
- Neil Castles
- Elmo Langley
- Jabe Thomas
- Pete Hamilton*
- Jim Vandiver
- Ben Arnold
- J.D. McDuffie
- Raymond Williams
- Wendell Scott*
- Cecil Gordon
- Johnny Halford
- Roy Mayne
- Larry Baumel
- Bill Champion*
- Frank Warren
- Hoss Ellington*
- Henley Gray
- LeeRoy Yarbrough*
- John Sears*
- Charlie Glotzbach*
- Dave Marcis*
- Benny Parsons*
- Bill Seifert*
- Tiny Lund*
- Bill Shirey*
- Bill Dennis*
- Roy Tyner*
- Dick Brooks*
- Buddy Arrington*
* Driver failed to finish race
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "1970 American 500 information". Racing Reference. http://www.racing-reference.info/race?id=1970-47&series=W. Retrieved 2009-10-21.
- ^ "Cale Yarborough's post-race decision". How Stuff Works (Auto). http://auto.howstuffworks.com/auto-racing/nascar/season-recaps/1970s/1970-nascar.htm/printable. Retrieved 2010-09-23.
| Preceded by 1970 Georgia 500 |
NASCAR Grand National Season 1970 |
Succeeded by 1970 Tidewater 300 |
| Preceded by 1969 |
American 500 races 1970 |
Succeeded by 1971 |
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