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1975 Champion Spark Plug 400

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1975 Champion Spark Plug 400
Race details[1]
Race 20 of 30 in the 1975 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season
Official flyer featuring Benny Parsons
Official flyer featuring Benny Parsons
Date August 24, 1975 (1975-August-24)
Official name Champion Spark Plug 400
Location Michigan International Speedway, Brooklyn, Michigan
Course Permanent racing facility
2.000 mi (3.218 km)
Distance 200 laps, 400 mi (643 km)
Weather Hot with temperatures approaching 89.1 °F (31.7 °C); wind speeds up to 12.8 miles per hour (20.6 km/h)
Average speed 107.583 miles per hour (173.138 km/h)
Attendance 47,000[2]
Pole position
Driver
Wood Brothers Racing
Most laps led
Driver A.J. Foyt Hoss Ellington
Laps 69
Winner
No. 43 Richard Petty Petty Enterprises
Television in the United States
Network untelevised
Announcers none

The 1975 Champion Spark Plug 400 was a NASCAR Winston Cup Series race that took place on August 24, 1975, at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Michigan.

Historic flyers were sold for this race at a price of $1.50 per copy ($8.49 when adjusted for inflation). The cost of admission to this race was relatively cheap; children got in for $5 USD ($28.31 when adjusted for inflation) while adults got decent seats for $10 USD ($56.62 when adjusted for inflation).

Background

Michigan International Speedway is a four-turn superspeedway that is 2 miles (3.2 km) long.[3] Opened in 1968, the track's turns are banked at eighteen degrees, while the 3,600-foot-long front stretch, the location of the finish line, is banked at twelve degrees.[3] The back stretch, has a five degree banking and is 2,242 feet long.[3]

Summary

Two hundred laps were completed in three hours and forty-five seconds on a paved oval track spanning 2 miles (3.2 km). All of the 36 drivers who qualified for this race were born in the United States of America; making it an all-American race for the NASCAR traditionalists.[2] Only manual transmission vehicles were allowed to participate in this race; a policy that NASCAR has retained to the present day.

Six yellow flags were given for 63 laps while 25 drivers took turns being the leader of the race.[2][4] Richard Petty would defeat David Pearson by a distance of five feet[5] in front of 47,000 live audience members.[2] Pearson would make the pole position with a top speed of 159.798 miles per hour (257.170 km/h) while the average speed of the race would just be 107.583 miles per hour (173.138 km/h).[2] Even with David Pearson finishing in second place, he managed to keep his incredible finishing streak going with victories at the 1976 Cam 2 Motor Oil 400 and the 1976 Champion Spark Plug 400.[6] Jackie Rogers would receive the last-place finish of the race for owner Lou Viglione and his 1975 Chevrolet team.[2][4]

Prize winnings would range from $15,140 for the winner ($85,727.79 when adjusted for inflation) to $700 for the last-place finisher ($3,963.64 when adjusted for inflation).[4][7] There were 36 cars on the official racing grid; most of them drove for the Chevrolet manufacturer.[2][4] Terry Bivins would make his NASCAR debut in this race. Richard Petty would keep his championship lead after this race. However, Dave Marcis would only be 573 points behind (despite not winning a race up to this point).[4][7] Walter Ballard would be mathematically eliminated from winning the Winston Cup Series championship at this point despite participating in all 20 races.[4][7]

Finishing order

  1. Richard Petty
  2. David Pearson
  3. Cale Yarborough
  4. Bobby Allison
  5. Dave Marcis
  6. Buddy Baker
  7. Darrell Waltrip
  8. Bruce Hill
  9. Terry Bivins
  10. Dean Dalton
  11. Walter Ballard
  12. David Sisco
  13. Cecil Gordon
  14. Grant Adcox
  15. Bruce Jacobi
  16. Ferrel Harris
  17. James Hylton
  18. Elmo Langley
  19. Dick May
  20. Dick Brooks
  21. D.K. Ulrich
  22. Buddy Arrington
  23. Jabe Thomas
  24. Harold Miller
  25. Richie Panch
  26. Frank Warren
  27. Henley Gray
  28. J.D. McDuffie
  29. Carl Adams
  30. A.J. Foyt
  31. Richard Childress
  32. Earle Canavan
  33. Ed Negre
  34. Benny Parsons
  35. Coo Coo Marlin
  36. Jackie Rogers

Timeline

  • Start: David Pearson was leading the starting grid as the first official lap commenced
  • Lap 6: Jackie Roberts managed to blow his vehicle's engine
  • Lap 20: Coo Coo Marlin managed to blow his vehicle's engine, after it blew he hit the turn 2 steel guardrail so hard it sheered off the support post causing a lengthy caution for repairs
  • Lap 48: Benny Parsons managed to blow his vehicle's engine
  • Lap 58: Ed Negre managed to blow his vehicle's engine
  • Lap 61: Earle Canavan managed to blow his vehicle's engine
  • Lap 67: Caution due to rain, ended on lap 87
  • Lap 97: Richard Childress managed to blow his vehicle's engine
  • Lap 117: A.J. Foyt managed to blow his vehicle's engine
  • Lap 119: Carl Adams managed to blow his vehicle's engine
  • Lap 132: J.D. McDuffie managed to blow his vehicle's engine
  • Lap 142: The rear end came off of Henley Gray's vehicle in an unsafe manner
  • Lap 183: Richie Panch managed to blow his vehicle's engine
  • Lap 192: Caution due to Cale Yarborough and Dave Marcis spinning into the frontstretch, ended on lap 195
  • Finish: Richard Petty was officially declared the winner of the event

Standings after the race

Pos Driver Points[2] Differential
1 Richard Petty 3329 0
2 Dave Marcis 2756 -573
3 James Hylton 2625 -704
4 Benny Parsons 2525 -804
5 Richard Childress 2493 -836
6 Darrell Waltrip 2474 -855
7 Cecil Gordon 2449 -880
8 Elmo Langley 2224 -1105
9 David Pearson 2183 -1146
10 Buddy Baker 2103 -1226
10 Walter Ballard 2103 -1226

References

  1. ^ "1975 Champion Spark Plug 400 weather information". The Old Farmers' Almanac. Retrieved 2012-09-10.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h "1975 Champion Spark Plug 400 racing information". Racing Reference. Retrieved 2012-03-24.
  3. ^ a b c "Michigan International Speedway". CBS Sports. Retrieved 2013-06-11.
  4. ^ a b c d e f "1975 Champion Spark Plug 400 racing information". Race Database. Retrieved 2012-03-24.
  5. ^ "Exact distance of victory". Motor Racing Network. Retrieved 2013-06-14.
  6. ^ "David Pearson was king of Michigan International Speedway". Stock Car Racing. Retrieved 2013-06-14.
  7. ^ a b c "1975 Champion Spark Plug 400 racing information". Driver Averages. Retrieved 2012-03-24.
Preceded by NASCAR Winston Cup Series season
1975 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Champion Spark Plug 400 races
1975 		Succeeded by
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