1982 Winston 500

1982 Winston 500
Race details[1][2]
Race 9 of 30 in the 1982 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season

This is a brochure from the 1982 Winston 500.
Date May 2, 1982 (1982-May-02)
Official name Winston 500
Location Alabama International Motor Speedway, Talladega, Alabama
Course Permanent racing facility
2.660 mi (4.280 km)
Distance 188 laps, 500.1 mi (804.8 km)
Weather Temperatures between 54.9 °F (12.7 °C) and 81.0 °F (27.2 °C); wind speeds averaging around 3.3 miles per hour (5.3 km/h) with no precipitation within 24 hours of the race
Average speed 156.597 miles per hour (252.018 km/h)
Attendance 100,000[3]
Pole position
Driver Ranier Racing
Most laps led
Driver Benny Parsons Ranier Racing
Laps 84
Winner
No. 11 Darrell Waltrip Junior Johnson & Associates
Television in the United States
Network ESPN
Announcers Bob Jenkins
Larry Nuber

The 1982 Winston 500 was a NASCAR Winston Cup Series racing event that took place May 2, 1982, at Alabama International Motor Speedway in Talladega, Alabama.

The exact number of cars involved in the race were 1 Oldsmobile vehicle, 9 Pontiac vehicles, 5 Ford vehicles, 1 Chevrolet vehicle, 1 Dodge vehicle, and 24 Buick vehicles.[2][4] Unrestricted high-speed races at Talladega Superspeedway ended after the 1987 Winston 500; which was five years later.

Background

Talladega Superspeedway, originally known as Alabama International Motor Superspeedway (AIMS), is a motorsports complex located north of Talladega, Alabama. It is located on the former Anniston Air Force Base in the small city of Lincoln. The track is a Tri-oval and was constructed by International Speedway Corporation, a business controlled by the France Family, in the 1960s. Talladega is most known for its steep banking and the unique location of the start/finish line - located just past the exit to pit road. The track currently hosts the NASCAR series such as the Sprint Cup Series, Xfinity Series, and the Camping World Truck Series. Talladega Superspeedway is the longest NASCAR oval with a length of 2.66 miles (4.28 km), and the track at its peak had a seating capacity of 175,000 spectators.[5]

Summary

Benny Parsons won the pole position with a qualifying speed of 200.176 miles per hour (322.152 km/h);[3] the first 200+ MPH qualifying session in NASCAR history.[2][6]

There were 40 drivers on the grid; all of them were American-born.[3] Darrell Waltrip defeated Terry Labonte by slightly less than three car lengths because Labonte had a fender under Waltrip coming to the line;[7] earning $44,250 in the process ($108,687.16 when adjusted for inflation).[3][2][4] Just a short distance before the checkered flag, the race became a battle between Benny Parsons, Darrell Waltrip, Terry Labonte and Kyle Petty. Parsons would lead seven of those laps while Waltrip lead 13 of them followed by Labonte leading just two of those crucial laps.[3]

The green flag was waved at 1:00 P.M. while the checkered flag was waved at approximately 4:19 P.M.; allowing families to find suitable restaurants for supper. There were eight cautions for 39 laps.[3][2] There were 51 lead changes and the average speed of the race was 156.597 miles per hour (252.018 km/h).[3][2] The race covered 188 laps of the 2.660-mile (4.281 km) track, totaling 500.1 miles (804.8 km).[3] Attendance was announced at 100,000 spectators.

Terry Labonte took the championship lead after this race.[3] Ferrel Harris would retire after this race with a 23rd-place finish.[3][2] One-time NASCAR driver L.W. Wright would race his only professional stock car event on this day.[8] Wright was a con artist who managed to swindle people into financing him getting a ride for this race; his credentials as a licensed NASCAR driver weren't asked for during the early 1980s.

Finishing order

  1. Darrell Waltrip (No. 11)
  2. Terry Labonte (No. 44)
  3. Benny Parsons (No. 28)
  4. Kyle Petty (No. 42)
  5. Morgan Shepherd (No. 98)
  6. Donnie Allison (No. 37)
  7. Tim Richmond (No. 2)
  8. Dale Earnhardt (No. 15)
  9. Jimmy Means (No. 52)
  10. Mark Martin (No. 02)
  11. Buddy Arrington (No. 67)
  12. Slick Johnson (No. 48)
  13. Bobby Allison (No. 88)
  14. Harry Gant (No. 33)
  15. D.K. Ulrich (No. 6)
  16. Tommy Gale (No. 64)
  17. Philip Duffie (No. 99)
  18. J.D. McDuffie (No. 70)
  19. Neil Bonnett (No. 21)
  20. John Anderson* (No. 19)
  21. Lowell Cowell (No. 66)
  22. Joe Ruttman* (No. 75)
  23. Ferrel Harris (No. 40)
  24. Ricky Rudd (No. 3)
  25. Buddy Baker* (No. 1)
  26. Bill Elliott* (No. 9)
  27. Richard Petty* (No. 43)
  28. Bill Scott* (No. 07)
  29. Elliott Forbes-Robinson* (No. 96)
  30. Dave Marcis* (No. 71)
  31. Lennie Pond* (No. 24)
  32. Rick Wilson* (No. 62)
  33. Geoffrey Bodine* (No. 50)
  34. Lake Speed* (No. 17)
  35. Steve Moore* (No. 73)
  36. Ron Bouchard* (No. 47)
  37. Cale Yarborough* (No. 27)
  38. Jody Ridley* (No. 90)
  39. L.W. Wright* (No. 34)
  40. David Simko* (No. 54)

* Driver failed to finish race

Standings after the race

Pos Driver Points[3] Differential
1 Terry Labonte 1410 0
2 Darrell Waltrip 1335 -75
3 Benny Parsons 1309 -101
4 Harry Gant 1258 -162
5 Bobby Allison 1225 -185
6 Morgan Shepherd 1189 -221
7 Dale Earnhardt 1183 -227
8 Buddy Arrington 1150 -260
9 Richard Petty 1101 -309
10 Jimmy Means 1064 -346

References

  1. "1982 Winston 500 weather information". The Old Farmers' Almanac. 2012-03-10.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "1982 Winston 500 racing information". Fantasy Racing Cheat Sheet. 2011-08-12.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "1982 Winston 500 racing information". Racing Reference. 2011-07-19.
  4. 1 2 "1982 Winston 500 racing information". Driver Averages. 2011-08-10.
  5. "Track Facts". talladegasuperspeedway.com. Talladega Superspeedway. November 1, 2012. Archived from the original on November 1, 2012. Retrieved April 27, 2015.
  6. "1982 Winston 500 qualifying information". How Stuff Works. 2011-08-10.
  7. "1982 Winston 500 - Finish". YouTube. 2015-06-29.
  8. "L.W. Wright's Only NASCAR Race". Race Database. 2015-06-29.
Preceded by
1982 Virginia National Bank 500
NASCAR Winston Cup Series Season
1982
Succeeded by
1982 Cracker Barrel Country Store 420
Preceded by
1981
Winston 500 races
1982
Succeeded by
1983
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