1976 Mason-Dixon 500
| Race details | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 12 of 30 in the 1976 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season | |||
 Layout of Dover International Speedway | |||
| Date | May 16, 1976 | ||
| Location | Dover International Speedway (Dover, Delaware) | ||
| Course | Permanent racing facility 1.000 mi (1.609 km) | ||
| Distance | 500 laps, 500.0 mi (804.6 km) | ||
| Weather | Temperatures reaching 78.1 °F (25.6 °C); wind speeds as high as 15 miles per hour (24 km/h)[1] | ||
| Average speed | 115.436 miles per hour (185.776 km/h) | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Dave Marcis | K&K Insurance Racing | |
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Cale Yarborough | Junior Johnson & Associates | |
| Laps | 243 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 73 |
Benny Parsons |
DeWitt Racing | |
| Television in the United States | |||
| Network | untelevised | ||
| Announcers | none | ||
The 1976 Mason-Dixon 500 was a NASCAR Winston Cup Series (now Sprint Cup Series) event that took place on May 16, 1976, at Dover Downs International Speedway (now called Dover International Speedway) in the American community of Dover, Delaware.[2][3]
Only manual transmission vehicles were allowed to participate in this race; a policy that NASCAR has retained to the present day.
Summary
The total time of the race was four hours, nineteen minutes, and fifty-three seconds.[2] Six cautions were given for thirty-eight laps while thirty-two thousand and eight hundred fans were in attendance for the race.[2] The average speed in the race was 115.436 miles per hour (185.776 km/h) with the pole winning speed being 136.013 miles per hour (218.892 km/h).[2] From lap 115 to lap 227, Cale Yarborough would get into a run of good luck and lead for a duration of 163 laps. He would never regain the lead after losing it to David Pearson on lap 278.[2]
Benny Parsons defeated second place driver David Pearson by a time of 25½ seconds.[2][4] The other drivers in the top ten were: Dave Marcis (the pole winner), Bobby Allison, Buddy Baker, Richard Petty, Dick Brooks, Lennie Pond, Darrell Bryant, and Richard Childress (who would eventually own Richard Childress Racing and Childress Vineyards later in his life).[2][3][5] Other notable racers who competed includes: Darrell Waltrip, Ricky Rudd, and Cale Yarborough (who would lose the points lead after this race).[2][3][5] Bruce Hill finished in last place due to an engine problem on lap 2.[2]
This race would be Neil Castles' final race in his NASCAR Cup Series career. It would also be the last race for Doc Faustina before his retirement. Total winnings for this race would be $108,140 ($448,180.22 when adjusted for inflation).
Standings after the race
| Pos | Driver | Points[2] |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Benny Parsons | 1836 |
| 2 | Cale Yarborough | 1812 |
| 3 | Richard Petty | 1723 |
| 4 | Bobby Allison | 1656 |
| 5 | Dave Marcis | 1612 |
References
- ↑ "1976 Mason-Dixon 500 weather information". The Old Farmer's Almanac. Retrieved 2012-06-12.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9 "1976 Mason-Dixon 500 racing results". Racing Reference. Retrieved 2011-01-20.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "1976 Mason-Dixon 500 racing results (fourth references)". Driver Averages. Retrieved 2011-01-27.
- ↑ "1976 Mason-Dixon 500 winner information". Dover Speedway. Retrieved 2011-03-01.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "1976 Mason-Dixon 500 racing results (third reference)". Motor Racing Network. Retrieved 2011-01-27.
| Preceded by 1976 Music City USA 420 |
NASCAR Winston Cup Season 1976 |
Succeeded by 1976 World 600 |