First Union 400

First Union 400
Venue North Wilkesboro Speedway, Wilkes County, North Carolina
Sponsor First Union
First race 1951
Last race 1996
Distance 250 miles (402.3 km)
Laps 400
Previous names Wilkes County 150 (1951)
Wilkes County 200 (1952–1953)
Wilkes County 160 (1954–1958)
Gwyn Staley 160 (1959–1960)
Gwyn Staley 400 (1961–1978)
Northwestern Bank 400 (1979–1985)
First Union 400 (1986–1996)

The First Union 400 was a NASCAR Winston Cup Series (now Sprint Cup Series) stock car race held annually from 1951 to 1996 at the North Wilkesboro Speedway in Wilkes County, North Carolina. It was the first of two Winston Cup Series races held at North Wilkesboro Speedway before the track was abandoned in 1996.[1] The race was normally held in late March or early April.

Past winners

Year Date Driver Team Manufacturer Race Distance Race Time Average Speed
(mph)		 Report
Laps Miles (km)
1951 April 29 Fonty Flock Frank Christian Oldsmobile 150 93.75 (150.876) Report
1952 March 30 Herb Thomas Herb Thomas Hudson 200 125 (201.168) 2:08:00 58.597 Report
1953 March 29 Herb Thomas Herb Thomas Hudson 200 125 (201.168) 1:44:18 71.907 Report
1954 April 4 Dick Rathmann John Ditz Hudson 160 100 (160.934) 1:27:32 68.545 Report
1955 April 3 Buck Baker Bob Griffin Oldsmobile 160 100 (160.934) 1:22:03 73.126 Report
1956 April 8 Tim Flock Carl Kiekhaefer Chrysler 160 100 (160.934) 1:24:28 71.034 Report
1957 April 7 Fireball Roberts Pete DePaolo Ford 160 100 (160.934) 1:19:59 75.015 Report
1958 May 18 Junior Johnson Paul Spaulding Ford 160 100 (160.934) 1:16:18 78.636 Report
1959 April 5 Lee Petty Petty Enterprises Oldsmobile 160 100 (160.934) 1:23:21 71.985 Report
1960 March 27 Lee Petty Petty Enterprises Plymouth 160 100 (160.934) 1:30:26 66.347 Report
1961 April 16 Rex White Rex White Chevrolet 400 250 (402.336) 3:00:11 83.248 Report
1962 April 15 Richard Petty Petty Enterprises Plymouth 400 250 (402.336) 2:57:01 84.737 Report
1963 April 28 Richard Petty Petty Enterprises Plymouth 257* 160.625 (258.5) 1:57:06 83.301 Report
1964 April 19 Fred Lorenzen Holman-Moody Ford 400 250 (402.336) 3:03:05 81.93 Report
1965 April 18 Junior Johnson Junior Johnson & Associates Ford 400 250 (402.336) 2:37:49 95.047 Report
1966 April 17 Jim Paschal Frieden Enterprises Plymouth 400 250 (402.336) 2:50:22 89.045 Report
1967 April 16 Darel Dieringer Junior Johnson & Associates Ford 400 270 (434.522) 2:40:16 93.594 Report
1968 April 21 David Pearson Holman-Moody Ford 400 250 (402.336) 2:45:33 90.425 Report
1969 April 20 Bobby Allison Mario Rossi Dodge 400 250 (402.336) 2:37:27 95.268 Report
1970 April 18 Richard Petty Petty Enterprises Plymouth 400 250 (402.336) 2:38:41 94.246 Report
1971 April 18 Richard Petty Petty Enterprises Plymouth 400 250 (402.336) 2:32:19 98.479 Report
1972 April 23 Richard Petty Petty Enterprises Plymouth 400 250 (402.336) 2:53:19 86.381 Report
1973 April 8 Richard Petty Petty Enterprises Dodge 400 250 (402.336) 2:34:17 97.224 Report
1974 April 21 Richard Petty Petty Enterprises Dodge 360* 225 (362.102) 2:20:20 96.2 Report
1975 April 6 Richard Petty Petty Enterprises Dodge 400 250 (402.336) 2:46:39 90.009 Report
1976 April 4 Cale Yarborough Junior Johnson & Associates Chevrolet 400 250 (402.336) 2:34:52 96.858 Report
1977 March 27 Cale Yarborough Junior Johnson & Associates Chevrolet 400 250 (402.336) 2:48:38 88.95 Report
1978 April 16 Darrell Waltrip DiGard Motorsports Chevrolet 400 250 (402.336) 2:42:26 92.345 Report
1979 March 25 Bobby Allison Bud Moore Engineering Ford 400 250 (402.336) 2:49:41 88.4 Report
1980 April 20 Richard Petty Petty Enterprises Chevrolet 400 250 (402.336) 2:37:04 95.501 Report
1981 April 5 Richard Petty Petty Enterprises Buick 400 250 (402.336) 2:55:41 85.381 Report
1982 April 18 Darrell Waltrip Junior Johnson & Associates Buick 400 250 (402.336) 2:33:37 97.646 Report
1983 April 17 Darrell Waltrip Junior Johnson & Associates Chevrolet 400 250 (402.336) 2:44:03 91.436 Report
1984 April 8 Tim Richmond Blue Max Racing Pontiac 400 250 (402.336) 2:33:19 97.83 Report
1985 April 21 Neil Bonnett Junior Johnson & Associates Chevrolet 400 250 (402.336) 2:39:53 93.818 Report
1986 April 20 Dale Earnhardt Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 400 250 (402.336) 2:49:40 88.408 Report
1987 April 5 Dale Earnhardt Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 400 250 (402.336) 2:39:24 94.103 Report
1988 April 17 Terry Labonte Junior Johnson & Associates Chevrolet 400 250 (402.336) 2:31:24 99.075 Report
1989 April 16 Dale Earnhardt Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 400 250 (402.336) 2:46:47 89.937 Report
1990 April 22 Brett Bodine King Racing Buick 400 250 (402.336) 2:58:46 83.908 Report
1991 April 21 Darrell Waltrip DarWal, Inc. Chevrolet 400 250 (402.336) 3:08:26 79.604 Report
1992 April 12 Davey Allison Robert Yates Racing Ford 400 250 (402.336) 2:45:28 90.653 Report
1993 April 18 Rusty Wallace Penske Racing Pontiac 400 250 (402.336) 2:41:59 92.602 Report
1994 April 17 Terry Labonte Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 400 250 (402.336) 2:36:33 95.816 Report
1995 April 9 Dale Earnhardt Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 400 250 (402.336) 2:26:27 102.424 Report
1996 April 14 Terry Labonte Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 400 250 (402.336) 2:35:39 96.37 Report

Multiple winners (drivers)

# Wins Driver Years Won
10 Richard Petty 1962, 1963, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1980, 1981
4 Darrell Waltrip 1978, 1982, 1983, 1991
Dale Earnhardt 1986, 1987, 1989, 1995
3 Terry Labonte 1988, 1994, 1996
2 Herb Thomas 1952, 1953
Lee Petty 1959, 1960
Junior Johnson 1958, 1965
Cale Yarborough 1976, 1977
Bobby Allison 1969, 1979

Multiple winners (manufacturers)

# Wins Manufacturer Years Won
15 Chevrolet 1961, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1980, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1994, 1995, 1996
8 Ford 1957, 1958, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1979, 1992
7 Plymouth 1960, 1962, 1963, 1966, 1970, 1971, 1972
4 Dodge 1969, 1973, 1974, 1975
3 Hudson 1952, 1953, 1954
Oldsmobile 1951, 1955, 1959
Buick 1981, 1982, 1990
2 Pontiac 1984, 1993

Television broadcasters

Year Network Lap-by-lap Color commentator(s)
1996 ESPN Bob Jenkins Benny Parsons
Ned Jarrett
1995
1994
1993
1992
1991
1990
1989 Ned Jarrett
1988 Ned Jarrett
Gary Nelson
1987 Larry Nuber
1986 Benny Parsons
Larry Nuber
1985 Larry Nuber
1984
1983
1982
1981 Mike Joy Bob Jenkins
1970 ABC Keith Jackson Chris Economaki

References

  1. ↑ Aumann, Mark (April 1, 2009). "North Wilkesboro alive and well, even without racing". NASCAR. Retrieved April 22, 2012.

External links