1975 National 500

1975 National 500

Race details
Race 25 of 30 in the 1975 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season
This is the official race program from the 1975 running of the National 500 (now Bank of America 500).
Date	October 5, 1975
Official name	National 500
Location	Charlotte Motor Speedway, Concord, North Carolina
Course	Permanent racing facility 1.500 mi (2.414 km)
Distance	334 laps, 500 mi (804 km)
Weather	Temperatures reaching a maximum of 72.0 °F (22.2 °C)[1] Wind speeds up to 7 miles per hour (11 km/h)[1] No precipitation within 24 hours of the race[1]
Average speed	132.209 miles per hour (212.770 km/h)
Pole position
Driver	David Pearson	Wood Brothers
Most laps led
Driver	Richard Petty	Petty Enterprises
Laps	168
Winner
No. 43	Richard Petty	Petty Enterprises
Television in the United States
Network	ABC
Announcers	Chris Economaki

The 1975 National 500 was a NASCAR Winston Cup Series racing event that took place on October 5, 1975, at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina.^[2][3][4] A race called the World Service Life 300 was organized by a different stock car association the day before this race. Both of those races took place on the same race track.

By 1980, NASCAR had completely stopped tracking the year model of all the vehicles and most teams did not take stock cars to the track under their own power anymore.

Summary

An official program was handed out to the spectators at a cost of $2 USD per copy ($8.8 when considering inflation). It took three hours and forty-seven seconds for the race to resolve itself from its 12:30 P.M. scheduled green flag time; Richard Petty defeated David Pearson by 0.26 seconds for his 176th win of his 200-win career.^[2][4] The race ended at approximately 4:07 P.M.; enough time for most families make the drive back to their motel rooms or to their homes to prepare for supper.

Pearson would achieve the pole position with a speed of 161.701 miles per hour (260.233 km/h) during the qualifying runs;^[2] his next pole position start would be at the 1976 World 600.^[5] More than 61,000 spectators would attend this live racing event with seven cautions given out for 53 laps.^[2][3] The average speed of the race was 132.209 miles per hour (212.770 km/h); done over 334 laps on an oval track spanning 1.500 miles (2.414 km).^[2][3] There were 42 drivers on the grid;^[4] all of them were born in the United States of America.^[2][3] Coo Coo Marlin was the last-place finisher due to an engine problem on lap 8 in his 1975 Chevrolet Chevelle Laguna automobile.^[2][4]

Darel Dieringer would make his final NASCAR appearance in this race; finishing in seventh place in the process.^[4]

Finishing order

1. Richard Petty
2. David Pearson (fourth consecutive pole position in his career^[5])
3. Buddy Baker
4. Benny Parsons
5. Cecil Gordon
6. James Hylton
7. Darel Dieringer
8. Richard Childress
9. J.D. McDuffie
10. Elmo Langley
11. Hershel McGriff*
12. Chuck Bown
13. Joe Frasson
14. Frank Warren
15. David Sisco*
16. Grant Adcox
17. Buddy Arrington*
18. Bob Burcham*
19. Cale Yarborough*
20. Jabe Thomas*
21. A.J. Foyt*
22. Lennie Pond*
23. Jim Vandiver*
24. Darrell Waltrip*
25. Richie Panch*
26. Dave Marcis*
27. Bruce Hill*
28. Harry Jefferson*
29. Jackie Rogers*
30. Ed Negre*
31. Bobby Allison*
32. G.C. Spencer*
33. Donnie Allison*
34. Johnny Rutherford*
35. Dick Brooks*
36. Charlie Glotzbach*
37. Bobby Isaac*
38. Skip Manning*
39. Jimmy Insolo*
40. Neil Castles*
41. Walter Ballard*
42. Coo Coo Marlin*

Note: ^* denotes that the driver failed to finish the race.

Standings after the race

Pos	Driver	Points[2]
1	Richard Petty	4166
2	Benny Parsons	3288
3	Dave Marcis	3287
4	James Hylton	3268
5	Richard Childress	3233

References

1. "1975 National 500 weather information". The Old Farmers' Almanac. Retrieved 2011-08-03.
2. "1975 National 500 race information". Racing Reference. Retrieved 2011-04-03.
3. "1975 National 500 race information (second reference)". Database Racing. Retrieved 2011-04-04.
4. "1975 National 500 race information (third reference)". Driver Averages. Retrieved 2011-08-03.
5. "David Pearson's pole position accomplishment". Scene Daily. Retrieved 2011-08-03.