1983 Winston 500

1983 Winston 500

Race details[1]
Race 8 of 30 in the 1983 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season
Layout of Talladega Superspeedway
Date	May 1, 1983
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	Warm with temperatures approaching 84.9 °F (29.4 °C); wind speeds up to 11.8 miles per hour (19.0 km/h)
Average speed	153.936 miles per hour (247.736 km/h)
Attendance	110,000[2]
Pole position
Driver	Cale Yarborough	Ranier Racing
Most laps led
Driver	Richard Petty	Petty Enterprises
Laps	52
Winner
No. 43	Richard Petty	Petty Enterprises
Television in the United States
Network	NBC
Announcers	Paul Page Gary Gerould Johnny Rutherford

The 1983 Winston 500 was a NASCAR Winston Cup Series event that took place on May 1, 1983, at Alabama International Motor Speedway (now Talladega Superspeedway) in Talladega, Alabama.

Only manual transmission vehicles were allowed to participate in this race; a policy that NASCAR has retained to the present day.

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.^[3]

Summary

The television coverage of this race (on NBC) was more serious than today's broadcasts; telling people about the dangers of driving constantly at 185 miles per hour (298 km/h).^[4] Using the crude technology that was invested into driver safety back then, drivers had plenty of courage to complete the entire race.^[4] Only after Dale Earnhardt's death would NASCAR start to improve their safety standards; leading up to the introduction of the Car of Tomorrow.

Before the restrictor plates dramatically slowed down the cars, the restarts were considered to be fast and furious at what is now known as Talladega Superspeedway.^[4] There were 42 American-born drivers on the grid, representing manufacturers including Pontiac, Buick, Chevrolet, and Ford. Cale Yarborough qualified for the pole position with a speed of 202.650 miles per hour (326.134 km/h). Richard Petty defeated Benny Parsons by two car lengths after three hours and fourteen minutes to earn his 197th career win.^[2] Seven cautions for 42 laps were witnessed by 110,000 spectators in addition to 27 different lead changes.^[2] The average speed of the race was 153.936 miles per hour (247.736 km/h).^[2] There was a major incident involving Phil Parsons and ten other drivers.^[5] Two photographers managed to get Parsons out of the wreck before the vehicle exploded.^[6] The entire race purse was $361,820 ($859,639.83 when adjusted for inflation).^[7]

Dale Earnhardt was driving a Ford Thunderbird; an unexpected deviation from the Earnhardt family's Chevrolet heritage.^[4] Lowell Cowell would retire from NASCAR after this race.

Top twenty finishers

1. Richard Petty
2. Benny Parsons
3. Lake Speed
4. Harry Gant
5. Bill Elliott
6. Terry Labonte
7. Jimmy Means
8. Ricky Rudd
9. Dave Marcis
10. Bobby Allison
11. Joe Ruttman
12. Ken Ragan
13. Tommy Gale
14. Dick Brooks
15. Neil Bonnett
16. Cecil Gordon
17. Morgan Shepherd
18. Dean Roper
19. Lennie Pond
20. Ron Bouchard

Standings after the race

Pos	Driver	Points[2]
1	Harry Gant	1187
2	Bobby Allison	1171
3	Neil Bonnett	1133
4	Joe Ruttman	1116
5	Bill Elliott	1093

References

1. "1983 Winston 500 weather information". The Old Farmers' Almanac. Retrieved 26 June 2012.
2. "1983 Winston 500". Racing-Reference. Retrieved 9 August 2011.
3. "Track Facts". talladegasuperspeedway.com. Talladega Superspeedway. November 1, 2012. Archived from the original on July 7, 2015. Retrieved April 27, 2015.
4. "1983 Winston 500". Wheels of Speed. Retrieved 9 August 2011.
5. "1983 Winston 500". How Stuff Works. Retrieved 9 August 2011.
6. "1983 Winston 500". Front Stretch. Retrieved 9 August 2011.
7. "1983 Winston 500". Fantasy Racing Cheat Sheet. Retrieved 9 August 2011.