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1971 NASCAR Winston Cup Series

23rd season of NASCAR stock-car racing

23rd season of NASCAR stock-car racing

The 1971 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season began on January 10 and ended on November 20. Richard Petty was the champion for this Winston Cup season. After 20 years of being named the NASCAR Grand National Series, R. J. Reynolds first became the primary sponsor in a decade where the growing anti-tobacco movement banned its advertisement on television and motorsports was the ideal place to place their advertisements. Through NASCAR, Winston merchandise was unveiled to live viewers of the races (since they were not allowed to advertise to a televised audience). This kind of merchandise would also be given out at stores that sold cigarettes in subsequent years. Race car drivers were encouraged to smoke cigarettes (when not racing) until the mid-2000s brought in strict drug testing policies in addition to a smoking cessation program by Nicorette, a GlaxoSmithKline brand (Goody's Headache Powders, a long-time NASCAR sponsor, is a GSK brand; as of 2023, GSK sponsors both the Truck series race, and the spring Cup race at Martinsville Speedway).

Season recap

No.DateEventCircuitWinner123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930313233343536373839404142434445464748
January 10Motor Trend 500Riverside International RacewayRay Elder
February 11125 Mile Qualifying RacesDaytona International SpeedwayPete Hamilton
David Pearson
February 14Daytona 500Richard Petty
February 28Miller High Life 500Ontario Motor SpeedwayA. J. Foyt
March 7Richmond 500Richmond Fairgrounds RacewayRichard Petty
March 14Carolina 500North Carolina SpeedwayRichard Petty
March 21Hickory 276Hickory Motor SpeedwayRichard Petty
March 28Southeastern 500Bristol International SpeedwayDavid Pearson
April 4Atlanta 500Atlanta International RacewayA. J. Foyt
April 8Columbia 200Columbia SpeedwayRichard Petty
April 10Greenville 200Greenville-Pickens SpeedwayBobby Isaac
April 15[Maryville 200](1971-maryville-200)Smoky Mountain RacewayRichard Petty
April 18Gwyn Staley 400North Wilkesboro SpeedwayRichard Petty
April 25Virginia 500Martinsville SpeedwayRichard Petty
May 2Rebel 400Darlington RacewayBuddy Baker
May 9Halifax County 100South Boston SpeedwayBenny Parsons
May 16Winston 500Alabama International Motor SpeedwayDonnie Allison
May 21Asheville 300New Asheville SpeedwayRichard Petty
May 23Kingsport 300Kingsport SpeedwayBobby Isaac
May 30World 600Charlotte Motor SpeedwayBobby Allison
June 6Mason-Dixon 500Dover Downs International SpeedwayBobby Allison
June 13Motor State 400Michigan International SpeedwayBobby Allison
June 20Golden State 400Riverside International RacewayBobby Allison
June 23[Space City 300](1971-space-city-300)Meyer SpeedwayBobby Allison
June 26Pickens 200Greenville-Pickens SpeedwayRichard Petty
July 4Firecracker 400Daytona International SpeedwayBobby Isaac
July 11Volunteer 500Bristol SpeedwayCharlie Glotzbach
July 14Albany-Saratoga 250Albany-Saratoga SpeedwayRichard Petty
July 15[Islip 250](1971-islip-250)Islip SpeedwayRichard Petty
July 18Northern 300Trenton SpeedwayRichard Petty
July 24Nashville 420Nashville SpeedwayRichard Petty
August 1Dixie 500Atlanta International RacewayRichard Petty
August 6Myers Brothers 250Bowman Gray StadiumRichard Petty (combined race)
August 8West Virginia 500International Raceway ParkRichard Petty
August 15Yankee 400Michigan International SpeedwayBobby Allison
August 22[Talladega 500](1000bulbs-com-500)Alabama International Motor SpeedwayBobby Allison
August 27[Sandlapper 200](1971-sandlapper-200)Columbia SpeedwayRichard Petty
August 28Buddy Shuman 276Hickory Motor SpeedwayElmo Langley
(combined race)
September 6Southern 500Darlington RacewayBobby Allison
September 26Old Dominion 500Martinsville SpeedwayBobby Isaac
October 10National 500Charlotte Motor SpeedwayBobby Allison
October 17Delaware 500Dover Downs International SpeedwayRichard Petty
October 24American 500North Carolina SpeedwayRichard Petty
November 7Georgia 500Middle Georgia RacewayBobby Allison
November 14Capital City 500Richmond Fairgrounds RacewayRichard Petty
November 21Wilkes 400North Wilkesboro SpeedwayCharlie Glotzbach
(combined race)
December 12Texas 500Texas World SpeedwayRichard Petty

Note: Some races were combined races for Grand American and Grand National cars. Races marked Combined Races were won by Grand American cars. The driver who finished first among Grand National cars is listed.

Notable Races

Motor Trend 500

Main article: 1971 Motor Trend 500

The 1971 Motor Trend 500 was the first official race in NASCAR's Winston Cup era. Drivers had to contend with 191 laps on a 2.620 mile road course at Riverside International Raceway in Riverside, California. Ray Elder won the race.

  1. 96- Ray Elder
  2. 12- Bobby Allison
  3. 72- Benny Parsons (2 laps behind)
  4. 71- Bobby Isaac (2 laps behind)
  5. 48- James Hylton (6 laps behind)
  6. 39- Friday Hassler (7 laps behind)
  7. 32- Kevin Terris (7 laps behind)
  8. 26- Carl Joiner (22 laps behind)
  9. 19- Henley Gray (22 laps behind)
  10. 24- Cecil Gordon (24 laps behind)

Daytona 500

Main article: 1971 Daytona 500

The 12th annual Daytona 500 was run on February 14 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. A. J. Foyt won the pole and Richard Petty would win his third Daytona 500.

Top Ten Results

  1. 43- Richard Petty
  2. 11- Buddy Baker
  3. 21- A. J. Foyt
  4. 17- David Pearson (1 lap behind)
  5. 99- Fred Lorenzen (1 lap behind)
  6. 31- Jim Vandiver (2 laps behind)
  7. 22- Dick Brooks (2 laps behind)
  8. 20- Jim Hurtubise (3 laps behind)
  9. 48- James Hylton (3 laps behind)
  10. 71- Bobby Isaac (3 laps behind)

Miller High Life 500

Main article: 1971 Miller High Life 500

The Miller High Life 500 was run on February 28 at Ontario Motor Speedway. A. J. Foyt would win this race after more than three hours of racing (from the pole position).

  1. 21- A. J. Foyt
  2. 11- Buddy Baker
  3. 43- Richard Petty
  4. 71- Bobby Isaac
  5. 22- Dick Brooks
  6. 98- LeeRoy Yarbrough
  7. 96- Ray Elder
  8. 55- Tiny Lund
  9. 72- Benny Parsons
  10. 48- James Hylton

Greenville 200

The Greenville 200 was the first live flag-to-flag telecast of a NASCAR race. The race was run on Saturday, April 10 at Greenville-Pickens Speedway and was carried live on ABC with Jim McKay, Chris Economaki and Ken Squier. Bobby Isaac won the race.

  1. 71- Bobby Isaac, 1970 Dodge Charger
  2. 17- David Pearson (2 laps behind), 1970 Ford Purolator
  3. 22- Dick Brooks (2 laps behind), 1969 Dodge Charger
  4. 2- Dave Marcis (2 laps behind), 1969 Dodge Charger
  5. 72- Benny Parsons (2 laps behind), 1969 Ford
  6. 48- James Hylton (4 laps behind), 1971 Ford
  7. 43- Richard Petty (4 laps behind), 1970 Plymouth Road Runner
  8. 39- Friday Hassler (5 laps behind), 1969 Chevrolet
  9. 06- Neil Castles (5 laps behind), 1969 Dodge Charger
  10. 20- Elmo Langley (7 laps behind), 1970 Mercury

Rebel 400

The Rebel 400 was run on May 2 at Darlington Raceway in Darlington, South Carolina. Donnie Allison won the pole and Buddy Baker would win his third Rebel 400.

  1. 11- Buddy Baker
  2. 22- Dick Brooks
  3. 2- Dave Marcis
  4. 21- Donnie Allison
  5. 31- Jim Vandiver
  6. 49- G. C. Spencer
  7. 70- J. D. McDuffie
  8. 39- Friday Hassler
  9. 76- Ben Arnold
  10. 64- Elmo Langley

Winston 500

The Winston 500 was run on May 16 at Alabama International Motor Speedway in Talladega, Alabama. Donnie Allison won the pole and won the race. He defeated Bobby by some seconds.

  1. 21- Donnie Allison
  2. 12- Bobby Allison
  3. 11- Buddy Baker
  4. 6- Pete Hamilton (1 lap behind)
  5. 99- Fred Lorenzen (1 lap behind)
  6. 31- Jim Vandiver (2 laps behind)
  7. 48- James Hylton (3 laps behind)
  8. 90- Bill Dennis (5 laps behind)
  9. 71- Dave Marcis (7 laps behind)
  10. 68- Larry Baumel (10 laps behind)

World 600

Main article: 1971 World 600

The World 600 was run on May 30 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, South Carolina. Charlie Glotzbach won the pole and Bobby Allison would win the 1971 World 600 (defeating his brother).

  1. 12- Bobby Allison
  2. 21- Donnie Allison
  3. 6- Pete Hamilton (1 lap behind)
  4. 43- Richard Petty (2 laps behind)
  5. 99- Fred Lorenzen (5 laps behind)
  6. 11- Buddy Baker (6 laps behind)
  7. 72- Benny Parsons (8 laps behind)
  8. 39- Friday Hassler (9 laps behind)
  9. 2- Dave Marcis (10 laps behind)
  10. 22- Dick Brooks (10 laps behind)

Myers Brothers 250

Main article: 1971 Myers Brothers 250

The 1971 Myers Brothers 250 was a NASCAR Winston Cup Series event that took place on August 6, 1971, at Bowman Gray Stadium in the American community of Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Due to the reduced sponsorship money being given out by the "Big Three" automobile companies in Detroit, NASCAR decided to hold six of their smaller Winston Cup Series races in conjunction with the support NASCAR Grand American Series.

Three of these races were won by drivers who raced in Grand American cars. Tiny Lund (Hickory and North Wilkesboro) and Bobby Allison (Winston-Salem). Lund was credited with the win in his races, but Allison was not credited with a win until the publicity event for the 2025 Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium in October 2024, shortly before his death that November at 86. Allison was declared the race winner and given the Grand National race win for that race, even though technically, the correct Grand National class winner was never credited with the win.

Under current regulations for NASCAR Holdings, Inc. owned series (NASCAR and IMSA) that feature multiple classes of cars in combination races such as the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship with GTP, LMP 2, GTD Pro, and GTD classes, the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge with GT4 and TCR classes, and the ARCA Menards Series combination races with the national series and either East or West cars, there is a winner for each class of car. Richard Petty finished second overall, winning the Grand National class, but NASCAR has never credited Petty with the class win as would be the case in multiple class events.

  1. 49-Bobby Allison
  2. 43-Richard Petty
  3. 14-Jim Paschal
  4. 87-Buck Baker
  5. 11-Dave Marcis
  6. 55-Tiny Lund
  7. 15-Wayne Andrews
  8. 25-Jabe Thomas
  9. 86-David Ray Boggs
  10. 30-Walter Ballard

Yankee 400

Main article: 1971 Yankee 400

The Yankee 400 was run on August 15 at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Michigan. Pete Hamilton won the pole and Bobby Allison would win the 1971 Yankee 400.

  1. 12- Bobby Allison
  2. 43- Richard Petty
  3. 11- Buddy Baker
  4. 60- Maynard Troyer
  5. 18- Joe Frasson
  6. 24- Cecil Gordon
  7. 88- Ron Keselowski
  8. 48- James Hylton
  9. 25- Jabe Thomas
  10. 06- Neil Castles

Delaware 500

Main article: 1971 Delaware 500

The 1971 Delaware 500 is a NASCAR Winston Cup Series race that took place on October 17, 1971. Richard Petty defeated Charlie Glotzbach by more than one lap in front of eighteen thousand people.

  1. 43- Richard Petty
  2. 98- Charlie Glotzbach
  3. 71- Bobby Isaac
  4. 12- Bobby Allison
  5. 90- Bill Dennis
  6. 57- David Ray Boggs
  7. 91- Richard D. Brown
  8. 64- Elmo Langley
  9. 30- Walter Ballard
  10. 48- James Hylton

Final Point Standings

Pos.DriverRacesWinsTop 5sTop 10sPoints144352407133677436365335663200730588288692862102633112611122528132403142392152358162277172205182181192180202167212049222036231819241739251619261618271446281303291280301276
Richard Petty46213841
James Hylton4601437
Cecil Gordon460621
Bobby Allison42112731
Elmo Langley4601123
Jabe Thomas430215
Bill Champion450314
Frank Warren470110
J. D. McDuffie43028
Walter Ballard410311
Benny Parsons3511318
Ed Negre43002
Bill Seifert37004
Henley Gray39004
Buddy Baker1911316
Friday Hassler290413
Earl Brooks35014
Bill Dennis280410
Wendell Scott37004
John Sears37003
Dave Marcis290914
Neil Castles380110
Bobby Isaac2541617
Pete Hamilton2211112
Joe Frasson17014
Ben Arnold18003
Ron Keselowski20006
Bill Shirey27002
Donnie Allison13179
Dean Dalton20001

Other information

  • This was the first season where NASCAR's premier racing series was called the Winston Cup. All previous seasons were known as either Grand National or Strictly Stock.

Notes

References

Info: Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

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