1975 World 600
| Race details[1][2] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 13 of 30 in the 1975 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season | |||
 Layout of Charlotte Motor Speedway | |||
| Date | May 25, 1975 | ||
| Location | Charlotte Motor Speedway, Concord, North Carolina | ||
| Course |
Permanent racing facility 1.500 mi (2.410 km) | ||
| Distance | 400 laps, 600 mi (965 km) | ||
| Weather | Hot with temperatures reaching as high as 91 °F (33 °C); wind speeds up to 8.9 miles per hour (14.3 km/h) | ||
| Average speed | 142.255 miles per hour (228.937 km/h) | ||
| Attendance | 90,600 | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Wood Brothers | ||
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Richard Petty | Petty Enterprises | |
| Laps | 234 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 43 | Richard Petty | Petty Enterprises | |
| Television in the United States | |||
| Network | CBS | ||
| Announcers | Ken Squier | ||
The 1975 World 600, the 16th running of the event, was a NASCAR Winston Cup Series racing event that took place on May 25, 1975, at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina.
Summary
There were 40 drivers on the grid. Coo Coo Marlin had an engine problem on lap 33 out of the regulation amount of 400 laps - earning him a last place position and a meager $1,455 in winnings ($64,107.00 when adjusted for inflation).[2] Richard Petty would defeat Cale Yarborough by at least one lap in front of 90,600 audience members.[2] Petty would earn the majority of the prize money with a swifty-earned paycheck of $30,290 ($133,429.60 in when adjusted for inflation).[2]
Dale Earnhardt would make his debut here; finishing 22nd in the process.[2] Randy Bethea would race his only NASCAR Cup Series race here; he would participate in 251 laps (approximately 62.8% of the total distance) before engine problems relegated him to the sideline.[3] Joe Frasson failed to qualify for this race while Darel Dieringer would make his NASCAR comeback here. Richard Childress would also compete in his event; finishing one place behind his future employee Dale Earnhardt.[2]
Results
Top ten finishers
| Pos | Grid | No. | Driver | Manufacturer | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | 43 | Richard Petty | Dodge | 400 |
| 2 | 5 | 11 | Cale Yarborough | Chevrolet | 399 |
| 3 | 1 | 21 | David Pearson | Mercury | 396 |
| 4 | 6 | 17 | Darrell Waltrip | Chevrolet | 395 |
| 5 | 4 | 15 | Buddy Baker | Ford | 395 |
| 6 | 9 | 28 | Charlie Glotzbach | Chevrolet | 395 |
| 7 | 10 | 90 | Dick Brooks | Ford | 392 |
| 8 | 13 | 98 | Richie Panch | Chevrolet | 389 |
| 9 | 7 | 88 | Donnie Allison | Chevrolet | 386 |
| 10 | 29 | 30 | Walter Ballard | Chevrolet | 377 |
Timeline
- Start of race: Lennie Pond officially began the event with the pole position
- Lap 14: Randy Bethea spun out on turn 3, bringing out the first caution of the race which ended on lap 17
- Lap 33: Coo Coo Marlin managed to blow his engine, making him the last-place finisher
- Lap 55: Benny Parsons blew his engine while racing
- Lap 96: G.C. Spencer managed to blow his engine while racing at high speeds
- Lap 112: Travis Tiller spun out on turn 2, bringing out the second caution of the race which ended on lap 115
- Lap 114: Cale Yarborough took over the lead from Richard Petty before losing it to Richard Petty on lap 166
- Lap 157: Cecil Gordon noticed that his engine blew, forcing him to exit the race prematurely
- Lap 165: Dick Brooks spun out on turn 2, bringing the third caution of the race which ended on lap 168
- Lap 166: Richard Petty took over the lead from Cale Yarborough before losing it back to Cale Yarborough on lap 231
- Lap 198: Lennie Pond's transmission became problematic, making him the first DNF in the race not related to his vehicle's engine
- Lap 208: Bobby Isaac's vehicle had some vibration issues, forcing him off the track
- Lap 236: Richard Petty took over the lead from David Pearson before losing it to Cale Yarborough on lap 297
- Lap 239: Dave Marcis blew his engine while racing, forcing him to retire from the race
- Lap 251: Randy Bethea managed to acquire an engine failure in his only NASCAR Cup Series race
- Lap 298: Richard Petty took over the lead from Cale Yarborough, making the decisive move that would get Petty the race win
- Lap 306: Harry Gant managed to blow his engine, ending his day on the track
- Lap 349: Dick Skillen managed to blow his engine, causing him to leave the race early
- Lap 373: Darel Dieringer managed to blow his engine, forcing him to accept a 12th-place finish
- Finish: Richard Petty was officially declared the winner of the event
Standings after the race
| Pos | Driver | Points[2] | Differential |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Richard Petty | 2094 | 0 |
| 2 | Darrell Waltrip | 1716 | -378 |
| 3 | James Hylton | 1702 | -392 |
| 4 | Dave Marcis | 1683 | -411 |
| 5 | Cecil Gordon | 1653 | -441 |
| 6 | Benny Parsons | 1611 | -483 |
| 7 | Richard Childress | 1588 | -506 |
| 8 | David Pearson | 1479 | -615 |
| 9 | Dick Brooks | 1447 | -647 |
| 10 | Elmo Langley | 1433 | -661 |
References
- ↑ "1975 World 600 weather information". The Old Farmers' Almanac. Retrieved 2012-08-05.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "1975 World 600 racing information". Racing Reference. Retrieved 2012-03-24.
- ↑ "Scott story will bring mix of emotions". ESPN. Retrieved 2012-03-24.
| Preceded by 1975 Mason-Dixon 500 |
NASCAR Winston Cup Series Season 1975 |
Succeeded by 1975 Tuborg 400 |
| Preceded by 1974 |
World 600 races 1975 |
Succeeded by 1976 |