1976 Champion Spark Plug 400

Auto race held at Michigan International Speedway in 1976 January 2025 CUST Race 20 of 30 in the 1976 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season Champion Spark Plug 400 Weather information for the 1976 Champion Spark Plug 400 at The Old Farmers' Almanac 1976 08 22 1976 20 30 1976_Champion_Spark_Plug_400_program_cover.png 200px 1976 Champion Spark Plug 400 program cover Champion Spark Plug 400 Michigan International Speedway, Brooklyn, Michigan 2.000 3.218 200 400 643 Hot with temperatures of 91 F C; wind speeds of 9.9 mph km/h 140.078 mi/h 55,000 David Pearson Wood Brothers Racing Cale Yarborough Junior Johnson & Associates 125 21 David Pearson Wood Brothers Racing CBS Ken Squier Bobby Unser Ned Jarrett The 1976 Champion Spark Plug 400 was a NASCAR Winston Cup Series race that took place on August 22, 1976, at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Michigan. Background Michigan International Speedway is a four-turn superspeedway that is 2 mi km long.http://www.cbssports.com/nascar/tracks/page/michigan/michigan-international-speedway Michigan International Speedway CBS Sports 2013-06-11 Opened in 1968, the track's turns are banked at eighteen degrees, while the 3,600-foot-long front stretch, the location of the finish line, is banked at twelve degrees. The back stretch, has a five degree banking and is 2,242 feet long. Race report 36 drivers took part in this race; David Hobbs was the only foreigner. The closing portion of the race would see Cale Yarborough, Richard Petty, Benny Parsons, Cale Yarborough and David Pearson vie for the win. The first 67 laps of the race would see fairly even competition. Tighe Scott's last-place finish was due to his vehicle overheating on lap 6 of 200. Fifty-five thousand people would witness David Pearson defeat Cale Yarborough by more than a second. The total time of the race was 171 minutes.1976 Champion Spark Plug 400 at Racing Reference Cale Yarborough led more than 120 laps in both of the MIS races in 1976 but had to settle for second place both times. David Pearson bested him to win both races in the Wood Brothers Purolator #21 Mercury as he claimed the season sweep. This race was almost a case of deja vu for fans as weirdly the "top four" was the almost the same in this one as it had been for the earlier race in June with Richard Petty and Bobby Allison as the only other cars on the lead lap just as before; the only difference was that Allison was third in June while Petty flip-flopped their positions with his third-place run here. NASCAR handed out a total of $120,025 to all drivers ($ when adjusted for inflation). The majority of the vehicles were Chevrolets.1976 Champion Spark Plug 400 at Fantasy Racing Cheat Sheet While the winner took home $11,950 ($ when adjusted for inflation), the last-place finisher took home $1,250 ($ when adjusted for inflation).1976 Champion Spark Plug 400 https://web.archive.org/web/20120602005456/http://www.driveraverages.com/nascar_stats/race.php?sked_id=1976020 2012-06-02 at Driver Averages Notable crew chiefs for this race included Billy Hagan, Junie Donlavey, Jake Elder, Harry Hyde, Dale Inman, Sterling Marlin and Tim Brewer.1976 Champion Spark Plug 400 crew chiefs at Racing Reference John Haver would make his NASCAR Cup Series debut at this event while David Hobbs would wrap up his professional stock car career afterward. Qualifying Grid No. Car number Driver Manufacturer 1 21 David Pearson Mercury 2 15 Buddy Baker Ford 3 11 Cale Yarborough Chevrolet 4 54 Lennie Pond Chevrolet 5 43 Richard Petty Dodge 6 2 Bobby Allison Mercury 7 71 Dave Marcis Dodge 8 72 Benny Parsons Chevrolet 9 90 Dick Brooks Ford 10 88 Darrell Waltrip Chevrolet 11 47 Bruce Hill Chevrolet 12 40 D.K. Ulrich Chevrolet 13 52 Jimmy Means Chevrolet 14 92 Skip Manning Chevrolet 15 12 Neil Bonnett Chevrolet 16 05 David Sisco Chevrolet 17 36 Bobby Wawak Chevrolet 18 24 Cecil Gordon Chevrolet 19 7 Dean Dalton Chevrolet 20 48 James Hylton Chevrolet 21 18 Joe Frasson Chevrolet 22 9 David Hobbs Ford 23 60 Jackie Rogers Chevrolet 24 19 Henley Gray Chevrolet 25 51 John Haver Chevrolet 26 8 Ed Negre Dodge 27 70 J.D. McDuffie Chevrolet 28 3 Richard Childress Chevrolet 29 14 Coo Coo Marlin Chevrolet 30 79 Frank Warren Dodge Finishing order POSRace Results https://www.racing-reference.info/race-results/ 2021-05-28 Racing-Reference en-USST#DRIVERSPONSOR / OWNERCARLAPSMONEYSTATUSLEDPTS1121  David PearsonPurolator   (Wood Brothers)Mercury20016700running271802311  Cale YarboroughHolly Farms   (Junior Johnson)Chevrolet20013705running1251803543  Richard PettySTP   (Petty Enterprises)Dodge20010985running22170462  Bobby AllisonCAM 2   (Roger Penske)Mercury2007375running61655771  Dave MarcisK & K Insurance   (Nord Krauskopf)Dodge1996565running1116061512  Neil BonnettHawaiian Tropic   (Neil Bonnett)Chevrolet1952455running115571240  D.K. UlrichGarden State Auto   (J.R. DeLotto)Chevrolet1944545running014682770  J.D. McDuffieJ.D. McDuffieChevrolet1944335running01429872  Benny ParsonsKing's Row Fireplace   (L.G. DeWitt)Chevrolet1945125running2143101736  Bobby WawakJ & B Corvette   (John Gwinn)Chevrolet1931855running0134112419  Henley GrayBelden Asphalt   (Henley Gray)Chevrolet1931755running0130122914  Coo Coo MarlinCunningham-Kelley   (H.B. Cunningham)Chevrolet1923615running012713283  Richard ChildressKansas Jack   (Richard Childress)Chevrolet1923255running0124141492  Skip ManningStratagraph   (Billy Hagan)Chevrolet1922430running0121153310  Terry BivinsSunny King   (Bill Champion)Ford1922875running0118163625  Dick MayDon RobertsonChevrolet1872635running011517229  David HobbsCoca-Cola   (George Elliott)Ford1871130running018197  Dean DaltonBelden Asphalt   (Dean Dalton)Chevrolet1841105running0109191147  Bruce HillBruce HillChevrolet1832300engine3111203191  Harold MillerBartow Paving   (Harold Miller)Chevrolet1831055running0103212048  James HyltonKockums   (James Hylton)Chevrolet1832030running0100223261  Joe MihalicLou ViglioneChevrolet1751005running097233079  Frank WarrenNative Tan   (Frank Warren)Dodge174955running094241352  Jimmy MeansWIXC   (Bill Gray)Chevrolet168955running09125454  Lennie PondPepsi-Cola   (Ronnie Elder)Chevrolet1661555running088261824  Cecil GordonTransmissions Unlimited   (Cecil Gordon)Chevrolet1541400engine085271088  Darrell WaltripGatorade   (DiGard Racing)Chevrolet1343875engine082282118  Joe FrassonExcuse Lounge   (Joe Frasson)Chevrolet118850running18429990  Dick BrooksTruxmore   (Junie Donlavey)Ford1141335engine07630268  Ed NegreEd NegreDodge1081315engine07331215  Buddy BakerNorris Industries   (Bud Moore)Ford864100engine275321605  David SiscoDavid SiscoChevrolet701290suspension067332551  John HaverJim's Furniture   (George Harrivel)Chevrolet49780engine064343449  G.C. SpencerG.C. SpencerDodge37770engine061352360  Jackie RogersRed Dog's   (Lou Viglione)Chevrolet15760steering058363530  Tighe ScottScotty's Fashions   (Walter Ballard)Chevrolet61250overheating055 Standings after the race Pos Driver Points Differential 1 10px Cale Yarborough 3026 0 2 10px Benny Parsons 2952 -74 3 10px Richard Petty 2936 -90 4 10px Bobby Allison 2832 -194 5 Dave Marcis 2652 -374 6 Lennie Pond 2599 -427 7 10px Richard Childress 2477 -549 8 10px Buddy Baker 2420 -606 9 10px David Pearson 2352 -674 10 J.D. McDuffie 2263 -763 References 1976 Talladega 500 1976 Volunteer 400 NASCAR Winston Cup Season 1976 1975 1977 Champion Spark Plug 400 races 1976 Champion Spark Plug 400 Champion Spark Plug 400 Category:NASCAR races at Michigan International Speedway