1976 Dixie 500

Auto race held at Atlanta International Raceway in 1976 February 2025 CUST Race 29 of 30 in the 1976 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season Dixie 500 http://www.almanac.com/weather/history/GA/Hampton/1976-11-07 1976 Dixie 500 weather information The Old Farmers' Almanac 2012-08-04 1976 11 7 1976 29 30 Atlanta International Speedway.svg Layout of Atlanta International Speedway, used until 1996 Dixie 500 Atlanta International Raceway, Hampton, Georgia Chilly with temperatures of 66.9 F C; wind speeds of 15 mph km/h 46,000 http://www.racing-reference.info/race/1976-29/W 1976 Dixie 500 information Racing Reference 2011-02-02 1.522 2.449 328 499.2 803.3 127.396 mi/h Buddy Baker Bud Moore Engineering Dave Marcis K&K Insurance Racing 224 71 Dave Marcis K&K Insurance Racing CBS Ken Squier The 1976 Dixie 500 was a NASCAR Winston Cup Series race that took place on November 7, 1976, at Atlanta International Raceway in Hampton, Georgia, United States. Background Atlanta International Raceway (now Atlanta Motor Speedway) is one of ten current intermediate tracks to hold NASCAR races.NASCAR Race Tracks http://www.nascar.com/races/tracks/ September 2, 2011 NASCAR dead https://web.archive.org/web/20110628180503/http://www.nascar.com/races/tracks/ June 28, 2011 The layout at Atlanta International Speedway at the time was a four-turn traditional oval track that is 1.54 mi km long.NASCAR Tracks—The Atlanta Motor Speedway http://www.atlantamotorspeedway.com/media/facts/ Atlanta Motor Speedway September 2, 2011 https://web.archive.org/web/20110721061215/http://www.atlantamotorspeedway.com/media/facts/ 2011-07-21 dead The track's turns are banked at twenty-four degrees, while the front stretch, the location of the finish line, and the back stretch are banked at five. Race report Three hundred and twenty eight laps were done on a paved oval track spanning 1.522 mi km for a grand total of 499.2 mi km. The total time of the race was three hours and fifty-five minutes. Four cautions were made for forty-one laps. Dave Marcis defeated David Pearson by two car lengths. In his third career start, Dale Earnhardt reached a career best finish to that point of his very young career in a 19th-place finish. Chevrolets filled out the majority of the racing grid. http://fantasyracingcheatsheet.com/nascar/drivers/point-standings/1976/29 Official Race Results: Dixie 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on 11-07-1976 Fantasy Racing Cheat Sheet 2014-04-04 Notable crew chiefs for this race included Travis Carter for Bobby Allison, Tim Brewer, Sterling Marlin for his dad Coo Coo Marlin, Dale Inman for Richard Petty, Harry Hyde for race-winner Marcis, Jake Elder, and Junie Donlavey. https://www.racing-reference.info/entrylist/1976-29/W/C 1976 Dixie 500 crew chiefs information Racing Reference 2018-08-27 Speeds for this race were: 127.396 mi/h as the average and 161.652 mi/h for the pole position. Forty-six thousand fans attended this live race. Total winnings for this race were $132,625 ($ when adjusted for inflation). Canadian driver Jack Donohue would finish in last place without completing any laps after being swept into a big crash on the opening lap. http://www.driveraverages.com/nascar_stats/race.php?sked_id=1976029 1976 Dixie 500 information (Jack Donohue information) Driver Averages 2011-02-27 https://web.archive.org/web/20111005053625/http://www.driveraverages.com/nascar_stats/race.php?sked_id=1976029 2011-10-05 dead he was granted 55 championship points just for qualifying. The race was primarily a battle between Marcis, David Pearson, Yarborough, and Donnie Allison; for most of the first 62 laps in particular the top four raced nose to nose; Stock Car Racing Magazine writer Richard Benyo reported “the lead would change at four different spots” on the oval. G.C. Spencer crashed on the first lap while Billy McGinnis blew his vehicle's engine on lap 15. A faulty head gasket forced David Sisco to leave the race on lap 34. Oil pressure issues would force Dick May out of the race on lap 60 while faulty wheel bearings eliminated Chuck Bown from the race on lap 75. Coo Coo Marlin had a bad engine on lap 114. Oil pressure issues forced Richard Petty to leave the race on lap 157, which ended his chance to overtake Yarborough for the Winston Cup title. Frank Warren fell out with overheating by Lap 164 and Bobby Allison left on lap 168. Engine problems would claim the vehicles of Richard Childress on lap 218, Lennie Pond on lap 228, and Terry Bivins on lap 250. A problematic valve spring on lap 252 would end Richie Panch's weekend and Grant Adcox's engine would stop working on lap 254. David Pearson looked like a winner on lap 301 as he drove by Marcis but after cooling his tires Marcus retook the lead for good from Pearson fourteen laps later. A late yellow set up a two-lap sprint and Marcis won it. Richie Panch, son of Marvin Panch, would retire after the end of this race while Billy McGinnis would make his NASCAR Cup Series debut. http://www.race-database.com/results/results.php?year=1976&race=29&series_id=2 Debuts and retirements Race Database 2014-04-04 Dale Earnhardt survived a huge crash when Dick Brooks slid down the banking of Turn 3; Earnhardt hit Brooks and tumbled to Turn 4. http://auto.howstuffworks.com/auto-racing/nascar/season-recaps/1970s/1976-nascar.htm 1976 Dixie 500 information (third reference) How Stuff Works 2011-02-24 2017-06-01 https://web.archive.org/web/20170601020037/http://auto.howstuffworks.com/auto-racing/nascar/season-recaps/1970s/1976-nascar.htm dead Future NASCAR star Bill Elliott had a role wiping the windshield of 16th-place finisher Gene Felton's stock car; Elliott would go on to have a successful Cup Series career of his own 12 years later. http://www.hemmings.com/mus/stories/2012/09/01/hmn_feature3.html Mister Versatility Hemmings 2014-04-04 Qualifying Grid No. Car number Driver Manufacturer Owner 1 15 Buddy Baker Ford Bud Moore 2 71 Dave Marcis Dodge Nord Krauskopf 3 21 David Pearson Mercury Wood Brothers 4 43 Richard Petty Dodge Petty Enterprises 5 1 Donnie Allison Chevrolet Hoss Ellington 6 27 Sam Sommers Chevrolet M.C. Anderson 7 11 Cale Yarborough Chevrolet Junior Johnson 8 2 Bobby Allison Mercury Roger Penske 9 88 Darrell Waltrip Chevrolet DiGard Racing 10 01 Chuck Bown Chevrolet Gerald Craker Finishing order Section reference: 30em Dave Marcis David Pearson† Donnie Allison Cale Yarborough† Buddy Baker† Benny Parsons† Darrell Waltrip Neil Bonnett† Sam Sommers Bobby Wawak† Bruce Hill† James Hylton† J.D. McDuffie† Skip Manning Sonny Easley† Gene Felton† Jimmy Means D.K. Ulrich Dale Earnhardt*† Grant Adcox*† Richie Panch*† Terry Bivins* Cecil Gordon† Lennie Pond*† Richard Childress* Bobby Allison*† Frank Warren*† Richard Petty* Dick Brooks*† Coo Coo Marlin*† Chuck Bown* Dick May*† David Sisco*† Billy McGinnis* G.C. Spencer*† Jack Donohue* † signifies that the driver is known to be deceased * Driver failed to finish race Standings after the race Pos Driver Points Differential 1 10px Cale Yarborough 4545 0 2 10px Richard Petty 4362 -183 3 10px Benny Parsons 4139 -406 4 10px Bobby Allison 4033 -512 5 Dave Marcis 3784 -761 6 Lennie Pond 3760 -785 7 10px Buddy Baker 3699 -846 8 10px Darrell Waltrip 3462 -1083 9 10px Richard Childress 3373 -1172 10 David Pearson 3298 -1247 References 1976 American 500 1976 Los Angeles Times 500 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Season 1976 Dixie 500 Dixie 500 Dixie 500 Category:NASCAR races at Atlanta Motor Speedway