1971 Georgia 500

The 1971 Georgia 500 was a NASCAR Winston Cup Series racing event that occurred on November 7, 1971, at Middle Georgia Raceway in Byron, Georgia.

1971 Georgia 500
Race details[1]
Race 45 of 48 in the 1971 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season
Date November 7, 1971 (1971-11-07)
Official name Georgia 250
Location Middle Georgia Raceway, Byron, Georgia
Course Permanent racing facility
0.548 mi (0.882 km)
Distance 500 laps, 227 mi (441 km)
Weather Mild with temperatures of 70 °F (21 °C); wind speeds of 18.1 miles per hour (29.1 km/h)
Average speed 80.859 miles per hour (130.130 km/h)
Attendance 7,300[2]
Pole position
Driver
Holman Moody
Most laps led
Driver Bobby Allison Holman Moody
Laps 418
Winner
No. 12 Bobby Allison Holman Moody
Television in the United States
Network untelevised
Announcers none

The race car drivers still had to commute to the races using the same stock cars that competed in a typical weekend's race through a policy of homologation (and under their own power). This policy was in effect until roughly 1975. By 1980, NASCAR had completely stopped tracking the year model of all the vehicles and most teams did not take stock cars to the track under their own power anymore.

Race report

Friday Hassler, Bobby Allison, Jim Paschal, and Tiny Lund would fight for the first-place position in this race; with Allison leading the most laps. Bobby Allison would go on to defeat Tiny Lund by a margin of one lap after more than three hours and twenty minutes of racing. Bill Dennis's last-place finish would occur on the first lap in this 500-lap regulation event due to problems with his driveshaft. Friday Hassler had a great run, leading 12 laps early on the way to a third-place finish.[2]

This was a combination race with the Grand American series. Tiny Lund was the best finishing pony car in 2nd, 1 lap down in his Camaro. The other Grand Am drivers were Ernie Shaw, Frank Sessions, Wayne Andrews, Joe Dean Huss, Buck Baker, Randy Hutchinson, H.B. Bailey, Jim Paschal, Bob Williams, & David Ray Boggs.[2]

There were 32 drivers on the grid; all of them were born in the United States of America. Allison would qualify for the pole position with a top speed of 95.334 miles per hour (153.425 km/h) and set the pace for the entire event averaging speeds up to 80.859 miles per hour (130.130 km/h) to excite the 7,300 live audience members who attended this historic event. NASCAR officials gave out seven caution flags for 44 laps; one of them was related to the Walter Ballard crash on lap 455.[2]

Vic Ballard and Junie Donlavey were the most notable crew chiefs to actively participate in this race.[3]

Engine problems would retire some drivers out of the race in addition to clutch problems and troubles with managing the transmission, the suspension, and the alternator. Manufacturers that are hard to find today like the AMC Javelin, the Pontiac Firebird, and the Camaro once competed alongside "plain Jane" Chevrolet, Ford, and Dodge vehicles.[2]

Jimmy Watson would never compete in a NASCAR Cup Series race after this event while Bob Williams would make his introduction into professional stock car racing here.[4] Individual winnings for this event ranged from a handsome $3,275 ($20,675 when considering inflation) to a meager $350 ($2,210 when considering inflation).[5]

Until the Pontiac Excitement 400 in 1989, this marked the last time that Richard Petty failed to make the starting grid of a Cup race.

Qualifying
Grid No. Driver Manufacturer
1 12Bobby Allison'71 Ford
2 39Friday Hassler'70 Chevrolet
3 14Jim Paschal'70 Javelin
4 55Tiny Lund'70 Camaro
5 32Dick Brooks'70 Plymouth
6 25Jabe Thomas'70 Plymouth
7 36H.B. Bailey'71 Firebird
8 4John Sears'69 Dodge
9 15Wayne Andrews'71 Mustang
10 90Bill Dennis'69 Mercury
11 10Bill Champion'71 Ford
12 06Neil Castles'70 Dodge
13 30Walter Ballard'71 Ford
14 21Frank Sessoms'68 Camaro
15 79Frank Warren'69 Plymouth
16 05David Sisco'71 Chevrolet
17 8Ed Negre'69 Ford
18 33Joe Dean Huss'69 Camaro
19 01Earle Canavan'71 Plymouth
20 22Randy Hutchinson'69 Camaro
21 70J.D. McDuffie'71 Chevrolet
22 51Dub Simpson'69 Chevrolet
23 45Bill Seifert'69 Ford
24 87Buck Baker'71 Firebird
25 19Henley Gray'69 Ford

Finishing order
  1. Bobby Allison
  2. Tiny Lund
  3. Friday Hassler
  4. Neil Castles
  5. Bill Champion
  6. Earl Brooks
  7. J.D. McDuffie
  8. Ernie Shaw
  9. Frank Sessoms
  10. Frank Warren
  11. Jabe Thomas
  12. Walter Ballard
  13. Wayne Andrews
  14. Wendell Scott
  15. David Sisco
  16. Joe Dean Huss
  17. John Sears
  18. Buck Baker
  19. Randy Hutchison
  20. Dick Brooks
  21. Ed Negre
  22. H.B. Bailey
  23. G.C. Spencer
  24. Jim Paschal
  25. Bill Seifert
  26. Bob Williams
  27. Henley Gray
  28. David Ray Boggs
  29. Dub Simpson
  30. Earle Canavan
  31. Jimmy Watson
  32. Bill Dennis

References
  1. Weather information for the 1971 Georgia 500 at the Old Farmers' Almanac
  2. 1971 Georgia 500 race information at Racing Reference
  3. 1971 Georgia 500 crew chiefs at Racing Reference
  4. 1971 Georgia 500 race information at Race Database
  5. Prize winnings information Archived 2014-08-08 at the Wayback Machine at Driver Averages
Preceded by
1971 American 500		 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Races
1971		 Succeeded by
1971 Capital City 500
Preceded by
1970		 Georgia 500 races
1971		 Succeeded by
none
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