1970 NASCAR Grand National Series (partially found footage of NASCAR races; 1970)

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1970alabama5001.jpg

Program for the 1970 Alabama 500

Status: Partially Found

The 1970 NASCAR Grand National Series was the 22nd season of NASCAR's top-level stock car series. The season saw Bobby Isaac in a 1969 Dodge edge out Bobby Allison to top the driver's standings. Of the races televised that year, at least four were confirmed missing, with another the Alabama 500 and National 500 having since been made publicly available courtesy of NASCAR.

1970 Alabama 500 (FOUND)

The 1970 Alabama 500 was the 10th race of the 1970 NASCAR Grand National Series. Occurring on 12th April at the Alabama International Motor Speedway, the race would ultimately be won by Pete Hamilton in a 1970 Plymouth. This race has television significance, as it was the first points-paying NASCAR race to be televised live.

It was the first instance of an annual spring event at Alabama International Motor Speedway (now Talladega Superspeedway), with the race typically lasting 500 miles.[1][2] It was one of two 1970 Grand National Series races at the speedway, the other being the Talladega 500,[3] which occurred on 23rd August and was won by Pete Hamilton.[4] The race also has ties to the modern GEICO 500, having dropped the Alabama title from 2018 onwards.[5]

On 17th December 1969, NASCAR made a $1,365,000 agreement with ABC Sports where ABC would televise nine races in 1970.[6] The contract was significant in that five of these points-paying events would be televised live, with plans for the new Alabama 500 to be ABC's first live presentation.[6][7][1] There were a few challenges that threatened this occasion, however. Firstly, ABC refused to show any races flag-to-flag, aiming instead to condense long events into a 90-minute timeslot.[8][6][7] According to NASCAR President Bill France, ABC would instead record the first half of the 3 hour and 17-minute race and televise about 30 minutes of highlights, with the remaining coverage then becoming live.[6][8] Another issue exclusive to Alabama was that the first Talladega 500, held on 14th September 1969, was heavily boycotted by the Professional Drivers Association due to the conflict surrounding tyre safety.[1][6] Heading into the Alabama 500, ABC added a clause in the contract that essentially guarded itself against boycotts, warning that if fewer than 10 of NASCAR's top 20 drivers in 1969 ultimately competed, its payment would be considerably reduced.[6] Ultimately, no boycott of the Alabama 500 occurred.[6][2]

Prior to the race, qualifying commenced with Bobby Isaac winning the pole position in a 1969 Dodge with a speed of 199.658 mph.[2] Directly behind him was David Pearson in a 1969 Ford, with 1969 Dodge driver Charlie Glotzbach lining up third.[2] Hamilton qualified sixth out of 40 competitors.[9][2]

The Race

With the starting order decided, the 1970 Alabama 500 commenced on 12th April.[2] Buddy Baker, starting fifth in a 1969 Dodge, shot into the lead on the first lap.[2] However, the battle for the lead was an open competition in the race's early stages, with Baker, Pearson, Isaac, Allison, and 1969 Mercury driver Cale Yarborough primarily being the main contenders.[2] Indeed, with the exception of the end stages, there were few instances of a driver holding onto the first position for ten laps or more, contributing towards 32 lead changes in the race.[2] Meanwhile, Hamilton decided to wait until the late stages of the race to make a bid for the win.[10]

By lap 87, Allison was leading, holding it until lap 116 when Baker took over.[2] Allison would drop out of contention ten laps later because of an engine failure.[10][2] Baker defended his lead until Hamilton began to emerge as his main competition, the latter briefly leading on lap 140 before Baker would lead the next 30.[2] Hamilton achieved what would ultimately be the final lead change on lap 171.[2] Baker was undeterred however, and it seemed likely that a duel would emerge until the chequered flag.[10][11] However, Baker's car caught fire after 175 laps when a tyre blew and ripped off the oil cooler, with him deciding to spin the machine into a 300-yard slide onto the grass to try and put the fire out.[12][11][9][10][2] This allowed it to rest on the infield apron.[10] While Baker escaped the burning craft, he did suffer from burns to his face, hands and right leg, requiring hospital treatment.[12][10] Following the accident, Baker stated "It was the scariest thing that ever happened to me. I don't really mind losing this time; I'm just happy to be alive."[12]

Hamilton, therefore, faced no further competition, with second place Isaac being two miles behind.[10][11] He therefore claimed a 44-second margin victory and $26,650 in prize money.[11][10][2] Isaac took second, with Pearson finishing a lap down in third.[10][2] Yarborough finished fifth following him completing the final 11 laps without a windshield.[13][9][10][2] Post-race, Hamilton stated he coasted to the finish following Baker's retirement, explaining "There was no sense racing with anyone at that point. I just wanted to make sure my car finished and see if I could win the race." His plan was "to run as consistent as I could. I tried to run my own race rather than someone else's."[11]

The ABC Broadcast

While Hamilton's win was decisive, this was not apparent to either ABC, the television audience, and even for a time NASCAR officials.[14] The problems emerged even before the broadcast occurred. The plan was to broadcast the second half of the event at 5:00 PM, with expectations that the broadcast would wrap up at 6:30 PM.[14][7] Commentary would be provided by Bill Flemming and Keith Jackson, Bob Montgomery becoming the pit reporter.[7][14] However, the race was delayed for 38 minutes because of rain, forcing ABC to overrun its broadcast by 13 minutes to counteract this, preventing any coverage of Victory Lane.[14][7] While Flemming was praised for being calm and for expertise, the coverage itself was panned by critics for its poor audio, over-reliance on close-up shots of the vehicles, and for the sense of speed not being showcased in the broadcast.[14][7] The broadcast also missed Baker's crash as it was airing commercials.[6]

The main issue emerged when, after Hamilton overtook Baker for the first position on lap 171, the ABC commentators still assumed Baker was leading because of an apparent scoring error from NASCAR officials.[15][14][7] When he retired a few laps later, it was now assumed that Isaac, not Hamilton, had moved up into first.[7][14] This was seemingly rectified with eight laps remaining when ABC received confirmation from the scoring that Hamilton was leading.[7][14] Just four laps later however, the officials informed ABC that a tape was being studied, as again there was doubt over who was leading.[15][7][14] This was caused because of a communications mix-up that resulted in ABC being misinformed; the scorers were never inaccurate in their reports according to Jim Foster, one of France's assistants.[15] ABC were only able to assume Hamilton won when he received the chequered flag, and Isaac the white flag.[7][14] But because of the need to transfer over to its planned schedule immediately following the race, ABC could not properly clarify that Hamilton was indeed the winner to the television audience.[14][15][7]

The following day, France apologised to the ABC Vice President in a phone conversation about the mix-up.[15] However, in a telephone interview, ABC Sports' Chuck Howard primarily blamed NASCAR's scoring for being inaccurate, claiming "A.B.C. Sports was hooked into the NASCAR official scoring system. I defy anybody to say that NASCAR knew at the time we were broadcasting, during the last few laps of the race, who actually was leading the race. They knew their scoring was not accurate, in the closing laps they just couldn't tell who was leading."[15] Despite the criticism surrounding the ABC broadcast, it was nevertheless a big step forward for the televising of NASCAR races.[14] ABC continued to uphold its contact with NASCAR, broadcasting several of the next races in 1970.[6][8] Progress in televising races from flag-to-flag continued to be throughout the 1970s, including CBS televising the 1979 Daytona 500 in that fashion.[16]

1970 World 600

The 1970 World 600 was the 16th race of the 1970 NASCAR Grand National Series. Occurring on 24th May at the Charlotte Motor Speedway, the race would ultimately be won by Donnie Allison in a 1969 Ford, with LeeRoy Yarbrough being a relief driver for Allison late-on in the race.

It was the 11th running of the event, with the race notable for being the longest in the NASCAR schedule at 600 miles.[17][18] It was one of two 1970 Grand National Series races conducted at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the other being the National 500, which shall be discussed later in this article.[3] The race also has ties to the modern Coca Cola 600, having dropped the World 600 name from 1986 onwards.[19][17]

Prior to the race, qualifying commenced with Bobby Isaac in a 1969 Dodge winning the pole position with a speed of 159.277 mph.[20][18] Directly behind him was fellow 1969 Dodge driver Bobby Allison, with Cale Yarborough in a 1969 Mercury qualifying third.[18] Donnie Allison qualified ninth, while Yarborough lined up 8th out of 40 competitors.[18][20]

The Race

With the starting order decided, the 1970 World 600 occurred on 24th May.[18] Isaac maintained his lead at the start, holding it for 19 laps.[18] However, Charlie Glotzbach overtook him in a 1969 Dodge, and he never was able to regain it.[18] The race was generally an open competition for the lead, with Glotzbach, Yarbrough, and Fred Lorenzen in a 1969 Dodge all leading for significant periods.[18] None would finish the race though, with Yarbrough retiring on lap 177 because of a clutch failure, while Glotzbach and Lorenzen both retired on lap 252 due to a crash and engine failure respectively.[21][18]

Lorenzen was leading the race when he retired.[18] The battle for the first position therefore centred on Allison and fellow 1969 Ford driver David Pearson.[21][18] The latter appeared to be gaining the upper hand as the race was reaching its close, because Allison was suffering from burnt feet.[22][21] This was caused by the foam insulation for the Ford's floorboard failing when Allison's foot went through it.[22] Allison tried to relieved the pain in his right foot by squirting water onto it and using his left foot, but ultimately it only worsened the issue overtime.[22]

However, with 38 laps to go, Pearson grinded to a halt because of a clutch failure.[18] This enabled Allison, who by that point was at least two laps ahead of everyone, to pit and replace himself with Yarbrough becoming his relief driver.[22][21] For the final laps, Yarbrough held onto the 2-lap advantage to allow Allison to claim victory and $39,600 in prize money.[21][22][18] Yarborough finished second, with Benny Parsons in a 1969 Ford finishing four laps down in third.[21][18] Since the Indianapolis 500 traditionally occurred in the same time period as the World 600,[17] Allison decided to work double duty, finishing fourth in the 1970 edition.[23]

1970 Wilkes 400

The 1970 Wilkes 400 was the 43rd race of the 1970 NASCAR Grand National Series. Occurring on 4th October at the North Wilkesboro Speedway, the race would ultimately be won by pole sitter Bobby Isaac in a 1970 Dodge, after a race-long duel with 1970 Plymouth driver Richard Petty.

Background

It was the 10th running of the event, with the annual race typically lasting 250 miles in length.[24] It was one of two 1970 Grand National Series races conducted at North Wilkesboro Speedway, the other being the Gwyn Staley 400,[3] which in 1970 occurred on 18th April and was won by Richard Petty.[25] The race itself would continue until 1996 as the Tyson Holly Farms 400,[26] before the track was abandoned in that same year.[27] Beforehand, the North Wilkesboro Speedway was praised by some drivers and fans for continually providing exciting racing.[28]

Prior to the race, qualifying commenced with Bobby Isaac winning the pole position with a speed of 105.406 mph.[24][28] He was therefore seeking to add to his ten wins he achieved during the season, and extend his championship lead.[28] Directly behind him was 1970 Ford driver Donnie Allison, with Petty lining up third.[24][28] On the same day as the race, tragedy occurred when Curtis Turner, who was looking to make a comeback in the next race the 1970 National 500, was killed in a plane crash, aged 46.[28]

The Race

With the starting order decided, the 1970 Wilkes 400 commenced on 4th October.[24] Isaac held onto the lead for the first four laps, before being overtaken on Allison on lap 5.[24][28] However, Isaac moved back into the first position on lap 10, and was able to maintain his position for 122 consecutive laps.[24][28] Nevertheless, he faced competition from Petty, who took the lead on lap 132 and defended it until Isaac again moved back into the first position on lap 178.[24][28] Aside from Allison's brief stint early on, the only lap leaders would exclusively be Isaac and Petty for the full race duration.[28][24]

The battle for the lead intensified from lap 181 onwards, where both vehicles were separated by only a few car lengths.[28] On lap 388, Isaac made a pit stop, only to lose a lap to Petty after a jack ended up sinking into the pitlane's soft asphalt.[28] He remained determined to win however, and was able to quickly unlap himself after taking advantage of the third caution period that occurred with 50 laps to go.[29][28] With 25 laps remaining, Bob Strickler's 1970 Chevrolet spun, resulting in the final caution.[28] Isaac used this to his advantage, pitting for new soft compound tyres while Petty remained on track.[28][29] This enabled him to fully close on The King, eventually overtaking him with 12 laps remaining.[29][28] Petty continually attempted to move back into the lead, but Isaac's pace proved to be consistent through the turns, enabling Isaac to claim victory six car lengths ahead of Petty, and $5,825 in prize money.[30][29][28][24] Allison finished third, a lap down from the leaders.[24][28][29] This was Isaac's first win at North Wilkesboro.[29]

1970 National 500 (FOUND)

The 1970 National 500 was the 44th race of the 1970 NASCAR Grand National Series. Occurring on 11th October at the Charlotte Motor Speedway, the race would ultimately be won by LeeRoy Yarbrough in a 1969 Mercury, succeeding as the 1970 Plymouths of Richard Petty and Pete Hamilton ran into trouble. This marked his first victory of the season and the last of his career,

It was the 11th running of the event, with the annual race typically lasting 500 miles in length.[31] It was one of two 1970 Grand National Series races conducted at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the other being the aforementioned World 600.[3] The race also has ties to the modern Bank of America Roval 400, having dropped the National name from 1983 onwards and being reduced to 400 miles from 2018.[32][33]

Prior to the race, qualifying commenced with Charlie Glotzbach winning the pole position in a 1969 Dodge with a speed of 157.273 mph.[31] Directly behind him was Richard Petty, with Buddy Baker in a 1969 Dodge qualifying third.[31] LeeRoy Yarbrough qualified fifth for the event out of 40 competitors.[31] He was seeking to win his first race in the 1970 Series.[34]

The Race

With the starting order decided, the 1970 National 500 occurred on 11th October.[31] Glotzbach maintained the lead for the first two laps, before losing it to Baker.[31] He led for 18 laps before Petty assumed the lead for 40 laps.[31] After Petty was overtaken by Yarbrough on lap 61. however, an open contest between themselves, Pete Hamilton, Baker, Petty, and the 1969 Dodges of Bobby Allison and Fred Lorenzen emerged, with numerous overtakes prior to lap 135.[31] Whereas Yarbrough did not make a serious threat to the lead prior to after the halfway point,[34] Hamilton was primarily dominant during this time period, leading 109 laps overall.[31]

However, Hamilton's bid to win the race came to an end on lap 227, when he lost control and crashed into the guardrail of turn 2 while leading.[34] [31] This allowed Yarbrough to assume the first position, also gaining further fortune when Petty crashed out after 239 laps.[31][34] Yarbrough would hold the lead for 83 laps, only to face challenges from Allison and the 1969 Dodge of Bobby Isaac.[34][31] The latter would retire from the lead following engine failure on lap 323 however, allowing Yarbrough to inherit the lead again.[31] He ultimately held off further challenges from Allison to claim his first victory of the season and $23,000 in prize money.[34][31] Lorenzen finished third, a lap down from the leader.[31][34] The race lasted four hours, and is also notable for its numerous crashes throughout the event.[35][31] It would also mark Yarbrough's final win in the Cup Series, winning 14 races overall.[36]

Availability

Despite many other NASCAR race broadcasts in 1970 publicly resurfacing, the coverage of the 1970 Alabama 500 remained inaccessible for many years.[37][14] It was cited by Racing-Reference in 2017 as one of the most important lost NASCAR TV broadcasts due to its television significance.[37] Eventually, on 23rd April 2020, the broadcast was recovered when NASCAR would upload the entirety of the ABC coverage to its YouTube channel.[14]

Meanwhile, NASCAR on TV stated the 1970 World 600 was televised live midway through by ABC as a special program lasting 90 minutes, being the first World 600 not to be included on ABC's Wide World of Sports.[38] Ultimately, this broadcast has yet to resurface, and no footage of the race is currently publicly available. Nevertheless, a few photos of the event help to document the event, including some pit stop photos provided by J. Murrey Atkins Library.[39] Similarly, 45 minutes of highlights from the 1970 Wilkes 400 were televised by ABC on 10th October 1970 as part of its Wide World of Sports, alongside the International Figure Skating Championships.[40] However, this broadcast has yet to resurface, and as of the present day no footage of the race is publicly available. Nevertheless, just like the World 600, some photos and newspaper clippings help to document the event.[29][28]

Finally, a 45-minute highlights package of the 1970 National 500 was televised by ABC on 7th November 1970 as part of its Wide World of Sports, alongside air championships.[41] However, the broadcast did not resurface until 16th August 2023, when NASCAR Classics uploaded the coverage as part of its launch.[42] Lasting for under 36 minutes, it is believed the removal of advertisements explains the reduced runtime. Many photos of the event can also be found in the J. Murrey Atkins Library.[35]

Gallery

Videos

The ABC coverage of the 1970 Alabama 500.

The MRN broadcast of the 1970 Alabama 500.

Highlights of the 1970 National 500.

See Also

External Links

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Encyclopedia of Alabama detailing the history of Talladega Superspeedway, including the 1969 Talladega 500 boycott and the ABC broadcast of the 1970 Alabama 500. Retrieved 15 Apr '22
  2. 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16 Racing-Reference detailing the qualifying and race results of the 1970 Alabama 500. Retrieved 15 Apr '22
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Racing-Reference detailing the 1970 NASCAR Grand National Series calendar. Retrieved 15 Apr '22
  4. Racing-Reference detailing the results of the 1970 Talladega 500 Retrieved 15 Apr '22
  5. The New York Times Stats detailing the history of the Alabama International Motor Speedway/Talladega Superspeedway races. Retrieved 15 Apr '22
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 6.7 6.8 Archived Stock Car Racing History detailing how the ABC broadcast of the 1970 Alabama 500 occurred, including the contract and the challenges faced. Retrieved 15 Apr '22
  7. 7.00 7.01 7.02 7.03 7.04 7.05 7.06 7.07 7.08 7.09 7.10 7.11 NASCAR on TV detailing the ABC broadcast of the 1970 Alabama 500 and its controversies. Retrieved 15 Apr '22
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 Archived How Stuff Works summarising the ABC broadcast of the 1970 Alabama 500. Retrieved 15 Apr '22
  9. 9.0 9.1 9.2 Bench-Racing detailing the 1970 Alabama 500 and providing newspaper clippings of it. Retrieved 15 Apr '22
  10. 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 10.6 10.7 10.8 10.9 National Speed Sport News reporting on Hamilton winning the 1970 Alabama 500 (report found on Bench-Racing). Retrieved 15 Apr '22
  11. 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 Daytona Beach Morning Journal reporting on Hamilton winning the 1970 Alabama 500 and his post-race comments. Retrieved 15 Apr '22
  12. 12.0 12.1 12.2 Archived Cotton Owens Garage detailing Baker's crash at the 1970 Alabama 500. Retrieved 15 Apr '22
  13. Spartanburg Herald-Journal reporting on Yarborough completing the final 11 laps of the 1970 Alabama 500 without a windshield (report found on Bench-Racing). Retrieved 15 Apr '22
  14. 14.00 14.01 14.02 14.03 14.04 14.05 14.06 14.07 14.08 14.09 14.10 14.11 14.12 14.13 nascarman noting the importance of NASCAR uploading the 1970 Alabama 500 coverage, and providing an article from Daytona Beach Morning Journal that critiqued the broadcast. Retrieved 15 Apr '22
  15. 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 15.4 15.5 The New York Times reporting on the communication mix-up that caused uncertainty over who led during the ABC broadcast of the 1970 Alabama 500. Retrieved 15 Apr '22
  16. Bleacher Report detailing CBS' coverage of the 1979 Daytona 500. Retrieved 15 Apr '22
  17. 17.0 17.1 17.2 Essentially Sports detailing the World 600, now the Coca Cola 600. Retrieved 16 Mar '22
  18. 18.00 18.01 18.02 18.03 18.04 18.05 18.06 18.07 18.08 18.09 18.10 18.11 18.12 18.13 Racing-Reference detailing qualifying and race results for the 1970 World 600. Retrieved 16 Mar '22
  19. The New York Times Stats detailing the history of the World 600. Retrieved 16 Mar '22
  20. 20.0 20.1 The New York Times reporting on qualifying for the 1970 World 600. Retrieved 16 Mar '22
  21. 21.0 21.1 21.2 21.3 21.4 21.5 The New York Times reporting on Allison winning the 1970 World 600. Retrieved 16 Mar '22
  22. 22.0 22.1 22.2 22.3 22.4 Racer where Allison discussed winning the 1970 World 600 and the insulation failure that caused him to suffer burnt feet. Retrieved 16 Mar '22
  23. Autoweek detailing Allison working double duty by winning the 1970 World 600 and later finishing fourth at the 1970 Indianapolis 500. Retrieved 16 Mar '22
  24. 24.0 24.1 24.2 24.3 24.4 24.5 24.6 24.7 24.8 24.9 Racing-Reference detailing qualifying and race results for the 1970 Wilkes 400. Retrieved 29 Mar '22
  25. Racing-Reference detailing the results of the 1970 Gwyn Staley 400. Retrieved 29 Mar '22
  26. Fantasy Racing Cheat Sheet listing all races at the North Wilkesboro Speedway. Retrieved 29 Mar '22
  27. Archived NASCAR detailing the abandonment of the North Wilkesboro Speedway. Retrieved 29 Mar '22
  28. 28.00 28.01 28.02 28.03 28.04 28.05 28.06 28.07 28.08 28.09 28.10 28.11 28.12 28.13 28.14 28.15 28.16 28.17 RacersReunion detailing the 1970 Wilkes 400. Retrieved 29 Mar '22
  29. 29.0 29.1 29.2 29.3 29.4 29.5 29.6 Spartanburg Herald Journal reporting on Isaac winning the 1970 Wilkes 400 (article found on RacersReunion). Retrieved 29 Mar '22
  30. The New York Times reporting on Isaac winning the 1970 Wilkes 400. Retrieved 29 Mar '22
  31. 31.00 31.01 31.02 31.03 31.04 31.05 31.06 31.07 31.08 31.09 31.10 31.11 31.12 31.13 31.14 31.15 Racing-Reference detailing qualifying and race results for the 1970 National 500. Retrieved 16 Mar '22
  32. The New York Times Stats detailing the history of the National 500. Retrieved 16 Mar '22
  33. Motorsport reporting on the Charlotte Roval being reduced to 400 miles. Retrieved 16 Mar '22
  34. 34.0 34.1 34.2 34.3 34.4 34.5 34.6 The New York Times reporting on Yarbrough winning the 1970 National 500. Retrieved 16 Mar '22
  35. 35.0 35.1 J. Murrey Atkins Library detailing the 1970 National 500 and providing photos of it. Retrieved 16 Mar '22
  36. Twitter post noting the 1970 National 500 marked Yarbrough's final win. Retrieved 16 Mar '22
  37. 37.0 37.1 Archived Racing-Reference listing the ABC broadcast of the 1970 Alabama 500 as of the most notable lost NASCAR broadcasts in 2017. Retrieved 15 Apr '22
  38. NASCAR on TV detailing the ABC broadcast of the 1970 World 600. Retrieved 16 Mar '22
  39. J. Murrey Atkins Library providing some pit stop photos of the 1970 World 600. Retrieved 16 Mar '22
  40. NASCAR on TV detailing the ABC broadcast of the 1970 Wilkes 400. Retrieved 29 Mar '22
  41. NASCAR on TV detailing the ABC broadcast of the 1970 National 500. Retrieved 16 Mar '22
  42. NASCAR announcing NASCAR Classics. Retrieved 16th Aug '23