1982 Eastern 150 (lost footage of NASCAR Budweiser Late Model Sportsman Series race; 1982)

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Tommy Houston (pictured at the New Asheville Speedway) won the event.

Status: Lost

The 1982 Eastern 150 was the second race of the 1982 NASCAR Budweiser Late Model Sportsman Series. Occurring on 20th February at the Richmond Fairgrounds Raceway, the race would ultimately be won by Tommy Houston in a Pontiac. According to NASCAR on TV, this was the first NASCAR Budweiser Late Model Sportsman Series race to be televised.

Background

The 1982 Eastern 150 would be one of threes 1982 NASCAR Budweiser Late Model Sportsman Series to occur at Richmond Fairgrounds Raceway, with the race typically lasting 150 laps or 81.3 miles.[1][2] The others were the 1982 Spring 220, which occurred on 2nd May and was won by Pontiac's Butch Lindley;[3] and the other being the Harvest 150, which occurred on 11th September and was also won by Lindley.[4] The race would be discontinued in 1985, but was re-established in 1990, with the race now known as the ToyotaCare 250, having expanded to 250 laps from 1994 onwards.[5]

The Race

Prior to the race, qualifying commenced with Geoffrey Bodine winning the pole position in a Pontiac with a speed of 96.207 mph.[1] Directly behind him was Oldsmobile driver Sam Ard, with Jack Ingram's Pontiac lining up third.[1] Tommy Houston qualified 15th out of 28 runners.[1]

With the starting order decided, the 1982 Eastern 150 commenced on 20th February.[1] As the race reached 95 laps, Ard and Ingram both retired following an accident, with Bodine also crashing out four laps later.[1] Meanwhile, Houston climbed the order, eventually moving up to the first position ahead of fellow Pontiac drivers Bubba Nissen and Rick Mast.[1] He ultimately claimed victory and $5,000 in prize money, with Nissen and Mast taking second and third respectively.[1]

Availability

According to NASCAR on TV, 2 hours of highlights were televised by ESPN on 3rd March 1982.[6] This gives it the distinction of being the first modern Sportsman race to be broadcast.[6] Indeed, despite the 1982 Goody's Sportsman 300 having occurred first on 13th February, it was not until 27th March when USA Network televised the event.[7] Ultimately, no footage of the 1982 Eastern 150 is currently publicly available.

See Also

References