Editor’s Note: NASCAR is celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2023. SPEED SPORT was founded in 1934 and was already on its way to becoming America’s Motorsports Authority when NASCAR was formed. As a result, we will bring you Part 35 of a 75-part series on the history of NASCAR as told in the pages of National Speed Sport News and SPEED SPORT Magazine.
“There’s an unwritten rule that says there’s a limit to how far you go,” said defending NASCAR Winston Cup champion Darrell Waltrip in the Feb. 17 issue of National Speed Sport News.
Waltrip was responding to unsafe driving accusations brought against him by Neil Bonnett after the Busch Clash and Daytona 500 125-mile qualifying race.
In the race for the previous season’s Busch pole winners, Bonnett dove low on the last lap of the 50-mile event but rubbed Waltrip as he moved lower in a vain attempt to catch eventual victor Bobby Allison. Bonnett charged the contact prevented him from overcoming Terry Labonte for second.
“I guess the problem is how different drivers interpret that limit,” continued Waltrip. “I’m aggressive, but I’m not dangerous.”
Bonnett begged to differ after Waltrip shot under and in front of Dale Earnhardt with seven laps remaining in the qualifying race, forcing Earnhardt to slow and Bonnett to slide to avoid a collision with the Wrangler Jeans Ford of the 1980 champion.
“The (qualifying) race is an indication of how some guys want to win a race,” Bonnett said. “They want a breakin,’ bangin’ match at 200 mph. All I can do is mash the gas and dodge them. But even then you’re not safe with Darrell.”
“If going to the limit causes the touching of fenders, so be it,” Waltrip concluded at the beginning of the hard-fought 1982 Cup Series season.
Tempers Flare
Tempers flared again amid charges of cheating as Bobby Allison won the Daytona 500 with his bumperless Gatorade Buick. The No. 88 car lost its rear bumper on the fourth lap as Allison slid low in the fourth turn in front of Cale Yarborough.
The contact with the three-time champ’s Valvoline Buick ripped Allison’s bumper from the car and it tumbled onto the track and produced a five-car pileup. Allison drove to victory after heading 147 of the 200 laps, including the last 38 without a pit stop.
“With the bumper gone, there wouldn’t be any wind drag under his car,” said Yarborough, who finished 22.87 seconds behind Allison in second.
“Bobby ran five miles farther than I did and I was out of gas at the finish,” added Yarborough, insinuating what his crew chief, Tim Brewer, later stated publicly.
“Maybe that bumper was set to come off,” Brewer said. “A slight bump like that wouldn’t knock the bumper off if it were properly attached.”
NASCAR technical inspectors found nothing illegal about the bumper which was reattached after the Busch Clash because it was one-inch too far from the body of the car.
Waltrip Ends Slump
Waltrip ended an early-season slump with a victory at Bristol Motor Speedway, which was the 40th of his career. The triumph started a string of five victories in eight races for Waltrip and the Junior Johnson team. The other four triumphs came at Atlanta Motor Speedway, North Wilkesboro Speedway, Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway.
Allison took his second victory of the season at the “Monster Mile,” leading 486 laps in the Mason-Dixon 500 at Dover Int’l Speedway.
Number three came in an unusual manner as J.D. Stacy-sponsored Dave Marcis pushed Allison halfway around Pocono Raceway after the Gatorade car ran out of fuel on the 163rd lap.
Marcis’ assist cost him his sponsorship, as it enabled Allison to beat his J.D. Stacy teammate, Tim Richmond for the victory.
Despite firing Marcis, Stacy still held six other drivers, at least for a time, in his stable. Richmond, Jody Ridley, Ron Bouchard, Labonte, Joe Ruttman and Benny Parsons all drove Stacy-sponsored or -owned cars.
However, when Parsons became the first Winston Cup driver to break 200 mph in qualifying on April 29 at Talladega, he drove Harry Ranier’s car, not Stacy’s. All but Richmond left or were fired from the team by the end of 1982.
Meanwhile, Allison drove the same Buick to Pocono’s victory lane for his fifth victory of season on July 25. His sixth victory, which came at Michigan Int’l Speedway, placed him atop the standings. Allison earned his seventh win and his first short-track triumph in two years at Richmond (Va.) Raceway, putting him 147 points ahead of Waltrip with seven races remaining.
Waltrip narrowed the gap to 101 points with a victory at Dover Downs and Allison’s lead dwindled to 15 markers after Waltrip led 331 of 400 laps to win at North Wilkesboro.
The point leaders finished in disappointing fashion at Charlotte Motor Speedway, but Waltrip returned to form at Martinsville Speedway and earned his 50th career victory while claiming the point lead.
Waltrip moved past Junior Johnson and Ned Jarrett into sixth place on the all-time victory list with his 51st career triumph at North Carolina Motor Speedway. Allison dominated the race, pulling away from the field at will, but a lap-450 spin put him 15 seconds behind Waltrip.
With only 42 laps remaining, Allison never caught his rival.
Back at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Allison won his eighth race of the season and closed to within 22 points of third-place finisher Waltrip. The Winston Western 500 at California’s Riverside Int’l Raceway would again determine the Winston Cup champion.
Both drivers had a history of success on the 2.62-mile road course. Allison and Waltrip had won seven of the last eight events with Waltrip’s four victories coming after Allison had fallen from the race while leading.
Ohio open-wheel veteran Tim Richmond won in his last race for the JD. Stacy team while back-to-back champ Waltrip ended third after winning his seventh pole of the season. Allison endured two flat tires, a 30-second penalty and a blown engine for a 16th-place finish.
While Waltrip led the ranks, Geoff Bodine emerged as the Champion Spark Plug Rookie of the Year. Bodine, who had four top-five finishes and two poles, bested fellow rookie Mark Martin for the honors.
In NASCAR’s modified ranks, Richie Evans dominated en route to his fifth consecutive title. Evans delivered 23 victories and 58 top fives in 74 starts. Roy Smith won the Winston West championship and Bill Hitchcox beat Derrick Cope for the NASCAR Northwest title.
Other 1982 titlists included Dick McCabe on the Molson Tour and Jack Ingram for the fourth time in the Budweiser late model sportsman division. Larry Hoopaugh won seven of the 11 international sedans races and the inaugural Winston Racing Series national champion was Tom Hearst.