1980 Holly Farms 400

The 1980 Holly Farms 400 was a NASCAR Winston Cup Series racing event that took place on September 21, 1980, at North Wilkesboro Speedway in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina. Its total prize purse was finalized as $105,515 ($327,412 when adjusted for inflation); with the winner taking home $17,725 ($55,000 when adjusted for inflation).

1980 Holly Farms 400
Race details[1][2]
Race 26 of 31 in the 1980 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season
North Wilkesboro Speedway
Date September 21, 1980 (1980-September-21)
Official name Holly Farms 400
Location North Wilkesboro Speedway, North Wilkesboro, North Carolina
Course Permanent racing facility
0.625 mi (1.005 km)
Distance 400 laps, 250 mi (402 km)
Weather Temperatures between 68 °F (20 °C) and 89.1 °F (31.7 °C); average wind speeds of 3.5 miles per hour (5.6 km/h)
Average speed 75.51 miles per hour (121.52 km/h)
Attendance 25,000[3]
Pole position
Driver Junior Johnson & Associates
Most laps led
Driver Bobby Allison Bud Moore Engineering
Laps 166
Winner
No. 15 Bobby Allison Bud Moore Engineering
Television in the United States
Network untelevised
Announcers unknown

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.

The NASCAR Winston Cup Series was also plagued with top teams running big engines and finishing in third place to avoid inspection around the early-1980s.

Background

During the 1980s, North Wilkesboro Speedway was noticeably lagging behind other speedways on the NASCAR circuit, but the fans were more interested in the great racing action between the legendary drivers. Enoch's focus was more on the fans' enjoyment rather than on building large suites and new facilities. Attendance and total purse for races at the track were the lowest in NASCAR, but the events continued to sell out and attract more fans each year.

Race report

Just months prior to the race, a new kind of asphalt was placed but did not get a chance to completely solve the disintegration problem.[4] The racetrack developed a slick surface; that made qualifying speeds 2 miles per hour (3.2 km/h) slower and the cars more likely to spin and crash with each other.[4] Conditions for the race would become very poor by the standards of the early 1980s; causing the pace car to crash into a parked car getting back into pit lane.

Richard Childress, the current owner of Richard Childress Racing, would compete as a driver.[3] There were 30 American-born drivers on the racing grid; no foreigners or women competed in this race.[3] Bobby Allison managed to defeat Darrell Waltrip by half a second after more than three hours of racing.[3] Cale Yarborough would acquire the pole position through driving his qualifying session at an incredible top speed of almost 112 miles per hour (180 km/h).[3]

Bobby Allison scores his last win for Bud Moore and his last in a Mord Motor Company product.[3] This was his fourth win of 1980.[3] Future 2-time Whelen Southern Modified Tour champion Junior Miller scores his best Winston Cup finish in 13th.[3] Slick Johnson scores a career-best 8th place finish, he'd later match it at Rockingham three races later.[3]

Another Ford vehicle would not win another race until the 1990 Tyson Holly Farms 400.[5]

D.K. Ulrich received credit for the last-place finish due to an oil pressure problem on the second lap of this 400-lap race.[3] Nine drivers failed to complete the race; including legends such as J.D. McDuffie, Lake Speed and Lennie Pond.[3] Bub Strickler would retire from NASCAR after this race.[6] Dale Earnhardt would maintain his championship points lead after this event.[6]

Two months after the race, the track was treated again.[4] The disintegration issue managed to solve itself throughout the harsh winter months and was completely prepared for the 1981 season.[4]

Notable crew chiefs who participated in the race were Junie Donlavey, Buddy Parrott, Joey Arrington, Darrell Bryant, Dale Inman, Bud Moore, Tim Brewer, and Kirk Shelmerdine.[7]

Qualifying

Grid[3] No. Driver Manufacturer Owner
1 11Cale YarboroughChevroletJunior Johnson
2 15Bobby AllisonFordBud Moore
3 68Lennie PondChevroletJim Testa
4 27Benny ParsonsChevroletM.C. Anderson
5 88Darrell WaltripChevroletDiGard Racing
6 71Dave MarcisChevroletDave Marcis
7 47Harry GantChevroletJack Beebe
8 2Dale EarnhardtChevroletRod Osterlund
9 44Terry LabonteChevroletBilly Hagan
10 90Jody RidleyFordJunie Donlavey
11 79Junior MillerChevroletJunior Miller
12 40D.K. UlrichChevroletD.K. Ulrich
13 25Ronnie ThomasChevroletDon Robertson
14 43Richard PettyChevroletPetty Enterprises
15 7Lake SpeedChevroletNelson Malloch
16 3Richard ChildressChevroletRichard Childress
17 70J.D. McDuffieChevroletJ.D. McDuffie
18 19John AndersonChevroletHenley Gray
19 24Cecil GordonOldsmobileCecil Gordon
20 17Roger HambyChevroletRoger Hamby
21 52Jimmy MeansChevroletJimmy Means
22 64Tommy GaleFordElmo Langley
23 07Jeff McDuffieBuickJ.D. McDuffie
24 53Slick JohnsonChevroletJ.D. Johnson
25 67Buddy ArringtonDodgeBuddy Arrington

Top 10 finishers

Pos[3] Grid No. Driver Manufacturer Laps Laps led Points Time/Status
1 215Bobby AllisonFord4001661853:18:39
2 588Darrell WaltripChevrolet400131175+0.5 seconds
3 671Dave MarcisChevrolet4004170Lead lap under green flag
4 747Harry GantChevrolet3990160+1 lap
5 82Dale EarnhardtChevrolet3990155+1 lap
6 427Benny ParsonsChevrolet3990150+1 lap
7 944Terry LabonteChevrolet3990146+1 lap
8 2453Slick JohnsonChevrolet3910142+9 laps
9 1090Jody RidleyFord3900138+10 laps
10 111Cale YarboroughChevrolet38954139+11 laps

Standings after the race

Pos Driver Points[3] Differential
1 Dale Earnhardt 3847 0
2 Cale Yarborough 3757 -90
3 Richard Petty 3741 -106
4 Benny Parsons 3708 -139
5 Darrell Waltrip 3662 -185
6 Bobby Allison 3537 -310
7 Jody Ridley 3273 -574
8 Harry Gant 3242 -605
9 Richard Childress 3125 -722
10 Dave Marcis 3099 -748

References

  1. Weather information for the 1980 Holly Farms 400 at The Old Farmers' Almanac
  2. Total prize purse for 1980 Holly Farms 400 at Fantasy Racing Cheat Sheet
  3. 1980 Holly Farms 400 racing information at Racing Reference
  4. September 21, 1980 Holly Farms 400 at SavetheSpeedway.net
  5. Ford's next race victory at Google News Archive Search
  6. 1980 Holly Farms 400 racing results at Race Database
  7. 1980 Holly Farms 400 crew chiefs at Racing Reference
Preceded by
1980 CRC Chemicals 500
NASCAR Winston Cup Series Season
1980
Succeeded by
1980 Old Dominion 500
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