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1980 Warner W. Hodgdon 400

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1980 Warner W. Hodgdon 400
Race details[1]
Race 15 of 31 in the 1980 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season
Layout of Riverside International Raceway (1969–1988 version)
Layout of Riverside International Raceway (1969–1988 version)
Date June 8, 1980 (1980-June-08)
Official name Warner W. Hodgdon 400
Location Riverside International Raceway, Riverside, California
Course Permanent racing facility
2.700 mi (4.345 km)
Distance 119 laps, 211.8 mi (401.7 km)
Weather Very hot with temperatures of 87.1 °F (30.6 °C); wind speeds of 7 miles per hour (11 km/h)
Average speed 101.846 mph (163.905 km/h)
Attendance 18,000[2]
Pole position
Driver
  • Cale Yarbrough
Junior Johnson
Most laps led
Driver Darrell Waltrip/Bobby Allison
(tied)
DiGard/Bud Moore
Laps 23
Winner
No. 88 Darrell Waltrip DiGard
Television in the United States
Network Untelevised
Announcers None

The 1980 Warner W. Hodgdon 400 was a NASCAR Winston Cup Series racing event that took place on June 8, 1980, at Riverside International Raceway in Riverside, California. The Sharon Hodgdon 200 for Grand American Stock cars was run the same day as this race. Ron Esau was the winner, Roy Smith was second Ray Elder third.

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. Only manual transmission vehicles were allowed to participate in this race; a policy that NASCAR has retained to the present day. Road courses were one of the more attractive features for NASCAR during the 1980 Winston Cup Series season. NASCAR would develop a liking for tracks with a lap duration of a mile and a half by the 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season.

The NASCAR Winston Cup Series was also plagued with top teams running big engines and finishing in third place to avoid inspection around the time that this race was held.

Race report

[edit]

Darrell Waltrip would beat Neil Bonnett by less than half a second in front of 18000 fans in attendance; getting the season sweep at the Riverside road course.[2] There were 18 different changes in the first-place position while there would be five different caution periods for 15 laps.[2][3] Cale Yarborough would qualify for the pole position with a qualifying speed of 113.792 miles per hour (183.130 km/h) while the average speed of the race would be 101.846 miles per hour (163.905 km/h).[2][3] Cecil Gordon would earn his last top-ten finish at this race.[2] Other famous drivers who raced here included: Richard Petty, Cale Yarborough, Dale Earnhardt, Bobby Allison, Terry Labonte, and Richard Childress (now the owner of Richard Childress Racing).[2][3]

D.K. Ulrich would finish last in the race due to an engine issue on the pace laps of this 95-lap race.[2][4] He would make $1,000 just for qualifying ($3,698 when adjusted for inflation) while Waltrip went home with an extra $22,100 in his bank account ($81,724 when adjusted for inflation).[2][4][5] Notable crew chiefs who were actively participating in this race included Junie Donlavey, Joey Arrington, Darel Dieringer, Darrell Bryant, Dale Inman, Bud Moore, Kirk Shelmerdine among others.[6]

The race was named after famous race team owner/sponsor, owner of 12 race tracks, local city redeveloper, and philanthropist Warner Hodgdon.

Roy Smith was the only Canadian to appear in a 36-driver grid of mostly American-born competitors. J.D. McDuffie tallies his third and final top-10 of the season, all of being ninth-place runs.[2] Smith would drive for NASCAR team owner Robert Beadle.[2]

Don Waterman would make his NASCAR Winston Cup Series debut at this race.[3]

The only known DNQ for the race was Gene Thoensen; an independent driver who was the driver of the unsponsored No. 77 machine.[7]

Qualifying

[edit]
Grid[2] No. Driver Manufacturer Owner
1 11 Cale Yarborough Chevrolet Junior Johnson
2 88 Darrell Waltrip Chevrolet DiGard Racing
3 15 Bobby Allison Ford Bud Moore
4 73 Bill Schmitt Oldsmobile Bill Schmitt
5 2 Dale Earnhardt Chevrolet Rod Osterlund
6 43 Richard Petty Chevrolet Petty Enterprises
7 21 Neil Bonnett Mercury Wood Brothers
8 27 Benny Parsons Chevrolet M.C. Anderson
9 71 Dave Marcis Chevrolet Dave Marcis
10 44 Terry Labonte Chevrolet Billy Hagan
11 3 Richard Childress Chevrolet Richard Childress
12 67 Buddy Arrington Dodge Buddy Arrington
13 12 Donnie Allison Chevrolet Kennie Childers
14 75 Harry Gant Chevrolet RahMoc Enterprises
15 45 Roy Smith Oldsmobile Robert Beadle
16 25 Ronnie Thomas Chevrolet Don Robertson
17 40 D.K. Ulrich Chevrolet D.K. Ulrich
18 70 J.D. McDuffie Chevrolet J.D. McDuffie
19 66 Lake Speed Chevrolet Lake Speed
20 48 James Hylton Chevrolet James Hylton

Top 20 finishers

[edit]
Pos[2] No. Driver Manufacturer Laps Laps led Time/Status
1 88 Darrell Waltrip Chevrolet 95 23 2:26:38
2 21 Neil Bonnett Mercury 95 20 +0.3 seconds
3 27 Benny Parsons Chevrolet 95 0 Lead lap under green flag
4 11 Cale Yarborough Chevrolet 95 3 Lead lap under green flag
5 2 Dale Earnhardt Chevrolet 95 21 Lead lap under green flag
6 71 Dave Marcis Chevrolet 94 1 +1 lap
7 75 Harry Gant Chevrolet 94 1 +1 lap
8 43 Richard Petty Chevrolet 93 0 +2 laps
9 70 J.D. McDuffie Dodge 93 0 +2 laps
10 24 Cecil Gordon Oldsmobile 93 0 +2 laps
11 90 Jody Ridley Ford 92 0 +3 laps
12 48 James Hylton Chevrolet 92 0 +3 laps
13 73 Bill Schmitt Oldsmobile 92 0 Running
14 67 Buddy Arrington Dodge 92 0 +3 laps
15 15 Bobby Allison Ford 91 23 Valve problem
16 25 Ronnie Thomas Chevrolet 91 0 +4 laps
17 13 Don Puskarich Chevrolet 90 0 +5 laps
18 3 Richard Childress Chevrolet 89 0 +6 laps
19 79 Joe Booher Dodge 83 0 +12 laps
20 78 Jim Robinson Chevrolet 82 0 +13 laps

Standings after the race

[edit]
Pos Driver Points[2] Differential
1 Dale Earnhardt 2255 0
2 Richard Petty 2219 -36
3 Cale Yarborough 2174 -81
4 Darrell Waltrip 2159 -96
5 Bobby Allison 2027 -228
6 Benny Parsons 2009 -246
7 Jody Ridley 1908 -347
8 Increase Harry Gant 1861 -394
9 Increase Dave Marcis 1842 -413
10 Increase Richard Childress 1791 -464

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Weather information for the 1980 Warner W. Hodgdon 400 at The Old Farmers' Almanac
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m 1980 Warner W. Hodgdon 400 race information at Racing-Reference.info
  3. ^ a b c d 1980 Warner W. Hodgdon 400 race information at Race-Database.com
  4. ^ a b 1980 Warner W. Hodgdon 400 racing information at FantasyRacingCheatSheet.com
  5. ^ 1980 Warner W. Hodgdon 400 Archived 2014-08-11 at the Wayback Machine race information at DriverAverages.com
  6. ^ 1980 Warner W. Hodgdon 400 crew chiefs at Racing Reference
  7. ^ Qualifying information for the 1980 Warner W. Hodgdon 400 at Racing Reference
Preceded by NASCAR Winston Cup Series Season
1980
Succeeded by