1982 Winston Western 500

The 1982 Winston Western 500 was a NASCAR Winston Cup Series race held on November 21, 1982, at Riverside International Raceway in Riverside, California.

1982 Winston Western 500
Race details[1]
Race 30 of 30 in the 1982 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season
Layout of Riverside International Raceway (1969-1988 version)
Layout of Riverside International Raceway (1969-1988 version)
Date November 21, 1982 (1982-November-21)
Official name Winston Western 500
Location Riverside International Raceway, Riverside, California
Course Permanent racing facility
2.700 mi (4.345 km)
Distance 119 laps, 311.8 mi (501.7 km)
Weather Temperatures of 59 °F (15 °C); wind speeds of 2.9 miles per hour (4.7 km/h)
Average speed 99.823 miles per hour (160.650 km/h)
Attendance 38,000[2]
Pole position
Driver Junior Johnson & Associates
Most laps led
Driver Tim Richmond Jim Stacy Racing
Laps 92
Winner
No. 2 Tim Richmond Jim Stacy Racing
Television in the United States
Network Mizlou
Announcers Ken Squier
Buddy Baker

Background

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Riverside International Speedway was a race track or road course in Moreno Valley, California. The track was in operation from September 22, 1957, to July 2, 1989. The original course design proved to be dangerous, and it was partially reconfigured in 1969.[citation needed]

Race report

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Tim Richmond would defeat Ricky Rudd in the three hour long, 119 lap race which had 38 000 spectators in attendance.[2] Seven seconds would end up separating the winner from the second-place finisher.[2] Darrell Waltrip would qualify on pole position with a speed of 114.995 miles per hour (185.067 km/h) in qualifying.[2] Dale Earnhardt, recorded a last-place finish on lap 8 due to an oil leak.[2] There would be 42 drivers on the grid; two of them were Canadian while the other 40 were born in the United States.[2] Only one Chevrolet vehicle would participate in the race; driven by Jim Reich and owned by Ivan Baldwin.[2]

Clive Skipton was the only non-qualifier for this event.[2] Trevor Boys and Derrike Cope would make their introduction into NASCAR during this race while Reich, Jim Lee, and Terry Herman would retire after this race.[3]

The total purse of the race would be $203,745 ($643,272 when adjusted for inflation), the winner of the race would receive $24,730 ($78,079 when adjusted for inflation) while 41st-place finisher Kevin Terris would receive $525 ($1,658 when adjusted for inflation). Terris made his first Cup start in more than a decade but went out early with a blown engine. He would only make one further Cup start.[4]

Qualifying

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Grid[2] No. Driver Manufacturer Owner
1 11 Darrell Waltrip Buick Junior Johnson
2 88 Bobby Allison Pontiac DiGard
3 28 Joe Ruttman Pontiac Harry Ranier
4 2 Tim Richmond Buick Jim Stacy
5 3 Ricky Rudd Pontiac Richard Childress
6 50 Geoffrey Bodine Pontiac Cliff Stewart
7 15 Dale Earnhardt Ford Bud Moore
8 17 Lake Speed Pontiac Roger Hamby
9 33 Harry Gant Buick Hal Needham
10 75 Jimmy Insolo Pontiac RahMoc Enterprises

Failed to qualify: Clive Skilton (#61)[5]

Top 10 finishers

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Pos[2] Grid No. Driver Manufacturer Laps Winnings Laps led Points Time/Status
1 4 2 Tim Richmond Buick 119 $24,730 92 185 3:07:24
2 5 3 Ricky Rudd Pontiac 119 $16,980 1 175 +7 seconds
3 1 11 Darrell Waltrip Buick 119 $25,100 8 170 Lead lap under green flag
4 13 21 Neil Bonnett Ford 119 $6,100 1 165 Lead lap under green flag
5 20 02 Mark Martin Buick 118 $7,760 0 155 +1 lap
6 15 57 Ron Bouchard Buick 117 $10,120 0 150 +2 laps
7 29 55 Benny Parsons Buick 117 $2,850 0 146 +2 laps
8 16 98 Morgan Shepherd Buick 116 $5,300 0 142 +3 laps
9 25 90 Jody Ridley Ford 115 $9,850 0 138 +4 laps
10 23 16 Jim Bown Buick 115 $2,550 0 134 +4 laps

Timeline

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Section reference:[2]

  • Start of race: Darrell Waltrip had the pole position as the green flag was waved.
  • Lap 5: Bobby Allison took over the lead from Darrell Waltrip.
  • Lap 8: A sudden oil leak from Dale Earnhardt's vehicle made him the last-place finisher of the event.
  • Lap 9: Tim Richmond took over the lead from Bobby Allison.
  • Lap 12: Kevin Terris' vehicle suddenly developed engine troubles.
  • Lap 14: Ricky Rudd took over the lead from Tim Richmond.
  • Lap 15: J.D. McDuffie took over the lead from Ricky Rudd.
  • Lap 16: Don Waterman took over the lead from J.D. McDuffie.
  • Lap 17: Bobby Allison took over the lead from Don Waterman.
  • Lap 20: The transmission on Joe Ruttman's vehicle stopped working properly.
  • Lap 21: Tim Richmond took over the lead from Bobby Allison.
  • Lap 31: Randy Becker's vehicle suddenly developed engine troubles.
  • Lap 40: John Krebs had a terminal crash.
  • Lap 42: An oil leak came out of Derrike Cope's vehicle.
  • Lap 46: Bobby Allison took over the lead from Tim Richmond.
  • Lap 48: Tim Richmond took over the lead from Bobby Allison.
  • Lap 62: Rick McCray's vehicle suddenly developed engine troubles.
  • Lap 72: Darrell Waltrip took over the lead from Tim Richmond.
  • Lap 76: Harry Gant took over the lead from Darrell Waltrip.
  • Lap 81: Tim Richmond took over the lead from Harry Gant.
  • Lap 92: The transmission on Hershel McGriff's vehicle stopped working properly.
  • Lap 94: Terry Labonte had a terminal crash.
  • Lap 95: An oil leak came out of Harry Gant's vehicle.
  • Lap 97: Neil Bonnett took over the lead from Tim Richmond.
  • Lap 98: Tim Richmond took over the lead from Neil Bonnett.
  • Lap 111: Bobby Allison's vehicle suddenly developed engine troubles.
  • Finish: Tim Richmond was officially declared the winner of the event.

Standings after the race

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Pos Driver Points[2] Differential
1   Darrell Waltrip 4489 0
2   Bobby Allison 4417 -72
3   Terry Labonte 4211 -278
4   Harry Gant 3877 -612
5   Richard Petty 3814 -675
6   Dave Marcis 3666 -823
7   Buddy Arrington 3642 -847
8   Ron Bouchard 3545 -944
9   Ricky Rudd 3542 -947
10   Morgan Shepherd 3451 -1038

References

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  1. ^ Weather information for the 1982 Winston Western 500 at The Old Farmers' Almanac
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l 1982 Winston Western 500 information at Racing Reference
  3. ^ 1982 Winston Western 500 information at Race-Database
  4. ^ 1982 Winston Western 500 information at Fantasy Racing Cheat Sheet
  5. ^ Qualifying information for the 1982 Winston Western 500 at Racing Reference
Preceded by NASCAR Winston Cup Series Season
1982-3
Succeeded by
Preceded by Winston Western 500 races
1982
Succeeded by