Race of the week, 1977 Winston 500 at Talladega

April 23, 1:00 PMAtlanta NASCAR ExaminerJeremy Dunn

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Long before the restrictor plate era, drivers such as Cale Yarborough, Donnie Allison, Bobby Allison, David Pearson, Buddy Baker, Benny Parsons, and Richard Petty reigned supreme on the super speedways. With speeds approaching 200 mph, these intrepid drivers were on edge for 500 miles at the 2.66-mile mammoth of a track. 

In 1977, Cale Yarborough was at the apex of the sport, and his career. He was in the middle of his three-year primacy as Winston Cup champion. Part-time driver, and Alabama native Donnie Allison was racing for wins only, and he was starving for a win on his home track. Benny Parsons, a former champion, also posed a threat to win on this day. However, it was NASCAR’s version of the villain, Darrell Waltrip, who fended off the challenges from the trio of stalwart veterans. It was a thrilling four horse race to the checkered flag in retro fashion. 

Ten years later, racing at NASCAR’s longest track changed forever. Bobby Allison cut a tire while on the front stretch, and his car tore down part of the fence built to protect the spectators. At this point in time, speeds had surpassed the 200 mph mark, in fact, Bill Elliott qualified at a record speed of 212 mph in 1987. NASCAR mandated the use of a restrictor plate, which reduced the speeds by over 20 mph. While the speeds were slower, the cars had the tendency to stay together in a pack in close proximity, as the drivers relied more on the draft than on speed. Because of the tight packs, wrecks involving ten, fifteen, sometimes twenty cars were not unusual. 

Dale Earnhardt Sr, Dale Earnhardt Jr, and Jeff Gordon have dominated the restrictor plate era. 

A few years ago, someone estimated that the drivers would surpass the 230 mph mark if the restrictor plates were removed.

• 1998 Daytona 500
• 1983 Carolina 500 at Rockingham
• 1986 Miller High Life 400 at Richmond
• 2001 Cracker Barrel 500 at Atlanta
• 1989 Holly Farms 400 at North Wilkesboro
• 1990 Valleydale Meats 500 at Bristol
• 1999 Goody's 500 at Martinsville
• 2004 Samsung Radio Shack 500 at Texas
• 1963 Motor Trend 500 at Riverside
• 2007 Subway Fresh Fit 500k at Phoenix

Below is the bonus clip featuring the accident the completely altered NASCAR racing at Talladega and Daytona.