the Silver Fox and the Great American Race

bob jennings' WORLD O' RACING

the Silver Fox and the Great American Race (originally presented 04/05/97)

I don't know about you, but I thought the 1997 "Daytona 500" was a classic!

It was an event that got the blood racing through the veins! It had a little bit of everything for everyone. There was adequate passing and several strong cars capable of winning, at one point or another, throughout the race. For those who enjoy such things, turn two snared more cars than potholes, in Chicago, in March, as spectacular accidents came in rapid succession. Although it was a disappointment to have the race end under the caution light, the checkered flag fell to three cars, from the same team. The owner, of all three, Rick Hendrick sat watching, from his home, seriously ill with life threatening cancer, and facing a Federal indictment for bribing Honda officials.

The winner was as legitimate as any "Daytona 500" winner in recent years. Jeff Gordon becomes the youngest winner in "Daytona 500" history, at 25. Gordon is, for all intents and purposes, the leading driver in today's NASCAR scene. NASCAR's "Boy Wonder" is as justified to be on the "Daytona 500" winner's trophy as any driver represented. The "Daytona 500" win, which was the 20th of his 21 career Winston Cup victories, was an example of Gordon's extraordinary talents.

Gordon took his initial lead, on lap 37, when he passed Ernie Irvan. Gordon remained in front until he pitted under caution, on lap 90. Following that, Gordon's "rainbow" liveried DuPont Finishes Chevrolet ran as high as third place, until his car veered high towards the second turn wall, on lap 111. Gordon mistakenly thought he had a tire deflating and radioed for a four tire change. Crew chief Ray Evernham opted for two tires, instead, which probably prevented Jeff from falling a lap down to leader Mark Martin, on lap 118. A caution flag, on lap 122, saved Gordon from being lapped, and effectively allowed Jeff to make his winning charge. From lap 126, until his pass of Elliott, on lap 195, Gordon charged from 24th place. It was a remarkable drive.

I didn't see any distinct advantage for either the winning Chevrolet Monte Carlo or the Ford Thunderbird, this February, at Daytona.

Dale Earnhardt and Bill Elliott, once the lead drivers for their respective marques, Chevrolet and Ford, both appeared to be in control of the race, at various points.

For Earnhardt fans, it had to be another big disappointment, as "Daytona 500" victory once again eluded their hero. During much of the first half of the race, number 3 looked to be the car to beat and Earnhardt was in front for 48 laps. Dale's crash was pretty frightening, and it looked to me, via CBS, as if Gordon was racing Earnhardt too close, when Dale crashed. Gordon's comments that he was racing hard to win the "Daytona 500" seemed justifiable to me though. Certainly Earnhardt has raced as hard hundreds of times.

For Elliott, my personal NASCAR favorite, it was a comeback of sorts; easily Bill's best run since the 1996 "Daytona 500," in which he was a threat until his final pit stop. This time, Bill looked like he was racing to his third "Daytona 500" win, until Gordon's pass. It was great to see Bill back in front again.

There were others looking good too. Mark Martin hasn't had many great "Daytona 500" moments during his career, but he led at the halfway point, and had a race high 52 laps in front. Ernie Irvan was leading the race, at 150 laps, before being passed by Elliott. Terry Labonte recovered from problems, early in the race, after making contact with Robert Pressley, to follow his Hendrick Motorsports teammate, Gordon, to the finish. I wish I had a record book, because I'm curious to see how many times Terry Labonte has finished second, in the "Daytona 500." I'm sure it's been three or four times. The third Hendrick driver, Ricky Craven, also had a good race, finishing with Gordon and Labonte, after starting last on the field, the victim of a crash in one of the 125 mile "qualifiers," the previous Thursday.

Wasn't it Ken Squier who coined the phrase, "the Great American Race," in reference to the "Daytona 500," during the annual CBS telecast of the race? For me, the 39th running, of "the Great American Race, had all the components Squier must have had in mind when he coined the phrase, and it was the most enjoyable "Daytona 500" in ten years.

Certainly it was another "Daytona 500" chapter, in an annual collection of "Daytonas" that have combined to build the race into one of the premier "showcases" in motorsports. Perhaps, no other race, except the "Indianapolis 500," has created a history and personality in the manner of the "Daytona 500."

The first "Daytona 500," in 1959, took three days to decide, as Lee Petty's Oldsmobile and Johnny Beauchamp's Ford Thunderbird raced to a photo finish. Beauchamp's car was taken to the winner's circle, and declared the race's inaugural winner. A scoring check, however, reversed the original decision, and Petty was given the victory.

Since that first race, through "Boy Wonder" Jeff Gordon's "hold your breath" pass down low, on Bill Elliott, going into the turn one banking, with six laps remaining, this February, at Daytona, the history books are loaded with classic moments.

I have my own collection of "Daytona 500" memories and moments.

Bill Elliott's wins, in the 1985 and 1987 races, certainly rank at the top of my list. The definitive moments, of the "Daytona 500," for me, however, focus on David Pearson's (the "Silver Fox") quest for "Daytona 500" victory.

After he left the Cotton Owens Dodge team, in April, 1967, to replace the retiring Fred Lorenzen, in one of the famed Holman and Moody prepared Fords, 1966 NASCAR Champion David Pearson became my NASCAR favorite.

By 1970, I was strongly hoping for Pearson to join his contemporaries, Richard Petty, Cale Yarborough and Lee Roy Yarbrough, as a "Daytona 500" winner. Pearson, whose first NASCAR win came as a rookie, in 1961, in the Charlotte 600 "miler", had beaten Petty, in 1968 and 1969, for the NASCAR championship, and it seemed like he had taken all that NASCAR had to offer, except the "Daytona 500." I felt it was a couple years past the time when David should have accomplished the Daytona win though, when I arrived at the Murat Theater, in downtown Indianapolis, for the TelePrompTer closed circuit telecast, of the 1970 "Daytona 500."

Cale Yarborough was on the Daytona pole, in the Wood Brothers Mercury, at a speed in excess of 190 mph. Cale had been seriously injured, the previous November, in a NASCAR event, at Texas World Speedway. Early, in 1970, there was doubt that Yarborough would compete, at Daytona, and Al Unser was temporarily announced as his replacement. Al had finished fourth, two years earlier, driving a Dodge in his only "Daytona 500" appearance.

Early in the race, it didn't appear as if Yarborough was feeling any effects, from his Texas crash, as he ran away from the competition. Cale looked invincible, in the 21 car, until breaking just past the halfway point, of the race.

Assuming control, upon Yarborough's retirement, Pearson's number 17 Ford Torino looked like it was on its way to taking the "Daytona 500" win.

Unfortunately, for Pearson, the Holman Moody crew made the wrong decision, during Pearson's final pit stop, giving David only two fresh tires. Pete Hamilton, Pearson's closest pursuer, driving one of Richard Petty's outrageous winged Plymouth Super Birds, received four tires during his stop. Hamilton was able to catch and pass Pearson, with only three or four laps remaining, in the race.

Pearson tried like a demon to regain the lead, coming through the final corner, momentarily sliding. He nearly overtook the young New Englander, Hamilton, but his effort fell a few car lengths short.

I was really disappointed.

The 1960's factory era, in NASCAR, was beginning to come to an end, by 1971. Shrinking Ford and Chrysler support was putting NASCAR into a slump, with a shortage of money, professional teams and competition. This was the time when R.J. Reynolds came into NASCAR, to fill the void, in their marketing program, when cigarette advertising was taken off television. Firestone was pulling out of NASCAR too. The NASCAR schedule was restructured, from 45 to 50 races, annually, to an approximate 30 races.

At Daytona Speedweeks, there was a noticeable change. The list of potential race winners was shorter than usual. It was known that Ford Motor Company would be withdrawing its support, shortly after Daytona. Smaller engines had been mandated. That wild 1970 winning Plymouth Super Bird, and the companion Dodge Daytona had been banned, to be replaced by more conventional body styles.

A.J. Foyt had taken Yarborough's seat, in the Wood Brothers Mercury, as Cale had accepted Firestone money to run, full time, at Indianapolis, and in the USAC Indy car series. The Petty team was running a Plymouth, for Richard, and a Dodge, for Buddy Baker. Other than Pearson's Bud Moore Ford, Bobby Allison (Dodge), Donnie Allison (Holman Moody Ford) and the 1970 NASCAR champion, Bobby Isaac, in the K and K Insurance Dodge, the "Daytona 500" entry was pretty lean.

The cars were running in excess of 195 mph. Foyt dominated the race, in the same car in which Yarborough had run so strongly, during the first half of the 1970 race. A.J.'s late race stop, for fuel, however, enabled Petty to take the lead, and his third "Daytona 500" win, with teammate Baker finishing second. Foyt's Wood Brothers crew later charged sabotage, as a rag was found in their pit gasoline tank, but they had to settle for a third place finish.

Pearson was never a factor in the 1971 "Daytona 500," although I think he may have finished a distant fourth. I wish I had that damn record book.

In 1972, as RJR and Winston became firmly established as the NASCAR series sponsor, there was, perhaps, the smallest group of competitive cars, in "Daytona 500" history.

I was living, in Port Huron, Michigan, and live coverage, of the race, was limited to radio's Motor Racing Network (MRN). I didn't even get to hear all of that, as I had accepted a dinner invitation, at my girlfriend's grandparents' home, that day. It doesn't happen often, but sometimes love, or should I say lust, runs deeper than racing.

The cars were drawing close to 200 mph, at Daytona International Speedway, and popular NASCAR "independent" competitor Friday Hassler was killed in a pre-race crash.

Pearson, again driving for Bud Moore, failed to make the Daytona grid. The only "quality" competitors were A.J. Foyt, in the Wood Brothers Mercury, Richard Petty's STP Plymouth, Bobby Allison, in the Junior Johnson Coca Cola Chevrolet, pole sitter Bobby Isaac, in the K and K Dodge, and Mark Donohue, who would become the 1972 "Indianapolis 500" winner, driving an AMC Matador, for Roger Penske.

The race was essentially a one car show, with Foyt dominating. Once Petty fell out, A.J. had absolutely no competition, to win over a distant second place finisher, Coo Coo (Sterling's dad) Marlin's Chevrolet.

For 1973, I was again reliant upon the MRN broadcast, for live "Daytona 500" coverage. Pearson took Foyt's seat, in the Wood Brothers Mercury, during the mid point, of the 1972 season, and won five races. I was feeling pretty confident that Pearson could carry that success into Daytona Speedweeks. Pearson's bid fell short, again, however, and he was out of the race by the halfway point.

Buddy Baker, in the K and K Dodge, prepared by Harry Hyde, was dominant throughout the race, but a blown engine, with eight laps remaining, gave Richard Petty a fourth "Daytona 500" victory. Petty was driving an STP Dodge, rather than his traditional Plymouth.

Due to the "energy crisis," with the accompanying Sunday closings, of gas stations, NASCAR cut the distance of the 1974 "Daytona 500" to 170 laps - 425 miles.

In 1974, live network television coverage finally came to the "Daytona 500," with ABC carrying the final 90 minutes of the race. Unfortunately, I didn't have access to the MRN broadcast, so I was "in the dark," for most of the race.

I was more excited about Pearson winning the 1974 "Daytona 500," than any of the previous runnings. He had taken eight NASCAR wins, during the 1973 season, upstaging Richard Petty, once Daytona Speedweeks was over.

By February, 1974, NASCAR was well into the "Petty - Pearson era." Certainly there were other significant competitors, at the time, such as Bobby Allison, who was driving Roger Penske's AMC Matador; Cale Yarborough, who had returned from USAC, to drive Junior Johnson's Chevrolet; Buddy Baker, who had switched to the Bud Moore Ford; Donnie Allison, in Hoss Ellington's Chevrolet, and Benny Parsons, in the L.G. DeWitt Chevrolet, which had carried the consistent Parsons to a surprise 1973 NASCAR championship.

It was Petty and Pearson, however, who seemed to exist on their own level, in many of the NASCAR races. The post "factory era" slump, in NASCAR, was beginning to ease, and the rivalry, between NASCAR's two all time winners (Petty - 200 wins; Pearson - 105 wins), appeared to be leading the series beyond its traditional fan base.

Again, I wish I had statistics to verify it, but I believe Pearson was on pole for the 1974 race.

When the ABC telecast began, I was dismayed to hear that Pearson had already retired the Wood Brothers Purolator Mercury.

Running at the front, at the start of the ABC telecast, were Donnie Allison and, you guessed it, Petty's STP Dodge.

Allison and Petty were actually putting on a good fight, but with 12 laps remaining, Allison's Chevrolet blew a tire, while leading, enabling Petty to get his fifth "Daytona 500" win. This was the first time there had been a consecutive "Daytona 500" winner.

Certainly Petty is NASCAR's "king," its all time winner, and likely, its greatest driver. For me though, it was beginning to become pretty repetitious to see him win Daytona year after year, while Pearson could win every other race, except the "Daytona 500."

Jackie Stewart, one of my all time racing heroes, had retired the previous October, after winning his third World Championship. He had started as an ABC analyst and was working the Daytona telecast, with Jim McKay. I recall listening to Jackie pay tribute to Petty, for having won five times, in 11 runnings, of the "Daytona 500," and feeling extremely frustrated about it.

1975 provided a double. ABC was again televising the final 90 minutes, of the "Daytona 500," and I also had access to the MRN broadcast. I spent the day, at a buddy's place, in Carmel, Indiana, and Pearson nearly got the win. Notice I said nearly.

Pearson did his usual thing of biding his time, during the first half of the race, as Richard Petty's Dodge, Buddy Baker's Bud Moore Ford and A.J. Foyt's Chevrolet ran at the front. Then, as the race began to take shape, Pearson made his move and took control of the race.

With three laps remaining, Pearson was leading easily, from Benny Parson's Chevrolet, when he came by Cale Yarborough's Chevy, which was one lap down. For one reason or another, Cale moved over on David, sending the Purolator Mercury into a spin, and out of the race.

To this day, I've never understood Yarborough's motivation in that move. Maybe he was confused, thinking he was racing Pearson for position.Whatever the reason, I was so pissed off, as I watched "Banquet Benny" come by to take the lead and the win. I was positively "dumbstruck" by Pearson's latest failure. It's easy for me to empathize with the Earnhardt fans, each February, during the "Daytona 500."

Later that evening, I went out with good friend John Dailey and another Carmel guy, John Collins, and all I could think of was the frustration over Pearson's loss. Despite my mood, both Johns hardly seemed to notice, as they kept "knocking down" bottles of Stroh's beer and feeding quarters into the pinball machines they were playing at Ben's Island, in Carmel.

Thank Goodness for February, 1976!

I was visiting my folks, coming from Battle Creek (what a depressing place) again. ABC modified their Daytona coverage, due to the network's intense Winter Olympics programming. Rather than 90 minutes, of coverage, at the end of the race, ABC split their coverage into two pieces; 30 minutes of the start and early lap coverage, and the final hour of the race. I also had access to the MRN broadcast.

In those days, before VCR's, I used to make audio recordings, of races, on cassette. One of the prized possessions I lost, due to water in the basement, of my mom's house, last April, was the cassette recording, of Ken Squier's call of the 1976 "Daytona 500," on MRN. That was a tough prize to lose, because it contained some very valued memories of a special day.

The quality of the Daytona entries, for Speedweeks 1976, was higher than it had been since the end of the Ford - Chrysler "factory era," in 1971. There were more "big time players" than there had been, at Daytona, for a few years, as new sources of support were coming into NASCAR. Most of that support was still auto market related, however, as the influx of consumer product sponsorship, into NASCAR, was still several years away, when market research figures began to show that women were making up a large percentage of the NASCAR audience, and television coverage was the norm, rather than the exception.

Although Petty and Pearson were still the primary focus, at Daytona, the front row, for the "Daytona 500," featured two unfamiliar names (sound like 1997?) Ramo Stott and Terry Ryan. Stott and Ryan were competitors from the now defunct USAC stock car series, both from the Midwestern stock car racing "hub," Keokuk, Iowa, which was also the home of former USAC champion Don White, and the Hoerr family, Rudy, Irv, etc.

Stott and Ryan were elevated to the Daytona front row when the fastest qualifiers, A.J. Foyt and Dave Marcis, had qualifying runs disallowed by NASCAR.

Bobby Allison and Roger Penske had replaced the AMC Javelin with a Mercury, sponsored by Sunoco CAM2 motor oil. The combination of Buddy Baker and the Bud Moore Norris Industries Ford had earned the reputation as the fastest package at Daytona and Talladega. Benny Parsons was returning, in the same L.G. DeWitt Chevrolet, prepared by Travis Carter, that had carried him to the 1975 "Daytona 500" victory. Cale Yarborough had returned to NASCAR prominence, in Junior Johnson's Chevrolet, after his full time run, in Gene White's Indy cars, a few seasons earlier. 1976 would be the first of three consecutive NASCAR championship seasons, with Junior's Chevrolets.

I recall the day of the 1976 "Daytona 500" vividly. It was one of those warm Spring-like weekends, which occur once in a while, in Indianapolis, in February, which always sets the mind to thinking about the coming Spring and Summer. I was in the midst of a short vacation , from Battle Creek and work, and I was "pumped," after watching the start of the race and the early laps, on ABC.

It frustrated me, like crazy, when ABC switched to their Winter Olympics coverage. I focused on the MRN broadcast. The race went about as I'd anticipated, with Baker, Foyt, Marcis and David Hobbs' Chevrolet setting the early pace. Pearson stayed within striking distance, of the leaders, and every so often, would move his Mercury into first place, to show that he could.

Sure enough, by the completion of 100 laps, Pearson was firmly in control. Things were looking good - again.

The laps passed, with Pearson still looking like the race was his to win.

Again, I wish I had that NASCAR record book, as I write this. So, what I'm writing is what I'm remembering. I'm trying to recall what happened to Richard Petty. I remember there was something that affected his performance, but I can't remember exactly what it was and when it happened.

As the laps dwindled, Petty kept getting closer, and it was becoming rapidly apparent that David was going to have to hold off Petty or take him on in a "dogfight," to win the race. This was exactly what I had dreamed of, a Pearson - Petty fight to the finish, of the "Daytona 500." It was also the situation I most dreaded, because the guy I least wanted Pearson to have to confront was Richard Petty. There was a saying, in the 1970's, which went something to the effect "if he's running at the halfway point of the "Daytona 500," Richard Petty will win." As the drama of the final laps unfolded, that notion kept popping into my head.

The France family, and NASCAR, must have been loving the battle shaping up, as they watched stock car racing's most marketable rivalry come together, in front of a strong national audience, following hugely popular coverage, of the Winter Olympics, on ABC. This was, obviously one of the key moments in the foundation that built NASCAR's huge popularity today.

My parents and a family friend, Orville Tapscott, were watching the ABC telecast with me. As the race passed 190 laps, I was pacing the room nervously, inhaling as deeply as I could, from the countless cigarettes I was smoking. The adrenaline was pumping like water from an unplugged fire hydrant, in the ghetto, on a hot summer day. I get a heavy heartbeat just remembering the moment.

One of the distinct components of the "Daytona 500" personality is the put your chips in the pot and go for broke feeling about the last lap confrontation that so often occurs. The examples of this, at Daytona, in February, have been repeated over and over. The thrill, of the 200th lap, of the "Daytona 500," was probably defined best by the final lap, of the 1976 race, between Richard Petty and David Pearson.

I watched Pearson helplessly fall into Petty's grasp, during the final laps.When the white flag flashed, Jim McKay and Jackie Stewart, at the ABC microphone, were speculating whether Petty would make his inevitable move, on Pearson, in the third or fourth corner. I was pissed that Petty had been able to reel Pearson in, as he had, and this was frustrating as hell.

It became almost too intense, as Pearson and Petty ran "bumper to bumper" through the turn one and turn two banking and on to the long backstretch. I can still visualize the scene in my mind; a slight sunny late afternoon haze, the ever present Daytona flock of seagulls darting about Daytona International Speedway, the long "fuzzy" telescopic shot of Pearson leading Petty into turn three.

This was it!

Was Pearson going to finally win this damn race or was Petty going to add to his string of five "Daytona 500" victories?

I once read that the finish, of the 1976 "Daytona 500" had been selected by a poll of fans and media as the most spectacular and historic of all Daytona moments. I agree with that selection.

Petty began to move alongside, high, as they got through turn three and began the arc into turn four. Petty went high. Pearson went low. Petty got alongside and then appeared to inch ahead, as they entered the tri-oval, with the checkered flag just ahead.

Then they touched and Pearson veered towards pit road, while Petty slid into the grass apron, between pit road and the track. Pearson smacked the pit wall, while Petty kept sliding across the tri-oval grass. It appeared that he was going to slide past the checkered flag. I couldn't believe this!

When Petty stopped, he was close enough to push his car to victory.

Out of the right corner, of the television screen, the ABC camera caught the image of a slow moving Wood Brothers Purolator Mercury as it began moving, almost quietly sneaking, from the pit entrance, to the lower tri-oval apron.

The race didn't have a winner yet!

The front end of the Mercury was smashed like an accordion. Pearson had to lean his head out the left side of the car to see where he was going. When he slid towards the pit wall, Pearson had the presence of mind to keep the clutch engaged, throughout his ride into the wall and it was paying off.

At probably the slowest speed, in the history of all but the earliest auto races, Pearson limped across the finish line, while a stalled car 43 STP Dodge sat silent, a few yards to the right, with Petty no doubt in turmoil.

He did it!

David Pearson was the winner of the "Daytona 500."

With my only cassette recorder, being used for the MRN broadcast, I put an eight track cartridge, in the recorder, in the living room, to pick up what I could from the ABC telecast. Listening to the recording later, I could barely hear the race commentary, but I could hear my shouts, and my parents' excitement too, as the finish unfolded.

I was ecstatic, but from Pearson's demeanor, in the winner's circle, the familiar cigarette dangling from his mouth, it seemed like I was more excited than he was. This was one of my greatest racing days, but Pearson acted as if he'd won any of ten races, not the "Daytona 500."

Pearson would go on to his greatest season, winning nine more NASCAR races, all on "SuperSpeedways (oval one mile or greater in length)," which would remain a single season record, until 1985, when Bill Elliott exceeded Pearson's total. Pearson and the Wood Brothers didn't run the smaller tracks, in 1976, or they probably would've won the NASCAR title too. At season's end, Pearson topped the list of all the annual "driver of the year" polls.

While Richard Petty would go on to win the "Daytona 500" two more times, Pearson wouldn't repeat his 1976 Daytona success. The following February, Cale Yarborough's Chevrolet dominated the 1977 "Daytona 500." In 1978, Pearson, Petty and young Darrell Waltrip were engaged in a furious battle for the "Daytona 500" lead, when they had a huge crash, taking all three drivers out of the race. He was also the victim of a crash, in the 1979 "Daytona 500."

Although he couldn't repeat his Daytona win, Pearson continued to win at other NASCAR tracks, for the Wood Brothers. He had joined the team, in 1972, and was the fourth driver to win the "Daytona 500," in a Wood Brothers car. The others were Tiny Lund (1963), Cale Yarborough (1968) and A.J. Foyt (1972). Pearson's association with the Woods ended early in the 1979 season, however.

During the Spring 400 "miler," at Darlington, Pearson left the pits before the crew could fasten the wheels and all four wheels came off the car, as it drove away. The following week, Neil Bonnett was hired to replace Pearson.

Pearson continued in NASCAR, driving on a limited basis, after that. Perhaps his best runs, after his separation from the Woods, were as a substitute, for injured rookie Dale Earnhardt, in the Rod Osterlund Chevrolet, in 1979. In 1980, he lost a close fight with NASCAR rookie Terry Labonte, for the win in the "Southern 500," at Darlington.

During his final seasons, Pearson frequently raced with sponsorship, from Chattanooga Chew tobacco products. Perhaps the final time I recall Pearson being a factor, as a driver, was in September 1985, when he qualified on the front row, next to Bill Elliott, for the "Southern 500." That race was, of course, where Elliott would win to claim the "Winston Million," that was such a big sports story and another key NASCAR moment.

I had the opportunity to say hello to Pearson, in June, 1987, at Indianapolis Raceway Park.

The annual "Kroger " NASCAR Busch Grand National race was held, in June, that season, rather than on its usual August date. Bill Elliott made his only "Kroger" appearance in that race and it's the only time I've attended. If I recall, properly, Pearson's son, Larry, won the race.

Charles "Tim" Pendergast and I were in the IRP pits, following the race, when I spotted Pearson. I walked up to Pearson and introduced Tim. I think I mentioned the thrill I had experienced watching Pearson win the 1976 "Daytona 500." Pearson seemed annoyed at being bothered, but that's okay. I'm not always friendly to strangers either.

Another vivid David Pearson memory came at the August, 1975 NASCAR race, at Michigan International Speedway.

When I lived in Battle Creek, Michigan, I used to attend most of the races, at MIS, as it was little more than an hour away from Battle Creek. I was sitting in the tri-oval bleachers. There was a rain delay. NASCAR had parked the cars on the bottom of the tri-oval, during the delay. Pearson's white and maroon 21 Wood Brothers Mercury and Petty's blue and red STP Dodge were parked in front of where I was sitting.

Pearson and Petty walked to their cars, as they were readying for the restart, at the same time, Petty tall, dark and lean, Pearson, shorter, stocky and silver haired, puffing on another cigarette.

I remember during that race seeing Pearson following Petty, and visa versa, so closely that you couldn't see where the front of the following car ended and the rear of the leading car began. I also recall seeing a cigarette in Pearson's mouth, during yellow flags.

In that Michigan race, Petty was to beat Pearson, off turn four, on the final lap. Six months later, at Daytona, Pearson got the "payback."