23rd season of NASCAR stock-car racing
The
1971 NASCAR Winston Cup Series
season began on January 10 and ended on November 20.
Richard Petty
was the champion for this
Winston Cup
season. After 20 years of being named the
NASCAR Grand National Series
,
R. J. Reynolds
first became the primary sponsor in a decade where the growing anti-
tobacco
movement banned its advertisement on television and motorsports was the ideal place to place their advertisements. Through NASCAR,
Winston
merchandise was unveiled to live viewers of the races (since they were not allowed to advertise to a televised audience). This kind of merchandise would also be given out at stores that sold cigarettes in subsequent years. Race car drivers were encouraged to smoke
cigarettes
(when not racing) until the mid-2000s brought in strict
drug testing
policies in addition to a
smoking cessation
program by
Nicorette
, a
GlaxoSmithKline
brand (Goody's Headache Powders, a long-time NASCAR sponsor, is a GSK brand; as of 2023, GSK sponsors both the Truck series race, and the spring Cup race at
Martinsville Speedway
).
Season recap
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Note: Some races were combined races for Grand American and Grand National cars. Races marked Combined Races were won by Grand American cars. The driver who finished first among Grand National cars is listed.
Notable Races
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Motor Trend 500
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The
1971 Motor Trend 500
was the first official race in
NASCAR
's
Winston Cup
era. Drivers had to contend with 191 laps on a 2.620 mile
road course
at
Riverside International Raceway
in
Riverside
,
California
.
Ray Elder
won the race.
- 96- Ray Elder
- 12-
Bobby Allison
- 72-
Benny Parsons
(2 laps behind)
- 71-
Bobby Isaac
(2 laps behind)
- 48-
James Hylton
(6 laps behind)
- 39-
Friday Hassler
(7 laps behind)
- 32-
Kevin Terris
(7 laps behind)
- 26-
Carl Joiner
(22 laps behind)
- 19-
Henley Gray
(22 laps behind)
- 24-
Cecil Gordon
(24 laps behind)
Daytona 500
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The 12th annual Daytona 500 was run on February 14 at
Daytona International Speedway
in
Daytona Beach
,
Florida
.
A. J. Foyt
won the pole and
Richard Petty
would win his third Daytona 500.
Top Ten Results
- 43-
Richard Petty
- 11-
Buddy Baker
- 21-
A. J. Foyt
- 17-
David Pearson
(1 lap behind)
- 99-
Fred Lorenzen
(1 lap behind)
- 31-
Jim Vandiver
(2 laps behind)
- 22-
Dick Brooks
(2 laps behind)
- 20-
Jim Hurtubise
(3 laps behind)
- 48-
James Hylton
(3 laps behind)
- 71-
Bobby Isaac
(3 laps behind)
Miller High Life 500
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The Miller High Life 500 was run on February 28 at
Ontario Motor Speedway
.
A. J. Foyt
would win this race after more than three hours of racing (from the pole position).
- 21-
A. J. Foyt
- 11-
Buddy Baker
- 43-
Richard Petty
- 71-
Bobby Isaac
- 22-
Dick Brooks
- 98-
LeeRoy Yarbrough
- 96-
Ray Elder
- 55-
Tiny Lund
- 72-
Benny Parsons
- 48-
James Hylton
Greenville 200
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The Greenville 200 was the first live flag-to-flag telecast of a NASCAR race. The race was run on Saturday, April 10 at
Greenville-Pickens Speedway
and was carried live on
ABC
with
Jim McKay
,
Chris Economaki
and
Ken Squier
.
Bobby Isaac
won the race.
- 71-
Bobby Isaac
,
1970 Dodge Charger
- 17-
David Pearson
(2 laps behind),
1970 Ford
Purolator
- 22-
Dick Brooks
(2 laps behind),
1969 Dodge Charger
- 2-
Dave Marcis
(2 laps behind),
1969 Dodge Charger
- 72-
Benny Parsons
(2 laps behind),
1969 Ford
- 48-
James Hylton
(4 laps behind),
1971 Ford
- 43-
Richard Petty
(4 laps behind),
1970 Plymouth Road Runner
- 39-
Friday Hassler
(5 laps behind),
1969 Chevrolet
- 06-
Neil Castles
(5 laps behind),
1969 Dodge Charger
- 20-
Elmo Langley
(7 laps behind),
1970 Mercury
Rebel 400
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The
Rebel 400
was run on May 2 at
Darlington Raceway
in
Darlington
,
South Carolina
.
Donnie Allison
won the pole and
Buddy Baker
would win his third Rebel 400.
- 11-
Buddy Baker
- 22-
Dick Brooks
- 2-
Dave Marcis
- 21-
Donnie Allison
- 31-
Jim Vandiver
- 49-
G. C. Spencer
- 70-
J. D. McDuffie
- 39-
Friday Hassler
- 76-
Ben Arnold
- 64-
Elmo Langley
Winston 500
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The
Winston 500
was run on May 16 at
Alabama International Motor Speedway
in
Talladega
,
Alabama
.
Donnie Allison
won the pole and won the race. He defeated Bobby by some seconds.
- 21-
Donnie Allison
- 12-
Bobby Allison
- 11-
Buddy Baker
- 6-
Pete Hamilton
(1 lap behind)
- 99-
Fred Lorenzen
(1 lap behind)
- 31-
Jim Vandiver
(2 laps behind)
- 48-
James Hylton
(3 laps behind)
- 90-
Bill Dennis
(5 laps behind)
- 71-
Dave Marcis
(7 laps behind)
- 68-
Larry Baumel
(10 laps behind)
World 600
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The World 600 was run on May 30 at
Charlotte Motor Speedway
in
Concord
,
South Carolina
.
Charlie Glotzbach
won the pole and
Bobby Allison
would win the 1971 World 600 (defeating his brother).
- 12-
Bobby Allison
- 21-
Donnie Allison
- 6-
Pete Hamilton
(1 lap behind)
- 43-
Richard Petty
(2 laps behind)
- 99-
Fred Lorenzen
(5 laps behind)
- 11-
Buddy Baker
(6 laps behind)
- 72-
Benny Parsons
(8 laps behind)
- 39-
Friday Hassler
(9 laps behind)
- 2-
Dave Marcis
(10 laps behind)
- 22-
Dick Brooks
(10 laps behind)
Myers Brothers 250
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The
1971 Myers Brothers 250
was a
NASCAR
Winston Cup Series
event that took place on August 6, 1971, at
Bowman Gray Stadium
in the American community of
Winston-Salem
,
North Carolina
.
Due to the reduced sponsorship money being given out by the "Big Three" automobile companies in Detroit, NASCAR decided to hold six of their smaller Winston Cup Series races in conjunction with the "minor league" NASCAR Grand American Series.
As Bobby Allison was not racing in a Grand National car, he never received credit in that series, but was credited with a Grand American Series ("pony" cars) win. Richard Petty, who finished second in a Grand National car, was never given credit for the class win. Under current rules used in various combination races among cars in NASCAR series, Petty would be credited with a series win.
- 49-Bobby Allison
- 43-Richard Petty
- 14-
Jim Paschal
- 87-
Buck Baker
- 11-
Dave Marcis
- 55-
Tiny Lund
- 15-
Wayne Andrews
- 25-
Jabe Thomas
- 86-
David Ray Boggs
- 30-
Walter Ballard
Yankee 400
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The Yankee 400 was run on August 15 at
Michigan International Speedway
in
Brooklyn
,
Michigan
.
Pete Hamilton
won the pole and
Bobby Allison
would win the 1971 Yankee 400.
- 12-
Bobby Allison
- 43-
Richard Petty
- 11-
Buddy Baker
- 60-
Maynard Troyer
- 18-
Joe Frasson
- 24-
Cecil Gordon
- 88-
Ron Keselowski
- 48-
James Hylton
- 25-
Jabe Thomas
- 06-
Neil Castles
Delaware 500
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The
1971 Delaware 500
is a
NASCAR
Winston Cup Series
race that took place on October 17, 1971.
Richard Petty
defeated
Charlie Glotzbach
by more than one lap in front of eighteen thousand people.
- 43-
Richard Petty
- 98-
Charlie Glotzbach
- 71-
Bobby Isaac
- 12-
Bobby Allison
- 90-
Bill Dennis
- 57-
David Ray Boggs
- 91-
Richard D. Brown
- 64-
Elmo Langley
- 30-
Walter Ballard
- 48-
James Hylton
Final Point Standings
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- Richard Petty
4435
- James Hylton
4071
- Cecil Gordon
3677
- Bobby Allison
3636
- Elmo Langley
3356
- Jabe Thomas
3200
- Bill Champion
3058
- Frank Warren
2886
- J. D. McDuffie
2862
- Walter Ballard
2633
Other information
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- This was the first season where NASCAR's premier racing series was called the
Winston Cup
. All previous seasons were known as either
Grand National
or
Strictly Stock
.
See also
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References
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