NBC Sports’ Dale Earnhardt Jr. to Pilot Ron Bouchard’s Historic No. 47 with Ceremonial Lap Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway

Will Honor 40th Anniversary of One of the Biggest Upsets in NASCAR History

Bouchard Came From Third to First in 1981 Through the Tri-Oval on the Last Lap at NASCAR’s Biggest and Baddest Track, Passing Darrell Waltrip and Terry Labonte for his Only Career Triumph; The YellaWood 500 Playoffs Race is set for 1 p.m. CDT Sunday

 

To celebrate the 40th Anniversary of one of biggest upsets in NASCAR history – Ron Bouchard’s remarkable triumph at Talladega Superspeedway in 1981 – the track has something special planned for fans in pre-race prior to the start of Sunday’s YellaWood 500.

 

Six-time Talladega Superspeedway Champion and NBC Sports’ Dale Earnhardt, Jr., will drive Bouchard’s authentic 1981 No. 47 Buick during a ceremonial lap around the biggest and baddest track on the planet just before the engines are fired to start the YellaWood 500. The beautiful yellow and white, blue numbered car will also be on display during the weekend in the track’s one-of-a-kind Talladega Garage Experience, allowing fans to get an up-close view of the historic machine.

 

On August 2, 1981, Bouchard, a rookie from Fitchburg, Mass, in only his 11th career race as a NASCAR Cup Series driver (rookie season), was running third on the final lap entering the tri-oval. He trailed future NASCAR Hall of Famers Darrell Waltrip and Terry Labonte, and was really an afterthought as the two high-profile legends looked to settle the race amongst themselves. Bouchard, however, had other plans.

 

As the trio came through tri-oval, Waltrip continued to lead as Labonte shot to the outside to make the pass. Meanwhile, Bouchard, utilizing the draft, dove low, and unbelievably, made the pass on both, leaving Waltrip, Labonte and a packed house stunned. Bouchard’s margin of victory? Two feet. It was Bouchard’s only career victory, while Waltrip and Labonte would go on to win six races at Talladega between them.

 

“When we first went there, Buddy Baker told me that one of the differences at this track was, that when you came off Turn 4, you had to remember that the start-finish line wasn’t in the tri-oval (1,250 further down toward Turn 1),” Bouchard said after his win. “He actually went through the scenario with me where he said, if for some reason I was third coming off Turn 4, I needed to wait until the second-place guy made his move then go the other way because, at that point, there was still plenty of time to draft by those guys at the line.

 

“When we came off Turn 4, I remembered what Buddy told me, and I waited. Terry jumped to the high side of Darrell. Then the only one Darrell was worried about was Terry. I got a draft off the two of them. When I passed them, I remember thinking as we crossed the stripe, ‘I’ll be a son-of-a-gun if Baker didn’t talk about this very thing, and it happened just like he said.’”

 

The winning car is now housed at the Ron Bouchard Museum in Fitchburg (open here). Bouchard would continue to compete in NASCAR’s premier series through 1987. His Talladega victory would be his lone trip to the winner’s circle in 160 career races. In all, Bouchard competed in 160 career races with 19 top-five finishes, 60 top-10 efforts and three pole positions. He drove for three car owners in the Cup Series, the majority with Jack Beebe and the No. 47 Race Hill Farm Racing team. He passed away in December of 2015.

 

NEWS: @DaleJr to drive Ron Bouchard’s historic No. 47 for a ceremonial lap prior to Sunday's #YellaWood500, to honor the 40th anniversary of one of the biggest upsets in @NASCAR history!

The car will be on display in the Talladega Garage Experience.

📰 https://t.co/LhEXLwsU51 pic.twitter.com/92glZcYhQw

— Talladega Superspeedway (@TALLADEGA) September 28, 2021

 

The most competitive track in the world continues another chapter in its storied history this weekend. Great tickets are available for the YellaWood 500 (1:00 p.m. CDT start), the culmination of a tripleheader NASCAR Playoffs weekend. NBC Sports will present race coverage at 1 p.m. CDT on NBC, beginning with pre-race coverage at noon CDT on the broadcast network. Tickets are also available for Saturday’s (Oct. 2) duo of races on Saturday, Oct. 2 with the Sparks 300 for the NASCAR Xfinity Series (3:30 p.m. CDT start on NBCSN) and the Chevy Silverado 250 for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. The action begins at Noon CDT.

 

Admission to the traditional Saturday Night Infield Concert, headlined by platinum-selling Dustin Lunch, is FREE to all infield guests, who purchases a ticket to the YellaWood 500. To see all admission options, including the Talladega Garage Experience (includes access to Garage Viewing Walkways, Pre-Race Ceremonies on Sunday, Ruoff Mortgage Victory Lane, historic cars, including the No. 47 of Bouchard), visit www.talladegasuperspeedway.com or call 1-877-Go2-DEGA.

 

Fans are encouraged to keep up with all the happenings at the biggest, baddest race track on the planet by following Talladega Superspeedway on Twitter and Instagram, becoming a Facebook fan or downloading the Charlotte Motor Speedway mobile app.

 

Photo Cutline: Ron Bouchard (47) passes Darrell Waltrip (center) and Terry Labonte at the line to win at Talladega Superspeedway in 1981. It is regarded as one of the biggest upsets in Talladega history. Bouchard’s car will be driven in a ceremonial lap this Sunday by six-time Talladega winner and NBC Sports’ Dale Earnhardt, Jr. to honor the 1981 accomplishment.

source: Talladega Superspeedway

Top-10 List: January #NASCAR Races

10 factoids from the days when NASCAR actually raced during the month of January.

For the last 39 years, the NASCAR premier series season has begun each February with Speedweeks at Daytona International Speedway. And it’s been 40 years since the first race of the season took place in the month of January.

 

Once upon a time, though, NASCAR did race in January. Not often, mind you, but occasionally.

 

So now that the holidays are over, the first Top 10 list of 2021 covers NASCAR trivia regarding the month of January.

 

Lee Petty raced at Palm Beach Speedway in the early days of NASCAR. Photo courtesy of NASCAR Archives & Research Center via Getty Images

 

10. First January race

The 1952 premier series season opened up on January 20, 1952, at Palm Beach Speedway, a 0.500-mile dirt track in West Palm Beach, Florida. There, Hall of Famer Tim Flock (2014) lapped runner-up Lee Petty (2011) and the rest of the field. Driving a Ted Chester-owned Hudson Hornet, Flock led 194 of 200 laps to win $1,025.

 

9. Total January races

In the 72-year history of the premier series, there have only been 20 races contested in January, the last one coming in 1981.

 

8. Tracks that have hosted January races

Believe it or not, just three tracks have hosted premier series races during the month of January. Including the aforementioned Palm Beach Speedway in 1952. Arizona State Fairgrounds, a 1.00-mile dirt track in Phoenix, staged a 150-nile race won by Buck Baker (2013) on January 22, 1956. The other 18 January premier series races were all run on the old 2.7-mile Riverside International Raceway road course in Southern California. 

 

On January 22, 1967, Parnelli Jones won the Motor Trend 500. Photo courtesy of NASCAR Archives & Research Center via Getty Images

 

7. Biggest January field

The 1967 Motor Trend 500 at Riverside International Raceway had a field of 46 cars, the largest of any premier series race ever run in January. Open-wheel ace Parnelli Jones drove a Bill Stroppe-owned Ford to victory over Paul Goldsmith and Norm Nelson.

 

6. Slowest January race

In the early days, premier series races at Riverside International Raceway were a full 500 miles, which made for long afternoons in the Southern California sun. In 1963, Dan Gurney won the Riverside 500 behind the wheel of the iconic No. 28 Holman-Moody Racing Ford frequently piloted by Fred Lorenzen (2015). It took Gurney 5 hours, 53 minutes and 20 seconds to go the distance, averaging 84.965 mph.

 

5. Fastest January race

In terms of average speed, the fastest January premier series race was the 1979 Winston Western 500 at Riverside International Raceway. Driving for DiGard Racing, Darrell Waltrip (2012) averaged 107.82 mph in a race that ran caution free. With the race distance shortened from the old 500 miles to 500 kilometers – about 312 miles – Waltrip needed just 2 hours, 53 minutes and 30 seconds to defeat fellow Hall of Famers David Pearson (2011) and Cale Yarborough (2012). 

 

4. Most January victories

Of the 18 races run in January at Riverside International Raceway, Dan Gurney won five of them, making him the biggest January winner in NASCAR history. Not coincidentally, all of Gurney’s career premier series wins were at Riverside. 

 

3. Hall of Famers who won January races

Seven NASCAR Hall of Fame inductees won premier series races in the month of January: Tim Flock (2014) in 1952; Buck Baker (2013) in 1956; Richard Petty (2010) in 1972; Cale Yarborough (2012) in 1974 and ‘78; Bobby Allison (2011) in 1975 and 1981; David Pearson (2011) in 1976 and ’77; and Darrell Waltrip (2012) in 1979 and ’80.

 

2. Most team wins in January

Wood Brothers Racing, the team founded by Hall of Famer Glen Wood (2012) in 1950, won five January races at Riverside International Raceway, with Dan Gurney in in 1964-66 and ’68 and David Pearson in 1976 and ’77.

 

Bobby Allison leads David Pearson, Richard Petty and the rest of the field at Riverside International Raceway in the 1975 Winston Western 500. Photo courtesy of NASCAR Archives & Research Center via Getty Images

 

1. Last January Race

On January 11, 1981, Bobby Allison (2011) won the Winston Western 500 at Riverside International Raceway, leading an all-Hall of Fame top five ahead of Terry Labonte (2016), Dale Earnhardt (2010), Richard Childress (2017) and Richard Petty (2010). NASCAR has not hosted a premier series race in January since that day 40 years ago.

The NASCAR Hall of Fame is open Wednesday through Monday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. To purchase tickets, go to nascarhall.com/tickets.

 

Source

NASCAR Hall Of Famers Coming to Auto Club Speedway

Meet & Greet – NASCAR Champions, Brothers Terry and Bobby Labonte

 

2016 NHF Terry Labonte

NASCAR Hall of Famers (NHF), Terry Labonte and Bobby Labonte, will be at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana on Sunday, October 13th, signing autographs from 12 p.m. – 2 p.m. as part of the California RV Show’s celebrity guest roster.

2020 NHF Bobby Labonte

The Labonte brothers have both raced at the famous two-mile speedway, and are one of only two pairs of brothers to have both won the NASCAR Cup championships (along with Kurt Busch and Kyle Busch).

In addition to the Labonte brothers guest appearance, former LA Dodger Steve Garvey will make an appearance on October 5th at 1 p.m. and former LA Laker and NBA Hall of Famer James Worthy will meet fans on October 6th at 2 p.m.

Auto Club Speedway is the new location for the 67th Annual California RV Show scheduled October 4-13, 2019 from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. The 10-day consumer event showcases over 1,000 new 2020 RVs from pop-up trailers to multi-million-dollar Class A’s and over 100 RVs available to test drive.

Where:

• Auto Club Speedway
• 9300 Cherry Avenue, Fontana, CA 92335

Cost:

• Tickets sold online  or at the gate
• The price of admission is $15 ($13 online) for adults, active military are free. 
• Kids 12 and under free. 
• Free onsite parking.

Website: https://www.californiarvshow.org

### Source: Auto Club Speedway PR

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(L-R)Former NASCAR driver, Terry Labonte, shakes hands with
2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion, Kyle Busch
(Photo by Streeter Lecka/NASCAR via Getty Images)

Terrance Lee "Terry" Labonte is a two-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (then known as the Winston Cup Series) champion and 1989 IROC champion.  He is the older brother of 2000 Winston Cup champion Bobby Labonte, and the father of former Nationwide Series driver Justin Labonte.

Now Terry can add "NASCAR Hall of Famer" to his resume.

Man, it's just an honor to be inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame. When you look at all the guys that have been in there and the accomplishments that they've had and the things that they've done, it's really quite a class to be with when you think about guys like Richard Petty and Cale Yarborough and Bruton Smith. Not all of them are drivers, but it's really pretty special being in the Hall of Fame.

You know, I don't think -- it doesn't matter what career you're in or what sport you're in or whatever, your goal is to never be in the Hall of Fame. You don't start out saying I want to be in the Hall of Fame someday. It's something that, you know, when you look back and you kind of race from week to week and season to season and you win some races and win some championships and when it's all over and said and done with and you're selected to be in the Hall of Fame, then that's quite an accomplishment. But it's something that you never -- it's never a goal of yours, but it's something to be awful proud of. - Terry Labonte