NASCAR Bobby Isaac

7 posts

Throwback Thursday – A Big Day at Bristol in 1969

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series

1969volunteer500pettypearson

Where were you the day that man first stepped foot on the moon?

If you were Richard Petty, you were helping rival David Pearson drive the No. 17 Ford to victory lane at Bristol Motor Speedway – then called Bristol International Speedway.

The 1969 Volunteer 500 on July 20, was just hours before ‘one small step’ captivated mankind. It was the first Bristol race on the new, high-banked configuration put in by track owner Larry Carrier, who wanted the fastest half-mile track in the world.  Continue reading →

Throwback Thursday: NASCAR Hall of Fame Nominee Isaac has ‘Big’ Win in Texas

NASCAR NASCAR Hall of Fame

BobbyIsaac

In a record-setting season, one race stood above all for NASCAR Hall of Fame (NHOF) nominee Bobby Isaac. Despite setting a still-standing NASCAR record with 19 pole awards and winning a career-high 17 races, Isaac most cherished his 1969 season-ending victory at Texas World Speedway.

The two-mile track in College Station, Texas, was built as a ‘sister track’ to Michigan International Speedway, which also hosted its first NASCAR premier series race in 1969.  Its inaugural race, the Texas 500, was dominated by NHOF nominee Buddy Baker who led 150 laps in a Cotton Owens owned Dodge.  Baker coughed up the potential victory, however, when he crashed under caution trying to read the pit board with 21 laps remaining. Isaac was in position to snatch the win, and led 19 of the final 21 laps to end the season in Victory Lane.  Continue reading →

The ‘Dega a Chase Wildcard

NASCAR Rich Sprint Cup Series

By Rich Foust

The Chase enters its fourth race at the track that, in the blink of an eye, can make or break the dreams of a championship for any driver and his team.

Talladega Superspeedway is located north of Talladega, Alabama, on ground formerly known as Anniston Air force base.

This track is a tri-oval and is known for its steep banking and unusual location of the start finish line. Talladega is NASCAR’s longest track at 2.66 miles. Turns 1 and 2 are banked at 33 degrees, turn 3 at 32.4 degrees, turn 4 at 32.5 degrees and the back straight is at a mere 3 degrees .

The lap record was set in 1987 by Bill Elliott at 44.998 seconds and still stands unchallenged today.

Originally named Alabama International Motor Speedway, the track opened on September 13, 1969, at a cost of 4 million dollars.

The first race at Talladega did not go as planed due to tire issues. Most all drivers walked away from their cars and substitute drivers filled those seats, except for Bobby Isaac, who ran his qualifying laps, before climbing out of his car to never return again. Although there were many issues during the race, it ended in a historic three-wide finish, with Richard Brickhouse as the winner.

Other drivers to get their first win at Talladega are Brian Vickers and Brad Keselowski.

‘Dega, as it’s affectionately called, is known for its high speed chess match type of racing. Tight, close racing, more often then not, leads to “The Big One,” which looms over every driver’s mind from the green flag to the inevitable crash that can take out half the field.

As a by-product of this style of racing, the race this Sunday at Talladega, could be a game changer for all Chase contenders – good or bad.

So fans, put some extra padding on the edge of your chair, because it’s more than likely, this is where you’ll spend most of the race this weekend. Talladega is the most exciting, yet unpredictable race of The Chase.

Ask Rich your NASCAR technical questions and he’ll answer them in his weekly blog.  Reply below with your question or via email to Rich@ChicagolandFans4Racing.com