1970 Rebel 400
| Race details[1][2] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 10 of 48 in the 1970 NASCAR Grand National Series season | |||
 Layout of Darlington Raceway | |||
| Date | May 9, 1970 | ||
| Official name | Rebel 400 | ||
| Location | Darlington Raceway, Darlington, South Carolina | ||
| Course |
Permanent racing facility 1.375 mi (2.213 km) | ||
| Distance | 291 laps, 400.1 mi (643.9 km) | ||
| Weather | Hot with temperatures approaching 91.9 °F (33.3 °C); wind speeds up to 10.9 miles per hour (17.5 km/h) | ||
| Average speed | 129.688 miles per hour (208.713 km/h) | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Ray Nichels | ||
| Time | 27.264 | ||
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | David Pearson | Holman Moody | |
| Laps | 117 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 17 | David Pearson | Holman Moody | |
The 1970 Rebel 400 was a NASCAR Grand National Series (now Sprint Cup Series) event that was held on May 9, 1970, at Darlington Raceway in Darlington, South Carolina. Richard Petty had a huge crash in one of the laps. This inspired NASCAR to implement the Window net; a mandatory safety feature in today's NASCAR vehicles.
Summary
David Pearson defeated Dick Brooks by at least three laps in a racing session lasting three hours and five minutes. Bill Seifert finished in last-place due to him quitting the race on lap 3. Four cautions given out for a duration of 37 laps; with 20 changes for the first-place driver. Overall, there were three accidents and one accidental spin down turn 4. Bobby Isaac dominated the last half of the race but ended up in third place.[1]
Engine failures dominated a good portion of the race. Five drivers failed to qualify for the event; including two Ford drivers. Cale Yarborough would finish in 13th place despite losing control over his clutch on lap 250. Nearly 13% of the race was run under a caution flag. Each green flag lasted almost 51 laps on average.[1]
The race car drivers still had to commute to the races using the same stock cars that competed in a typical weekend's race through a policy of homologation (and under their own power). This policy was in effect until roughly 1975. By 1980, NASCAR had completely stopped tracking the year model of all the vehicles and most teams did not take stock cars to the track under their own power any more.
Top ten finishers
| Pos | Grid | No. | Driver | Manufacturer | Laps | Winnings | Laps led |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | 17 | David Pearson | Ford | 291 | $15,560 | 117 |
| 2 | 5 | 32 | Dick Brooks | Plymouth | 288 | $8,170 | 0 |
| 3 | 9 | 71 | Bobby Isaac | Dodge | 284 | $5,580 | 77 |
| 4 | 13 | 48 | James Hylton | Ford | 282 | $3,350 | 0 |
| 5 | 8 | 72 | Benny Parsons | Ford | 279 | $2,600 | 0 |
| 6 | 17 | 5 | Buddy Arrington | Dodge | 272 | $1,950 | 0 |
| 7 | 26 | 37 | Don Tarr | Dodge | 270 | $1,675 | 0 |
| 8 | 36 | 46 | Roy Mayne | Chevrolet | 267 | $1,500 | 0 |
| 9 | 21 | 25 | Jabe Thomas | Plymouth | 265 | $1,425 | 0 |
| 10 | 34 | 54 | Bill Dennis | Chevrolet | 261 | $1,350 | 0 |
Timeline
- Start of race: Charlie Glotzbach started the event with the pole position
- Lap 3: Jim Vandiver's engine gave out on him, Bill Seifert quit the race
- Lap 5: Bobby Allison took over the lead from Charlie Glotzbach
- Lap 11: Windshield issues managed to put a hamper on Larry Baumel's day
- Lap 29: Earl Brooks's vehicle developed bad vibrations, forcing him out of the race
- Lap 34: Dave Marcis' engine gave out on him
- Lap 37: Elmo Langley had issues with his vehicle's clutch
- Lap 67: Bobby Allison took over the lead from LeeRoy Yarbrough, Cecil Gordon's engine gave out on him
- Lap 73: Bobby Mausgrover's engine gave out on him
- Lap 82: David Pearson took over the lead from Bobby Allison
- Lap 96: Frank Warren's engine gave out on him
- Lap 108: Caution due to LeeRoy Yarbrough's accident, ended on lap 117
- Lap 113: David Pearson took over the lead from Pete Hamilton
- Lap 116: G.C. Spencer's engine gave out on him
- Lap 130: Caution due to a spun tire on turn 4, ended on lap 133
- Lap 132: Bobby Allison took over the lead from David Pearson
- Lap 134: Paul Connor's engine gave out on him
- Lap 136: Bill Champion's engine gave out on him
- Lap 146: Bobby Allison's engine gave out on him
- Lap 149: Caution due to Pete Hamilton's accident, ended on lap 155
- Lap 156: Bobby Isaac took over the lead from David Pearson
- Lap 176: Caution due to Richard Petty's accident, ended on lap 191
- Lap 181: David Pearson took over the lead from Bobby Isaac
- Lap 191: Bobby Isaac took over the lead from David Pearson
- Lap 206: Neil Castles had issues with his vehicle's clutch
- Lap 233: Wendell Scott had issues with his vehicle's clutch
- Lap 234: Buddy Baker's engine gave out on him
- Lap 238: David Pearson took over the lead from Bobby Isaac
- Lap 250: Cale Yarborough had issues with his vehicle's clutch
- Lap 256: Bobby Isaac took over the lead from David Pearson
- Lap 259: David Pearson took over the lead from Bobby Isaac
- Finish: David Pearson was officially declared the winner of the event
References
- 1 2 3 "1970 Rebel 400". Racing Reference. Retrieved July 2, 2014.
- ↑ "1970 Rebel 400 weather information". The Old Farmers' Almanac. Retrieved 2014-07-16.
| Preceded by 1970 Columbia 200 |
NASCAR Grand National races 1970 |
Succeeded by 1970 Beltsville 300 |