Huntington Herald-Dispatch
Petty Laps Allison To Win West Virginia 500
By Gaylen Duskey
Herald-Dispatch Sports Writer
August 9, 1971
Richard Petty again reigns as the king of stock car racing in West Virginia.
Petty, winning for the third straight time at International Raceway Park, drove his 1970 Plymouth Roadrunner through the traffic jungle at IRP to take a one and one-half lap victory over Bobby Allison Sunday. Petty received $2,300 for his victory and pushed his season winnings to $190,155.
James Hylton finished third, five laps back, Tiny Lund was fourth and Cecil Gordon fifth in the field of 35. A total of 14 drivers finished the race.
The expected "father-son" confrontation between Buck and Buddy Baker failed to materialize when the younger Baker's car failed to arrive.
Allison driving a 1970 Mustang, grabbed the pole position with a qualifying time of 18.783 and Petty took the second spot with a time of 18.944 on the 7-16 mile oval.
Allison, bidding for two wins in a row over Petty, grabbed an early lead and maintained it for 29 laps before giving way to Petty. Friday night at Winston-Salem, N. C., Allison captured the Bowman-Gray Classic in the first race between Grand American's "Pony Cars" and the Grand National cars.
Petty held his slim lead until the 53rd lap when he and Allison made pit stops during a caution period after Randy Hutcherson's car stalled. All told the two exchanged the lead a total of 13 times.
Terry Lund driving a Camaro took the lead on the 54th lap and held it until the 75th when Allison vaulted back into the lead.
After playing "bump and run" with Allison for several laps, Petty took the lead on the 148th lap.
It then became a two-car race between Petty and Allison as only two to three car lengths separated them for the next 80 laps.
On the 234th lap Allison passed Petty and held the lead until the 263rd, when Petty regained the lead.
Allison passed Petty in the 299th lap and held it until the 316th. A wreck by Gordon Burkett brought out the caution flags again on the 348th lap, and Allison moved into the lead the next lap while Petty was in the pits taking on gas and changing tires.
Allison built a one lap lead while Petty's Plymouth was being serviced, but the more powerful Roadrunner caught up with Allison's Mustang on the 378th lap.
The two racers joustled [sic] each other for the next three laps before Petty bumped and passed Allison on the 382nd lap.
The action was marred once again on the 430th lap when Buck Baker's Pointac [sic] Firebird blew an engine. In an attempt to miss Baker, Hutcherson smacked his car into the wall and was forced out of action. Lund also skidded onto the greasy area, but was able to continue.
Allison took his last lead on the 420th lap and held on for four laps before Petty regained the lead and pulled away to win.
1. Richard Petty 70 Plymouth, 500 laps, average 73.805 miles per hour per lap, $2,300
2. Bobby Allison, 70 Mustang, 498, $1,500
3. James Hylton, 70 Ford, 495, $950
4. Tiny Lund, 69 Camaro, 493, $750
5. Cecil Gordon, 69 Mercury, 482, $550
6. Jim Paschal, 70 Javelin, 477, $550
7. Gary Myers, 70 Mustang, 474, $500
8. Walter Ballard, 71 Ford, 468, $490
9. Bill Champion, 70 Ford, 468, $480
10. Jabe Thomas, 70 Plymouth, 457, $470
11. Earl Brooks, 69 Ford, 459, $460
12. J. D. McDuffie, 69 Mercury, 452, $440
13. Wendell Scott, 69 Ford, 432, $430
14. Bobby Mausgrover, 69 Dodge, 424, $420
15. Joe Dean Huss, 69 Camaro, 417, $410
16. Buck Baker, 70 Pontiac, 413, $400
17. Randy Hutcherson, 69 Cam., 364, $390
18. Neil Castles, 70 Dodge, 312, $380
19. Jimmy Vaughn, 69 Camaro, 266, $370
20. John Sears, 69 Dodge, 224, $360
21. Gordon Birkett, 69 Chevelle, 220, $350
22. Ed Negre, 69 Ford, 214, $340
23. Wayne Andrews, 71 Mustang, 206, $330
24. Bill Seifert, 69 Ford, 187, $330
25. Elmo Langley, 71 Ford, 141, $320
26. Junior Spencer, 69 Camaro, 112, $310
27. Charlie Glotzbach, 69 Camaro, 100, $300
28. Pee Wee Wentz, 69 Camaro, 100, $300
29. Raymond Williams, 70 Ford, 48, $300
30. Al Straub, 71 Mustang, 48, $300
31. Frank Warren, 69 Dodge, 47, $300
32. Bill Shirey, 69 Plymouth, 31, $300
33. Bobby Brewer, 69 Camaro, 25, $300
34. Paul Tyler, 69 Dodge, 11, $300
35. Gerald Churchill, 1, $300