1970
SOUTHERN 500
AT DARLINGTON

The action highlights of the 1970 Southern 500 at Darlington are now available on a new 28-minute COLOR DVD from Rare Sportsfilms Inc! This race shows many of those fabulous winged Dodge Daytonas and Plymouth Superbirds! All the great drivers and racing personalities of a generation ago are shown, many in nice close-ups: Buddy Baker, Cale Yarborough, Richard Petty, Fred Lorenzen, David Pearson, Bobby and Donnie Allison, Banjo Matthews, the Wood brothers, Cotton Owens, Junior Johnson, Bobby Isaac and more!

The traditional parade in downtown Darlington is shown along with highlights of the annual Miss Southern 500 Beauty Pageant. Last year’s queen Susan Gordon crowns Nancy Mitchum of Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina, climaxing festivities on the night before the 500!

Defending Grand National Champion David Pearson is on the pole with Buddy Baker alongside and Bobby Allison and Charlie Glotzbach in the second row to start the race. After one lap, Pearson leads, with Baker second, Isaac up to third and Donnie Allison fourth. Benny Parsons’ crash on the 39th lap brings out the first caution and the leaders dive into the pits. During the race you’ll see pit stops by Bobby Allison, Pearson, Baker, Petty, Hamilton, Yarborough and Donnie Allison. After the re-start Donnie has the lead, followed by Cale, Baker and Isaac. Dick Brooks, an independent in the #32 Plymouth Superbird, is doing well in 6th just ahead of Pearson, with Petty and Pete in 8th and 9th. Cale later gets by Donnie, then Lorenzen spins down the backstretch bringing out another caution with over half the race run. When the race restarts, Donny is leading Cale until Allison scrapes the wall in turn one. Pearson also gets by Donnie, but soon he himself spins out on the backstretch! James Hylton also spins out, but will go on to finish 7th! The most spectacular wreck of the race occurs with only 36 laps to go. Buddy Baker leads Cale Yarborough on the backstretch when they both come up on slower traffic. Cale and Baker split the slower cars, but Cale, anxious to get back in line to enter the third turn, clips #18 Joe Frasson and goes out of control backwards and up on top of the infield guard rail! Cale is shown riding in the back of an ambulance after the wreck, which is replayed in slow motion. After the restart Baker leads with Donnie Allison and Bobby Isaac following. Donnie is challenging, but again drifts too high in turn one, the same place he had hit the wall, earlier. This time the damage is too severe to continue and Baker’s top challenger is now out of the race. Bobby Isaac is now second, with the Petty Superbirds of Pete Hamilton and Richard 3rd and 4th, but they are now more than a lap behind. Near the end of the race Pearson grabs 4th from Richard (overheating problems), while Buddy Baker becomes the first son of a former Darlington winner to drive into Victory Lane! Baker, with his wife and sons Brian (9) and Brandon (5), beams in the Winners circle, surrounded by photographers and the new Miss Southern 500 for 1970!