1975
DAYTONA 500

     The original film of the 1975 Daytona 500, won in thrilling fashion by fan-favorite Benny Parsons, has recently been restored by Rare Sportsfilms Inc., and is now available for the first time ever on home video! Almost the entire 23-minute full-COLOR video is devoted to the actual race and action on the track, although there are some brief closeups of several drivers, such as Johnny Rutherford, Bobby Allison, David Pearson, A.J. Foyt and of course, Parsons. Closeup shots before the race show the cars of Donnie Allison, Foyt, Cale Yarborough, Pearson, Richard Petty and Dick Brooks.

     The race gets underway with pole-sitter Donnie Allison being overtaken by David Pearson during the first lap. Charger A.J. Foyt, who starts 9th, is up to 5th after only 1 lap! The real action begins on lap 4, when Jim Vandiver loses control of his #99 Kaye Engineering Dodge in the third turn, creating a 9-car pile-up, involving Dick Trickle, Joe Mihalic, Bruce Hill, J.D. McDuffie (sent to the hospital with a broken breastbone), Grant Adcox, Dan Daughtry, Warren Tope and country singer Marty Robbins! Closeups of the wrecked cars of Vandiver, Mihalic, Trickle, Daughtry, Adcox and Hill are shown.

     Throughout the race, the color cameras zoom in to get closeup shots of many cars at speed on the track such as those of the Allisons, Pearson, Petty, Dick Brooks, Bruce Jacobi, Buddy Baker, David Marcis and Benny Parsons. Scenes of activity taking place behind the wall during the event show the crew changing engines in the #30 Walter Ballard Chevy, and a new waterpump being installed in #90 Dick Brooks' Junie Donlavey Ford!

     A spin by #08 Johnny Rutherford on a slick in turn four brings out the second caution and closeup pit action is shown on the cars of Cale Yarborough, Pearson, Petty, Bobby Allison, Bruce Jacobi, A.J. Foyt and Benny Parsons.

     From his 13th starting spot, a determined Buddy Baker charges into the lead, but a broken timing chain ruins his engine after 144 laps. On lap 162 the engine blows in Coo Coo Marlin's #14 Cunningham-Kelley Chevrolet, bringing out the final caution.

     As the exciting finish unfolds, leader Pearson is drafting with A.J. Foyt (who is almost a lap behind), and trying to stretch his lead over second place Benny Parsons. Richard Petty's #43 Dodge is actually the fastest car in the race, but too many pit stops for an overheating condition have put Richard several laps behind. After cooling down his radiator one final time in the pits, Richard returns to the race, and motions Parsons to follow him and catch Foyt & Pearson. Soon after, Pearson loses his drafting partner when Foyt blows his engine, leaving Parsons hung out by himself, but still with a good lead. The Petty/Parsons combo chops down Pearson's lead, however. With just three laps to go and Petty/Parsons hot on his tail, Pearson, trying to maneuver around the slower cars of Cale Yarborough and Richie Panch on the backstretch, taps Cale's rear and goes on a 2,000-foot slide down the backstretch infield! Benny Parsons, with Petty in front, goes flying by and into first place with two laps to go! Parsons wins his first superspeedway race and the biggest race of his career in one of the most exciting late-race come from behind efforts in history! Never before had a Daytona 500 winner come from so far back to win -Benny started 32nd!

     After the white #72 L.G. DeWitt Chevy is wheeled into victory lane, a happy Benny Parsons is shown with Miss Winston Bebop Hobel and a younger Bill Broderick of Unical!

     Now you can get your own COLOR copy of this great race, never available on home video before, for only $24.95 plus $5.00 shipping & handling (Illinois residents must add $2.00 sales tax!)