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1978
"WINSTON 500"
AT TALLADEGA
The original film of the 1978 Winston 500 at Talladega May 14, 1978 has been restored by Rare Sportsfilms and is now available on video in COLOR! Almost the entire 23-minute video is devoted to the actual race and the action on the track, although there are close-ups of several drivers, such as Richard Petty, A.J. Foyt, Neil Bonnett, Dick Brooks, Benny Parsons, Donnie Allison, Lennie Pond, David Pearson, Buddy Baker, Ferrell Harris and of course, race winner Cale Yarborough! Before the race, as well as throughout, there are brief interviews with drivers Darrell Waltrip, Yarborough, Petty, and Skip Manning, driver of the #92 Billy Hagan Buick, which has an in-car camera for the race! Narrated by Ken Squire, the tape shows close-ups of several cars, such as those driven by Bonnett, Ferrell Harris, Parsons, Pond, Dave Marcus, Donnie Allison, Waltrip and winner Yarborough.
As the race gets underway, the camera car of second-row starter Skip Manning leads the pack out of the second turn and down the backstretch, where it is shown being overtaken by Dick Brooks and Benny Parsons. Parsons then passes Brooks to lead at the end of the first lap. Pole-sitter Yarborough passes Parsons at the start-finish line to lead the second lap, with Allison third and Lennie Pond fourth. On lap four, Coo Coo Marlin's #14 Cunningham-Kelley Chevrolet blows on the backstretch and the Tennessee campaigner is the first driver out of the race. After this first caution, Yarborough is leading Parsons, Waltrip and Donnie Allison, but before the lap is finished, Darrell takes the lead.
Even though there are five cautions during the day, it's a relatively smooth race with no major accidents. However, two big wrecks from previous years at Talladega are shown!
During the early part of the race, Richard Petty, who hasn't won a race in nearly a year, goes from 5th to first and back to third - all in one lap! After 51 laps David Pearson, in the #21 Wood Brothers Mercury, is out with overheating problems. On lap 134, Blackie Wangerlin in his #39 Mercury hits the wall in turn one! A blown engine causes him to spin in his own oil and crash. Of course, this brings in the leaders for pit stops and you'll see work done on the cars of Buddy Baker, Petty, Cale and Donnie Allison. When the green flag comes out again it's Baker leading Donnie with Waltrip third. But Darrell, with Yarborough in tow, takes the lead by the fourth turn. With less than 25 laps to go, Donnie Allison, in the #1 Hoss Ellington Chevy is out with a blown engine. Soon Darrell Waltrip is out with a blown engine also. On lap 168, Lennie Pond's engine in the #54 Harry Ranier Chevrolet lets go, spinning him out in turn two. By the time final pit stops are over, most of the contenders have fallen by the wayside and after Yarborough beats Baker out of the pits, the two battle it out the rest of the way. Baker leads most of the last 11 laps, but Cale waits patiently until the fourth turn of the final lap to make his pass for the lead, and wins at an average speed of 159 MPH! Altogether, there were 44 lead changes among 8 drivers. Cale is interviewed by Ned Jarrett in victory lane and collects a winner's share of $ 34,300!
Now you can get your own color copy of this rare film now on home video for the first time ever! Send $24.95 + $5.00 for shipping and handling! (Illinois residents must add $2.00 tax).
"RARE SPORTSFILMS N",
1126 Tennyson Lane,
Naperville, IL 60540
(630) 527-8890
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