1977 World 600

The 1977 World 600, the 18th running of the event, was a NASCAR Winston Cup Series racing event that took place on May 29, 1977, at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina.

1977 World 600
Race details[1]
Race 13 of 30 in the 1977 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season
Layout of Charlotte Motor Speedway
Date May 29, 1977 (1977-May-29)
Official name World 600
Location Charlotte Motor Speedway, Concord, North Carolina
Course Permanent racing facility
1.500 mi (2.414 km)
Distance 400 laps, 600 mi (965 km)
Weather Temperatures reaching of 84.9 °F (29.4 °C); wind speeds of 6 miles per hour (9.7 km/h)
Average speed 137.676 miles per hour (221.568 km/h)
Attendance 115,000[2]
Pole position
Driver
Wood Brothers
Most laps led
Driver Richard Petty Petty Enterprises
Laps 311
Winner
No. 43 Richard Petty Petty Enterprises
Television in the United States
Network CBS
Announcers Ken Squier

Jim Stacy would become the owner of Krauskopf's NASCAR team after this event; with the famed red #71 Dodge getting repainted into the white #5. Neil Bonnett would stay on the team as driver.

The mega-hit movie Star Wars was released four days before this race.

Qualifying
Grid No. Driver Manufacturer
1 21David PearsonMercury
2 43Richard PettyDodge
3 11Cale YarboroughChevrolet
4 88Darrell WaltripChevrolet
5 1Donnie AllisonChevrolet
6 15Buddy BakerFord
7 72Benny ParsonsChevrolet
8 27Sam SommersChevrolet
9 92Skip ManningChevrolet
10 36Ron HutchersonChevrolet
11 12Bobby AllisonAMC Matador
12 49G.C. SpencerDodge
13 14Coo Coo MarlinChevrolet
14 71Neil BonnettDodge
15 54Lennie PondChevrolet

Summary

Forty drivers competed including Benny Parsons, Lennie Pond, Buddy Baker, Darrell Waltrip, and Neil Bonnett. After four hours and twenty-one minutes of racing, Richard Petty defeated polesitter David Pearson by 30.8 seconds in front of 115,000 people. There were 25 lead changes in this race and six cautions for 31 laps. The qualifying top speed was 161.435 miles per hour (259.804 km/h), the race average speed was 136.676 miles per hour (219.959 km/h). Last-place finisher Ramo Stott had engine trouble on lap 3 of the 400-lap race.[2]

Drivers who failed to qualify for this race were Rick Newsom and Bruce Jacobi.[2]

Dean Dalton was driving Henley Gray's car when it crashed on lap 64.[2] It looked a lot like Dean Dalton's car with a #19 painted on.

Bobby Allison relieved Benny Parsons for the latter part of the race.

Ricky Rudd would lead the first laps of his NASCAR Cup Series career during this race. Nord Krauskopf would retire as a NASCAR owner after this race;[3] he would sell his team to Jim Stacy and focus running on his insurance business (K&K Insurance) with his wife Theodora.

Pearson's next pole position start would be at the 1977 running of the National 500 (now Bank of America 500); which took place that October.[4]

Notable crew chiefs in the race were Tex Powell, Buddy Parrott, Jake Elder, Harry Hyde, Joey Arrington, Kirk Shelmerdine, Dale Inman, Tim Brewer, and Travis Carter.[5]

Timeline

Section reference: [2]

  • Start of race: David Pearson had an advantage over the rest of the starting grid as the green flag was waved.
  • Lap 3: Oil pressure issues forced Ramo Stott to become the last-place finisher.
  • Lap 63: Bobby Allison had to leave the race due to engine problems.
  • Lap 64: Henley Grey had a terminal crash.
  • Lap 87: Engine troubles eliminated Bobby Gale from the event.
  • Lap 168: Dave Marcis would be sidelined due to a faulty engine.
  • Lap 185: Ed Negre's vehicle developed engine problems.
  • Lap 186: A faulty oil pump eliminated D.K. Ulrich from the race.
  • Lap 219: Engine problems managed to knock Donnie Allison out of contention.
  • Lap 240: David Sisco would see his race day end prematurely due to engine failure.
  • Lap 266: Harry Gant's engine failed on this lap.
  • Lap 271: The axle on Terry Ryan's vehicle became unsafe, causing him to DNF with a 29th-place finish.
  • Lap 300: James Hylton's engine failed, causing him not to finish in the top-10.
  • Lap 333: Harold Miller's vehicle developed clutch issues, making him the final DNF of the event.
  • Finish: Richard Petty was officially declared the winner of the event.

Standings after the race
Pos Driver Points Differential
1 Cale Yarborough 2176 0
2 Richard Petty 2068 -108
3 Benny Parsons 2002 -174
4 Darrell Waltrip 1987 -189
5 Buddy Baker 1745 -431
6 Dick Brooks 1581 -595
7 Cecil Gordon 1565 -611
8 Richard Childress 1542 -634
9 Dave Marcis 1520 -656
10 James Hylton 1429 -747

References
  1. "1977 World 600 weather information". The Old Farmers Almanac. Retrieved 2012-06-26.
  2. "1977 World 600 racing information". Racing Reference. Retrieved 2011-08-07.
  3. "The End of Nord Krauskopf's Career and his Death". Freewebs. Archived from the original on 2012-10-24. Retrieved 2011-08-07.
  4. "David Pearson's pole position accomplishment". Scene Daily. Retrieved 2011-08-06.
  5. "1977 World 600 crew chiefs information". Racing Reference. Retrieved 2018-08-27.
Preceded by
1977 Mason-Dixon 500		 NASCAR Winston Cup Season
1977		 Succeeded by
1977 NAPA 400
Preceded by
1977 Atlanta 500		 Richard Petty's Career Wins
1960–1984		 Succeeded by
1977 NAPA 400
Preceded by
1976		 World 600 races
1977		 Succeeded by
1978
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