1970 Tidewater 300
Encyclopedia
The 1970 Tidewater 300 was the final NASCAR
racing event held during its Grand National era at Langley Field Speedway
(located in Hampton
, Virginia
, USA
) on November 22, 1970. This track was a paved oval track spanning 0.395 mile (0.6356893 km)
issues and the need to increase the total amount of winnings
for each qualifying participant required NASCAR to accept a major corporate sponsor to bankroll what will become multimillion dollar purses by the end of the 20th century. Like all races done before the 1973 oil crisis
, the stock cars were considered to be the same vehicles that the drivers drove to the racetrack in. Homologation rules would remain strict until approximately 1975 when the NASCAR teams would abandon the Detroit factories and set up their own race car factories in the South Carolina area.
The race was decided in a time of one hour and forty minutes. Bobby Allison
(a driver/owner sponsoring Coca-Cola
) was declared the race winner. There were two cautions (for ten laps) and 3,200 people attended this 300 lap (118.5 miles) race. Speeds approached 69.584 mi/h as the average and 78.239 mi/h for the pole position speed. The margin of victory was only one hundred yards (the equivalent of a football
field as used by the National Football League
). Other top participants were Benny Parsons
(with his first career pole position), Pete Hamilton
, John Sears, James Hylton
, Neil Castles
, Elmo Langley
, J.D. McDuffie
, Frank Warren
, and Jabe Thomas
. Out of the thirty drivers who competed at the start, only twenty managed to complete the race. The top prize of the race was $1,635 ($ in today's money) and the prize for thirtieth place was $200 ($ in today's money). Total winnings were considered to be $10,015 ($ in today's money). Benny Parsons and Bobby Allison were constantly competing for the lead in parts of the race. Most of the vehicles that failed to finish the race were due to problems in their engine
.
Roy Tyner would race his final NASCAR Cup series race here. Unfortunately, it would also be the last race ever for Langley Field. Even though the race was more than 300 miles, it was not considered to be modern enough for the evolving vehicles of what would become the NASCAR Winston Cup Series the following year. Many of the "pioneer race courses" did not survive NASCAR's abbreviated schedule as the organizers believed that the older tracks were not modern enough for the faster and newer vehicles.
* Driver failed to finish race
conglomerate R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company would become the main sponsor the following season with their Winston
cigarette brand. Using their once-abundant profit margin
they acquired while getting America's adult smokers to use their products on a habitual basis, the new primary sponsor would help bring NASCAR into its "modern era." This would bring about the unintended consequences of non-automotive sponsors into the sport. An increasing level of media coverage outside of the American Deep South
would also help to bring the sport into the modern era.
Giveaway products in later years like T-shirt
s, knives
, and cigarette lighters
were often used as merchandise items handed out by American variety stores. All the customer had to was purchase a carton of Winston cigarettes and the bonus item would be added free of charge. All other cigarette products would not allow the customer to acquire free NASCAR merchandise because only the Winston brand was considered the official tobacco product of NASCAR. Unlike the more expensive items like jackets, merchandise from the main sponsor often dealt with NASCAR in general and never with a specific driver.
when a telecommunications company known as Nextel Communications
would take over due to declining North American tobacco sales in the 21st century. This would force the Winston Cup Series (also known as the Winston Cup Grand National Series prior to circa 1985) to change its name to the Nextel Cup Series. Computer games released from 2005 to the present day (i.e., NASCAR 2005: Chase for the Cup
, NASCAR SimRacing
) were allowed to use the name of NASCAR's premier racing series without having to use an ambiguous title because tobacco was no longer involved in its sponsorship. After a few years, the Nextel company would merge with another telecommunications company to form the Sprint Nextel
company. This new corporate sponsor would take over primary sponsorship starting in 2008
(making it necessary to change the name of the Nextel Cup Series into the Sprint Cup Series).
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
racing event held during its Grand National era at Langley Field Speedway
Langley Field Speedway
Langley Field Speedway was a NASCAR race track located in Hampton, Virginia that was involved in Sprint Cup Series racing from 1964 to 1970. The speedway was also used for NASCAR Nationwide Series races from 1984 to 1988. Richard Petty won two of his races here. Other winners for this track...
(located in Hampton
Hampton, Virginia
Hampton is an independent city that is not part of any county in Southeast Virginia. Its population is 137,436. As one of the seven major cities that compose the Hampton Roads metropolitan area, it is on the southeastern end of the Virginia Peninsula. Located on the Hampton Roads Beltway, it hosts...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
) on November 22, 1970. This track was a paved oval track spanning 0.395 mile (0.6356893 km)
Summary
Considered to be the 48th event of the 1970 season, this race was the final race of an unregulated stock car racing organization without a corporate sponsor. EconomicEconomy
An economy consists of the economic system of a country or other area; the labor, capital and land resources; and the manufacturing, trade, distribution, and consumption of goods and services of that area...
issues and the need to increase the total amount of winnings
Prize money
Prize money has a distinct meaning in warfare, especially naval warfare, where it was a monetary reward paid out to the crew of a ship for capturing an enemy vessel...
for each qualifying participant required NASCAR to accept a major corporate sponsor to bankroll what will become multimillion dollar purses by the end of the 20th century. Like all races done before the 1973 oil crisis
1973 oil crisis
The 1973 oil crisis started in October 1973, when the members of Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries or the OAPEC proclaimed an oil embargo. This was "in response to the U.S. decision to re-supply the Israeli military" during the Yom Kippur war. It lasted until March 1974. With the...
, the stock cars were considered to be the same vehicles that the drivers drove to the racetrack in. Homologation rules would remain strict until approximately 1975 when the NASCAR teams would abandon the Detroit factories and set up their own race car factories in the South Carolina area.
The race was decided in a time of one hour and forty minutes. Bobby Allison
Bobby Allison
Robert Arthur Allison is a former NASCAR Winston Cup driver and was named one of NASCAR's 50 greatest drivers. His two sons, Clifford Allison and Davey Allison followed him into racing, and both died within a year of each other....
(a driver/owner sponsoring Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola is a carbonated soft drink sold in stores, restaurants, and vending machines in more than 200 countries. It is produced by The Coca-Cola Company of Atlanta, Georgia, and is often referred to simply as Coke...
) was declared the race winner. There were two cautions (for ten laps) and 3,200 people attended this 300 lap (118.5 miles) race. Speeds approached 69.584 mi/h as the average and 78.239 mi/h for the pole position speed. The margin of victory was only one hundred yards (the equivalent of a football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
field as used by the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
). Other top participants were Benny Parsons
Benny Parsons
Benjamin Stewart Parsons was an American NASCAR driver, and later an announcer/analyst on TBS, ESPN, NBC and TNT...
(with his first career pole position), Pete Hamilton
Pete Hamilton
Pete Hamilton is a retired American NASCAR racer. He won four times in his career , three times driving for Petty Enterprises. His father was a Ph.D. from Harvard University....
, John Sears, James Hylton
James Hylton
James Harvey Hylton is a part-time race car driver. He is a two-time winner in NASCAR and competes in the ARCA RE/MAX Series,finishing 16th in points in 2006. He made headlines while attempting to qualify for the 2007 Daytona 500 at age 72...
, Neil Castles
Neil Castles
Neil "Soapy" Castles is a retired NASCAR Grand National and Winston Cup Series driver that participate from 1957 to 1976.-History:...
, Elmo Langley
Elmo Langley
Elmo Langley was a NASCAR driver and owner. Langley primarily used the number "64" on his race cars during his NASCAR career.-Racing career:...
, J.D. McDuffie
J.D. McDuffie
John Delphus McDuffie was a NASCAR Winston Cup driver. He raced in the top division of NASCAR from 1963 to 1991. McDuffie had 106 top-tens in his Cup Series career...
, Frank Warren
Frank Warren (NASCAR driver)
Frank Warren is a retired NASCAR Winston Cup Series driver who raced from 1963 to 1980.Out of 88863 laps finished in his career, Warren had led 72 of them. Warren's total career earnings were $625,886 and while his average finish was 20th place in his entire career. The total amount of miles...
, and Jabe Thomas
Jabe Thomas
Cerry Ezra "Jabe" Thomas is a retired NASCAR Grand National and Winston Cup Series driver who competed from the mid 1960s through the late 1970s. His son Ronnie was also a NASCAR Cup Series driver; competing from 1977 to 1989.-Career:Thomas drove 75243 laps of racing and earned $295,497 in total...
. Out of the thirty drivers who competed at the start, only twenty managed to complete the race. The top prize of the race was $1,635 ($ in today's money) and the prize for thirtieth place was $200 ($ in today's money). Total winnings were considered to be $10,015 ($ in today's money). Benny Parsons and Bobby Allison were constantly competing for the lead in parts of the race. Most of the vehicles that failed to finish the race were due to problems in their engine
Engine
An engine or motor is a machine designed to convert energy into useful mechanical motion. Heat engines, including internal combustion engines and external combustion engines burn a fuel to create heat which is then used to create motion...
.
Roy Tyner would race his final NASCAR Cup series race here. Unfortunately, it would also be the last race ever for Langley Field. Even though the race was more than 300 miles, it was not considered to be modern enough for the evolving vehicles of what would become the NASCAR Winston Cup Series the following year. Many of the "pioneer race courses" did not survive NASCAR's abbreviated schedule as the organizers believed that the older tracks were not modern enough for the faster and newer vehicles.
Finishing order
- Bobby Allison
- Benny Parsons (only other vehicle to finish race on lead lap)
- Pete Hamilton
- John Sears
- James Hylton
- Neil Castles
- Elmo Langley
- J.D. McDuffie
- Frank Warren
- Jabe Thomas
- Friday HasslerFriday HasslerRaymond "Friday" Hassler was a NASCAR Grand National and Winston Cup Series driver.-Summary:He made his debut in 1960 but only drove a handful of races per year until 1967 when he drove 21 of the 49 races for Red Sharp and finished 32nd in points. He improved to 27th for Sharp the next year and...
- Bill ChampionBill ChampionBuford Billy Champion , is a retired American professional baseball player, a right-handed pitcher who played in 202 games in the Major Leagues from -. He would play for the Milwaukee Brewers and Philadelphia Phillies.-External links:...
- Joe FrassonJoe FrassonJoseph "Joe" Frasson is a retired NASCAR Winston Cup Series driver with four finishes in the top five and nineteen finishes in the top ten under his belt. He has experienced 20284 laps of racing and an overall career windfall of $148,930...
- Jim VandiverJim VandiverJim Vandiver is a retired NASCAR Winston Cup driver that raced from 1968 to 1983.-Summary:...
- Henley GrayHenley GrayHenley Gray is a retired NASCAR Winston Cup Series driver whose career spanned from 1964 to 1977.-Summary:...
- Bill ShireyBill ShireyBill Shirey is a retired NASCAR Winston Cup Series driver who accomplished three finishes in the "top ten" and has driven for 9588 laps - the equivalent of . He started 24th on average and also finished an average of 24th place...
- Rodney Bruce (the only BuickBuickBuick is a premium brand of General Motors . Buick models are sold in the United States, Canada, Mexico, China, Taiwan, and Israel, with China being its largest market. Buick holds the distinction as the oldest active American make...
entry in the race) - Bill Holar
- Wendell ScottWendell ScottWendell Oliver Scott was an American stock car racing driver from Danville, Virginia. He is the only black driver to win a race in what is now the Sprint Cup Series. According to a 2008 biography of Scott, he broke the color barrier in Southern stock car racing on May 23, 1952, at the Danville...
- Dave MarcisDave MarcisDave Marcis is a retired driver on the NASCAR Winston Cup circuit whose career spanned five decades. Marcis won five times over this tenure, twice at Richmond, including his final win in 1982...
(lowest finishing driver to finish the race) - Joe Phipps*
- Jimmy CrawfordJimmy Crawford (NASCAR driver)Jimmy Crawford was a retired NASCAR Winston Cup Series driver who raced in 15 different races in his five-year career . While failing to win a race, Crawford has managed to experience of top-level stock car racing...
*† - Bobby IsaacBobby IsaacBobby Isaac is a former NASCAR Grand National champion.-Early life:Isaac grew up on a farm near Catawba, North Carolina, the second youngest of nine children...
* - Cecil GordonCecil GordonCecil Gordon was a NASCAR driver. He is not related to Sprint Cup driver Jeff Gordon although the two drivers drove in car number 24....
* - Ben Arnold* (lowest finishing ChevroletChevroletChevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918...
vehicle) - Roy TynerRoy TynerWilliam Leroy "Roy" Tyner was a retired Native American NASCAR Grand National driver from Red Springs, North Carolina, USA.-Driver:...
* - Bill DennisBill DennisBill Dennis is a former NASCAR driver and rookie of the year in the Grand National Series .-Racing career:...
* - Larry BaumelLarry BaumelLarry Baumel is a retired NASCAR Winston Cup Series driver whose career spanned from 1969 to 1971.-Summary:...
* - Don TarrDon TarrDonald "Don" James Tarr was a Welsh international hooker who played club rugby for Swansea and Cardiff, county rugby for Hampshire and invitational rugby for the Barbarians...
* - Dick MayDick MayDick May was a NASCAR driver who competed in 185 races in the NASCAR Grand National/Winston Cup between 1967 and 1985....
* (lowest finishing FordFord Motor CompanyFord Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
vehicle)
* Driver failed to finish race
Sponsorship
After years of not needing a primary sponsor, the Big TobaccoBig Tobacco
Big Tobacco is a pejorative term often applied to the tobacco industry in general, or more particularly to the "big three" tobacco corporations in the United States: Philip Morris , Reynolds American and Lorillard...
conglomerate R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company would become the main sponsor the following season with their Winston
Winston (cigarette)
Winston cigarettes are manufactured by R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company or its newer incarnation as RJR Nabisco and/or its affiliates.The brand was introduced in 1954, and became the best-selling brand of cigarettes in the United States...
cigarette brand. Using their once-abundant profit margin
Profit margin
Profit margin, net margin, net profit margin or net profit ratio all refer to a measure of profitability. It is calculated by finding the net profit as a percentage of the revenue.Net profit Margin = x100...
they acquired while getting America's adult smokers to use their products on a habitual basis, the new primary sponsor would help bring NASCAR into its "modern era." This would bring about the unintended consequences of non-automotive sponsors into the sport. An increasing level of media coverage outside of the American Deep South
Deep South
The Deep South is a descriptive category of the cultural and geographic subregions in the American South. Historically, it is differentiated from the "Upper South" as being the states which were most dependent on plantation type agriculture during the pre-Civil War period...
would also help to bring the sport into the modern era.
Giveaway products in later years like T-shirt
T-shirt
A T-shirt is a style of shirt. A T-shirt is buttonless and collarless, with short sleeves and frequently a round neck line....
s, knives
Knife
A knife is a cutting tool with an exposed cutting edge or blade, hand-held or otherwise, with or without a handle. Knives were used at least two-and-a-half million years ago, as evidenced by the Oldowan tools...
, and cigarette lighters
Lighter
A lighter is a portable device used to generate a flame. It consists of a metal or plastic container filled with a flammable fluid or pressurized liquid gas, a means of ignition, and some provision for extinguishing the flame.- History :...
were often used as merchandise items handed out by American variety stores. All the customer had to was purchase a carton of Winston cigarettes and the bonus item would be added free of charge. All other cigarette products would not allow the customer to acquire free NASCAR merchandise because only the Winston brand was considered the official tobacco product of NASCAR. Unlike the more expensive items like jackets, merchandise from the main sponsor often dealt with NASCAR in general and never with a specific driver.
Distant changes
Reynolds' premier cigarette brand would remain as NASCAR's top sponsor until 20042004 in NASCAR
The 2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup season began on Saturday, February 7 and ended on Sunday, November 21. Kurt Busch with Roush Racing driving a Ford was the Nextel Cup champion....
when a telecommunications company known as Nextel Communications
Nextel Communications
Nextel Communications, commonly styled NEXTEL and formerly traded on the NASDAQ as NXTL, now a part of the Sprint Nextel Corporation, was a United States telecommunications firm operating a nationwide push to talk mobile communications system. Unlike other mobile networks, the Nextel network...
would take over due to declining North American tobacco sales in the 21st century. This would force the Winston Cup Series (also known as the Winston Cup Grand National Series prior to circa 1985) to change its name to the Nextel Cup Series. Computer games released from 2005 to the present day (i.e., NASCAR 2005: Chase for the Cup
NASCAR 2005: Chase for the Cup
NASCAR 2005: Chase for the Cup is the eighth installment of the EA Sports' NASCAR video game series. It was developed by EA Tiburon and released on August 31, 2004 for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox and on September 4, 2004 for the GameCube. NASCAR 2005 is the first game in the series to drop the word...
, NASCAR SimRacing
NASCAR SimRacing
NASCAR SimRacing, abbreviated NSR, is a computer racing simulator developed by EA Tiburon and released on February 15, 2005, by EA Sports for the PC. The game includea all of the 2004 NEXTEL Cup Series tracks except Pocono Raceway, which was also absent from NASCAR 2005 , for unknown reasons...
) were allowed to use the name of NASCAR's premier racing series without having to use an ambiguous title because tobacco was no longer involved in its sponsorship. After a few years, the Nextel company would merge with another telecommunications company to form the Sprint Nextel
Sprint Nextel
Sprint Nextel Corporation is an American telecommunications company based in Overland Park, Kansas. The company owns and operates Sprint, the third largest wireless telecommunications network in the United States, with 53.4 million customers, behind Verizon Wireless and AT&T Mobility...
company. This new corporate sponsor would take over primary sponsorship starting in 2008
2008 in NASCAR
There were three NASCAR national series in 2008:*2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series - The top racing series in NASCAR*2008 NASCAR Nationwide Series - The second-tier NASCAR racing series*2008 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series - The third-tier NASCAR racing series...
(making it necessary to change the name of the Nextel Cup Series into the Sprint Cup Series).