1980 Firecracker 400
Encyclopedia
The 1980 Firecracker 400 was a NASCAR
-sanctioned race where one hundred and sixty laps of stock car racing would result in a final win for Mercury
in the Winston Cup Series (now Sprint Cup Series) before the manufacturer was "legislated out of NASCAR" due to rule changes reducing the wheelbase of the tire
s from 110 inches (9.2 ft) to 105 inches (8.8 ft).
Bobby Allison
would be the final driver to win for the Mercury brand name for the Ford Motor Company
; he would beat David Pearson by six car lengths. Other notable competitors included Dale Earnhardt
, Richard Petty
, Richard Childress
and Bill Elliott
. The event took place at Daytona International Speedway
on July 4
, 1980. Many sponsors like Burger King
, NAPA
and Pepsi
are still sponsoring today's stock car vehicles. Out of forty participants, eleven competitors failed to finish the race. Cale Yarborough
would be credited for finishing last place with an overheated engine
. The race took two hours, eighteen minutes, and eleven seconds to complete. All drivers were born in the United States of America
with no foreign drivers like Juan Pablo Montoya
and Marcos Ambrose
in the grid.
Safety regulations made within the 1980s and 1990s would slow down the speed of vehicles in both the Firecracker 400
and the Daytona 500
. The average speed for this race was 173.473 mi/h while the pole position speed was 194.67 mi/h. Three cautions were given out for eleven laps. Fifty-four thousand people attended this live event from the start of the race to the finish. Out of the forty drivers in the grid, ten of them would fail to finish the race due to car problems.
* Driver failed to finish race
† signifies that the driver is known to be deceased
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...
-sanctioned race where one hundred and sixty laps of stock car racing would result in a final win for Mercury
Mercury (automobile)
Mercury was an automobile marque of the Ford Motor Company launched in 1938 by Edsel Ford, son of Henry Ford, to market entry-level luxury cars slotted between Ford-branded regular models and Lincoln-branded luxury vehicles, similar to General Motors' Buick brand, and Chrysler's namesake brand...
in the Winston Cup Series (now Sprint Cup Series) before the manufacturer was "legislated out of NASCAR" due to rule changes reducing the wheelbase of the tire
Tire
A tire or tyre is a ring-shaped covering that fits around a wheel rim to protect it and enable better vehicle performance by providing a flexible cushion that absorbs shock while keeping the wheel in close contact with the ground...
s from 110 inches (9.2 ft) to 105 inches (8.8 ft).
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....
would be the final driver to win for the Mercury brand name for the Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company
Ford 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...
; he would beat David Pearson by six car lengths. Other notable competitors included Dale Earnhardt
Dale Earnhardt
Ralph Dale Earnhardt, Sr. was an American race car driver, best known for his involvement in stock car racing for NASCAR...
, Richard Petty
Richard Petty
Richard Lee Petty is a former NASCAR driver who raced in the Strictly Stock/Grand National Era and the NASCAR Winston Cup Series...
, Richard Childress
Richard Childress
Richard Childress is a former NASCAR driver and the current team owner of Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup series. As a business entrepreneur, Childress became one of the wealthiest men in North Carolina...
and Bill Elliott
Bill Elliott
William Clyde "Bill" Elliott , also known as Awesome Bill from Dawsonville or Million Dollar Bill, is a part-time driver and former champion of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Elliott was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America on August 15, 2007. He won the 1988 NASCAR Winston Cup...
. The event took place at Daytona International Speedway
Daytona International Speedway
Daytona International Speedway is a race track in Daytona Beach, Florida, United States. Since opening in 1959, it has been the home of the Daytona 500, one of the most prestigious races in NASCAR. In addition to NASCAR, the track also hosts races of ARCA, AMA Superbike, Grand-Am and Motocross...
on July 4
Independence Day (United States)
Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain...
, 1980. Many sponsors like Burger King
Burger King
Burger King, often abbreviated as BK, is a global chain of hamburger fast food restaurants headquartered in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The company began in 1953 as Insta-Burger King, a Jacksonville, Florida-based restaurant chain...
, NAPA
National Automotive Parts Association
The National Automotive Parts Association was founded in 1925 to meet America's growing need for an auto parts distribution system. It is a retailers' cooperative that distributes parts to both corporately and independently owned auto parts stores.NAPA's parent company is Genuine Parts Company , ...
and Pepsi
Pepsi
Pepsi is a carbonated soft drink that is produced and manufactured by PepsiCo...
are still sponsoring today's stock car vehicles. Out of forty participants, eleven competitors failed to finish the race. Cale Yarborough
Cale Yarborough
William Caleb "Cale" Yarborough , is a farmer, businessman and former NASCAR Winston Cup Series driver and owner. He is one of only two drivers in NASCAR history to win three consecutive championships...
would be credited for finishing last place with an overheated 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...
. The race took two hours, eighteen minutes, and eleven seconds to complete. All drivers were born in the United States of America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
with no foreign drivers like Juan Pablo Montoya
Juan Pablo Montoya
Juan Pablo Montoya Roldán is a Colombian race car driver known internationally for participating and winning in Formula One and CART race competitions. He has enjoyed great success. Currently, he competes in NASCAR, driving the #42 Target Chevrolet Impala for Earnhardt Ganassi Racing in the Sprint...
and Marcos Ambrose
Marcos Ambrose
Marcos Ambrose is a championship winning Australian racing car driver. He currently drives the #9 Stanley Black & Decker Ford Fusion for Richard Petty Motorsports in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series...
in the grid.
Safety regulations made within the 1980s and 1990s would slow down the speed of vehicles in both the Firecracker 400
Coke Zero 400
The Coke Zero 400 powered by Coca-Cola at Daytona is a 160 lap, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stock car race held annually, beginning in 1959, at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida; the second major stock car event held at Daytona on the Sprint Cup circuit...
and the Daytona 500
Daytona 500
The Daytona 500 is a -long NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race held annually at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is one of four restrictor plate races on the Cup schedule....
. The average speed for this race was 173.473 mi/h while the pole position speed was 194.67 mi/h. Three cautions were given out for eleven laps. Fifty-four thousand people attended this live event from the start of the race to the finish. Out of the forty drivers in the grid, ten of them would fail to finish the race due to car problems.
Finshing order
- Bobby Allison (his only victory during a Mercury in 1980)
- David Pearson (highest finishing Oldsmobile)
- Dale Earnhardt† (highest finishing Chevrolet)
- Buddy BakerBuddy BakerElzie Wylie Baker, Jr. , nicknamed "Leadfoot" or more famously Buddy, is a former American NASCAR racecar driver.-Early life:...
- Richard Petty
- Benny ParsonsBenny ParsonsBenjamin Stewart Parsons was an American NASCAR driver, and later an announcer/analyst on TBS, ESPN, NBC and TNT...
† - Jody RidleyJody RidleyJody Ridley is a former NASCAR driver. He won the 1980 NASCAR Winston Cup Rookie of the Year award and one race at Dover International Speedway the next year, the only Cup victory for Donlavey Racing....
- Richard Childress
- John AndersonJohn Anderson (NASCAR driver)John Anderson of Warren, Michigan was an American NASCAR driver who made 32 Winston Cup starts in an attempt to make it in the NASCAR division recorded a career best finish of 5th at his hometrack the Michigan International Speedway in 1979As short track late model racer, he won over 200 feature...
† (highest finishing Buick) - Buddy ArringtonBuddy ArringtonBuddy Arrington is a retired NASCAR Grand National/Winston Cup driver.- Biography :...
(highest finishing Dodge vehicle) - Lennie PondLennie PondLennie Pond is a former NASCAR driver. He won NASCAR Winston Cup Rookie of the Year honors in 1973, and won his only race at Talladega Superspeedway in 1978 for Ronnie Elder and Harry Ranier....
- Bill ElliottBill ElliottWilliam Clyde "Bill" Elliott , also known as Awesome Bill from Dawsonville or Million Dollar Bill, is a part-time driver and former champion of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Elliott was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America on August 15, 2007. He won the 1988 NASCAR Winston Cup...
- Ricky RuddRicky RuddRicky Rudd is a former American NASCAR driver. He is the uncle of actor Skeet Ulrich and Nationwide Series driver Jason Rudd. Rudd is known as the "Iron Man" of NASCAR; holding the record for most consecutive starts in NASCAR racing. At the conclusion of the 2005 season, Rudd had made 788...
- Coo Coo MarlinCoo Coo MarlinClifton "Coo Coo" Marlin was a NASCAR Winston Cup driver who spent 14 years in the series.-Local track history:...
† - Rick Wilson
- Harry GantHarry GantHarry Phil Gant is a retired American racecar driver best known for driving the #33 Skoal Bandit car on the NASCAR Winston Cup circuit during the 1980s and 1990s.-Nicknames:...
- Ronnie Thomas
- Steve Moore
- Donnie AllisonDonnie AllisonDunkiny "Donnie" Allison is a former driver on the NASCAR Grand National/Winston Cup circuit, who won ten times during his racing career, which spanned the 1960s, 1970s and early 1980s. He was part of the "Alabama Gang," and is the brother of 1983 champion Bobby Allison and uncle of Davey Allison...
- Phil Finney* (highest finishing driver not to finish the race)
- John GreenwoodJohn GreenwoodJohn Greenwood was an English Puritan divine and separatist.-Life:The date and place of his birth are unknown. He entered as a sizar at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, on 18 March 1577-1578, and commenced B.A...
- Don WhittingtonDon WhittingtonReginald "Don" Whittington is a former American racing driver from Lubbock, Texas who won the 1979 24 Hours of Le Mans together with his brother Bill Whittington and Klaus Ludwig on a Porsche 935, although Ludwig, a multiple winner at Le Mans and elsewhere, did most of the driving in the heavy rain...
- J.D. McDuffieJ.D. McDuffieJohn 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...
† - James HyltonJames HyltonJames 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...
- Jim VandiverJim VandiverJim Vandiver is a retired NASCAR Winston Cup driver that raced from 1968 to 1983.-Summary:...
- Jimmy MeansJimmy MeansJames "Jimmy" Means is a former Winston Cup/Nextel Cup owner/driver. Currently, he is an adviser for Front Row Motorsports and owns his own team, Means Racing. He competed in NASCAR for eighteen years in mostly his own equipment, posting seventeen career top-tens...
- Roger Hamby
- Tommy GaleTommy GaleThomas "Tommy" Gale was an English footballer who played for Sheffield Wednesday and York City in the Football League.-Career:...
(only Ford entry in the race) - 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....
- Marty RobbinsMarty RobbinsMartin David Robinson , known professionally as Marty Robbins, was an American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist...
*† - Darrell WaltripDarrell WaltripDarrell Lee Waltrip is a 3-time NASCAR Cup Series champion , 3-time runner-up , winner of the 1989 Daytona 500 and 5-time winner of the prestigeous Coca-Cola 600 ,...
* - Terry LabonteTerry LabonteTerrance Lee Labonte is a semi-retired NASCAR driver who occasionally drives in the Sprint Cup Series when called upon and is a two-time Winston Cup and IROC champion. He currently drives the #32 U.S. Chrome Ford for FAS Lane Racing. Labonte was introduced to the sport through his father, who had...
* - 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...
* - Neil BonnettNeil BonnettLawrence Neil Bonnett was a NASCAR driver who compiled 18 victories and 20 poles over his 18-year career. The Alabama native currently ranks 35th in all-time NASCAR Cup victories. He appeared in the 1983 film Stroker Ace and the 1990 film Days of Thunder...
*† - Bruce HillBruce HillBruce Edward Hill is a former professional American football player who selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the fourth round of the 1987 NFL Draft with a draft pick the Buccaneers had received for trading Steve Young. A 6'0", 175-lb. wide receiver from Arizona State, Hill played his entire NFL...
* - Tighe ScottTighe ScottTighe Scott is a retired American racecar driver from Pen Argyl, Pennsylvania. He competed in dirt modified racing before moving up into the NASCAR Winston Cup...
* - Chuck BownChuck BownRichard Charles Bown, Jr. is a former NASCAR champion. His last ride came in 1999. He currently lives with his wife in Asheboro, North Carolina. He is the brother of former fellow NASCAR competitor Jim Bown...
* - Lake SpeedLake Speed-Background:Lake was named after the best friend of his father, Bob Lake. Lake's father Leland L. Speed took office as the Mayor of Jackson, Mississippi in 1948, the same year that he was born. He started his racing career at the age of thirteen racing karts, much to the displeasure of his family...
* - Connie SaylorConnie SaylorConnie Saylor was a journeyman NASCAR racecar driver. He did one-off events in the Winston Cup series during the 1980s and early '90s, and also raced in ARCA and Late Model sportsman series...
*† - Cale YarboroughCale YarboroughWilliam Caleb "Cale" Yarborough , is a farmer, businessman and former NASCAR Winston Cup Series driver and owner. He is one of only two drivers in NASCAR history to win three consecutive championships...
*
* Driver failed to finish race
† signifies that the driver is known to be deceased