The 1985 Van Scoy Diamond Mine 500 was a NASCAR

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...

 Winston Cup Series racing event that took place on June 9, 1985 at Pocono International Raceway

Pocono Raceway

Pocono Raceway also known as the Tricky Triangle, is a superspeedway located in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania at Long Pond...

  in the American community of Long Pond

Long Pond, Pennsylvania

Long Pond is an unincorporated community in Monroe County in the Pocono Mountains region of Pennsylvania, a part of the Appalachian Mountains. The zip code is 18334....

, Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...

.

Summary

The temperatures of the racing event were constantly between 57 °F (13.9 °C) and 81 °F (27.2 °C); wind speeds often reached 15 miles per hour (24.1 km/h). The total amount of precipitation

Precipitation (meteorology)

In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation (also known as one of the classes of hydrometeors, which are atmospheric water phenomena is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls under gravity. The main forms of precipitation...

 found during the day was 0.04 inch (0.00333333333333333 ft); meaning that the climate was extremely dry that day.

Two hundred laps were completed in three hours and thirty-five minutes. Three cautions were given out for ten laps. 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...

 defeated Harry Gant

Harry Gant

Harry 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:...

 by a time of 0.2 seconds in front of 62000 spectators. He gained the pole position with a speed of 152.563 miles per hour (245.5 km/h) while the average speed of the race was 138.974 miles per hour (223.7 km/h). Other notable drivers at this event were: Darrell Waltrip

Darrell Waltrip

Darrell 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 ,...

 (currently a NASCAR on Fox

NASCAR on Fox

NASCAR on Fox is the Emmy-winning branding used for Fox Sports's broadcasts of NASCAR races airing on the Fox network since 2001. The production has been in high-definition since 2005.-Background:...

 announcer), Neil Bonnett

Neil Bonnett

Lawrence 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...

, Ricky Rudd

Ricky Rudd

Ricky 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...

, Benny Parsons

Benny Parsons

Benjamin Stewart Parsons was an American NASCAR driver, and later an announcer/analyst on TBS, ESPN, NBC and TNT...

, Rusty Wallace

Rusty Wallace

Russell William Wallace, Jr. is a past NASCAR Winston Cup Champion, currently a broadcaster on ESPN, car owner in the Nationwide Series, and a co-host of NASCAR Angels.-Early racing career:...

, 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...

 (son of Lee Petty

Lee Petty

Lee Arnold Petty was an American stock car driver in the 1950s and 1960s. He was one of the pioneers of NASCAR, and one of its first superstars. He was born near Randleman, North Carolina.-Career:...

), Kyle Petty

Kyle Petty

Kyle Eugene Petty is a former American NASCAR driver and is currently a co-host for NASCAR RaceDay and panel member for NASCAR Smarts which are both on SPEED. He also commentates for TNT in the summer. He is the son of racer Richard Petty, grandson of racer Lee Petty, and father of the late Adam...

 (son of Richard Petty and the father of the late Adam Petty

Adam Petty

Adam Kyler Petty was a professional racing driver. He was the first fourth-generation driver in NASCAR history.-Early life:...

), and 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...

. The majority of the vehicles in the field belonged to the Chevrolet

Chevrolet

Chevrolet , 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...

 brand of automobiles. Geoff Bodine

Geoff Bodine

Geoffrey Eli Bodine is an American motorsport driver and bobsled builder. He is the oldest of the three Bodine brothers . Bodine currently lives in Cornelius, North Carolina....

 almost won the race but a late pit stop cost him the victory; he ended up in fourth place. Steve Gray

Steve Gray (NASCAR driver)

Steve Gray is a retired NASCAR Winston Cup Series driver who competed from 1979 to 1985 in six different races. Gray has competed in 1321 laps while leading none of them. His average start is 32nd place and his average finish is 29th place; making him finish races generally better than he started...

 would retire after this race; his lone attempt to return to NASCAR for the 1985 running of the Summer 500 (now Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500) resulted in failure.

Local jeweler Tommy Van Scoy

Tommy Van Scoy

Tommy Van Scoy was the owner of a chain of diamond jewelry stores along in New England and the Mid-Atlantic States. He was also known for his odd radio commercials for his jewelry stores. He was also a championship boxer and an amateur pilot....

 wanted to sponsor this race to get his son into NASCAR; but it didn't work out as planned. Van Scoy's son eventually inherited the jewelry business after his father retired eight years after this race. Ronnie Thomas (who was sponsored by the local country music

Country music

Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...

 radio station WXTU

WXTU

WXTU is a Country music formatted radio station which is broadcast in the Philadelphia area. It is the largest country radio station in the United States based on listener cume . The station plays a variety of country music, including current hits, as well as older hits...

) would finish in last place by virtue of an 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...

 problem on the first lap of the race. He would earn $1,175 in race winnings for his troubles on the track ($ in today's money). 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...

would drop out of the race on lap 3 due to an engine problem.