|| *Comments on the 1986 Atlanta Invitational:* View the most recent comment <#16> | Post a comment <#post> 1. Bill posted: 05.03.2007 - 12:49 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) The only one at AMS. It was weird seeing Marcis driving a Ford. Darrell Waltrip actually did color commentary for ESPN during this broadcast. Also, this race was held AFTER the all-start race. 2. stricklinfan82 posted: 08.03.2007 - 3:55 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) This race was not held after the All-Star race, it was held before. ESPN taped the Inviational and aired it after their live coverage of the All-Star race was completed, but pretended all afternoon that both coverages were live. This was finally given away on the air during the tape-delayed broadcast of the Invitational when DW called down to Benny during his victory lap and asked him if he had any advice that would help him for the All-Star race later on. Oops, LOL. 3. Anonymous posted: 11.30.2009 - 9:12 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) despite being held almost 25 years ago the winners prize for the winston open as has never been greater 4. RaceFanX posted: 03.13.2010 - 1:20 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) This would be BP's last win in a Cup series race I think this is the only year for the Open where the winner didn't get an automatic transfer into the All-Star race itself 5. RaceFanX posted: 05.17.2010 - 11:44 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Benny did get an auto-bid into the classic 1987 running of the Winston though 6. Anonymous posted: 05.16.2011 - 6:57 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Anybody have the lap leaders for this race? 7. Anonymous posted: 08.23.2011 - 3:25 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Does anybody have the lap leader breakdown for this race? 8. Zuel660 posted: 12.27.2011 - 11:41 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Benny Parsons did win the 2nd 125 mile qualifier at Daytona in 1987, I think that was his final victory, albeit a non-points race, just like this one. 9. Matthew Sullivan posted: 07.02.2012 - 7:15 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) The participants in this race were voted in by fans. 10. Anonymous posted: 03.07.2013 - 12:51 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Dave Marcis drove Phil Barkdoll's #73 in this race. The two were pseudo-teammates at the time, both sponsored by Helen Rae Smith. 11. Anonymous Moonbat posted: 09.06.2013 - 3:40 am Rate this comment: (0) (3) One of the few times Dave Marcis didn't drive a piece of crap GM 12. 23andJoe posted: 10.22.2014 - 8:00 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) MoV: 2.01sec 13. Rob posted: 03.30.2017 - 5:16 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) The starting field was established by the 14 top vote getters from all 1985 drivers not eligible for the Winston. Strangely 1986 Atlanta 500 winner Morgan Shepherd was not voted in. A sentimental selection by the voters was J.D. McDuffie, but his #70 was pretty much an also-ran. 14. DorsalFin posted: 02.18.2019 - 10:49 am Rate this comment: (1) (0) The starters were voted in by fans, and you had your choice of a glossy photograph for sending in a vote. I chose Bobby Allison 15. Paul88 posted: 11.24.2019 - 1:54 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) 26 drivers were listed on the original ballot. The following drivers were not invited to the Atlanta Invitational: #18 Tommy Ellis #21 David Pearson #27 Rusty Wallace #47 Morgan Shepherd #49 Lennie Pond #64 Clark Dwyer #66 Phil Parsons #74 Bobby Wawak #84 Mike Alexander #90 Ken Schrader #94 Eddie Bierschwale #98 Ron Bouchard Trevor Boys was listed #48 for James Hylton, but ran in D.K. Ulrich's #6 in the race. Dave Marcis was listed #71 for Marcis Racing, but ran in Phil Barkdoll's #73 in the race. Lake Speed was listed #75 for Rahmoc Racing, but lost his job after the spring Atlanta race, running Morgan-McClure's #4 in the race proper. Source: 1986 The Winston/Atlanta Invitational brochure and ballot https://twitter.com/LilRedDave/status/1196573351797567488 16. NewGuyOnTheBlock posted: 05.16.2020 - 3:11 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) ESPN broadcast this race. Bob Jenkins, Larry Nuber, and Darrell Waltrip were in the booth with Jack Arute in the pits. Outside polesitter Tim Richmond launched into the lead at the start, quickly gapping the rest of the field. Kyle Petty settled into second while Bobby Hillin Jr. and Richard Petty dueled for third. Despite the great start, Richmond was caught by the pack just 7 laps into the event, with Kyle Petty pulling alongside Richmond for the lead. Richmond fought back to retake the lead, driving side-by-side with Petty for several laps before pulling away. While Richmond dominated up front, Dave Marcis, driving Phil Barkdoll's #73 Ford, moved to second with Lake Speed taking over third. Benny Parsons and Joe Ruttman would move up to join the lead pack, while the Pettys fell off the pace. Ruttman would eventually take over the runner-up spot, running down Richmond for the lead. Ruttman and Richmond would battle for first for the next few laps, eventually joined at the front by Benny Parsons. Meanwhile, Trevor Boys became the first retirement of the race when he was black-flagged by NASCAR for running well off the pace. J.D. McDuffie joined Boys behind the wall when he broke a valve near halfway. Pitstops began around halfway, with Benny Parsons, who had just moved around Joe Ruttman for second place, was the first of the three leaders to pit. Richmond came in a lap after, with Ruttman following on the next lap. Lake Speed stayed out longer than anyone, leading for three laps before making his scheduled stop. As the cycle concluded, Benny Parsons had inherited the lead with Richmond some ways back in second. With about 30 laps to go, Richmond found himself 5 seconds behind Parsons. He began to close in, halving the gap in just a few laps. However, Richmond would lose valuable time when he pulled up behind the lapped car of Dave Marcis with about 20 laps to go. Richmond should have been able to drive past easily, but Marcis had taken 4 tires on his pitstop while Richmond only took 2. Marcis was able to keep up with Richmond, banging into the side of Richmond's Chevy as the two raced side-by-side out of turn 4. Richmond got his nose in front of Marcis and dove to the inside entering turn 1, but Marcis pulled a slide-job and got to Richmond's inside. Then, unexpectedly, Marcis drove straight into the right-rear of Richmond, sending the #25 sideways. Incredibly, Richmond kept his car straight and pulled away from the #73, but the damage had been done: Parsons was pulling away again. Marcis continued to hound the back of Richmond's car for the next few laps, making contact on several occasions. Richmond's crew chief Harry Hyde, believing that Richmond had a tire going down from the contact with Marcis, tried to call Richmond into the pits. Richmond ignored him, despite his Chevy visibly fishtailing out of turn 4. Parsons would cruise to victory, the penultimate victory of his NASCAR career. Richmond somehow managed to hold on to second place with his car essentially drifting out of the corners every lap. Bobby Hillin Jr., Lake Speed, and Joe Ruttman completed the top 5. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *Post a comment:* Your comment may not appear immediately - all comments must be approved by the moderator. Name: Comment: