|| *Comments on the 1973 Atlanta 500:* View the most recent comment <#16> | Post a comment <#post> Tweet 1. Anonymous posted: 11.06.2006 - 9:41 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Pete Hamilton's last start. 2. Anonymous posted: 01.13.2007 - 3:08 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Anyone know how they determined the lineup? 3. Nascar Man posted: 03.14.2007 - 4:44 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Maybe they drew numbers 4. driver1 posted: 01.26.2009 - 6:33 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Mark Donohue's last start. 5. Aaron Camp posted: 05.13.2009 - 6:45 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I believe the starting lineup was determined by the order in which NASCAR received the entry forms for the race, although I am not 100% sure. 6. Sebastien posted: 02.16.2010 - 4:19 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Hamilton #22 was sponsored by Land Harbors Of America. 7. The Great Dave posted: 10.22.2010 - 3:39 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Gordon Johncock was sponsored by L'eggs Yeah, he was sponsored by pantyhose. 8. David posted: 07.22.2012 - 9:16 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Alright, here's the story of this particular event. This was also the weekend that Darrell Waltrip earned his reputation as a loudmouth. Qualifying was rained out. The drivers were to draw numbers for starting positions, but then NASCAR clarified their previous order by stating that the first seventeen positions would be filled by cars in that position in owners points. The rest would draw numbers for their positions. At that time, Darrell Waltrip's entry was eighteenth in the standings. Well he just about blew up. He insisted on seeing the official in charge at the time, Lin Kuchler (not too sure about spelling). Kuchler was at a press conference, answering questions when Waltrip burst in. After Waltrip demanded to know why only seventeen drivers would start based on points, Kuchler explained that only seventeen entries had made all five starts thus far. Waltrip's team had skipped Riverside. So then when they drew starting spots, Waltrip drew the last spot, and Charles Barrett, a driver making his first start, drew 18th. Waltrip sought out Barrett and asked him if he wanted to switch spots. He did, and they NASCAR approved of the swap. (exhales vigorously) 9. DozierTheGreat posted: 01.26.2014 - 12:09 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Great story David, thanks for sharing. Some sponsors: #31-Shoney's Big Boy #72-Stell Arena #18-Holton Dodge Atlanta 10. Walleyewhacker posted: 02.16.2014 - 7:39 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Win number 2 for David Pearson in 1973 when he won 11 races of the 18 he entered. Best winning % ever for those amount of enteries. 11. K posted: 02.23.2016 - 2:37 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) David Pearson and the Woods Bros entry started 9th and had run three of the five races so far that season. So if that was the "reasoning" on how the start field was set, the sanctioning body hasn't changed. 12. K posted: 02.23.2016 - 2:39 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) The O.L. Nixon of Jim Vandiver had only ran twice that season before the race also . . . started third 13. Ivan Balakhonov posted: 12.03.2016 - 10:03 am Rate this comment: (1) (0) David is incorrect in saying that the pool of cars drawing for first 17 positions was determined by owners points. There was no such thing as owners standings at that time, NASCAR just chose those drivers it considered the fastest ones using such criterion as 1972 performance and practice speeds. When Darrell approached officials (Lin Kuchler, executive vice-president, and Bill Gazaway, competition director) they told him they simply overlooked him when determining the pools and apologized. Ironically, Gordon Johncock, who drew #1, was the fastest among nine drivers who had made their qualifying attempts before the session was washed out. As for Waltrip, this was a race when people really began to consider him a future star. After his car was eliminated from the race due to mechanical issues (he charged to the fifth place but then got involved in a crash with Richard Petty and Buddy Baker), he substituted A.J. Foyt and the USAC legend was so impressed with a rookie, that he considered offering him a ride for his team in selected NASCAR races. Newsmen voted Darrell the rookie of the race and Pearson praised him, saying: "He's the best rookie I've ever seen on the race track. He knows what he's doing out there. He's a racer". 14. MSportRev posted: 12.08.2019 - 10:42 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Another DNQ: Vic Parsons #45 Owner: Bill Siefert Source: Ultimate Racing History 15. RaceFanX posted: 08.10.2020 - 2:24 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Tony Bettenhausen, Jr. has a rough NASCAR Cup debut, following up his Daytona 500 DNQ with another one here. When the #38 Chevrolet missed the grid a deal was struck to put him in the #84 Dodge instead that had been qualified by reigning USAC Sprint Car champion "Slammin' Sammy" Sessions. Bettenhausen's race still ended up being a short one as the car broke early and he finished last. Sessions never attempted a Cup race again, this also would have been his debut after failing to make the field at Daytona. 16. rateus posted: 02.20.2021 - 1:38 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Based on the reported starting line-up Dick Brooks and Roy Mayne both missed out in the draw for grid places, Dick May and Paul Tyler were the drivers replaced for the race. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *Post a comment:* Your comment may not appear immediately - all comments must be approved by the moderator. Name: Comment: