|| *Comments on the 1975 Daytona 500:* View the most recent comment <#36> | Post a comment <#post> Tweet 1. DaleJrfan14 posted: 06.14.2006 - 4:35 pm Rate this comment: (0) (2) HOW THE HELL COULD A DRIVER TAKE THE LEAD WITH 4 TO GO AND LAP THE FIELD IN THOSE 4 LAPS! 2. Chevy posted: 07.24.2006 - 7:37 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) It can happen if the previous leader (Pearson) spins out and loses laps. With 5 to go there was only Pearson and Parsons on the lead lap and Pearson spun out. So Benny took the lead and won by more than a lap. 3. Anonymous posted: 01.16.2007 - 4:59 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) From what I remember, Parsons was running second when Richard Petty came off of pit road after having made yet another pit stop to cure his overheated engine. Petty and Parsons were good friends, and Petty waved for Benny to get in his draft. Pearson had his own drafting partner in the for of A.J. Foyt, but Foyt's engine blew up late in the going. Parsons and Petty were soon closing in on Pearson, and under the pressure Pearson wilted, making an uncharacteric error colliding with the lapped car of Cale Yarborough. Even though Parsons had won the championship in 1973, I think this is the victory that really solidifed his reputation as a top line competitor. 4. biffle16 posted: 02.26.2007 - 11:03 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Bruce Jacobi's first start, finishing a fabulous 12th. 5. J Louis Frey posted: 09.25.2009 - 3:09 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) From my recollection I thought Pearson collided with Richie Panch. 6. Anonymous posted: 09.26.2009 - 7:32 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) That was a fairly big pile up on the 3rd and 4th lap there. 7. rateus posted: 03.08.2010 - 8:26 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Driver changes after qualifying races: Rick Newsom replaced Jim Hurtubise in the 20 Ed Negre replaced Dick May in the 79 (he qualified the 8) Bob Burcham replaced Red Frmer in the 97 (he qualified the 19) 8. WillG_46 posted: 04.27.2010 - 7:44 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Something unique about this race, no single digit car number was used. 9. Anonymous posted: 12.03.2010 - 9:43 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Unlisted Sponser Joe Mihalic - #60 Lou Viglione Racing '75 Chevrolet 10. Sebastien posted: 12.26.2011 - 5:20 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Newsom #20 was sponsored by "Moran". 11. cjs3872 posted: 01.05.2012 - 12:24 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) The reason that Bob Burcham replaced Red Farmer in this race was that Farmer was involved in a horrific crash in the Sportsman (now Nationwide Series) race the day before with Terry Link. On the 1976 Daytona 500 broadcast, Jakcie Stewart did a safety feature, something he was known for, and the Farmer-Link crash in the Permatex 300 (won by Jack Ingram) was shown. Stewart even called it one of the most horrific crashes he'd ever seen. Farmer had won that race in 1971. So Farmer would not be able to drive in the Daytona 500, and a replacement driver for Farmer was needed. Bob Burcham, who failed to qualify for the race in Henley Gray's #19 car, was called on, and was one of the very few to finish the race. Also, Pearson collided with Cale Yarborough on lap 198 as both were about to lap Richie Panch, which is why some thought Panch was in that incident. Richie Panch always seemed be around trouble, as the 1974 Southern 500 would attest, as Panch was in three different crashes in that race, none of which knocked him out the race. (Engine failure knocked him out of that race.) 12. myself posted: 01.27.2012 - 9:53 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) 11. cjs3872 posted: 01.05.12 - 12:24 pm Also, Pearson collided with Cale Yarborough on lap 198 as both were about to lap Richie Panch, which is why some thought Panch was in that incident. Richie Panch always seemed be around trouble, as the 1974 Southern 500 would attest, as Panch was in three different crashes in that race, none of which knocked him out the race. (Engine failure knocked him out of that race.) I always thought Richie Panch acted a bit retarded. No offense to anyone who is. 13. 18fan posted: 02.05.2012 - 5:42 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) This was the first of four consecutive top 3 finishes in the Daytona 500 for Benny Parsons. Following his 1975 win, he finished 3rd in 1976, 2nd in 1977, and 3rd in 1978. 14. v2v1v5 posted: 06.02.2012 - 12:03 am Rate this comment: (1) (0) I remember watching this race and Buddy Baker in Bud Moore's Coppertone Ford had the Hot Rod that day as he pulled up with in a car length of lapping the whole field,on David Pearson's Wood Bros.Mercury on lap 144 and the timing chain broke.Yet annother Daytona frustration for Baker,alot of people forget this one. 15. Schroeder51 posted: 07.12.2012 - 9:07 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) DNQs: #65 Carl Adams, #19 Bob Burcham, #3 Tom Culbertson, #5 Neil Castles, #10 Bill Champion, #66 Terry Link, #18 Joe Frasson, #97 Red Farmer, #79 Dick May, #20 G. T. Tallas, #25 Joe Booher, #89 Jim Crowe, #0 Clyde Dagit, #36 H. B. Bailey. 16. awesomebillfan9 posted: 12.25.2012 - 12:14 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Lap 3 accident started when Vandiver lost control of his #99 car and tried to save it going up the racetrack collecting Dick Trickle in the 75. After Trickle hit Vandiver, Vandiver was t-boned in the door by Joe Mihalic. That caused the track to be blocked causing a lot more drivers to be involved including JD McDuffie and Marty Robbins. 17. awesomebillfan9 posted: 12.25.2012 - 12:35 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Yarborough ran on 7 cylinders for the whole second half of the race, Pearson spun with 3 to go trying to pass a lap car on the backstretch. Pearson pulled out to a big lead when he drafted with AJ Foyt, but Foyt retired due to engine failure with six laps to go. Petty and Parsons teamed up and drafted shorty before the engine failure with Foyt. Petty was able to get a lap back with the Pearson spin, putting him eight laps behind of Parsons. Petty had experienced overheating issues for most of the race and had to make several pit stops to try and keep the engine cool. 18. Jim4Bill posted: 01.22.2013 - 1:11 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I believe David was none to pleased with Richard helping out the 72 car - after the 500 Pearson pulled over on the back stretch in the Daytona July race while leading the last lap with the 43 in tow - Richard blasted by, but only after lifting due to Pearson's trouble - then Pearson drafted off the 43 to slingshot and take the win. Petty was none too happy about it. Set-up the now famous 1976 last lap crash. 19. bigjohnson posted: 05.02.2013 - 9:59 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Jim4Bill not quite right. Pearson's move you describe happened the year before in the 1974 "Firecracker 400". He slowed coming through the tri-oval and then reeled Petty in down the backstretch and into turn 3 slingshotting past him between turn 4 and the finish line. Petty was a little upset at this as he felt it was dangerous and in fact almost ran in to Pearson in the tri-oval. 20. v2v1v5 posted: 03.10.2014 - 12:41 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Buddy Baker's Bud Moore Ford was sponsored by Lone Star Ford of Houston,Texas,as seen on the net.I previously errored when I posted Coppertone as his sponsor.They sponsored him in the July Firecracker"400"Also,as for the collision late in the race that sent Pearson spinning in the infield and costing him the win(he had a 2.8 second lead with 2 1/2 laps to go-they were closing,but I don't think they would have caught him-plus you never knew what Pearson had left!)I just saw an interview with David Pearson and he said he and Cale talked about that and Cale misjudged and thought he had Pearson's car cleared and came down and hit Pearson's Mercury in the quarter as seen by Cale's paint on the car,not the other way around as most media stories have reported. 21. Schroeder51 posted: 03.02.2015 - 11:38 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) cjs, I've seen video of that accident Farmer was involved in in the Sportsman race, and the other driver involved in that crash (at least, according to the results that I found) was Terry MOCK, not Terry Link. It was a pretty wild accident, though; BOTH Farmer's and Mock's cars barrel-rolled end over end in the grass approaching turn 1 after colliding with each other. 22. Ryan W posted: 12.04.2015 - 2:10 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) "Also, Pearson collided with Cale Yarborough on lap 198 as both were about to lap Richie Panch, which is why some thought Panch was in that incident. Richie Panch always seemed be around trouble, as the 1974 Southern 500 would attest, as Panch was in three different crashes in that race, none of which knocked him out the race. (Engine failure knocked him out of that race.) I always thought Richie Panch acted a bit retarded. No offense to anyone who is. " Richie Panch was the Ernie Irvan of his generation but in bad equipment then. 23. Schroeder51 posted: 12.17.2015 - 2:49 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Withdrew: Dick May-#79 Brook-Massey Dodge (Owned by Frank Warren) Red Farmer-#97 Long-Lewis Ford (Owned by Ed Clark) Both these drivers competed in the qualifying races and raced their way into the 500, but they were replaced in the race itself by Ed Negre and Bob Burcham, respectively. 24. The Great Dave posted: 03.09.2016 - 4:55 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Withdrew - #20 Jim Hurtibese Moran Electrical Ford SPONSOR UPDATES #33 George Follmer Mr Moyer Chevrolet Chevrolet #66 Terry Link Custom Auto Pontiac. 25. Paul posted: 03.16.2016 - 9:15 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Sponsors: #15 Buddy Baker - Lone Star Ford (http://img15.hostingpics.net/pics/6159215215.jpg) #60 Joe Mihalic - Pittsburgh: Someplace Special (https://revslib.stanford.edu/catalog/qs649bk3543) 26. Jimmie jameson posted: 07.10.2016 - 3:10 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Waddell Wilson was the crew chief for Benny Parsons 27. Jimmie jameson posted: 07.10.2016 - 3:11 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Waddell Wilson was the crew chief for Benny Parsons 28. KW posted: 08.17.2016 - 1:22 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) The stock car portion of speedweeks started with the ARCA 200 won by Ron Hutcherson in a 1975 Plymouth sponsored by Housby Mack and run by Ramo Stott, 2nd was USAC's Terry Ryan, followed by Gene Taylor, Lennie Pond and Clyde Harbour. James Hylton was 6th. Then the Modified's ran the road coarse in the Permatex 200, won by Merv Treichler in a Monza, Fred DeSarro was second followed by Jerry Cook, Bill Osmun, and Don Flynn. And finally the Permatex 300 for Sportsman Cars, which was won by Jack Ingram in a '72 style Monte Carlo, 2nd was Joe Millikan followed by Harry Gant, Ivan Baldwin and Paul Radford. Morgan Shepherd was 6th, Neil Bonnett 8th, Bobby Allison 9th, Tiny Lund was 15th, and Darrell Waltrip was 26th. 29. RaceFanX posted: 02.23.2017 - 8:41 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) ARCA champion Ramo Stott turns in his last top-5 and top-10 performance in Cup competition. 30. RaceFanX posted: 04.18.2018 - 7:55 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) West Coast ace Hershel McGriff's third and final Daytona 500 ends less than 15 laps into the race with a blown motor. He would attempt the race again in 1977 but fail to qualify. 31. Jolly Mean Giant posted: 06.02.2018 - 2:27 am Rate this comment: (1) (0) First Daytona 500 starts for Ferrel Harris, Bruce Hill, and Grant Adcox. Only Daytona 500 starts for Bruce Jacobi, Randy Tissot, Rick Newsom, and Warren Tope. Last Daytona 500 starts for Richie Panch, G. C. Spencer, Walter Ballard, Hershel McGriff, Dan Daughtry and Marty Robbins. 32. cjs3872 posted: 10.31.2018 - 3:35 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Thanks for correcting my error, Schroeder51 (#21). It was Terry Mock, not Terry Link in the crash with Farmer in the Permatex 300. Mock, of course, would later own cars that consistently ran up front at Daytona, doing everything but win either the Daytona 500 or Firecracker 400. One of the things that set up that incident late in the race that cost David Pearson the race was the fact that Cale Yarborough was running on 7 cylinders. On the final restart, Cale was actually placed in front of the leaders, on the end of the lead lap, but the power deficit he was at resulted in the leaders actually lapping him in less than 25 laps. When Pearson caught up to Yarborough and Richie Panch, Yarborough was trying to slip in behind Pearson and simply misjudged it. Of course, another was the role Richard Petty played. Even in a two-car draft with Ramo Stott (who barely missed the massive lap 4 crash), Benny Parsons was losing about a half to three-quarters of a second per lap to Pearson, who was simply content to draft A.J. Foyt to the win, but Foyt dropped out with nine laps left while running third, not long after Petty got back onto the track after his final pit stop, and where he came out was a stroke of luck for Parsons and Stott, because he came out exactly where they were running. And @26-27, Waddell Wilson was not the winning crew chief for Parsons. Wilson was the winning engine builder (his fourth Daytona 500 win as an engine builder), but Travis Carter was actually the winning crew chief. 33. saltsburgtrojanfan posted: 05.01.2020 - 12:40 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Caution 1: Lap 5-11: #35,41,42,47,60,70,75,81,99 accident turn 4 Caution 2: Lap 46-52: #08 spun turn 4 Caution 3: Lap 166-172: #14 engine 34. Jim4Bill posted: 10.13.2020 - 2:23 pm Rate this comment: (3) (0) I saw a recent Waddell Wilson interview about this race. The team was not exactly flush with money - in fact they took out a loan to be able to run the 500. Waddell built one engine with what he called "drag racing pistons" - it was something LG and Benny wanted to try. That was their primary engine. They had no back-up engine planned - so Waddell was able to cobble together enough old parts from the 1974 season to build one engine - which he called a "junk" engine - not worth $200. So they go to Daytona with both engines - planning to run the good engine for qualifying and the 500 and the junker for everything else. But they needed to see what the good engine could do so they put it in for practice and sent Benny out. 2 laps later - it blew up (guess those pistons were not such a good idea). So the team had one engine for the rest of Speedweeks - practice, qualifying, 125 mile qualifier and the 500. Sure enough the engine lasted and due to some late luck - they win the 500. But Waddell was not sure - given the nature of how that junk engine was built (he used what he had for rods, crank, etc.) - if it would pass NASCAR post race inspection (because he never thought it could actually win the race). While he was thinking about the fact their car might be disqualified - NASCAR actually had to page him to come to the inspection area. Turned out it was OK - but Waddell said he really didn't know if it was until they did the post race with NASCAR. would assume the 500 prize money was a huge boost to that team. 35. possum posted: 10.13.2020 - 7:07 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) @34 - interesting to speculate why Wilson was worried. Was it just that he feared an unplanned combination of bore & stroke might have put him a little oversize? Or did he know that some of what he ran in 1974 wasn't strictly rule-legal, and feared some of those parts were in the engine. (given that a drag race is 1/4 mile, much shorter than a 500 mile race, "drag race" pistons does sound like it would be a bad idea) 36. Rich posted: 01.01.2021 - 7:42 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Bill Flemming and Sir Jackie Stewart were the commentators. Flemming was the sole pit road reporter as well as the studio host. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *Post a comment:* Your comment may not appear immediately - all comments must be approved by the moderator. Name: Comment: