|| *Comments on the 1985 Winston Western 500:* View the most recent comment <#41> | Post a comment <#post> Tweet 1. myself posted: 02.15.2007 - 4:12 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Waltips clinches his 3rd & final championship. Also the last one for owner Junior Johnson. 2. James W. McLaughlin posted: 03.07.2007 - 5:43 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) They had green-white-checkered finishes back then? 3. Anonymous posted: 06.12.2007 - 3:00 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) "They had green-white-checkered finishes back then?" Huh? 4. The Real Thomas posted: 08.09.2007 - 8:30 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) Awesome Bill broke a $2 part in his transmission, relegating him to a 31st place finish and thus, relinquishing the championship to Darrell Waltrip. 5. James W. McLaughlin posted: 08.12.2007 - 12:44 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Forget my comment about green-white-checkered finishes. Sorry. 6. Destiny posted: 09.19.2007 - 12:09 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) That's Clark Dwyer's last start. 7. RaceFanX posted: 02.28.2008 - 9:58 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Ruben Garcia, later to gain fame from knocking out a wall in a crash during the last race at Riverside in 1988, scores his career best finish, 14th 8. Roger posted: 03.07.2008 - 3:01 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Don't forget to mention that 2 dollar part was bought from DW's own shop. Elliott gave him that has a gag gift during DW's retirement party. 9. WillG_46 posted: 03.24.2008 - 11:14 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) As quickly as Clark Dwyer came on to the scene, he was sent packing. This rookie who was called the next big thing came and went in about 2 years time. 10. Bob Kennedy posted: 02.19.2009 - 4:19 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Not that anyone cares but me but Rick McCray did not drive the #45 Erlich Motors car,Bob Kennedy did. BK 11. Jim posted: 09.10.2009 - 5:00 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Everytime I see that last right turn I think of Joe Weatherley. 12. Anonymous posted: 12.19.2009 - 10:56 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) DNQ 93 Norm Palmer 42 Kevin Terris 74 Ray Kelly 1 Jeff Barrister 22 St. James Davis 13. Walleyewacker posted: 06.08.2011 - 7:19 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Great run by Ricky Rudd. Always great seeing easy on the eyes Linda Rudd sharing in on a Ricky victory. 14. The Great Dave posted: 09.07.2011 - 10:50 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) After crashing out of the race, Tim Richmond jumps into the stands to watch the race with his fellow race fans. 15. myself posted: 01.24.2012 - 4:24 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Bet Richmond did more than watch the race while in the stands....if you know what I mean! 16. Ryan posted: 06.23.2013 - 9:27 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) He was trying to find some honey in Cali... I think it's hilarious how people say Bill Elliott "relinquished" the championship to Darrell Waltrip. Waltrip had the lead going into this race, it wasn't the other way around. smh 17. wrank fakefield posted: 08.20.2013 - 2:28 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Given Waltrip's performance, it would have been difficult for Elliott to win the championship in this race even without the malfunction. The championship wasn't lost in this race, it was lost at North Wilkesboro, Martinsville, Richmond and Bristol, where in 8 combined races Elliott average finish was only 17th, with only 1 top 5. Back in those days, you couldn't be out to lunch at the short tracks and win championships. 18. Walleyewhacker posted: 02.16.2014 - 10:35 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) The short track program cars that Elliott drove in 1985 were certainly a huge part of the problem. If Bill had Ricky Rudd's short track Thunderbirds in 1985 he would have easily won the 1985 championship. 19. David posted: 08.03.2016 - 11:48 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) For posterity, here's an excerpt from an article in the /Daytona Beach Sunday News-Journal/, dated December 7, 1985, concerning the championship race this season: NEW YORK - NASCAR president Bill France Jr. says the formula used this year to determine the Grand National champion will stay intact for the 1986 season. The points system has come under fire because of Bill Elliott's runnerup finish in the standings after winning 11 of 28 Grand National races this season. Darrell Waltrip, who won three events, captured his third championship. But France pointed out that for seven consecutive seasons the Grand National title has not been decided until the last race and said he can't justify changing the formula. "The point system will stay as it is," he said at a press conference Thursday. "It works." Ironically, it's Waltrip who wants to redesign the system and Elliott who's happy with the current format. "I still feel the same way about it," said Waltrip, who has been pushing for 10 bonus points for leading the most laps, winning the pole and race. "Only winning three races was not the wa I wanted to win the championship." The rest of the article can be viewed here: https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1870&dat=19851207&id=RK8pAAAAIBAJ&sjid=mcwEAAAAIBAJ&pg=2413,5139733&hl=en 20. Nascar Lead Lap Points posted: 09.02.2016 - 2:59 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Until Waltrip retires, this is the last race that doesn't have a active driver from 2016 in 21. chevyfan98 posted: 09.02.2016 - 5:33 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Sort of. Waltrip DNQ'd in the Daytona 500 in 1986. 22. The Great Dave posted: 02.05.2017 - 2:29 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Driver Change #24 James Hylton Jim Testa Chevrolet (Buddie Boys) #45 Bob Kennedy Elrich Motors Chevrolet (Myung Suk Lee) 23. RaceFanX posted: 04.23.2017 - 10:13 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Ricky Rudd tallies his only win of the 1985 season at the last possible moment. 24. bbigjohnson posted: 07.06.2017 - 4:16 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) I was just past the Turn 6 grandstands and there's a little walkway that led you right up to a low block wall and just a few feet over that was the outside guard rail at the exit of Turn 6 and the start of the short chute. You were so close to the cars there it was unreal. You could see the driver's faces as they went by, easily enough to recognize them. There was really only room for 1-2 people to be there and it was deafening. It's right there where they drop the hammer and wind out 2nd gear.I think by 1988, they closed it off. Great place yo take pics. I remember being there when they announced Bill Elliot was out of the race. A fan close by says, "Oh and another Ford bites the dust." I said, "Yeah and he's laughing all the way to the bank." For those that are unaware, Bill Elliot won the Winston Million that year which was the inaugural year. 25. SMIFF TV posted: 07.31.2017 - 12:32 am Rate this comment: (1) (0) As of today, this race can now be found on YouTube. 26. kup posted: 11.15.2017 - 1:54 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) UPS: universal points system. Driver's UPoints = Miles / Aver.Finish 1985 UPS _ Driver = Miles / AF 1496 _ Darrell Waltrip 10920 / 7.3 1234 _ Bill Elliott 10735 / 8.7 1019 _ Harry Gant 10185 / 10.0 983 _ Geoffrey Bodine 10720 / 10.9 980 _ Ricky Rudd 10289 / 10.5 977 _ Neil Bonnett 10358 / 10.6 758 _ Kyle Petty 10384 / 13.7 753 _ Lake Speed 10087 / 13.4 734 _ Terry Labonte 9612 / 13.1 623 _ Dale Earnhardt 9157 / 14.7 621 _ Tim Richmond 9497 / 15.3 & TOTAL: UPS! 37 years 1949-1985: Richard Petty 7 in: '63, '64, '67, '71, '72, '75, '79. Lee Petty 5 in: '50, '52, '54, '58, '59. David Pearson 4 in: '66, '68, '69, '76. Cale Yarborough 3 in: '74, '77, '78. Bobby Allison 3 in: '81, '82, '83. Buck Baker 2 in: '56, '57. Rex White 2 in: '60, '61. Bill Blair 1 in: '49. Fonty Flock 1 in: '51. Herb Thomas 1 in: '53. Tim Flock 1 in: '55. Joe Weatherly 1 in: '62. Ned Jarrett 1 in: '65. Bobby Isaac 1 in: '70. Benny Parsons 1 in: '73. Dale Earnhardt 1 in: '80. Terry Labonte 1 in: '84. Darrell Waltrip 1 in: '85. 27. RaceFanX posted: 12.08.2017 - 1:21 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) With the deletion of the two Nashville races the 1985 Winston Cup season was the first since 1974 with less than 30 races. 28. Brandon posted: 04.01.2018 - 1:57 am Rate this comment: (2) (0) A total of 7 manufacturers raced in the 28 races in 1985, here is how many races each showed up to. Buick: 28 Chevrolet: 28 Chrysler: 9 Dodge: 3 Ford: 28 Oldsmobile: 28 Pontiac: 28 29. Josh posted: 04.18.2018 - 5:04 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Scott Autrey's only Cup start. 30. RaceFanX posted: 06.29.2018 - 4:04 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Bobby Allison came into this race seeking to avoid going winless for the season for the first time since 1977. He qualified well but his chaotic season ended with a 17th-place performance, two laps down. The 1985 season would be the last Allison ran where he didn't win a race. 31. RaceFanX posted: 09.27.2019 - 9:37 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) On the day his teammate wins the title Neil Bonnett ends 1985 on the podium as he leads a few laps and brings Junior Johnson's red #12 Budweiser Chevrolet home in third. The 1985 season would be one of career highs for Bonnett as he finished fourth in points on the strength of 11 top-5s and 18 top-10s. This would be the last season where Neil ran every race as he proved a little injury prone in the years that followed. 32. nohbody posted: 10.05.2019 - 9:31 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Consistency is what makes a champion, and Elliott wasn't that in 1985. He had no business winning the title, and he didn't. 33. Anonymous posted: 12.11.2019 - 6:30 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Scott Autrey drove a Chevrolet in this race. Source: https://twitter.com/lilreddave/status/1204896490776338432 34. RaceFanX posted: 02.25.2020 - 1:56 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Richard Petty came into this race looking to avoid going winless for the second time in four years but did not succeed, although he still finished in the top-10. This would be the King's last race for Mike Curb as Petty, STP, and the famous #43 returned home to Petty Enterprises for 1986 as part of that team's revival after sponsor woes kept it on the sidelines for almost all of 1985. 35. SweetRich posted: 02.25.2020 - 10:36 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) The Commentators For The Race Were Ken Squier And Benny Parsons. The Pit Road Reporters Were Chris Economaki And Jerry Garrett. And In The STP Pit Communication Center Were Dave Despain And Dale Inman. 36. TheDewCrew posted: 03.20.2020 - 9:55 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Dang, 12 DNFs, over 28 races for Rusty Wallace. 10 due to engine failure. What engines were they running that year? 37. NewGuyOnTheBlock posted: 04.24.2020 - 2:28 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) TBS broadcast this race. This was a combination race with the Winston West series. They had themselves a pretty interesting points battle, with four drivers (Jim Robinson, Hershel McGriff, Glen Steurer, and Ruben Garcia) eligible for the title. Robinson would clinch the title over McGriff with his 12th place finish. 38. NewGuyOnTheBlock posted: 04.24.2020 - 3:47 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Cautions: 1 (Lap 19-21): #99 spin turn 3 2 (Lap 41-44): #45 spin turn 2 3 (Lap 48-50): #2, 17, 27 crash turn 6 39. SweetRich posted: 07.09.2020 - 10:04 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) The final race for Rusty Wallace competing for Cliff Stewart and Cliff Stewart Racing. To say that Rusty had a rough year would be a misunderstanding, although it began really good with four top tens in the first six races but four for the rest of the year after the spring race at Darlington. 40. Kulquicki posted: 07.19.2020 - 12:23 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Dale Earnhardt was driving an oval-track car for this event, as referenced in the Hidden Heroes episode on his pit crew filmed during this race. 41. JSPorts posted: 08.29.2020 - 2:50 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) NASCAR Winston Cup Grand National Series winners (1971-1985): 1st: Richard Petty, 81 2nd: Cale Yarborough, 69 3rd: Darrell Waltrip, 67 4th: Bobby Allison, 62 5th: David Pearson, 47 6th: Benny Parsons, 21 7th: Buddy Baker, 16 8th: Neil Bonnett, Dale Earnhardt & Bill Elliott, 15 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *Post a comment:* Your comment may not appear immediately - all comments must be approved by the moderator. Name: Comment: