1971 NASCAR Winston Cup Series


The 1971 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season began on Sunday February 14 and ended on Sunday November 20. Richard Petty was the champion for this Winston Cup season. After 20 years of being named the NASCAR Grand National Series, R. J. Reynolds first became the primary sponsor in a decade where the growing anti-tobacco movement banned its advertisement on television and motorsports was the ideal place to place their advertisements. Through NASCAR, Winston merchandise was unveiled to live viewers of the races. This kind of merchandise would also be given out at stores that sold cigarettes in subsequent years. Race car drivers were encouraged to smoke cigarettes until the mid-2000s brought in strict drug testing policies in addition to a smoking cessation program by Nicorette, a GlaxoSmithKline brand.
This would be the last season without Darrell Waltrip until 2001.

Season recap

Note: Some races were combined races for Grand American and Grand National cars. Races marked Combined Races were won by Grand American cars. The driver who finished first among Grand National cars is listed.

Notable Races

Motor Trend 500

The 1971 Motor Trend 500 was the first official race in NASCAR's Winston Cup era. Drivers had to contend with 191 laps on a 2.620 mile road course at Riverside International Raceway in Riverside, California. Ray Elder won the race.
  1. 96- Ray Elder
  2. 12- Bobby Allison
  3. 72- Benny Parsons
  4. 71- Bobby Isaac
  5. 48- James Hylton
  6. 39- Friday Hassler
  7. 32- Kevin Terris
  8. 26- Carl Joiner
  9. 19- Henley Gray
  10. 24- Cecil Gordon

    Daytona 500

The 12th annual Daytona 500 was run on February 14 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. A. J. Foyt won the pole and Richard Petty would win his third Daytona 500.
Top Ten Results
  1. 43- Richard Petty
  2. 11- Buddy Baker
  3. 21- A. J. Foyt
  4. 17- David Pearson
  5. 99- Fred Lorenzen
  6. 31- Jim Vandiver
  7. 22- Dick Brooks
  8. 20- Jim Hurtubise
  9. 48- James Hylton
  10. 71- Bobby Isaac

    Miller High Life 500

The Miller High Life 500 was run on February 28 at Ontario Motor Speedway. A. J. Foyt would win this race after more than three hours of racing.
  1. 21- A. J. Foyt
  2. 11- Buddy Baker
  3. 43- Richard Petty
  4. 71- Bobby Isaac
  5. 22- Dick Brooks
  6. 98- LeeRoy Yarbrough
  7. 96- Ray Elder
  8. 55- Tiny Lund
  9. 72- Benny Parsons
  10. 48- James Hylton

    Greenville 200

The Greenville 200 was the first live flag-to-flag telecast of a NASCAR race. The race was run on Saturday, April 10 at Greenville-Pickens Speedway and was carried live on ABC with Jim McKay, Chris Economaki and Ken Squier. Bobby Isaac won the race.
  1. 71- Bobby Isaac, 1970 Dodge Charger
  2. 17- David Pearson, 1970 Ford Purolator
  3. 22- Dick Brooks, 1969 Dodge Charger
  4. 2- Dave Marcis, 1969 Dodge Charger
  5. 72- Benny Parsons, 1969 Ford
  6. 48- James Hylton, 1971 Ford
  7. 43- Richard Petty, 1970 Plymouth Road Runner
  8. 39- Friday Hassler, 1969 Chevrolet
  9. 06- Neil Castles, 1969 Dodge Charger
  10. 20- Elmo Langley, 1970 Mercury

    Southern 500

The Rebel 400 was run on May 2 at Darlington Raceway in Darlington, South Carolina. Donnie Allison won the pole and Buddy Baker would win his third Rebel 400.
  1. 11- Buddy Baker
  2. 22- Dick Brooks
  3. 2- Dave Marcis
  4. 21- Donnie Allison
  5. 31- Jim Vandiver
  6. 49- G. C. Spencer
  7. 70- J. D. McDuffie
  8. 39- Friday Hassler
  9. 76- Ben Arnold
  10. 64- Elmo Langley

    Winston 500

The Winston 500 was run on May 16 at Alabama International Motor Speedway in Talladega, Alabama. Donnie Allison won the pole and won the race. He defeated Bobby by some seconds.
  1. 21- Donnie Allison
  2. 12- Bobby Allison
  3. 11- Buddy Baker
  4. 6- Pete Hamilton
  5. 99- Fred Lorenzen
  6. 31- Jim Vandiver
  7. 48- James Hylton
  8. 90- Bill Dennis
  9. 71- Dave Marcis
  10. 68- Larry Baumel

    World 600

The World 600 was run on May 30 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, South Carolina. Charlie Glotzbach won the pole and Bobby Allison would win the 1971 World 600.
  1. 12- Bobby Allison
  2. 21- Donnie Allison
  3. 6- Pete Hamilton
  4. 43- Richard Petty
  5. 99- Fred Lorenzen
  6. 11- Buddy Baker
  7. 72- Benny Parsons
  8. 39- Friday Hassler
  9. 2- Dave Marcis
  10. 22- Dick Brooks

    Myers Brothers 250

The 1971 Myers Brothers 250 was a NASCAR Winston Cup Series event that took place on August 6, 1971, at Bowman Gray Stadium in the American community of Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
Due to the reduced sponsorship money being given out by the "Big Three" automobile companies in Detroit, NASCAR decided to hold six of their smaller Winston Cup Series races in conjunction with the "minor league" NASCAR Grand American Series.
As Bobby Allison was not racing in a Grand National car, he never received credit in that series, but was credited with a Grand American Series win. Richard Petty, who finished second in a Grand National car, was never given credit for the class win. Under current rules used in various combination races among cars in NASCAR series, Petty would be credited with a series win.
  1. 49-Bobby Allison
  2. 43-Richard Petty
  3. 14-Jim Paschal
  4. 87-Buck Baker
  5. 11-Dave Marcis
  6. 55-Tiny Lund
  7. 15-Wayne Andrews
  8. 25-Jabe Thomas
  9. 86-David Ray Boggs
  10. 30-Walter Ballard

    Yankee 400

The Yankee 400 was run on August 15 at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Michigan. Pete Hamilton won the pole and Bobby Allison would win the 1971 Yankee 400.
  1. 12- Bobby Allison
  2. 43- Richard Petty
  3. 11- Buddy Baker
  4. 60- Maynard Troyer
  5. 18- Joe Frasson
  6. 24- Cecil Gordon
  7. 88- Ron Keselowski
  8. 48- James Hylton
  9. 25- Jabe Thomas
  10. 06- Neil Castles

    Delaware 500

The 1971 Delaware 500 is a NASCAR Winston Cup Series race that took place on October 17, 1971. Richard Petty defeated Charlie Glotzbach by more than one lap in front of eighteen thousand people.
  1. 43- Richard Petty
  2. 98- Charlie Glotzbach
  3. 71- Bobby Isaac
  4. 12- Bobby Allison
  5. 90- Bill Dennis
  6. 57- David Ray Boggs
  7. 91- Richard D. Brown
  8. 64- Elmo Langley
  9. 30- Walter Ballard
  10. 48- James Hylton

    Final Point Standings

  11. Richard Petty 4435
  12. James Hylton 4071
  13. Cecil Gordon 3677
  14. Bobby Allison 3636
  15. Elmo Langley 3356
  16. Jabe Thomas 3200
  17. Bill Champion 3058
  18. Frank Warren 2886
  19. J. D. McDuffie 2862
  20. Walter Ballard 2633

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