October 4, 1970
“Wilkes 400”
Top 5 finishers.....
As the 1970 season was nearing the end, three drivers were in the thick of a very close points race. Bobby Allison, Bobby Isaac and James Hylton exchanged the points lead throughout a good part of the season. Entering the 1970 fall race at North Wilkesboro, Isaac was just ahead of Hylton and Allison was lurking close behind. Richard Petty was considered the favorite to win the 1970 Wilkes 400. The fans were given quite a show, a show that lasted 2 hours, 46 minutes, 20 seconds. The first and second place finishers exchanged the lead a total of 11 times throughout the day. And when the checkered waved, the margin of victory was just 6 car lengths.
Starting from the pole for a record tying fourth consecutive time was Bobby Isaac. His qualifying lap time was 21.346 seconds, a speed of 105.406mph. The record of four straight poles matched Fred Lorenzen’s and Herb Thomas’ accomplishments. Lorenzen led 179 laps in the race and was the first to cross the finish line at the day’s end. Isaac drove Nord Krauskopf's K&K Insurance Dodge to the Winston Cup title in 1970. He won 11 races, and his car accounted for nearly 54 percent of the total points which earned Dodge the manufacturers’ championship, breaking a seven-year stranglehold by Ford. Isaac, Krauskopf and legendary crew chief Harry Hyde, decided to cap the season by going to Talladega Superspeedway, the worlds fastest track, to try for a closed-course record. On a cold November day, Isaac circled the track at 201.104 mph and bettered Buddy Baker's old record of 200.447 mph.
Leading the most laps—216 and finishing second, was Richard Petty. Petty started the race 3rd (103.931mph). Had it not been for a shoulder injury suffered at Darlington in May, resulting in a six week absence from racing, Richard Petty would have been in contention for the 1970 title. Petty ran in 1185 Grand National races in his career, but one of his wildest rides may have come before he was behind the wheel. As a teenager Richard worked as a member of his father's pit crew. Once during a race at High Point, North Carolina, Richard climbed on the hood of his father's car during a pit stop to wipe the mud off of the windshield while the rest of the crew changed tires and fueled the car. Once the car was fueled and tires changed, Lee rushed back onto the track. Just one small problem, Richard was still clinging to the hood. Lee Petty sped around the track one lap, ducked into the pits and dropped off Richard.
Donnie Allison managed to get his car in the lead for five laps in the race. He finished 3rd, one lap off the pace. Donnie started second (104.351mph). In 1970, Donnie Allison was the first driver on the same day to complete all 500 miles of the Indianapolis 500 (finishing fourth), and then later that day won the World 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway a—feat not matched to this date.
After a fourth place starting spot (103.377mph), Bobby Allison completed 395 of the 400 laps and finished 4th. Allison finished the season second in the points battle. It was the first time since the fall race of 1952 that two brothers finished in the top five of the same race at NWS. In that race, both the Flock brothers (Tim and Fonty) along with the Thomas brothers (Herb and Donald) accomplished that feat.
Running 5th at the end of the day, 7 laps down, was James Hylton. Hylton was the last driver to get in on day one of qualifying (under the recent new format) with a speed of 101.411mph—he started eighth. Hylton finished 3rd in the season ending points championship. Hylton holds the NASCAR record for being the highest placing rookie in the top series when he finished second in 1966.
As in the past, 30 cars were in the race and there were 17 cars running at the finish. A total of 32 laps were run under caution. There were four caution periods. Raymond “Friday” Hassler ran his last Grand National race at NWS. In five Grand National attempts at NWS, he posted two finishes in the top ten. His ninth place finish on this day matched his best at NWS. A high point in Hassler’s career was when he drove many laps at the caution free Volunteer 500 in relief of Charlie Glotzbach. They scored Chevrolet's first NASCAR win in years. It was the fastest race ever run at Bristol. In 1972, Hassler was killed in what was then a Twin-125 qualifier race at Daytona.
Scenes from the 1970 Wilkes 400 race.....
Issac leads the field into turn one at the start of the race
Racing down the frontstretch
Isaac (71) and Petty (43) ran close all day
Ed Negre spins in front of Bill Seifert in 3 and 4
Clyde Lynn (20), Bobby Isaac (71) and Benny Parsons (72) coming out of turn 4
Isaac celebrates with “Miss Wilkes” and legendary mechanic Harry Hyde