April 21, 1985
"Northwestern Bank 400"
After enjoying some “adult beverages” during the 2 hours, 39 minutes, 53 seconds of racing, not to mention during pre-race tail-gaiting, some fans may have though that they were experiencing double-vision when they saw two Budweiser cars finish the race up front. They actually did see two Budweiser cars, but they were quite distinguishable.
The first Budweiser car was predominantly red, had the #12 on the side and said “Neil Bonnett” above the door. It was Neil Bonnett’s 15th career Winston Cup victory, his only win at NWS. Bonnett started 5th and led a race high 214 laps. Bonnett went on to have his best season in 1985, scoring 18 top tens and finishing fourth in points. All this “NASCAR 101 for beginners” talk on today’s weekend TV broadcasts explaining the difference between a tight and a loose racecar was best described by Bonnett many years earlier when he said, “Tight is when you see the wall before you hit it. Loose is when you don't get to see the wreck.”
Finishing just one car length behind was the second Budweiser car. This car had more white to it, carried the number 11 and read “Darrell Waltrip” above the door. Waltrip started from the pole for a record ninth time at NWS. His qualifying numbers were 20.107sec/111.899mph—the slowest time since the spring race of 1979, before the first of two rounds of new asphalt was applied to the track. Waltrip led 54 laps. Car owner Junior Johnson’s 1-2 finish was the first such finish in 28 years dating back to the spring race of 1957 when Pete DePaolo’s cars driven by Fireball Roberts, Paul Goldsmith, Ralph Moody and Marvin Panch finished 1-2-3-4 at NWS. DePaolo also had a fifth driver, Allen Atkins, finish 6th that race.
Trying to run interference with the Budweiser cars was the Miller American Buick driven by Bobby Allison. Allison started 3rd, led 124 laps and finished 3rd. His 24th and final top five finish at North Wilkesboro. At 47 years of age, Allison might have started to loose a little bit of “edge,” but certainly not heart. Allison would go on to win in each of the next three years, before seeing his career abruptly end at Pocono in 1988.
Ricky Rudd was the driver to gain the most positions throughout the day. Rudd started from the 13th spot and finished 4th. It was his 4th race of an eight race streak at NWS in which Rudd finished in the top ten. Driving for Bud Moore, the Wrangler sponsor was no more in 1985. Motorcraft was on board. It was the 128th consecutive Winston Cup start for Ricky Rudd. He would continue that streak for 660 more races making him NASCAR’s undisputed “Ironman.”
Finishing 5th, sporting the new Levi Garrett sponsored Chevrolet was Geoff Bodine. It was the third time Bodine finished fifth at NWS. Bodine started ninth and led three laps in the race. He was the last of five drivers to finish on the lead lap.
26 of the 30 cars entered in the field were running at the finish. There were 6 cautions for a total of 36 laps. Dale Earnhardt led one lap in the race, making for a total of five drivers to lead laps. They exchanged the lead a total of ten times. The "beer cars" had a good day. Outside of 1-2-3, Bill Elliott finished 6th in the Coors car and Tim Richmond finished 11th in the Old Milwaukee car.
Eddie Bierschwale made his first of 3 Winston Cup appearances at NWS. Don Hume made his only appearance at the track. A driver by the name of Ed Sanger made his one and only career Winston Cup start in the 1985 spring race at NWS. Sanger is credited with winning the very popular World 100 Late Model race at Eldora Speedway in 1974. Dick May ran his third and final NWS race. An interesting note—May ran the race in a car owned by Dick Bahre, brother of Bob Bahre, current owner of New Hampshire International Speedway and current co-owner of North Wilkesboro Speedway.
Just a couple of pics. There will be a lot more in the next race.
A look from the frontstretch. The recently completed Tyson Lounge/4th Turn Lounge/Scoring Tower is visible behind turn 4.
Neil Bonnett is all smiles as he poses with the winner’s trophy. I miss him as much as I miss
racing at North Wilkesboro.