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1983 Warner W. Hodgdon Carolina 500
Auto race held at North Carolina Motor Speedway in 1983 / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 1983 Warner W. Hodgdon Carolina 500 was a NASCAR Winston Cup Series race that was scheduled to be held on Sunday, March 6, 1983, at North Carolina Motor Speedway in Rockingham, North Carolina. The race started on its scheduled date but the overcast skies opened up with steady rain soon after 100 laps were completed, forcing the race to be stopped for the day. The race concluded one week later on March 13, a pleasant sunny day.
Race details[1] | |||
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Race 3 of 30 in the 1983 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season | |||
![]() Layout of Rockingham Speedway | |||
Date | March 13, 1983 (1983-March-13) | ||
Official name | Carolina 500 | ||
Location | North Carolina Motor Speedway, Rockingham, North Carolina | ||
Course |
Permanent racing facility 1.017 mi (1.636 km) | ||
Distance | 492 laps, 500 mi (804 km) | ||
Weather | Temperatures of 70 °F (21 °C); wind speeds of 11.8 miles per hour (19.0 km/h) | ||
Average speed | 113.055 miles per hour (181.944 km/h) | ||
Attendance | 37,000[2] | ||
Pole position | |||
Driver | Richard Childress Racing | ||
Most laps led | |||
Driver | Cale Yarborough | Ranier-Lundy Racing | |
Laps | 161 | ||
Winner | |||
No. 43 | Richard Petty | Petty Enterprises | |
Television in the United States | |||
Network | ESPN | ||
Announcers |
Bob Jenkins Larry Nuber |
Several hard crashes during the race sidelined drivers; Joe Ruttman crashed his #98 Buick going into turn three, sending the windshield flying out of his car and over the outer wall. Geoff Bodine in Pontiac #50 had a fast car and led many laps, but crashed out while attempting to lap Cale Yarborough's #28 Chevy. With 42 laps to go Yarborough and Neil Bonnett in the #75 Chevy, who had been swapping the lead between them, tangled and crashed entering turn one when Bonnett ducked below Yarborough. Both cars spun and Yarborough slid back into the outside wall. The 28 car was heavily damaged in the rear and shortened by nearly five feet but limped home for a 9th-place finish, 6 laps down. Bonnett dropped out with damage from the wreck with 9 laps to go and finished 12th. Richard Petty barely held off a hard-charging Bill Elliott in a close side by side fight to the checkered flag.