1972 – Allison Takes Nashville 420

 

Bobby Allison won the Nashville 420, driving the Junior Johnson-owned, Coca-Cola sponsored Monte Carlo.

Nashville, Tenn. (August 26, 1972) – A disputed pit stop proved the margin of victory for Bobby Allison on Saturday night in the Nashville 420 NASCAR Grand National stock car race at Fairgrounds Speedway.

Allison finished less than a lap ahead of Richard Petty who made the controversial pit stop on lap 327 when he pitted for left-side tires and fuel.

As Petty left the pits, he received a “stop” flag from officials because of traffic on the track in the area of the pit exit. Petty was going too fast and missed the signal.

Two laps later, Bill Gazaway, the NASCAR Grand National competition director, stopped Petty and penalized him a lap.

Petty, normally calm, cool and collected in any situation, banged on his steering wheel while arguing with Gazaway, who had already received much help in reaching the decision from both Allison’s and Petty’s pit crews.

The decision stood and Petty was never able to overtake Allison though he did get back on the same lap on the 405th circuit.

Repairs to the track kept the record standing room only crowd, estimated at 19,500, waiting for an hour and fifteen minutes before the start while a steamroller attempted to repair a troublesome hole in the track. The hole was not a real factor in the race, though some drivers, including Petty, indicated they experienced some steering difficulties.

Darrell Waltrip, a popular local driver from Franklin, Tenn., proved that he could outrun anyone in the field, except Allison and Petty, who put on a show themselves in what largely proved to be a two-man race. Waltrip would finish third with Benny Parson right behind him in fourth.

The race was delayed on the first lap when two of the real chargers entered, Coo Coo Marlin and Bobby Isaac, collided on the back straightaway when Marlin lost control and spun into the path of Isaac. Both were eliminated from the race.


Results –

1. Bobby Allison
2. Richard Petty
3. Darrell Waltrip
4. Benny Parsons
5. Elmo Langley
6. Cecil Gordon
7. Henley Grey
8. James Hylton
9. Walter Ballard
10.J.D. McDuffie
11.D.K. Ulrich
12.John Sears
13.Earl Brooks
14.Frank Warren
15.David Ray Boggs
16.Richard Childress
17.David Sisco
18.Raymond Williams
19.Charlie Roberts
20.Ben Arnold
21.Robert Brown
22.Jabe Thomas
23.Dean Dalton
24.George Altheide
25.Bill Champion
26.Coo Coo Marlin
27.Bobby Isaac
28.LeeRoy Yarbrough