1986 Miller High Life 400 from Richmond Raceway | NASCAR Classic Full Race Replay

here you see the pack capacity house on this very very chilly day the command to fire the engines given for a final time here by the man who gave that call some 22 years Ray Melton passed away this past week Ray Melton who started with the stunt shows and the Vaudeville and the fair a very colorful guy in the world of motor racing particularly in the stock cars here in the south stock car racing since I've been coming to Richmond 1970 Ray was always here always brought up you an envelope with press clippings from the past three or four months Ray we miss you field firing getting set for a go for the last four years on each edition of moto week Illustrated we've named the Champion spark plug racer of the week the awards become as meaningful and prestigious to the recipients as it has been to those of us who reward it and in that same tradition today we began awarding the champion racer of the day we'll be polling our editorial staff and making the award at the end of this day's event the Champion spark plug racer of the day 31 contenders going for it on this very slippery track let's take a look at the starting lineup for the 18th Annual Richmond 400. on the front row Jeff buddine winner of the Daytona 500 last week and alongside Jeff comes Terry Labonte five victories to his credit in row two Daryl Waltrip two-time winner of this event and Bobby Hill in the Midland Texas who finished fourth last week Row three it's Ron Bouchard from Fitchburg Massachusetts and Missouri's Rusty Wallace will be starting alongside going to roll four there's Lake speed and with in comes Chesapeake Virginia's favorite Ricky Wright for row five today Bill Elliott the awesome band of last year and with in comes Dale Earnhardt defending champion of this race for row six it's Phil Parsons on the inside and alongside is Kyle Petty going to row seven there you have Tommy Ellis who got the biggest Round of Applause a great favorite here in Virginia and Canada's Trevor Boys in row eight will be Tim Richmond still injured walked out here in a king today and Buddy Arrington from Martinsville Virginia in row nine airs Joe Rutman with a new Kenny Bernstein team and alongside is the Hal Needham car for Harry Gann going to Road 10 Neil Bonnett who crashed so hard here a year ago and Greg Sachs is there row 11 for today Mike Waltrip of Owensboro Kentucky this is a rookie row Doug heverron is alongside from Liverpool New York in row 12. twice champion of this race Bobby Allison from Alabama and with him comes Dave Marcus and the Helen Ray Carr row 13 is Kirk Bryant from North Carolina and J.D McDuffie is in the field row 14 is the six-time winner driving hurt today Richard Petty and the rookie Davey Allison row 15 is last year's Rookie of the Year Ken Schrader and Jimmy means from Alabama at one provisional starter on today's field in the 31st position Eddie virtual takes over in car number 48 which has been scheduled for Ron Esau if you people at home are trying to figure out how this starting lineup came being here's how NASCAR determined the starting lineup positions 1-18 was determined by current Winston Cup standings position 19 and 20 was determined by 1985 race winners positioned 21-30 determined by receipt of Entry blanks at NASCAR and how they signed in the racetrack and started positioning 31 is a provisional starter in the old days they used to draw for positions and this is the second time qualifying trials have been washed out at Richmond the first time 62 and Herman Bean drew the poll only time in his career and Herman no back in those days as the turtles followed the pace car right down Pit Road at the start of the race rejoined the race in the back of the field but Ken I guarantee you Jeff beaudine is not going to follow a base car downfield Road that was a race that Rex White won after he had started in 20th we're a lap away from a start two laps away from a start they're giving these cars an extra lap or two today just to warm the tires and the and the gearbox the rear ends up because is it cold out here it's about 45 50 degrees these cars have been sitting there all morning they're cold there you see Harry Gant trying to get some warmth in those tires skating rink and next to him is the Quaker Steak car number 26. the skull band Harry Gantt right there and alongside comes Joe Rutman boy it was bad on Rutman he had the second fastest time in practice one more lap and then they did not get a chance to get out here and run slick just playing slick said Bill Elliott who got sideways out here trying to qualify he said I have driven on ice it wasn't that slick but Richard Petty said all I wanted to do was bring the car back and if I couldn't do that I wanted to find some soft place to land I scared myself out there and Daryl Waltrip about trying to qualify yesterday said it was the stupidest thing NASCAR's ever done it's the worst I've ever seen trying to make a man qualify in the rain heck you can't even see out there a lot of controversy and then they couldn't get the last 13 cars in and so they came out and used this new system with the top 18 cars coming through points after race one at Daytona then the two winners from last year uh that would be the Earnhardt Karen Bonnet arrest or by postmark here we come down for a start Bodine who wants the quickest in practice unofficially on the pole Terry Labonte right beside it ready for this Rickman 400 live here on the super station field is away skating down through turns one and two we can't over emphasize how tricky it is to get around this racetrack Terry Labonte got a tremendous break was able to get down on the inside I talked to her this morning he was very concerned about that I'll start go die in his first two of the line he is in second Bobby Hillman holds third Rusty Wallace is in fourth big story on Wallace after last weekend Daytona appeals that he was taken out of 25 000 on that finish back straight away in the fifth position his car number 11 Waltrip and then comes Ron Bouchard in Six coming around a complete lap number two voting drawing Away by four car Lakes as he scoots into turn number one so nine seems like he really has things going his way right now Bobby Hillen back in third spots kinda holding up the train if they could get by him maybe they'll go up give Bonine some Running Room I don't think anybody wants to run hard right now they want to get the tires warmed up they want to wear off some of that material is put down on the Pavements they get a little better in life later they don't want to crash this early that's for sure exactly right the only people that are really concerned is Richard there we see Richard he started way back 27th he needs to get by and up front as quickly he can't there he's passing Kirk Bryant down in turn one Richard Petty getting around he's also pulled by Schrader at number 43 remember he's driving hurt Teddy in front of the 43 on the move closing up on Allison who had a great start at Daytona Bobby Allison just in front of petty trying to move in Richard Petty slamming up through traffic as he comes along they get about 110 150 mile an hour in these 660 foot straightaways 790 feet through the degree of turns Bank 12 degrees in the corners leader there you see him beaudine Petty from 27th on the fly now up to 20th it looks to me like Terry Labonte has gained just a few callings from Carol of on his Oldsmobile on the move right now Daryl Walton was trying to make a move in turn number one as you see them speeding down the main straightaway Waltrip is on the climb he's moving up takes over in fourth there you see Terry labonte's number 44. secured in that second position coming around in third Bobby Hill and out Waltrip in the fourth back to fifth goes Bouchard Lake speed runs next and then comes number 15. Ricky Wright from the in-car camera perhaps a glimmer here of what it looks like because they try to truck their way that's Harry Gant going into the back straightaway to 600 feet and make your cut Downey goes into turn gotta scramble it into the wall two automobiles look like Arrington is one of them I'm not so sure but what's that the six car it is the six car as Trevor Boyce kid looks like he's got serious damage to the right front of that car first caution coming with eight laps complete gets it cranked up this is a track that can just chew you alive absolutely devour you this track because it is not a concrete wall it's a steel wall if you get into it and now Kirk Bryant showing some damage on the back of car number two Kirk has damage to the front and rear of the rear that's the rear bumper we see dragon on the two car but he also has damage to the right front of the automobile Rusty Wallace has fallen back he started in fourth fell to 13th does he got pinned on the outside and the groove is not there Kirk Bryant coming in there we see the damage on the right front of the car smoke where the fender is rubbing the tire down Pit Road you see car number six pulling in and I think that's it on car number six the DK Ulrich car which is being driven today by Trevor Boyce so we are under caution for the first time today as we bring you live coverage of the Richmond 400 on the superstation [Music] from the gravy at Daytona last week to the Grits at Richmond and there's some True Grit Trevor boys crew working hard to get him back in here today we've gone from bikinis a week ago to mittens today temperature getting cold and a little friskier right now it's warmer this morning than it is at this hour well the wind is picked up and with it down goes the temperature Trevor boys I'm sure that the weather has something to do with the spin up in turn one the cold as cold as a racetrack is it's going to take 50 100 laps before these fellows really get a serious Groove worked out Richard Patty has been cutting through traffic from the back of the field up into the 20th position by count after starting 27th let's go to Dave despain at the STP pit Center no great surprise here Candace we watch him try to unscramble the damage that has been done to these two cars again the first caution comes just eight laps into the Richmond 400 which will of course be a 400 lap Affair Trevor boys buddy Harrington Kirk Bryant all involved Jeff beaudine has an interesting problem here we've talked a lot about the cold weather the rain and the lack of practice modine's problems are compounded by the fact that they have converted their car we'll talk more about that in a moment but I think we're going to have the opportunity now to see what happened out there on the racetrack again a slippery racetrack you see the car goes sideways looks like Arrington who first broke loose caught a little piece of Brian's car number two and down on the low side check and it was boys who broke first and he hits the outside wall down to the bottom goes the 67 of Buddy Arrington they're the two cars that have sustained the most damage and Brian got the brunt of it as his nose is pretty badly beat up we'll get back to the Bodine story right now let's go to Chris economaki well look out here Trevor boys tracks but they're going to set it back out oh he's gonna crash and turn what lake speed is in hard back to the track Lake speed on the restart getting loose and slamming into the retainer at turn number one Lake speed gets it fired feel back under caution let's take a look and replay of what happened to Lake speed batty Parsons well he tries to cut down the hill Ricky Rudd is right underneath him Lake speed came down the hill rut tipped him touch him in the left rear quarter and Spins him into the guard rail to the left side a thumper there's Earnhardt diving to the inside and Earnhardt is on the Move he's picking up positions in the early going here's Lake coming around at car number 75. second place finisher at Daytona a year ago trying to get his luck straightened up we got another look at this let's have another look at what happened to Lake speed and we expect it to be this kind of a wreck of rodeo today on this very slippery half mile real old-fashioned stock car racing live for you here today on the super station field is under caution once again what's happening right now the only place to run on the racetrack is right on the bottom of the racetrack everyone is fighting for that spot that's exactly what happened Lake speed was fighting for the inside Rudd was already there Lake turned down hit Rudd's front with his left rear around he went could be a whole lot of that today I would expect there will be all right let's take a look at another replay of what happened to Lake speed here we can see him on the outside he Rudd thinks he's alongside Lake tries to come down root hits the left rear around he goes Blake is lucky that he didn't hit with the full side of the car because sometimes when that happens your head goes out in his cigar Bridge car number 75 Lake speed brings out the second caution of the day and we expect this one to be a wreck strewn event looks like a take one and they're going to send them away Jeff Bodine continues to lead he won over 200 thousand dollars there you see the number six rolling but not able to come out he's down at the bottom of a Pit Road all beaten up and I think we're going to see a lot more cars just like this before the day is out getting ready on a restart back straightaway speed lost a lap in the pits there's Bodine he won 200 Grand a week ago now you're inside Harry gant's car and you know where he was on the evening of his victory out celebrating drinking champagne no 8 30 10 o'clock at night he was signing autographs at the Kmart in Daytona Beach Florida Jeff beaudine people's kind of racer here he is up in front coming down for the start there you see the body in second Bobby Hill on that great finish a week ago in third Waltrip in fourth Bouchard and Fifth and in six is Earnhardt up to seventh Bill Elliott Elliot looking for a good finish today he got slammed back to two forwards went out together Lake speed is out back straightaway as they go into turn number three they're the leaders and directly behind them three cars spinning in the wall Waltrip is in the wall five six seven eight eight automobiles have Tangled Up and right where he crashed a year ago there you see Bill Elliott's number nine impaled the number nine of Elliott right up on the fence he's sitting on top of the guardrail someone must have blown an engine up there and got oil all over the racetrack Bouchard went away then Waltrip and then everybody got into it still out there as Richard Petty's car Phil Parsons car is destroyed in the front end right in front of Petty's here's the 98 of Bouchard take a look at this hey this may be the race that nobody wins I can't but they've torn up so many cars up in turn three we're showing 18 laps complete 18 of 400 complete onto Pit Road goes Daryl Waltrip's number 11. look at Bouchard's car all smashed up there's Tommy Ellis the local favorite that Ron Bouchard serious front end damage on the 98 car and coming onto Pit Road is the number 26 Joe Rutman one of marine car camera cars and the right side of that the right rear panel all torn off three cars went in first and then three more snapped into the wall replay coming up well that's Walter we just saw there's Elliott up on top of the guardrail he runs into Bodine in front of them the wall chip car is in and a Bouchard car backing out of it with the uh with the force of the cars behind those cars ran into the accident with it looks like there may be could have been some oil or something going in turn three it'd be interesting to get a report from some of the drivers that was involved over there to find out exactly what caused all that melee three of them all at once just went right up to the wall as if there was a blown engine they just aren't getting a bite of course the tires cool off in these caution periods there you see one of our in-car camera cars the Quaker State car of Joe rotman which is badly crunched there's Bill Elliott out surveying the damage on his car which has really become a damage commodity Earnhardt trying to clean his windshield Earnhardt down the front straightaway has oil all over his windshield was literally can't leaning out the window cleaning off so he could see he unstrapped his harness and he was leaning out the front here's Chris economaki okay I'm standing here with uh Ron Bouchard found up to his door and I don't know if he didn't see me or what but we hit together and we both spun around Ron what's the track like yeah racetrack's really slippery it's got a lot of dirt and stuff on it okay they're working on the car cutting things away with automatic tools here this is a really an emergency situation it's almost military and character back to you Ken well there you can see he has the window net down and Earnhardt continues to work on cleaning off the windshield of car number three and keep himself up in this thing what happened evidently Earnhardt went through the mud or someone went through the mud through dirt over all over the windshield so that's what he's trying to clean up because evidently there's no oil out there it's just got to be mud that's on the windshield of of the three car now there's Harry Gantz number 33 the Bandit getting back into this thing another time and right with him comes the Joe Rutman car oh my that's serious repair work on Bouchard Bernhardt continues to work on the main straightaway trying to get his windshield cleaned up he's done a pretty good job as you can see he looked like he was sitting on top of the roof with that Wrangler scar that time cleaning the windshield he's determined not to go in the pits and start at the rear of the field he's going to start up front if it kills it number five Bodine stays first Labonte is in second and running third is Bobby Hillman out of Texas and Earnhardt now finds himself in fourth with Neil bonded in fifth and a discourage Bill Elliott for the second week in a row the ravages of stock car racing have grabbed him and thrown him out of a race before he ever got a chance to find the flag that's unfortunate and difficult for the man from Thunder Road [Music] everybody comes out of this unscathed but the cars all scraped up after the second major encounter with a wall today and our live coverage of the Richmond 400. [Music] a Chevrolet is leading here at Richmond number five Jeff Bodine Rick Hendrick Racing Stable looking to win it for the second time and look what's happened to the 1984 winner of this event that is the Ricky Rudd car prepared by Buck Moore and right behind it your brother Phil Parsons his car took some terrible abuse out there looks like the front is off the front end of the car is almost not completely off I did see Phil walking across the racetrack a moment ago so I know he's okay while the attrition is just building in a dramatic fashion Greg sack's car is coming down Pit Road the hood has been sawed off his automobile as he comes out and it's already over for Ricky Rudd who had just a remarkable comeback here two years ago because he was involved in that terrible spill at Daytona in The Clash and 14 days later he ran down Daryl Waltrip and one he will not win today his car is badly could be a look at the damage these cars have sustained and we're 25 laps into this 400 lap event that's the Ron Bouchard card they must be trying to get back onto the racetrack because Bouchard is still sitting inside the guard I think everyone anticipates a lot of this kind of thing today and the consideration is if we can get back in there we'll score some points because there may not be many around at the finish of this Richmond 400 live today here on the super station [Music] uh we're going to look at that 10 car in just small they were pushing Tommy Ellis car there's to continue to look at Daryl Walter's car that was a Tommy Ellis number 18 the local boy from Richmond Virginia they were pushing down Pedro looks like it's all over the day for Tommy Kirk Bryant's number two you saw him rejoining the field replace Rusty Wallace on that team this year he just comes back out he was early out of the Daytona 500 a week ago a lot of folks say this is the real racing after you go to Daytona and all that super slick super trick 200 mile per hour stuff you get back here and this is what it's all about Waltrip coming out and here you see Greg Sachs coming out the one of the firecracker 400 last year oh looked like he almost got hit by the truck number 10. that is Greg sacks from die guard folks coming out has no front end on that car at all the left Fender the hood the right Fender all gone [Music] operation has been having some problems the rumor is or there's been stories circulating this week that Robert Yates the engine man of that operation has left I know I can't confirm that but there was speculation in the newspaper that he has resigned looks almost like a modified after a really bad night at Stafford Springs Connecticut I've never seen a modified look that bad give me the Stafford on Saturday night last year I mean up there they really tore someone here's car number 44. that's Terry Labonte and number 44 Terry Labonte trying to get it all together here today he was third year in 84. what's tough about Richmond for a driver like Terry Labonte this is what he says about it's a tough racetrack you know it's a it's a hard race track to get your car set up for it's a race track where you've got to get your car where it really turns good in the middle of the corner and then you've got to get it where it comes off the corner without spinning the back tires and that's kind of hard to accomplish both of them Terry Labonte who had that outstanding performance last week at Daytona I'll tell you with 10 laps to go much as I wanted to see a damn Yankee pull it off and I know how everybody's dream for Earnhardt I thought this guy was going to win it all back there and fit exactly I thought Terry Labonte had him at Daytona 500 in the bag because knowing beaudine and Earnhardt I just felt like there was going to be some fireworks on that last lap 79 replay let's go to Jerry Garrett we're down here with Daryl waltrips crew chief Jeff Hammond Jeff what's wrong with Daryl's car well we kind of we bent the uh the tie rod during the wreck and knocked the front end out of the line a little bit of sheet metal damage to it but uh you know basically what we tail this looks in the car over what feedback Daryl's giving us I think we're going to get our lap back and get back in the race Daryl say what caused the thing uh just get close racing over in turn three and four I reckon here okay you can see just how narrow it is right here as they come down this is the main straightaway and you either bowl a perfect strike or you're in the gutter on this racetrack Jeff Hamilton he was good close racing it was close racing I don't think anybody over there is going to agree to is good hey you know you could have come out here Parsons and you could have started in fifth position based on points a week ago here you are would you have a lot more fun out there Ricochet romance like it is I think I'm the safest place in the ballpark high up above this thing looking down on these fellas there's number 11. that's Waltrip now a lap down after that altercation there's some of the attrition some of the cars out of the race Trevor boys Bill Elliott now being reported as ko'd early in the going Ron Bouchard in big trouble and Phil Parsons we see them still working on car number 98 and I think they're making every every opportunity out here to get him back in Ricky Rudd is not showing up there the 15 car and looking by the looks of that car on the record a moment ago I would be surprised if he gets back in the race it's been very tough for him tough one for his car owner as well here's Chris economak Tim your current thing up twice or many accidents so soon well I think one of the reasons Chris is the track was so dirty uh from all the mud and stuff that's been tracked over the last couple days uh that I'm maybe a little too much aggression by a few people I just have to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and I was a victim but what what triggered that all I couldn't see it you know I was tucked up under uh the 27 car and I he he raised his hand like something's happening I slowed up and hit the brakes a lot of the brakes locked up and took the car up with all the other crash the crashes I guess it was going so just a victim okay let's take a look at the damage in the front of the car here what's being worked on uh the mechanics are fixing the front end here and so forth let's take a look at the damage here at the front end of the number 25 called Tim Richmond it's up on Jacks and by bringing the car behind the wall more people can work on it than would be allowed to work on the car while it was outside the pit wall yes a big thing that happened Chris was when we the the impact wasn't that bad the way it took is I had the wheels gone part of the steering mechanism broke the worst thing happened was somewhere under the hood it knocked an oil line off the motor and the motor the motor actually ran for a minute without it how much oil to just fill on the track I don't know I thought it was the tires of it as I went down to the front straightaway but there's actually an oil line flowing on headers and on the ground so that's what all that smoke is about okay back top side 30 laps are now complete and our live coverage here on the superstation of old-fashioned rock and roll stock car racing on the Richmond Fairgrounds half mile and we'll have more coverage after these messages Jeff will died out in front Livonia [Music] back at the Richmond fairgrounds in Virginia for live coverage of the Richmond 400 today and we're having Jeff Bodine as our leader Terry Lovato in second Bobby Hillen in third running in fourth our number three Dale Earnhardt and there you see Waldron was running one lap down along with Petty speed and game and there is Neil bonnett's car who's pulled up into the fourth position Neil Bonnett in the car number 12. car number 11 the Waltrip car a lap down is a terminal to lose a lapier Daryl well it's not as bad as a super speedway you get a lot of opportunities on a short track to get a lap back because there are a lot more cautions and if your car is running well and you got a lap down and you could get enough cautions where you had the opportunity I have even driven up laps here where the car was just passed and I could drive around the field and and make up a lap that way I'd rather be a lap down here or get a lap down here than I had to Daytona it's much tougher at Daytona light is off on the pace car that will resume racing at lap 35. Waltrip Dives down to the inside he's going to pull up alongside Bodine for the start comes up under the 95. Davey Allison scooting up to find the leaders within comes Lake speed Mike Waltrip Daryl's younger brother just coming out on the track and we're set for a start tremendous advantage that Daryl Waltrip has under NASCAR rules cars that are one lap down can pull on the left side of the fast cars the leaders can pull up right alongside of them with that less a fast car like Daryl Walton one lap down could pull up he has an excellent opportunity to get his lap back right now when he falls back as they come to the line just jumped out in front and the body comes around it looks like there's some handling problems on wall trips number 11. Daryl Waltrip all day has not been getting a good start I don't know if the car isn't shifting well exactly what the problem is the front four cars jump off by themselves down the inside Earnhardt Nails Hillis gets it sideways and he pulls up to the third Terry Labonte is in second Bodine is in first back goes car number eight Hill and he falls back to Fourth further back of the field Bobby Allison's making a move underneath Neil Bonnett to take over in fifth Bobby Hill a moment ago coming off turn four did a great job saving the Garment goes I thought he was in the guardrail watch as they go back into turn from our high shot that's just how tight this track is and here comes Earnhardt looking on the inside he slams it down to the bottom and Earnhardt pulls up another spot he didn't put a fender on Carnival 44 as he went through that time you just we could see the windshield coming off turn four on the three car Dale Earnhardt's automobile and we can see just how far he had leaned over and cleaned that windshield third spot belonging to Terry Labonte got a real smoker in the back of the field that's true looks like he's got some metal dragon on the Wheel to seizing up on him car number six Trevor Boyce coming in that's it for Trevor some more work he may get back out there meanwhile Terry Labonte is getting high and moving up his car number eight that was 95 by the Davey Allison car spawned down in turn one but no caution play he was able to get the car running keep on going and no caution play Davey Allison rookie driver front car number five there you see beaudine and here comes Earnhardt this looks like a replay of the action on the two and a half mile track a week ago Dale Earnhardt is really coming I'll tell you what early on that is certainly a candidate for racer of the day he started what 10th 11th he started 10th spot already in second place Bobby Hill and stays right up there too in third spot good run for him levani in fourth Waltrip's car seems to have settled in for the moment Bonnet has backed down the pace a little he let Bobby Allison pull by Dale Earnhardt creeping up on Bodine just about three car links separate him right now working live 43. add indeed Earnhardt is now there's Richard Petty back on the racetrack he and I would be one bit surprised if there was a substitute driver in the 43. we'll have to find out about that but I doubt as much pain as Richard Petty is in today that he would continue on he came out with his arm wrapped up he was introduced today but the Hall of Lane Richmond came out on a cane today it's the 43 down in the bottom meanwhile up in front car number five stays up in front the 43 car just went underneath the number 23. young Mike Walton and you may be right they may have changed some drivers around him now watch number 11 trying to get a lap back on the 44. remember that 44 was running in the fourth position let's see if Walters filed a handle here at all he's alongside going to turn woman down the hill comes Terry Labonte Carol's going to force the issue this early on because he can't afford to get another lap or two down if he does chances of Victory is going to go right out the window slowest Pace after that lengthy caution early in the going Walter looks inside 44. Terry Labonte just squares it off and stays right there meanwhile up in front car number three Dale Earnhardt is continuing his effort to close in now the Walters making another stab here but not finding the mark walk of the 11. he knows he needs to get by the 44. he keeps trying everything he can Terry Labonte car 44 is having none of it well Earnhardt's right on the back bumper Earnhardt in the three car right on the back buffer of the leader Bodine Kirk Bryant directly in front of them at the number two up turn number two there's Earnhardt taking the shot on the inside and Kirk Bryant's there Bodine using the lap card they go back into three boy he certainly used the proverbial pick that time Kirk Grimm was the pick beaudine used it beautifully leaders by and then to turn one That's Mike Waltrip the car right in front of him a rookie in this race oh Earnhardt in the grass Black Card front he's got a way to get great struggle for first place 50 laps complete this time by this was the story again throughout Daytona speed week and now it's the story here again in Richmond these two guys look like they're set to brawl All Through the 1986 season reports of bad flood between these two drivers Bodine and Earnhardt swapped sheet metal bang fenders down there at 200 miles an hour last week and you know Earnhardt wants by we saw Earnhardt at this race a year ago bulldoze his way past Tim Richmond knocked Jeff beaudine out of the way and go on to win the race not guarantee you're going to see fireworks from number five and number three those two guys are the dominant story in stock car racing right now and they're inches apart on the backstrip they were the dominant story in this race a year ago but it was switched around remember Earnhardt won it and Bodine was in second and here they cop crowds up and excited about this one packed house full day sun is out once again Petty's number 43 back on Pit Row but right now the story's right here back into the dirt on the inside gets it sideways coming up the second Corner car three Dale earner is completely sideways off turned he wants by so they don't get more than 100 miles an hour in a straight away a little over that for these two guys that's out for a walk around one and two working lap 54. Earnhardt settling in there for a moment Chevrolet is one of two as you mentioned this Deja Vu Last Week Daytona Beach almost all day Jeff beau9 or Dillon or the five of the three leading the event at Daytona remember Rockingham that Sportsman race I mean Earhart just drove right up underneath it and lifted him over and went by to win that one and last week it was the other way around so wherever you go these two make a story beaudine in first Earnhardt in second two very capable very physical drivers and when they get to a short track like this they'll really put on a show now let's see what Earnhardt will do in turn two he keeps trying underneath coming off turn two but Bodine will not give him the room the Five Card takes away that low low group he's determined nothing left a three-car dealer in our Buy on the inside it's that number two turn and beaudine is going in just a tad easier here doesn't want to give up that inside at all comes off stands on it down that 660 foot straight away and they're standing in the grandstand watching this buffer to Bumper action live on the super station Jeff Bodine winner of the 1986 Daytona 500. all eyes are faced right toward this battle wherever it is around this half mile track Tad bigger than a half mile not much here they are up on J.D McDuffie we've got a crash in the main straightaway number two Kirk Bryant is wall up the wall Kirk Bryants number two that card getting Savaged another time and the third caution of the day comes out on car number two Bill Elliott's car is getting ready to come back on the track he's going to make every effort to get him back out here and score points as far as I was concerned after that great race a year ago watching the two come in the race here last year was a short track car that Elliott brought a brand new car to this track here's Elliot coming out well you might as well have lost a championship in this race one year ago after his superb performance and all those great Super Speedway runs leader is in the pits Bodine in car number five and there you'll see number two Kirk Bryant back on the track Kirk has something hanging in the front of that car I've yet to figure out exactly what that is been trying to watch the pit action Earnhardt is also in I believe all the leaders have come in everybody jumping onto Pit Road if you're an avid Nascar fan and you're watching this show today last year there was a tire rule that these competitors could only change two tires on the pit stop that rule is not in effect this year I repeat it is not in effect all the front running cars have changed four tires on this Pit Stop Kirk Bryants number two has pulled off and gone back to the garage area so at the Richmond Fairgrounds we are under Caution third time today this time brought out by Kirk Bryant all the leaders have taken the opportunity to fit there's going to be some more wild action so stay with us on the superstation back at the STP pit Communications Center Richmond Fairgrounds Speedway for a demo derby on a Sunday afternoon the yellow has scrambled up the running order a little bit but Bodine thus far with Earnhardt are the dominant stories here the media at this event will select the hard luck driver of the day the reporters who come to the race will vote and pick the driver who has had the toughest afternoon in Richmond how they're going to pick I don't know given what we've seen so far but Bill Elliott Phil Parsons and Ricky Rudd certainly all qualify as candidates Elliot smashing up a car here for the second year in a row Ricky Rudd a former winner of this race in the hometown favorite demolishing his number 15. Phil Parsons who had such a fine run down to Daytona out of the event with a destroyed car and nominated on a second account for tough luck because he's Benny's brother back upstairs around this time now that goodies headache thank you I wonder if Elliott is even qualified now he's come back out he's 40 laps down some other guys like Ricky Rudd they've they've just lost everything today their car destroyed them early this time we're going to see Dave Marcus number 71 taking the flight from Harold Kinder and in second Squad Jimmy means who's come all the way from 30th the runner from down Alabama way number 52 means will be in second position on the restart the 71 Dave Marcus and 52 Jimmy means chose not to pit that time that's what they're doing in the league and what a great opportunity for Daryl Waltrip to get one of his laps back because his main competitors Dale Earnhardt uh Neil Bonnet Jeff beaudine Bobby Hillen they're way back behind them let's take a look at what happened to Harry gant's car out here as we get ready on a restart there was the Skirmish he's waving to the people behind him and tell him to back off oh did he take a wrap there and then he's faced the other way and there's Ricky Rudd right behind him all right that was from inside the school abandoned car green fly goes out 64 laps complete the leader is Carnival 71. Dave Marcus Marcus out in front and car number 71 to Helen Ray Carr Walter trying to stay Underneath Him and stay in the lap Daryl Walter gets by Lake speed trying to come along with Daryl like speed 29th a little move on keeping Marcus out there Marcus won a range shortened about on this track he's won this event at 76-82 the number 71. now running in front Waltrip getting his lap back in Lake speed making up a lap and the number 75 car second place remains with the Jimmy means number 52. running third on the track is number 22. Bobby Allison and running fourth is Neil Bonnett Allison going third fact if Walter can hang on to that lap he's got back and we get another caution and based on what we've seen so far he's going to be right back up there with the Front Runners a big move for number 11 zero Walter who has won six times on this racetrack keeping being the second place car right at the right hand edge of your screen is many laps down he was involved in one of those earlier crashes Dave Marcus number 71 is your race leader but third on the racetrack Richard Petty's number 43 back on Pit Road another time again on that car that does not look good that's Dale Inman giving up he was not getting up with much of a hurry so it looks like that is almost over for the day look Dave Marcus great run for him tries to get by Lake speed that's Lake speeding 75 date marks in 71 coming off the second Corner one of the better tracks for Marcus in the 71. lake speed has made up a lap he's had eight top five finishes and of course he's won here twice hey Marcus crazy Jimmy means and closing up now comes Allison of the 22 and Neil Bond in the 12 and the number three and the five and down to the inside as they take a shot there that's Neil Bonnett trying to work inside of Allison Earnhardt came out of the pits in front of Bodine and that's the way they sit Jimmy means holding on to Second and on the outside look at this move that's Neil Bonnett hanging it on the wide side the bill bunner is going to lose a couple of spots if he isn't carefully outside this early on is not the place to be Dale Earnhardt number three alongside Bonnet moves him back a spot and I'm sure beaudine's going to try to fall yes there comes going on in the five car right alongside Leo bonus number 12. the key player here is that 52 of Jimmy means he hasn't got perhaps the most Super Swift engine to some of those others but he knows how to hug the inside and he stays down here 71 Marcus off the pace leader Mark is falling back 71 often and this is going to put means out in front Jimmy means Jimmy smut means of Alabama in front Allison in second and the Alabama gang now run one two five means first Allison second Bonnet back in fifth looks like a flat tire on the 71 car up Dave Marcus 52 Jimmy means this is his day in the sunshine what a great day for Jimmy delighted to see a guy like Jimmy means get a chance to lead Allison bobbles for just a second they try to close in on it going down here goes Earnhardt on the inside you see the blue and yellow number three Mark is coming back on the track back straight away number 52 is your leader and that comes number three closing up closing on the leader that's Earnhardt going after means stays first drives very smoothly down here into the corner Earnhardt tries the inside gets offender up Earnhardt has as much power that motor as anybody and he has Jimmy means pin for the moment let's see if Bodine can move in there you know Jeff could not Jimmy Meez moved down quickly got right behind the three-car of Dale Earnhardt still Jimmy means running second Jimmy means slugging it out and here comes beaudine trying to inside another time let's see if Bodine will try it in three he gets his Fender down there means a little high they're battling for second position and it's voting going up into second place there's the leader number three here's that battle and Along Comes bonnet for third spot now Bodine into second and in the struggle for third on the inside it'll be Neil Bonnett closing up Jimmy mean stays right with him as long as he can so out in front it's the number three Earnhardt in first Bodine back to Second Neil Bonnett is into third as the leader lacks Greg sacks let's go to the pits for this story from Jerry Garrett well Ken we're down here with Gary Nelson right now Jeff Bodine Crew Chief and what does Jeff say about the car and Jeff said the car is really handling well you know it's still early in the race we ran a lot of laps under caution and it wasn't we really didn't get a good indication of how it's going to handle when the tires get hotter but I guess that things look pretty good right now you're behind Earnhardt now can you catch him can you pass him well that's not the important thing right now it looks like Daniel Earnhardt ourselves and um Daryl Walter if he gets back back up in the hunt but [Music] about the car how's it working there's some words in there [Music] are there any marks on it and you made any contact with any of these guys in the [Music] accidents well there you see that number three staying right up in there he is pulled out in front he overwhelmed a bunch of cars and gets himself right up into the thick of things here battling through all kinds of traffic get himself back into first place [Music] Bobby Allison has fallen back a little here and the guy that's making the big move is car number seven it is Kyle Petty and Petty has pulled up into fourth position there you see him Kyle Petty is now in fourth and he is closing on number 12 Neil Bonnett Kyle's having a great day in the Wood Brothers car just about two car likes in front of him three car links as Neil Monett there you see the seven coming off the corner and trying to close in on car number 12. Neil Bonnett as they Scramble for the third position the 12 in the third spot and right behind him comes number seven Kyle in front remains Dale Earnhardt number three and bodina number five has fallen almost a quarter of a lap back Earnhardt when he gets clear sailing he just pulled away Benny Dale Earnhardt looks awesome today he looks like there's nowhere in the world anybody on the racetrack can beat him although this is early and who knows what's going to happen that last hundred laps move once this racetrack really gets worked out and the cars can adhere in the turns last hundred asked about the last three as far as Dale Earnhardt's concerned what a struggle he had last week I think that if Jeff Putin had slowed down to 150 mile an hour average Dale Earnhardt would have stayed in second to that last lap he really planned to win that race it was just too bad that he had that fuel problem because that was building to as great a finish as maybe 76 or 79 and I don't mean to say you got to have a wreck but I just thought that was going to be a tremendous finish between these two young guys that just love to get out and race hard they're Racers they are very very much racist and it was going to be a great finish again Elliott is uh 40 laps down Bill Elliott is back on 40 laps down there you see Earnhardt using up all the racetrack now [Music] Bill Elliott's pitch through and I'm getting very excited because there isn't too much to get excited about Dale Earnhardt down the front straight away with ease by himself he's willing to use that car up because he thinks he has so much out of he's the perfect Junior Johnson kind of driver go to the front Terry Labonte with a flat tire coming down Pit Road now for 44 lebani is in as we watch Earnhardt whistling by there's Terry labonte's car right front right front tire completely flat here's Jerry Garrett forget it looks like a flat right front tire on Terry got real high going into turn one last time they got up in the dirt there the debris and cut that tire down and seems to be the only adjustment they're making on this car right now we're concerned about the left front 18 and a half seconds and he was back on the track Bouchard getting overlap by number three Earnhardt looks like he wants to make a route of Richmond here he is moving around car number 64. and remember that they changed the drivers on 64. Doug heverron is in there today Pancho Carter with a 64 car a week ago you know as fast as Dale Earnhardt is running and he has just simply driven away from the Jeff beaudine automobile Daryl Waltrip is maintaining the distance between he and Dale Earnhardt so Walter if he can just get a caution flag right now good race car excellent opportunity to win today right now all those other cars in the picture well that number three our car is about to be left or just have been left they'll earn art all in the picture by himself this is the leader and no one seriously contending right now what do you mean there's JD McDuffie well JD's outdoor furniture number 70. one of my favorites JD's run a lot of years I wish he had a chance to lead like Jimmy means did for a few laps it would be great because he has put so much into his effort to in Winston Cup racing Jimmy means JD McDuffie buddy Arrington so many of these fellas that have made this type of racing you bet they have and you can talk all about the great ones the Earnhardt the beaudines the newcomers the petties the armas but if you didn't have the Jimmy means out there to run and the JD mcduffie's you guys wouldn't have anybody to go by wouldn't be much of a show you're exactly right Bill earner yeah I just can't imagine I just can't tell you how impressed I am today with the job that Earnhardt is doing because this racetrack as we mentioned at the top of the show it was on tried it rained all weekend they really didn't get to get any practice all the chances hit up today was purely hit and miss and obviously Earnhardt hit it very well Dale Earnhardt seeking his 16th career win his second in a row here at Richmond pulling away now by a third of a lot more live coverage in a moment here in the STP pit communications center of Richmond Fairgrounds Speedway Dale Earnhardt looks like a very good candidate for a couple of special awards that are going to be given away here today Earnhardt is involved in something called The True Value hard charger award competition right now in fact he's leading that competition the NASCAR people the people who run the races here keep track of the top five each lap they're awarded points and the top five at the end of the day the top five True Value hard Chargers split five thousand dollars we'll be telling you more about that throughout the day and Champion spark plug company spinning off their very successful program with motor week where each week we honor the racer of the week on MotorWeek Illustrated on wtbs we'll also name the champion racer of the day here at Richmond by golly if Dale Earnhardt continues to truck the way he is right now he's going to be tough to beat for that award as well 105 laps have now been completed quarter of the distance a little better done here and the story is Earnhardt drawing away from Jeff Bodine maintaining second position Neil Martin in third Kyle Petty fourth Joe Rutland is in fifth Bobby Hillen is in six Bobby Allison is in seventh Ken Schrader is an eight Davey Allison is in ninth Waltrip is in 11th Jimmy means has fallen back into the 12th position there you see the leader Earnhardt of the number three let's take another look at that in-car camera replay Benny well this is Harry again he sees the smoke up there he waves to the cars behind him look I'm going to slow down he moves up and evidently somebody tapped him in the rear because he could not stop the car either that or he got out of the groove where the racetrack gets very slippery and the thing wouldn't stop the car made a 360 and we can see Ricky Rudd he ran in the front of Harry's car and we can see the damage on Ricky's car we know that Harry is playing looks about the same bad luck for the Hal Needham car Hal decided to stay in Los Angeles to watch today's race I think we spoiled his breakfast out there on the coast well I am terribly sorry 108 complete Earnhardt powering away from the field using the lap traffic to his Advantage now just drawing a beat on more and more distance between himself and the second place car 11 cars are continuing to run in the lead lap and on the latest rundown for a quarter of the distance 100 laps they were showing at 100 laps an average speed of 58 788 if you're just joining us we had two hellacious wrecks right at the start of the event and it is at the moment Earnhardt first but I in second Bonnet third Kyle Petty fourth Rutland running in fifth going six Bobby Hill the seventh spot at 100 laps being shown as the car number 27. were they reporting Rusty Wallace in seventh then in eighth Allison then in ninth the number 90 of Schroeder and in the 10th spot was Davey Allison with the 11th Walter that was a 100 lap rundown they were showing in 12th another 95 again I got 95-12 I think he's a lap down I believe he is too Chris economic has something from the pits ah the number you see here 85 and 7 8 inches is a circumferential measurement of one of the tires in jeffco9 pit where stagger is all important to handling of success on this racetrack the men have been taking tire pressures checking stagger measurements checking compounds the all-important tire combinations here at Richmond can mean Victory or defeat so you can see here they're lagging all as well as bookkeeping work inventory of tires are all the varieties they have here hopefully to get jeopardine and Victory Lane before the day is out thank you thank you Chris tires the story here for sure today they try to keep them as warm as they can and the temperature is just rigid enough so that keeping the heat in those that fabric the essential we've got a great race going right now Daryl Walter trying to get by Bobby Allison he cannot do it Dale Earnhardt has closed up right on the back Barbara that's Walter from the 11th Bill all right in the yellow three that's Tommy Edison the red white blue car number 18 underneath and Bobby Allison in 22 in front Daryl cannot get by he's been trying laugh after lap Earnhardt right on his back bumper but during the lap down remember that the Allison car the 22 is in seventh position as they're now running on the track with Waltrip in eight and Earnhardt is trying to overtake them and put them a lap down he he Earnhardt the blue and yellow number three has a seven and one tenth second advantage over Bodine in second Dale Earnhardt once he gets up to this Duo Bobby house and Daryl Walton he can't afford to sit back there because if he does Jeff beau9 is car five will catch him so this is going to be interesting the next few laps well after a sputtery start we've got down to some real racing the races falling into a Groove and right now the battle is back here 22. Bobby Allison who looked like he really had it hitched up and then was out early at Daytona last week at Buick and there goes Waltrip and there you see Bodine Trevor boys right in front of them the number six being overlapped another time many laps down support for those guys to try and keep scoring points and owner points come into play here they've changed the owner point system nine six four three two one like in Formula One Grand Prix for manufacturer's points that is this year and manufacturer's points count for these car owners as well they really want to score well and be able to get the parts they need the following year as we watch Dale Earnhardt try to do something here with the number 22 of Bobby Allison at the number 11 of Daryl Walter if it's interesting to note the pit stop strategy here we've had enough yellows today that nobody has had to make much in the way of green flag stops Earnhardt's people told us just a moment ago as we work lap 120 and Waltrip tries the inside on Allison Earnhardt will have to stop at lap 210 to 2 20. so they're about 90 laps away from a planned fuel stop if we stay green we ask them if they're happy with the way things are going they say we're just where we want to be and obviously if he can put Walter up another lap behind Earnhardt is going to be even better yet Waltrip trying to work lower than Allison and he's been fortunate this time Allison really stays low beaudine is closed up to five and three ten seconds behind number three the blue and yellow car I noticed that Earnhardt is being very careful here as he tries to laugh the seventh and eighth place cars 22-11 and again you see Walter down the inside but he knows that Bobby Allison has probably more races on a short track than anyone here start to go inside Bobby Allison you really want to play in carefully well they know Bobby Allison knows if Daryl Walter manages to get alongside of him and pass him Dale Earnhardt is going to go right with it and that's going to put him a lap down Earnhardt on the outside of Walter and we make the pass I don't know I don't think so Allison has used up a whole lot of racetrack each way smart driving by Bobby Allison fans love it good Earnhardt looking to Silver here they come gets the nose of that Chevy Monte Carlo SS down by side that Buick no he does not there you see the nose the blue and yellow number three Earnhardt the leader and closing ground all the time Jeff Bodine second place man as Earnhardt had this tremendous run going on this uh half mile track takes on the aspects of roller derby in here as he tries to move around these two guys it's live today on the super station ah look at those people cheering some opportunity keep that Waldrop back there some other interior come on Daryl and Ellen said Bernard why don't you pass them both and meanwhile while all this oh Daryl Walton almost spins he headed sideways that's all Earnhardt needed now he has to deal with one of the Masters adults Here Comes number 11 back and he Nails it he'd put a fender on it put a bumper on it I didn't see what happened up in turn too but I know right now what happened Earnhardt put a little bit of chrome Warren on Daryl Walker Daryl didn't like it he told Earnhardt he didn't like it but that little tap coming off turn four just a little kiss just enough to turn him sideways let's watch it here because this could be action oh that's but I saw something flying out evidently Dale Earnhardt at three ran over something because they picked something up out of the groove but obviously it wasn't something off his car that's the one thing that Earnhardt didn't need was to get into any kind of a confrontation with the seventh and eight police cars as Bodine continues to close ground Dale Earnhardt what kind of tactics do you need to win here take a combination of handling Goods running good and usually ahead and using the throttle real well and the track up here gets a little slick you're gonna have to you know use your head and use the throttle a lot not getting too anxious and make the car get too loose this combination of working with Carl man there's Earnhardt shooting the Gap he goes through and Waltrip goes through Walter moves to seventh Allison Falls to eight and apparently the fender the right front is a little ding on car number three from that confrontation with car number 11. I thought I saw some smoke off the right thumb that Parker House turned four the other can't afford now we can see just a little bit of smoke weed him he can't afford to sit out there too long and let that right front tire blow because if you watch last year's Richmond 400 you saw what happened when Neil bunny flew a right in front coming off turn to right through the fence he had pale that Chevrolet Monte Carlo then went through it now there's number three and the question is will they bring him in I think we need to get the number three pits and see what the plan is on the Richard Childress car you can see that vendor now it's rubbing that there's some smoke coming off that it's not conducive to a happy day Earnhardt in the number three boat eye in the number five we'll check the interval one to two here but I'm willing to just wait he doesn't seem anxious to come up through do any fighting right now as we have 132 laps complete the interval is two and eight tenths of a second between first and second with what running third modded in fourth Kyle Petty and fifth Bobby hillerman Six Rusty Wallace is in seventh briefly the head of a lap down that's not true and remember that's what happened to Wallace lastly they had him a lap up lapped out they now have him in that lead lap I spent about 15 minutes in Daytona trying to make that accurate Rusty Wallace says it was not accurate and he's still really hot about it he said it cost him 25 000 yeah a lot different than twenty five dollars twenty five thousand dollars I don't have any comments since it I was a benefactor for about ten thousand of that I will not have a comment did you decided towards the end of that race last week to maybe um letting the three and the five go was the right thing to do well I was right in the middle of it there I was right I was allowed down right behind them and I decided that with two laps to go I was going to definitely get out of there and watch my distance who was going to win that Daytona 500. when the judges score this thing afterwards as in a prize fight to Cannon Betty and add up the punches and figure out who hurt who the worst I think it's going to be important for them to note that that damage right front on Earnhardt's car came when he hit Waldrop and not the other way around those two swapped blows Earnhardt got that lick right there as he went under Daryl Waltrip and put a move on in to do it Waltrip came back up inside him and smacked him back but the damage that Earnhardt has sustained came when he was the aggressor and when they settle it later that may become an issue because if Bernhardt has to come in and fix that Fender if he has to come in and pull it away from the tire or worse yet if that Fender cuts that right front tire and he smacks the wall you know he's going to be an unhappy man and Daryl Walter A six-time Winner here is going to pick up a spot you know Benny if I had a vote for the Champion spark plug racer of the day at this moment I take that number 52 at Jimmy means what a show he has been putting on he's not one of those guys that gets a chance to run up front but he's driven smoothly all day and that 52 is still staying very much in the hunt and you know look at the back window on that automobile again it's got the square window from last year that's not a new car that's one of Jimmy means old cars but yet he's up there running very well today running in 11th position Alabama's Jimmy means having a great one here in our live coverage on the superstation of the Richmond 400. it was for a million dollars they raced just a week ago now it's a little over three hundred thousand dollars better than a quarter of a million to be decided here as guys like Jimmy means that grow up on tracks like this and Greg sacks in number 10 and apparently he just touched the wall again although it's pretty hard to tell he's hit every panel on that one this afternoon there's some confusion as to what's wrong the trw3 went over there but they're trying to figure out exactly what's wrong with the car let's go to Chris economic okay here's Kirk Schoenberg the right front corner the number three car has been in what does sales play about it it's not hurting anything okay they don't say much here but they know everything is okay in the Earnhardt fit back here I would doubt very seriously that Dale Earnhardt in the three card knows that the right front printer is rubbing the tires because we can see just a little bit of smoke as he comes off the corner I don't think you can see that from inside the car Nork and the crew sit from the pits there's Jeff goldine trying to get Bobby out by Bobby Austin that's Michael Waltrip at 23. we remember how much trouble Daryl Waltrip had a few moments going Dale Earnhardt go nines will have some of that same problems with Bobby awesome in 22. up to left the 22 comes car number five Beau dying don't you think they told him on a radio that he may have a problem developing I don't know that the crew can see it on the three car I don't know they can see the problem I'll bet you Chris told him yes here comes bodai down to the inside pointing a lap on Bobby Allison in the 22. they now have Wallace in seventh Waltrip to eight Allison in ninth that's the Ninth Place car you see getting left and that car you saw right behind Jeff Bodine with no front end on it that's the 98 car of Ron Bouchard's and he is out of the top 15 at the present time in the latest rundown average speed is up to 63.7 144 laps have now been completed in the Richmond 400. and it is a car wrecker here today we'll have more of it live for you shortly on the Superstition as the scramble foreign positions continues here in the Richmond 400 the value of those positions up front is increased in this race at all Winston Cup races by the True Value Hardware hard charger award the top five cars each lap score points five for the leader four for second three for third and so on back at the end of the race the top five drivers and total points split five thousand dollars at this juncture in the race is still leading we have a crash in turn two it is number two Kirk Bryant at number 25 is also involved that is the Tim Richmond car that has crashed as well Richmond's car is right they both spun they both took the wall there you see Tim Richmond driving away from it and the number two car trying to get right in and come around under caution fifth caution today Kirk Bryant number two this is a break for those leaders right rear tire down on Tim Richmond's number 25. Kirk Bryant comes in there's Dale Earnhardt Carr three making a pit stop Daryl Walter down Pit Road you know that Daryl wants to beat him back on the racetrack let's go to Chris okay we're down here now they're working on the right front door there's Kirk shelmer died we're opposite him changing his wheel we'll see if he tries to move the Bodywork out to hold the dirt in front of the car apparently has finished his work on the right front another gonna change the left side Tire the car is streaked with oil it's quite three but there are no fun no evidence of contact on the left side of the car [Music] no cry number 11 wall trip back with the track he wins the race out of the pits Daryl Walton first down so he has an opportunity to get his lap back one more time Carnival Ray pitted one lap early and he lost a lap Bobby Hillen that break for him while Earnhardt is back on the track trying to win it back to back he's been running here since 1979 in this event there you see Kirk Bryant's number two and there's Dave Marcus pulling in 71. Earnhardt's been coming here a long time however he was here I believe in 57 when his dad Ralph Earnhardt finished ninth back when this is a 200 lapper Dale Earnhardt in a tremendous struggle and he's got one building now because he'll have to fight with Waltrip again and this time it's going to be for the lead 11 will be in front and behind it will come the number three the blue and yellow car when they get ready for a go Earnhardt has been among the first seven finishers in each of the last six Richmond 400s and he won last year he was second to Bobby Allison in 83. his latest race charge falling short by some three car links Bill Elliott's car is still on the jack stand evidently has more problems on that course mellencourt than uh it's normal pit stop I don't know what the problem is they bring the number 11 by and they send him back on the 154. there you see the three coming up must be he's on the tail end of the lead lap believe that Betty pulls back up again number two that is the Bryant car prepared by crew chief Daryl Bryant for Cliff Stewart and driven by Daryl's son Kirk they started to roll it back behind the wall and now it's being pushed back I'm not quite sure what the final plan is I think they're just going to roll it down Pit Road and put it away for the day the car number 11 is being reported on the tail end of the lead lap he got out there but he's on the tail end of the lead lap Bobby Allison pulls up the big story on this restart would be number 26 the Ruckman car the Quaker State car running in second position what a great run because you know we can look at his car on the right side it has no right side Bradley he was in that accident up there in turn three he's fought his way back he's in second spot he had been a ninth on one of the latest rundowns 157 laps complete now that we have experienced this next caution he has a chance to run up in front that car really took some abuse he stayed with it and stayed on he had a terrible crash last week and then Harry Gantt literally ran over it with the skull Club here they are ready [Music] Earnhardt drives away there you see Waltrip who has now been put a lap down to that leader [Music] 11's got a tough spot car 26 the Green Card back there hung on the outside he gets by Bobby down the front straightaway though by Bobby Austin car 22. see the right side of that car badly chewed up on number 26. Joe Rutland leader Earnhardt see if he'll break away as he did earlier on this restart Earnhardt first what month second Bodine third pound betting for Neil bonded fifth Rusty Wallace six followed by Waltrip and Allison six cars running in the lead lap Daryl Waltons right now one lap down so you have to uh drive a little a little on the heavy side you have to really get dirty to get ahead out here Daryl you certainly can't be courteous uh on a super speedway at 200 mile an hour you let up a little bit and let a guy back in line uh you go down in a corner and you feel the car sliding up a little bit and you let out because you don't want to take a chance on running into somebody you throw all those things aside when you get here you go in low you go in hard if you bump a guy you bump a guy if a guy cuts you off you bump him a little bit and you get by him he bumps you back and uh it's just a totally different driving style a totally different kind of racing and it's a very fine line between winning and losing on the short track Daryl it's time to start bumping if you're going to get that lap back the time has gone I thought he just did while tripping 11 Earnhardt in a three Waltrip running a lap down in six trying to get the lap back right here walking star 11 looks a little bit better right now than it did a few laps ago evidently Jeff Hammond Jr Johnson's crew has made some adjustments on that last pit stop because Daryl looks pretty good there's Kyle Petty car seven Neil Bonnie Carr 12. battle for fourth Bound for fourth continuing all day these two cars have been battling I'll Petty having a very good day stays up in that lead lap Neil Bonnet right there in fifth Bobby Hillen has pitted car number eight another time Helen is on Pit Road that is a good Scrabble there you see the Hillen car still Hilton has a problem the car has been streaming loose he felt like he had a flat tire and didn't know which one it was and I think the crew's a little confused as to what the problem is there with Daryl Walton Carl Levin pressuring Dale Earnhardt and Joe Rubin right behind them nobody is getting a chance to build up anything here you'd think that Earnhardt after that tremendous Bill a third of a lap at one time he's not getting that opportunity this time around 167 laps complete back again with Kyle Petty and there is Neil Bonnett just saying hello it's glued to the rear bumper of Kyle's Penny 7-Eleven Ford Scramble for fourth Bodine getting up underneath Jeff Bodine is moving in for a second position run as he gets putting Joe Rutman and Neil bonded and Cardwell God by Kyle met his seventh number seven car let's go to Jerry Garrett well Canada Benny in response to your question about Jeff Hammond's adjustment on that last Daryl Walter Pit Stop just as they did adjust the card still bent on the left front wheel there but they've compensated for it out Jeff says it's as fast as any car on the track may also Lake speed have a little mix up to an up turn four both of them got the car right in back that was a great run Daryl Walter trying desperately to get his lap back that's not for the lead race fans that is Daryl Walter his second spot is in about uh six spot right now a lap down to the three-car Dale Earnhardt 22 and 75 still you can see Lake speed wiggling a little Loose as he comes out Bobby Allison in the 22 car in the seventh spot Lake speed is running some some positions back not in the top 15 at the present time back in front Earnhardt seems to be at Optimum speed and he can't draw away from a wall trip and the major story is that number three is closing ground here he comes number five is closing ground there you see him the number five car of Bodine is definitely back in the picture here he is back in the picture and there was right now looks to have the quickest car on the racetrack but being faster and passing that Richmond is entirely two different things what Daryl has got to do I think right now is get the three-car Dale Earnhardt hung up hung up in some traffic get behind getting behind a slower car and pass him then Mike Waltrip not willing to help his brother here at Richmond the Richmond Fairgrounds we are 173 laps into our live coverage on the superstation of race number two in the Winston Cup Series this year we're in the STP pit Communication Center Richmond Fairground Speedway on a sunny Sunday afternoon watching Winston Cup stock cars short track action at its best and these two guys who have been the story ever since the season opened out of Daytona a couple of weeks ago with a bush Clash by the story here again today Dale Earnhardt and Jeff beaudine they've been the strongest cars throughout they are also battling for the True Value Hardware hard charger award and they're just about neck and neck and that battle as they continue to run 1-2 on the racetrack behind them a tremendous battle is Raging all the way back through the field for the opportunity to get up there into contention to try to do something with these two guys but at this moment this is a two-car car race the last 108 laps have been led by Carr number five car number three Earnhardt and we're watching number five here number three Earnhardt has been pulling off those laps and dominating gets five points for every lap he's out in front and the goodies headache award I would add to that list we had earlier the Harry Gant story and of course Ricky rutt with a hard luck of the day I guarantee you those Bill Elliott Harrigan Ricky rutt all three of them serious contenders for the Winston Cup Crown out completely well I wouldn't count I mean Elliot has the opportunity to come out here run for points now those other two guys don't that's the that's the hard news Bodine in the number five car in second place and notice that the Waltrip car has fallen back into the clutches of car number 26. Joe Rutman new team the Kenny Bernstein team and they had a onboard camera for us today but that car got wrapped early and torn up apparently our camera coverage out of that machines gone away and of course Harry's car had a real problem a little earlier we showed you some of that footage from inside his camera from inside of his car with a camera on we're getting down toward the halfway point and shortly we're going to review some of those incidents if you're just joining us that happened right at the outset of this Richmond 400 today as matter stand 185 laps are complete Earnhardt in this number three car is leading beaudine in the number four is in second and the Chevrolets are running one two that Joe Rutland is in third Neil Bonnet is in fourth Kyle Petty's Ford is in fifth Rusty Wallace in six and Waltrip is a lapped out in seventh Dale Earnhardt it looks like the farther we go the the hotter the tires get the board dominant at the three card Dale Earnhardt is right now he seems to have everything going his way Jeff beau9 is in second spot he got by Daryl Walter but he cannot gain on Earnhardt Earnhardt is simply driving away there's the 43 car of Richard Petty and I don't know if Richard's in the car or someone else relieved for it perhaps Chris can tell us Chris Dale Richardson which is still in the car s I didn't understand you Richard Richard is still at the wheel right that's right what is he what does he say how does he see on house the car the car is tore up pretty bad to toe in knocked off the casters knocked out of it and he hurt his shoulders somewhere when he hit the wall down there okay it's hard to hear down here they have the car and the driver are both hailing in the number 43-10 Matthew 10 and he's re-injured himself from last week in that terrible crash he had in turn number two at Daytona but he soldiers on talk about Champions take a look at 43. no he's hurting I'm feeling good I'm up here watching this thing he's down there struggling away doesn't seem right about to be overlapped by the leader here's Earnhardt coming in another time there was a lot of question about Richard Petty starting just being overlapped by the leader and Richard wisely moves over and lets Earnhardt go he's got nothing to prove Richard Petty has already proved his point here today he is making his 428th consecutive Winston Cup start here today after dislocating his shoulder just a week ago Sunday down to Daytona he'll let his one thousands race this summer time we had an old Island as to win but without injury I I would wonder about what comes next for him with Rockingham on the agenda that's that's as tough attract as there is Rockingham is a tough Racetrack and it's next weekend so he's not going to have a lot of time to let the shoulder heal before next weekend all right we're eight laps away from halfway and let's follow the field here through to the halfway mark and then we'll review for you some of the incidents that have happened in the first half of the race we're going to be seven laps away as Earnhardt comes around this time laughing again the Mike Waltrip car moving up on Tim Richmond's car a lot of that two-car team that Hendrick has put together Harry high now crewing crew chief four Tim Richmond car and the number three is closing in on him now getting down to the halfway point in the race and we'll know then begin to have a feeling about swans are going to sustain themselves and I just have a feeling that we're going to have a battle right to the Finish between the three car and the five car this afternoon Lake speed going in turn three got up high hit the wall did some damage to the right front of the automobile but he kept going I don't know if he's going to come in the pits or not but he should because there's some pretty serious damage to the right front of the automobile we don't see him as he comes off turn four see the tire smoke oh that's problems he better get in the piss pretty quickly Jerry now we we saw something interesting that Dale Earnhardt just did strategically he sled down a little bit after that last set of pit stops that have made the people behind him think that he was easy praise so they expanded their tires trying to get around him when he was sure he had their tires good and hot he drove away that's why he managed to stretch out the lead right now on a Pit Road comes Lake speed the Mississippi driver nationwide's car comes in badly beaten up in the front he really gave it an effort here today but he's falling further back on the field meanwhile we come to 198 laps complete this time by on the leader Dale Earnhardt there you see him putting a lap on Dave Marcus the two-time winner of this race or trying to Ellis directly in front of him the groove is still on the bottom of the racetrack it hasn't moved out a great deal we can see Earnhardt trying to pass Dave Marcus on the outside he's having a problem doing that and the guy in second place is just eight tenths of a second behind now look at Marcus pull right back up on the number three and look at that yellow white and brown car the number five from Hendrick Racing Stables right there closing some more to within a couple of car lengths now Jeff Bodine on his way halfway on the field this time 200 down and 200 to go at Richmond at the fairgrounds as they come by for the halfway mark on the field halfway 200 laps down Earnhardt is in first Bodine is in Second Joe Rutman is in third Neil bonded in fourth Kyle Petty in fifth Rusty Wallace is six Daryl Waltrip is in seventh Bobby Allison at eight more in a moment 203 laps have now been completed here at Richmond Virginia and we are under caution for the sixth time today when Ken Schrader ricocheted off the wall and turned four slid about 100 feet and came to a stop car is being picked up right now we're past the halfway point in the race all the leaders are taking this opportunity to come on Pit Road let's review some of the things that have happened earlier to us here today in our live coverage of the Richmond 400. early in the going and it didn't take long before the first 10 laps were over they were spinning and crashing that was Trevor boys in in Kirk Bryant in car two making contact going down in turn one just simply got together buddy Harrington buddy Andrew spinning down on the um who that was been on the inside now here's the big wreck of the day this is uh Ron Bouchard Bill Elliott sitting on top of the guard rail Daryl Waltrip is spun up here he gets the car going and loses a lap and behind Bill Elliott's car on the right of Bill Ellis car Ricky Rudd Harry again Phil Parsons to have some serious damage to their automobile cars eliminated on the Ricky red car the Harry Gantt car the Phil Parsons car taken out of there and then just a few moments ago we had this incident that's the second that's the second precaution flag of the day that was between Ricky Rudd and the 75 car off Lake speed and what a day for Ricky what did they Ricky Rudd had because he later went on to be involved in the action intern at three it is a packed house cold enough to snow but it hasn't stopped anyone from coming out here in Richmond today to see this 400. as a matter of fact they did call for snow last night the weatherman said it would probably snow last night unfortunately he was wrong heavy rains yesterday knocked out the 200 lap late models late model stock car event they were going to have here featured those Mid-Atlantic race cars and they didn't get an opportunity for any qualifying at all so they had to go back to the system that they used as they did in Michigan a year ago with a top 18 were lined up by points 19th and 20th positions by the races won last year and then the rest by postmarked and there was one provisional starter on the back James Hilton's cry number 48 which had been scheduled for Ronnie saw you it crashed hard in practice and this morning Eddie bierschwell took over in that car as the we watched the cars coming off turn four I was looking down at the front straightaway and several people trying to beat the crowd out here from the infield was running across the racetrack Ricky Rudd and his wife was one of them two of them and I thought to myself the day that Ricky Rudd's having I wouldn't be I would be very careful where he might get run over trying to get Harry Gant just walked across the racetrack he's headed out early today too six cautions thus far beaudine circulating under yellow the Daytona 500 winner has been in the middle of this battle all day long and Jeff has really got himself a nice strong run going here interestingly enough while Jeff warmed up for the race today his parents spent the week across the street why well it's kind of an interesting family Story the family goes back a long long ways in racing Jeff was literally born at a racetrack up at Shamong New York Chemung Speedway and they spent their weekend across the street Ken Squire talked to him semi-retired operate a souvenir business for their son who won the Daytona 500 last weekend it all began when Eli built Jeff's first car a little we call them micro midgets it had a three horsepower Briggs and Stratton engine manner and they had a belt clutch with a hand tightener and it was just big enough for him to get in he always says Dad can you make it go faster right from the beginning and we are sure that he was going to win sometime and he won the big one I won't say that I wasn't anxious a mother always cares about what happens to her children but I will say that this race for some funny reason I just really had a calm feeling about it I didn't have the anxiety that I usually get uptight over a race you know but this one was good I had a real good feeling well tell me a little bit more about the souvenir business here I understand that the the kid really put Mom and Dad in business oh I'll tell you we only wanted somebody to run this souvenir stand for him and his father was retired and so his father called me up one day and said you've got to quit your job Jeff wants us to run the souvenirs did so that was it how's sales been since last week Sunday it's been excellent it wouldn't really did something now Jeff has picked up a lot of popularity well since we took over which was maybe a year and a half ago and each race he does pick up more fans and of course after Daytona hey that's the greatest so what's next oh let's go to the Waldorf in December okay championship the guy they may have to contend with for that Championship is right off the front bumper of car number five it's number three as we get set on a restart and our live coverage here on the superstation Today Dale Earnhardt is leading Jeff beaudine is in second Kyle Petty is in third Joe Rutman in fourth and Neil bonded in fifth Rusty Wallace in six on the lead left as they scramble back into action wall trip on the inside remember he has a lap down in seventh place and he's getting left by Bodine trying to deal with Bobby Hillen right now Jeff go down past Daryl Walter down to turn one and two on the outside maybe a sign of things to come snarling away from the field goes to number three car 44 lebani way off the pace slow in the main straightaway Terry labonte's Oldsmobile is going back behind the wall and is retiring number 44 is out of the race the leader continues to be number three Earnhardt is in front Bodine is in second sixth car amongst the interval between one and two there's Terry labonte's car back to the garage area there you see in the back straight away now remember the number 11 car Daryl Waltrip third for the third time in a row at Daytona it looks to be third here but he's actually one lap down well we could have another Daytona finish the kind of thing we anticipated last week maybe getting ready to happen here we have 212 laps complete Earnhardt in front beaudine in second and they both used up a lot of sheet metal in their days growing up getting ready for Winston Cup racing they both are were born and Fred on this time racetrack so if anybody can do it these two can Daryl Walter threw up on this type of racetrack Nashville Tennessee his home track for many many years won several track championships several pictures over in Nashville he's another Contender that can beat bang with the best time here in Virginia where they drew the very best of the short track races for years Johnny Robertson Hendrick beaudine goes right up in there as far as short track wins in the Northeast the old days when they brought the north the South together in Trenton New Jersey to see Hendrick run was really an experience now there's your battle for fourth that is Rutland closing up on if it's Neil Bonnett number 26 the green and white car is Joe Rutland out of Upland California the new Kelly Bernstein team the Quaker State car that had our onboard camera and it got nailed as you can see from the side of that car they've changed the dimensions of that by three or four inches on the right he's trying to fend off Neil Bonnet number 12. he crashed so hard here and broke his neck a year ago out coming out of turn two 21 right through the wall Bobby Hillen in the car ate the Miller Buick a great run in Daytona last week having a good run here today he lets Joe Raymond go by on the inside now Bonnet has the opportunity to try to pass it but hillum drives away from a couple of car lengths let's talk a little further back here Benny a seventh position is the 11 car a lap down eighth position is Bobby Allison and then in the ninth position is Helen Jerry Garrett well Ken the problem with Terry Labonte the car just stopped all of a sudden Terry thought the engine was blown came in was getting out of the car the crew found out of their piece of metal had gone down and grounded out the ignition they tore off that piece of metal switched the car back on he's back on the track thank you chair there you see the 44 coming back out more now what happened to Terry Labonte the tenth position is a surprise here it's car number 95. and that is Davey Allison having a very good day Jimmy means is running in 11th position averaging 65.8 miles an hour the leader number three Earnhardt cannot get away from car number five Jeff Bodine who stays right there lurking waiting perched on the rear bumper as we build toward the finish of this Richmond 400 live on the superstation and here in Richmond the battle is between a couple of Chevys it is Dale Earnhardt's number three leading the race and Jeff beaudine in second but in the hard charger award standings from True Value Hardware they're still the other way around Bodine is leading that's largely on the basis of the early running when he took off from the pole and led the race Earnhardt had to work his way up through traffic Earnhardt has led over 100 laps now later in the race and appears to be dominant right now but Bodine still has just a little bit of advantage in terms of points toward that True Value hard charger award which weapons going to win it well that depends on the outcome of the battle we've been watching for the last several laps as number three Earnhardt the defending champion in this race continues to hang on and Bodine who is running second in just about five or six car likes back moves up for an occasional foray a challenge at the leader right on there a rear bumper specifically behind Bodine we have Daryl Waltrip running seventh and a left behind those points are five four three two one per lap per lap it's going to take a mathematician to figure out exactly who does win this thing there we see Kyle Petty car seven Terry Labonte who just entered the race again car 44 and 26 Joe Rutman well Joe Rutman of the brand new team now running in fourth after getting slammed earlier out here and it's been full contact stock car racing today last week Joe Rogan tore his car up pretty badly at Daytona I saw Kitty Bernstein the drag racer who has formed it who has bought in with Bobby Hawkins to make this team he's racing or wherever it's gone I told Kenny welcome to Circle drag racing because that's the prize you pay when you make a mistake at Daytona jump the car I didn't you know Neil Bonnett had a had a wheel break on him and that's what set all that up and I thought Rutman had to be injured in that terrible crash he said he came out of that just fine he said but you talked to me about Rocky Dam and I'll tell you what hurt is what a great run Joe rudman's happened today I'm sure that I saw Kenny earlier on I'm sure that he Bobby Hawkins and all those people are having are just ecstatic with the way they the day is going fourth overall maintaining fifth is Bonnet sixes Wallace seventh is Waldron the left down followed by Allison then Helen Knight Davey Allison running in 10 top 10. and that number 44 car as reported has pitted and come back out another time he was in for a lengthy spell the number 44. Terry Garrett giving us that report as to exactly what happened to it meanwhile up in front the three and the five are having their own little story here this afternoon and I think it's developing a little bit like Daytona where neither of them are really willing show everybody what they've got at the present time there's Kyle Petty's car number seven Kyle is running in third in the race it's a great run for the Wood Brothers and Kyle seems to be driving away from brother just seems like he's gained a few car leagues although the Labonte car is between he and Joe Rudman maybe Joe is having little problems getting by Tyrion let's find out what kind of problems that car sustained when it got slammed a little earlier Chris is in their pits I'm with Larry mcreynold Joe reference first team what kind of shape is the car we only got a lot of sheet metal damage that's about it I'm just trying to stay after him about taking care of the car and taking care of the brakes and maybe we can come home with a good finish what she what is Joe telling you the car feels pretty good I mean we hadn't we hadn't made a lot of changes to it because it stayed that way pretty much all day but other than that he said it feels pretty good thank you very much Larry McReynolds with a brand new team and he's doing a beautiful job of that organization Joe rotman suffered a real Heartbreaker here in 82. it's fun up here on this fourth turn he was leading about 244 245 laps in the events and one lap later it started raining and then the race was flying to a halt and he wound up the day 15. here in Richmond Virginia we're watching Dale Earnhardt dominate in the Richmond 400. I would not presume this big for the likes of Ken Squire many Parsons Chris economaki Jerry Garrett our panel of experts gathered here to cover this race but later today when we vote for the Champion spark plug racer of the day from Richmond this guy has gotten to be in the running Earnhardt for one of a cup of gas missed the victory in the Daytona 500 or at least a potential Victory here today he's come back he's met his Daytona 500 rival Jeff Bodine and thus far he's front Bodine into the ground Earnhardt thus far has the inside tracks we've got 150 laps to go and to call that accident let's go back to outside to care Dale Earnhardt stays in front with his car number three Bodine seems to settle back and just wait some 12 car links behind the leader at the present time Kyle Petty is having a great run in third Joe Rockman in fourth Neil bonded is in fifth but if I were to vote for a racer of the day in this event for Champion spark plug either one of my leading candidates would be Rusty Wallace he has been smacked and hit but Carnival 27 has stayed with it and he has stayed somehow in the lead lap and every bit of luck he's having the track has been a little unfortunate his car is badly fresh but he stays out here and keeps running now he's made two previous runs in this Racetrack and both times the track has been very unkind he was 16th and 84 and last year after an accident was credited with 27. today he stays in the lead lap for the Blue Max racing team there you see it Rusty Wallace in sixth position there's still a long way to go and as dinged up as that car is that guy still be around at the finish and anybody who's ever seen him in the ASA will tell you he's as good as they come Daryl Waltrip says this is the next superstar that would be a bit surprising you know we look at all the damage all these Automobiles and Joe rodden's car is living proof that the exterior damage that we see is purely superficial it's what's on the inside than really Julie counts as to how that car goes around this Racetrack and when you talk about what's on the inside you talk about heart and no one has more of it and that three Dale Earnhardt out in front and he just does not quit and he was so gracious last week after he lost he laughed off that 200 000 lap he's well that's racing and was able to walk away from it but again he's lapping on the outside but believe me he's crying on the inside still got a lot of style learn hard out in front Bodine maintaining second and they're willing to sit on it for the moment but now Bodine has cut the advantage to about 10 car links he's moved up a little here in the last four or five laps there you see Earnhardt won this race last year he has a great finishing record on this track isn't it funny how you see the guard change here is Bodine running in second place Jeff gordine in second Jeff says that he tries to control his temper when he's driving out there I try to control myself on the racetrack as well as off you know we've got a pretty dangerous weapon that we're sitting in and we can use it as a weapon if we wanted to if we choose to but that isn't what it was intended for it's intended to go out there and run around this this oval and as many times as we can make it and it's faster than anyone else and get across that line before the other guy and that's what I try to use it for and sometimes it gets pretty tough to control your your emotions on the speedway and and we do shake a fist now and then our competitors but that race car was meant to race not to crash into people we try to do that with it crashed a lot of cars and race time for dick Armstrong for years up in the Northeast in the modified ranks and here he is leading in the Winston Cup ranks this afternoon we were mentioning earlier the style of this guy he had a commitment last Sunday night his commitment was to make an appearance and sign some autographs and so he just won the biggest stock car race there is to win you can find him at a department store from 8 30 to 10 signing autographs at the race and then after that he went down to a fast food place and had a hamburger with his wife went to bed that's how he celebrated the biggest win there is in stock car racing here's Chris okay Junior Johnson the only team manager who does not work from his pit but finds a Vantage Point High in the infield we can see the whole track his headset can talk to either driver Daryl Walter for Neil Violet Junior Johnson does it differently back to you Kim yes indeed he does and there's his band number 11. Waltrip the left down in seventh and his other car running in fifth in the lead lap Neil bonnet Waldrop has not been able to make up the difference and that snout and SS knows on the Monte Carlo looking sadly abused Daryl Walton doesn't have anything today for Dale Earnhardt or Jeff beaudine you know what's that was and we were talking and as Chris made his report from down in the pits I was looking at the car five the Levi Garrett Chevrolet of Jeff beaudines as it went by there is not a mark that I can see on that car we talk about how tough the Bodine is what a hard driver is but I cannot find a mark on the car any place the number three car stayed out in front of mostly out of trouble all day we were talking about this number five and how he met his commitments after the race you know what Gary Nelson did to celebrate his victory he drove home got home at three o'clock in the morning got up at eight went to work on the Richmond car we'll fight for the fast lane laughing the fast lane so folks this business is not as glamorous as you would think would think it would be I drove home myself I left the Daytona about five o'clock got home to Alabama about two o'clock in the morning this week all the glory belong to this 140 laps from now we'll know who's going to walk out of here as the king of Richmond Virginia at Indiana Sports coverage at a Richmond 400 continues we're back with you live once again the 271 and 400 laps complete in the Richmond 400 here at the fairgrounds this afternoon Greg Stacks has spun and there was to be a caution anyway someone fell down in Victory Lane they have a small grandson and goes up about six seven tiers and uh was injured there they were going to bring out a caution there you see the number 70 car also and at the same time that Greg sacks at his problem and so they have brought out the caution which will allow the ambulance to cross the track there is no tunnel here at the old Richmond Fairgrounds they're talking about a new Mile and three-quarter track to be built in this area open in 87. but for the moment if they have a serious incident in the infield they have to close the track down so they can open the gates and let the ambulance across and that's what they're doing right now just prior to this caution Bodine closed all the way up and made a shot to go underneath Earnhardt Earnhardt was having trouble dealing with the Rusty Wallace car that he was trying to lap Earnhardt has just pulled back on the track we see the number 70 and there's a tire off a car there's a tire rolling down through the first and second turn area and I think it's number 27 Wallace it's a right rear Tower off Rusty Wallace's car has fallen off there you see the number 70 Line there at mcduffie's car we're talking about just a few moments ago he was in contact with the Greg sax car that brought out the caution and now the number 27 is coming in minus one wheel a little steam down there Here Comes number 27 puffing down Pit Road on three wheels here he comes that doesn't do it much good Benny that's terrible you know I know what's happened to the brake rotor I don't know if the thing has been damaged or what I don't know what the brakes is going to be like Dave to Spain do you have any idea nothing further from down here except that they're going to have to scramble to get that car back together and back out onto the racetrack because they are losing laps here under yellow everybody has come into Pitt taking advantage of the yellow flag but Wallace is still hard to work on that car under caution 275 of the 400 laps are now complete and the battle is still enjoying right up front between Dale Earnhardt number three in Jeff Bodine Bodine had closed all the way up I think we're about a lap away from a restart here and when we do it'll be Bodine versus Earnhardt another time Jerry Garrett has a report from the pits okay we're right here with Gary Nelson Jeff beaudine's crew chief this is a stretcher on Gary what are you gonna do to get ahead well I tell you he's a tough customer Jeff said it looked like Dale was running pretty hard uh we seem to have a little bit left I don't know if we've got enough to beat him but we're going to go on here at the end You Can Go the Distance now if you have to right I think so uh I haven't had we haven't got the figures back yet but I'm pretty sure we can go the distance um obviously if we get a caution we'll stop and get some fresh tires make some adjustments and we're going to do our best to beat old Dale all right the question might be fuel economy here as we listen to that talk with Gary Nelson that's no problem there's only 125 laps to go so fuel is no problem but tires may be a problem and I suppose that's what Gary Nelson is talking about does he have enough tires to go the distance down to turn number one Earnhardt draws away quickly tries to put a lot back on Waldron Waltrip Nails him in the door and stays with him yeah straight away he hits him again this is Daryl's best opportunity to get oil he cannot make it Earnhardt drives down in turn three really here comes Walter Bunny inside Benny now Jeff Bodine has to get by the 11 card Jeff going on at five has to get by 11. as we watch this battle keep in mind that Daryl Waltrip was involved in one of those earlier crashes smashed up the front end of the car it doesn't look bad but they did damage the front end alignment on the car Benny Parsons it looks to me like Daryl's not able to do the kind of things that he'd like to do with a race car he wants to drive underneath Earnhardt and he just can't make the car stick perhaps because of that earlier crash Daryl Waltrip seems to be okay on green tires when the tires are cold but when they get hot it looks like that both Dale Earnhardt in the three car and go down in the five have an advantage over it and that usually is an indication that he has some chassis problems here with cold tires Daryl Walton 11 trying one more time to get underneath Dale Earnhardt's car number three coming off the second Corner couldn't make it that's the battle right there Earnhardt seems to be able to stick and stay with him gets down to the tournament one let's see if he can get back underneath him another time he's got to do it here you get about what six laps many on those tires about 6 10 left that's all he's going to get and Dale Earnhardt in the car three he cannot use his tires up get them extremely hot trying to keep Daryl Walton behind it because if he does beaudine when he gets there will simply drive by taking another stab on the inside Walter taking his best shot right here the car is working but he can't pull around the number three car the Richard Childress prepared card now you see number 26 Brooklyn Carr right there running in third position now is Rutland Kyle Petty is fourth Daryl Waltrip what do you have to do to the car to keep it competitive the whole race here at Richmond well we get a pretty good feel for that early on uh Tire stagger something we can adjust during the race relatively easy uh you'll see Junior go inside the car periodically and adjust the the weight of the car the wedge of the car and we anticipate that happening as we go along uh We Know It uh halfway we want to put a couple more rounds of bite in the car and uh right near the end we might put a couple more in yet or we might want to tighten the Stagger up we just kind of know from experience about what and about when we need to do things to keep the car going the way we wanted to Daryl Waltrip in number 11 running in sixth position he has kept that car until now but now's the time to use it up he goes to the inside and turn number two trying to get any kind of an advantage to move beneath Dale Earnhardt at number three meanwhile a second place man beaudine just sits there and waits and watches he's sitting there like a vulture just wanting earner to use that car up get his tire so hot that he can't stick to the racetrack and it's going to be very easy for him go nine he's no hurry he's got a hundred left over 100 laps to get by 286 complete Joe rotman third Kyle Petty fourth Neil Bond at fifth Daryl Waltrip six Bobby Allison in seventh Rusty Wallace in eighth Bobby Hillen in ninth and Nate Marcus's tent Jimmy means 11. Davey Allison having a great day in 12. Earnhardt just let the car go up the racetrack car three the thing is get it up the racetrack a little bit higher than I think they would like more do how about it Dale Earnhardt you have to trade sheet metal here in Richmond Virginia well hopefully it don't come down to that but you know if you have to you know the race is real close up here it's a real tight race track and once in a while you'll get against somebody they'll get against you but you know that's more or less erasing here get together right anytime the next couple of laps like how about right now Earnhardt on the outside Waltrip in the number 11 on the inside and here comes Bodine he sees the advantage the hole is opened up on the inside Jeff Bodine wants to stick his nose in there they have Earnhardt Pitt they've got him Bernard's going to jump down the hill is he going to be able to do it he can go down and get together there rubbing sheep my laughter poor thing all right pulls out of that one still in first you know what I said about no marks on the five car forget all that because the whole right side is black now you're watching it live on the super station Earnhardt stays in first Waltrip has made up his lap for caution now with 290 complete he'd be around packed house on a nice cold brisk day here in Richmond Virginia watching Earnhardt and beaudine go at it to win it all I think a couple of things happened there we saw Daryl Waltrip get his laugh back but we also saw some measure of the determination that Dale Earnhardt has when it comes to a race with Jeff beaudine those two bumps and battered just like that all the way down the back stretch at Daytona in the bush Clash they hammered on each other through the 125 qualifier down to Daytona they were feeding on each other again in the goodies 300 and when it came down to the Daytona 500 Earnhardt felt like he had a little score to settle and he ended up losing the race because he ran out of gas here in Richmond no Dale Earnhardt is not going to let Modine drive by him and Joe Robin is right on the back bumper of the five car Joe Roman car 26 right on the back bumper beaudine excellent race for a half mile track 293 laps are complete edging in on the final quarter Dale Earnhardt stays in front for the moment Bodine is in second Rutland ready to challenge in third corn our live coverage in a moment here at Richmond Fairground Speedway the running order in the True Value Hardware Store hard charger award now reflects the running order on the racetrack Earnhardt has finally LED enough laps to move ahead of Jeff beaudine in that run in which the top five True Value hard Chargers will split five thousand dollars here today Neil Bonnet is currently third in that ranking he's been in the top five all afternoon he has not yet led the race it looks like these two guys are going to decide not only the True Value hard charger award but also the Richmond 400 within the next 100 laps let's go to Chris economic okay I'm here with Richard Childress the crew chief or the car owner from Dale Earnhardt yeah the last Federal Pit Stop has been made the car doesn't seem to be working as well as it was if you have to stop again what will you do to it we might make a little Chance The Adjustment we hadn't touched the chance yet because the track seems to keep changing a little we didn't want to do anything right yet if we have another stop we might make a little adjustment but he's back running about as fast Daryl just got going a little better right now what Dale say about the car he said it's good right there okay thank you very much to my colleague Jerry Garrett well we're down here with Gary Nelson right now Gary what is Jeff saying about the car he's a close-up on Earnhardt and then drift back a little bit well we're still adjusting on the car we go a little bit overboardy way we had a little too tight a little bit ago now it's a little bit loose it looks like everybody's doing that uh General Waltrip looked like he found a little better combination maybe he's getting he's going to get his lap back but uh he's going to be one to race at the end and I think if we could hit our combination just right we'll be competitive for the win also [Music] definitely uh Dale Earnhardt he's played almost a whole race uh General trips and then uh some of the three uh three main ones for the win and it's going to be a heck of the Finish Earnhardt versus Bodine here following this event the Richmond 400 this afternoon a one-hour special here on the superstation major track and field meet among track stars appearing will be Carl Lewis Evelyn Ashford and the world record holder in the pole vault that's all coming along Billy Olson later today here on the superstation following our live flying to fly coverage love this Richmond 400 321 thousand dollars at stake everybody staying here packed house to see if it will be Bodine or if it will be the man leading right now number three Earnhardt or if Joe Rutman if these two should get together we'll sit there in the cat bird seat and take it all Chris economak and Jerry Garrett both talked about what does the driver saying to the crew chief for the fans back home that don't realize all these cars have two-way communication between the car and crucial the driver can talk to the crew chief and anytime he wants to and all the caution periods there is conversation that goes on continually between the driver and the crew chief as to what the car is doing there we see a radio on Dan Elliott's head that is the communication between the car and the pits Ernie Elliott not here today Dan Elliott is here Ernie is home filming on engines for Rockingham and Atlanta there you see Lake speed car putting a smoldering as it comes in now no caution out he's on the Pit Road looks like that right front may be down on car number 75 indeed it is Lake speed Nationwide car really having a hard day he has had a tough day I don't know if the just the tire blue and it knocks more debris off the fender or if he got into the fence I would say that the package is probably blue and some of the stuff some of the excessive sheet metal fell down on top of the tire we were talking about Bill Elliott watching Dan Elliott a moment ago Bill Elliott in car number nine is not in the top 20 at the present time the car number nine was in a wreck early today if you're just joining us and he is running about 40 laps down from the leaders is the report you're watching car 75 repairs going on Blake speeds car and the Elliott number nine is well off the pace but he's still out here still trying to collect points stay in that hunt two million dollars in points this year as long as those cars will move these drivers will be on the racetrack particularly this early in the season because who knows what 1986 is going to hold Bill Earnhardt Jeff Bodine they look like they have things going their way right now but it does change look at those three cars right there there is the the number nine car directly in front of him you saw the 98 and the number 10 breaks it these all look like Saturday night specials out of a hobby classic Cadet class they have really ripped and beat each other up but with better than a quarter of a million dollars here in that tremendous Point fun I think this is indicative of what will be seen on all the short track races use them up that's what they're here for as long as the car will roll they'll be on the racetrack because sheet metal to these cars means very little particularly on a racetrack black Richmond reviewing again as we stand with now 314 laps complete Earnhardt first beaudine second Joe Rutland in third Kyle Petty fourth Neil bonded in fifth all of that lead left with Daryl Waltrip in that lap as well now then running in seventh Bobby Allison Rusty Wallace is an eighth Bobby Hillen is in ninth in tenth his day Marcus running 11th Jimmy means 12th is Davey Allison 13th is JD McDuffie 14th is Doug Heber on 15th is Arrington 16th had been speed he'll fall back and Mike Waltrip will move up into that 16th spot let's go down the STP pit Center and Dave despain important point that we need to make right now I think is that these drivers have all had their last scheduled pit stop if we have a yellow flag they can get some new tires or a handling adjustment but barring a yellow they've got all they're going to get that's a problem for Joe Rutman because he needs new tires Ruffman is third his tires aren't working the new ones are lined up by the wall ready to go but he needs a yellow flag in order to put him on now let's talk a little bit about hard luck here today the goodies headache award that's voted by the news media here in Richmond candidates you've got to add Daryl Waltrip that's one of the three fastest cars on the racetrack Waltrip got a lap down early he's just now been able to get that lap back and may still win the race but he's battled all day because of one little thing up earlier Lake speed is a candidate because he has hit or been hit by everybody out there and including the fences on all four ends of this place and Ricky Rudd a defending champion in the crowd favorite knocked out by an early crash there's after seven cautions 318 laps have been completed with an average speed of about 70 miles per hour at it still Dale Earnhardt dominating here in our live coverage of the Richmond 400. eighth caution of the day and it's for Rusty Wallace who slid off the track with Neil Bonnett and here you see Rusty Wallace still stuck in the mud after all that rain yesterday and here comes the 12 car upon it badly wrapped up in the nose those slicks just don't stick in the mud a tall let's take a look at what happened here turn two Neil's car was up in the fence and taking evasive action down to the inside the 27 car landed in the creek so Rusty Wallace has gone down several laps the 12 car which is running in that lead lap and have been running well all day now falling off the pace but the major story from another angle you see it now is that Waldrop has made up that lap and he'll be right in there behind the leaders exactly right Daryl Walter laid the lap up he's in the same lap he'll be right behind he'll probably be about fifth or sixth spot right behind the other the other Front Runners Dale Earnhardt Kyle Petty and Joe Rogan I think we ought to talk to goodies about how we're going to split that award because bad luck for Rusty Wallace after the run he had for Raymond Beetle the Barry Johnson car today that's that's just unfortunate and Ricky Rudd is primary in my thoughts and he had such aspirations for today and their car was destroyed up here earlier as you saw in our live coverage today from Richmond Virginia the broadcast of this 321 thousand dollar 400 lap event in which we are now 323 laps deep you see Lake speed's car still being worked on nice guy and a great team and the dice just aren't falling the right way for him these days certainly already had a couple of problems in Daytona last week's spun in the in the accident that Neil bonded and Joe Rudman Harry again Cale Yarborough all those fellows were involved in when bondage tire blew going in turn three uh Lake trying to miss some spun and then later on made a pit stop and oh Rusty Wallace came down Pit Road running looked like 200 miles an hour he is hot here's Dave while we're down to the final shootout here and the STP pit Communication Center who's it going to be well we've got a third player into the game it was beaudine and Earnhardt Earnhardt and beaudine early Daryl Waltrip is right there in the thick of it and it looks like we're going to see a three-car battle going down to the conclusion of the Richmond 400. stand by for the final lapse of the second Winston Cup race in the 1980 Peck season [Music] we are back live at Richmond's Fairground Raceway for the concluding lapse of the Richmond 400 and with Daryl Waltrip hits right now Jeff Hammond have been working all day to get your man back on the lead lap can he win the race now well you know we were leading uh the leaders just a minute ago so uh we feel pretty good and Daryl's talking to me right now we're just trying to get a few things squared away so that we got about 75 laps to go so we're in the best position we've been in all day since it dropped the green flag so we feel pretty good about it okay for a further report on strategy let's go down Pit Road to Chris economaki well Dale Earnhardt strategy is one of running close this is the front left front tire they just took off of his car notice the paint it's white now here's the left rear tire they just took off of Dale Earnhardt's car a different color paint which means a different car he was up against Dale Earnhardt likes the street fight and it may win the race for him today back to you Ken the white came from number 11 Waltrip in the yellow of course was the contribution of Jeff Bodine to the overall paint scheme of uh this gentleman who is now running in second place Rusty Wallace seems to be losing gas he's been out here for three or four laps and as he goes to the corner you can still see a trickle out and I don't believe that's the feeder pipe I don't I don't really what the problem is Nascar has been black flagging him he's been going in the pits those fellows have been working on the problem uh but you're right I don't think they've cured it yet car number 27 is now five laps down there you see Rusty Wallace back in again after he got stuck in the mud he was waving for anyone to come and help him over there as he laid there and the photographers were taking pictures and having A Grand Day in the Sun and between uh Neil Bond and the photographers this has not been Wallace's happiest moment well he was getting frenick there well he really wanted some help he wanted some help and they all were taking this picture Neil Bonnett is back on the track remember as we get set for a start Rutman will be your leader and then after Rutman comes Earnhardt in second Bodine in third Kyle Petty lies fourth wall tripping fifth Neil Bonnett still shown in the lead lap in six but his car has been Savaged and I don't think that he is going to be one to really figure as a contender those other guys all are in it they are in it and they are really in it Kyle Petty great run for Kyle today Joe Rutland leading the race right now okay on gas as the report from Nascar they've made the repairs on car number 27 and put Rusty Wallace back out here look at Joe Rutman try to get some heat and the tires that green and white number 26 they get said here's the rest of the field organizing for a start he's also trying to watch the debris the small stones and Pebbles that the tires collect he's trying to wipe those things off and get the tires as clean as he can he's on the throttle 330 laps complete as they come by Rusty Wallace now recorded in 12th position as they hit the green jumps out some of that tire debris on that speed shot if they come down through there there is Joe Rutland off that second turn and he pulls away how about it if Rutman could put this one together Joe Rutland well that new team has about a 15 car length Advantage all of them have been freshly shot fires all the way around here's running down into turn number one Shadows getting a little long as they come into turn number two remember that car number 22 Bobby Allison is a lockdown it's a shame that that early acid took the camera away the in bar camera from Joe Rogan otherwise we could see exactly what it's like to lead the Richmond 400 from Joe Rutgers perspective again it's a little over 100 miles an hour in these straightaways the straightaways are just 600 feet long you really what do you do to go through one of these Corners there's up a lot of break a lot of break go down the straightaway right now Joe Rubble Slams on the brakes down in turn one but you can't slim along too hard if you do one end of the other May lock up you got to be very careful with the brakes but slow the car down get in the middle of the turn and if you can come off the throttle off the corner on the throttle all the way you've got a good day going for you here Daryl Walter but alongside Jeffco nine up in turn four this is for third spot on the inside and he bangs the 44 tries to move him out Waltrip I'd rather the Bobby Hill and car he moves the hill and Carr out and Waltrip goes down through Daryl Waltrip on the move he is now into third Bodine is to Fourth Earnhardt in second trying to close on Rutman in the 26 out in front Joe rudman's got a new lease on life here you remember we commented it just before that yellow flag he was stuck out there with a bad set of tires they brought him in they put two rights on he not only got the tires he wanted but because if he was able to get out of the pits earliest he is now in front of Daryl waldem and also Dale Earnhardt and Jeff beaudine Waltrip may be the most fortunate man of the entire race though he finally got that loud back and is in position to win this race for more on the pit strategy let's go to Jerry Garrett well Dave Dave the latest from Gary Nelson Jeff bodine's crew chief is on that last pit stop for the time all day they took bite out of the car first time they laid a wrench on the car doesn't seem to have helped the handling they're a little concerned Daryl Walton needs a break he needs when Dale Earnhardt gets to the 26 car Joe Rudman we see Earnhardt number three when he gets to Rutman he needs for rubbing the whole Earnhardt up don't let him pass so easily let Daryl Walter catch up because right now Walter has the quickest car on the racetrack two and a half seconds between Earnhardt in second the wall trip in third about a half second back to Fourth spot number five bodai you see the leaders Joe Rudman I watched him coming off turn four just a couple of laps ago he is driving his heart out he's coming off that point we can see him sideways using the steering wheel use the throttle anything he can to get every ounce of speed out of that Buick but I don't think he's going to be able to hold that three car back Dale Earnhardt's coming Betty you just answered my question I wanted to ask you you seem so confident so sure that Earnhardt was going to drive right up there with him is there any doubt in your mind that Earnhardt could go around the number 26 car of Joe Rutman or is Joe just out there hanging on I think that Dale Earnhardt can pass Joe Ruffin very easily when he's not going to do it easily because Joe Roman is leading this race but Daryl Walter needs for Earnhardt to be held up for a couple laps if he can hold him up for a couple laps Daryl Walton could win this thing factor to turn number one massive crowd watching his Earnhardt closes in Earnhardt certainly whether Walter Moore on our certainly our candidates that goodies award today but they bag Ruffman ear he would become a leading candidate here's Robin out in front you've got to be so easy on the throttle one thing you don't want here is tires spin as you come out of that number two you can waste it all right there if you're not really careful with 600 horsepower under your right foot let's see again so through because once you start spinning those tires it compounds the problem it gets worse and worse and worse they're Earnhardt he's there he's on the back bumper of breadman he's within two car car and a half like thousand go into turn number number one there is sick three feet and as they close up for the lead Waltrip hopes they get into a real conflict and it'll give them a chance to close it up Kenny Bernstein has a chance to win a grand national race and only his second start three-time World drag racing champion but now to the inside there's the move it's Earnhardt back underway and into the lead that's what Daryl Walton did not want he wanted Rutman to hold Earnhardt up for two or three laps give him time to get there because we can see Daryl Walton's game and he's coming but I don't know now he's got the job of getting by Joe root and rotman is closing he's closing up just a little then he falls back right back up in there and also note the number 11 wall trip is closing Waltrip is coming he's the fastest car on the racetrack but Dale Earnhardt right now he's not going to use his tires up I don't think he's going to get him high save it for when it really matters when where Daryl Walter gets on his rear bumper Dale Earnhardt 15 grand national wins first here a year ago six and eighty four second and 83 very consistent over the past few years on this track he may be able to put it together Stitch two of them back to back of Richmond one of the toughest tracks on this entire multi-million dollar Winston Cup Series just over 50 laps to go Dale Earnhardt and Carl 3 has got his work cut out for him if he's going to keep Joe Rudman in 26 and Daryl Walter but 11. and particularly Daryl walterman 11. he's coming there you see it 10 leads changes among eight drivers thus far in the event there are now 348 laps complete getting down to about 50 laps to go a couple times by right behind Bodine don't forget Kyle Petty still very much out here Walter got by Joe rutton with ease now then nothing between heat and Dale Earnhardt but space closing up out of three he just drove by he just drove by him Ken Schrader he was Black Flag they were beginning to lose the windshield in that car the folding would come off and car number 90. Judy not Levy's car out of the Virginia area and there you see him dropping to the bottom and closing up comes Waltrip any way you spell it there's ought to be a very good finish here today at Richmond from the pits we learned from the Waltrip camp that his car is handling very very much better since they adjusted on the left rear at the last pit stop I think that the pictures speak for themselves as he reels in the number three lead car of Dale Earnhardt but we do have confirmation from the crew Daryl says it's handled like a chart my question to Betty Parsons is when do you make the move there's 50 laps left in this race does he try to get away get around Earnhardt quickly and pull away or does he sit back there and wait sort of Daytona Super Speedway style for late in the race put him away and win it he tries to get by Dale Earnhardt as quickly as he can because all day it's shown that Earnhardt once the tires get hot after 40 or 50 laps seems to have the dominant card Walter needs to do it right now on his tire while his tires are still cold what I'd like to know is what's happened to bodai he seems to be backing up he has fallen back whereas Waltrip just motored on through that's not been the case with Bodine he's falling back waltips alongside there's his teammate Neil Bonnett in front of him that he can't make it Jerry Garrett mentioned a moment ago that Gary Nelson adjusted on jeffco9's car the last pit stop and probably should have left it alone over massaged it yes I think so 354 laps complete this time Waltrip there ready to challenge looking for his 68th win more on that Bodine story as we watch the battle for first and second remember Jeff has a few seconds back in third spot they changed that car that's a new car and it's what they call a rear steer car we won't get into the technicalities of that it has to do with how the steering is configured the point is that the car handles differently Bodine came here from Daytona hoping to get in a lot of practice figure out the car figure out how it worked and also most importantly figure out how to adjust on the car during the course of the race well as luck would have it they didn't get any practice but they set the car up perfectly at the start however as the race has evolved they haven't been able to keep that combination and as Jeff told us yesterday on MotorWeek they were very concerned that the lack of practice was going to hamper them late in the race Jeff you're a great prognosticator here we are late in the race he's gone from contention to the lead to a scramble to hang on to Third and he is scrambling because Kyle Petty at number seven is closing up on this number five there you see Kyle a couple of back markers in between but Kyle's on his way for the lead Earnhardt first looking for win 16 looking for win 68 number 11 Waltrip the defending Champion he gets that inside shot not to be car 64 just in front of him as they whip it down the back straight away to the outside two of the greatest short track drivers we have in in Winston Cup race today they learn are cut his teeth on the on the late model Sportsman series and Daryl Walden also ran it in Nashville Tennessee for years and years they've been in this situation hundreds of times how in both positions either first and second Earnhardt now having to drive defensive and you saw what happened earlier when Waltrip was making up his lap and he thumped on the back end of that number three what happens when Earnhardt really tries to run like he has been running the car is going to it's going up the hill the L Earnhardt's car is not meddling as well as it was a couple hundred laps ago but right now his only choice is to slow down keep it on the bottom of the racetrack the problem that Daryl Walter has right now is the 26 car of Joe runman and the five car up Jeff beaudine they're gaining only we may have four cars battling for the lead in the moment 40 laps to go 40 remaining anxious crew medal on Pit Road watching this battle as being a couple of the Giants the 1980s grand national champion now Winston Cup champion Earnhardt and the defending champion now they go into turn number one rip snore there's where you want to make your move into hello I'm here I just want to let you know in case you're dozing that I'm around if you haven't looked in the mirror lately here I am but believe me Earnhardt had looked in the mirror lately he knew exactly where Daryl Waltrip Was Daryl Waltrip what do you like about the Richmond fairgrounds in these kind of racetracks uh I like the the closeness of the competition uh it's more of a driving Affair here than it is at a super speedway where aerodynamics and horsepower and slingshots and all those things come into effect here it's just pure and simply hard aggressive driving that wins the race for you you don't have to have the fastest car matter of fact sometimes that hurts you you know if he likes all that he ought to be loving it right now he's been coming here since 1975 there he is on the inside he's down there Earnhardt Cuts him off well he used up a little corner panel that time Dale is not afraid to move right down across the bow as he's not afraid to come down there took a cannon shot right across the front and said forget it I'll go in there anyway here they come back to over 100 miles an hour in the straightaway it's a Dandy and you're watching it live on the superstation Dale Earnhardt fighting Waltrip after he had to fend off Jeff Bodine earlier Waltrip tries an inside shot tell me what it's like to come off that number two corner here Betty Parsons well there's some bumps down on the bottom of the racetrack we see Darrell Waltrip when that shot behind him we see him come off low there are some bumps down there and you hit those bumps just riding the card it almost leaks out from under you so you have to be careful exiting that corner but it's the only way there wants to be able to pass three times Winston Cup champion Daryl Walton 81 82-85 has to run in second place right now he just inches up just touches that man in front of him lets him know he's there unsettles it hopefully but you don't unsettle him Earnhardt any more than you would about Diana Rutman any of these guys will run up front it's the business that's part of the business as I said a moment ago they look they look in that mirror a hundred times before thousands of times and saw that fella running second and knew what he was trying to do and they said not today you know they say the only time that Richmond was determined by the last lap with a pass was back in 1957 Benny when Glenn wood passed Curtis Turner on the last lap quick note for you folks who have tuned uh tuned in for track and field action the racetrack action here running a little long at Richmond because of the early crashes but we will have the Vitalis track meet immediately following the checkered flag in the conclusion of today's race we're going to stay with this one right down to the wire but the Vitalis track meet will follow immediately on TV escorts so stay with us for a great sports lineup track action whether you like it on the two feet or four wheels we've got it for you 30. 30 laps to go this time bye 30 to go this time by McDuffie just attacked squarely and almost put a bumper into the side of number 11. get it down just in time and voting don't forget that line third in the event is Joe Rutland and back and forth back and forth is Jeff Bodine boys about a third of a line down almost more than a third of the lap now takes it down a straight away Jimbo Knight about one straight away three or four seconds behind the two leaders right now Daryl Walton needed for for the three cards they learn how to get hung up in some of that traffic a moment ago Earnhardt the expert getting through the traffic had no problem Walter Carletta has to follow him through all right we're going to go away for these final messages and then be back and stay with you right through to the Finish 372 completed 400 for the Richmond 400. here at the STP race headquarters Richmond Virginia setting up for a shootout Dale Earnhardt Daryl Waltrip nose to tail two seconds back in closing Joe Rutman a three-rider battle for the for the checkered flag here now less than 25 laps to go let's go back to get Squad last lap last names don't mean a thing with a drop a green flag on one of these races but last laps nine times out of ten do and here today at Richmond it looks like one of those cases we have Dale Earnhardt in front and challenging every inch of the way in his final moments Daryl Waltrip is right there in car number 11. struggle is on all the way around this racetrack when they come by this time 19 laps to go you know we read last week we read about a couple weeks ago all the slingshotten and what have you there is no slingshot in in Richmond Virginia right now it's muscle and Daryl Walter may have it he's alone he cannot make it but there's no slingshot in here it's all muscle that's right no slingshots but a lot of drop kicks here's Walter to the inside and you saw them both just Sashay a little coming off the corner one thing that the pictures don't capture so often is just how much speed there is here I mean that's 600 feet that's over about 110 they say about 110 mile 150 mile an hour and he's very short straightaways and you'll Arch them through these Corners just touch that break and roll that Throttle Down to the inside come look a wall could snap that wheel as he tries to find a way to move off his teammate number 12 Bonnet falling another lap down rutland's third beaudine's fourth Kyle Petty's fifth Neil Bonnet is in six a lap down Bobby Allison in seventh Bobby Hill at an eight day Marcus night Jimmy means 10 Rusty Wallace and 11th and Davey Allison having a great day in 12. well with 12 with uh 14 and a half laps to go Ken Square it doesn't get any better than this this one this is what it's all about trying to win the race 15 laps to go you got a faster car but the guy in front of you ain't letting you go by Daryl Walter what are you going to do now we're going to find out just a couple of minutes I'll tell you what this would give you a headache good for about three goodies running this hard all day and coming down to the finish with no interval getting banged and wrapped all over this racetrack they are those leaders you wonder there's 95 Davey Allison we just mentioned having a tremendous day out here starting right alongside Richard Petty and he has just driven magnificently today let's go back with the leaders now as cars number three and eleven go down the main straight away into turn number one with 386 laps now complete Waltrip looks like he's getting ready to make the move he wants to get through that Joe rotman stays in third he is about two and a half seconds back beaudine has closed up a little on him but godine is off his feed good time to look at the history book here in Richmond Dale Earnhardt won this race a year ago Daryl Waltrip won the ball race career-wise that was Earnhardt's first win on this racetrack Daryl Waltrip has won here six times and in fact his team Junior Johnson's team has won half of the short track races that they've run over the last 10 years if you gotta put a historian's dollar down on this battle put it on wall trip no question about that David I mean the history of Waltrip on short tracks of Junior Johnson has been an incredible story and it looks like it can make it written again but Earnhardt who's having to worry about what's out front has to worry just to just as much about what's out back he's got to worry about all those lap cars in front and he's got to keep eyeing to see if where that number 11 is going to make its move yeah the only problem with Junior Johnson having won 50 of the short track races he didn't have that car three in front of him that many times because I tell you what Walter in car 11 he's got his work cut out for him this is exciting 10 laps to go when they come by this time down for the Finish you're here on the super station watching one of the super short track races on the Winston Cup Tour 10 to go and you're seeing millions of dollars worth of talent being stretched right to the Limit it has been I'll put the hammer down and hammer on the bumpers all afternoon kind of auto race while trip is there you know I love short track racing and when you get to see the very best of America's stock car drivers perform like this Benny I don't think it gets any better than this I really I love the super Speedways but this to me is special when I get out there and do their stuff like they have in three four five six hundred races over their lives it's quite a show it is exciting as I mentioned a moment ago there's no slingshoted there's no draft it's muscle nothing but muscle horsepower Hamlet tires driver everything about a race car it takes to win you and when you figure they've slum those 3 700 pound cars some 800 times around this thing and this Relentless move no dilettantes here walking off the court because of some official call they'll hang it in there all the way now there's some traffic right up in front of them right now Jimmy means at Lake speed up there goes Waltrip trying the outside let's see if he does a fake to the inside Waltrip likes that move he used to do a lot of Nashville he'd throw the dummy on the outside and thank you on the inside Jimmy means is there at 52. great day oh he touched Earnhardt Jimmy means touch earnhard coming out of the fourth Corner Dale got a little bit sideways but not enough to get into to spin him around if you're just joining us again note that number nine is about 39 laps down 40 laps down his car got Savaged here early into going and that's this track is just not Elliot's track got he had a he lost a car here last year five laps to go this time by wild trip moves in he's running out of time Daryl Walton's running out of time if you've been with us all the way through this remember having 100 laps or so ago when Waltrip was a lap down he threw a punch and knocked Earnhardt sideways and then they turned around and did it the other way around Benny are they even one punch a piece and now they'll settle it on the line on a final lap they're even right now I was thinking about that a moment ago but they're even Daryl tried to get along they're even right now Dave there's nobody's got anything coming right now oh they get sideways he hit him coming off and he hit him going in he used up all of his bumper that time and I thought that perhaps Earnhardt came off a little early on the on the gas that time which is a good way of trying to break the line of the fellow behind just just here's waldrip keeps him straight but he keeps happy now side by side down to the inside oh four cars there's boat nine into the defense Joe Rudman spins around who's going to win the race where's Kyle penny Kyle Petty has slowed down he's going slow cautious 397. I think Kyle's going to take it home Joe Rutman gets going again I think he's going to run second car number three comes around all beaten up wild finish here at Richmond Bernard's got his car going again but Kyle Petty has passed him while he was sitting over there Joe Roman has passed him Joe rotman is all beaten up look at the back of rockman's car in replay let's look at what happened there are now two laps to go Daryl Walton's alongside of him there's the hook Bang Earnhardt came down caught the right rear of Daryl's car and both of them spin Daryl hits the car hard Joe Roman can't control the car if he could just keep them spinning look at Neil bonus car look at bonus car coming down the front Hill bonnets coming back that's walford's car with nothing left is coming down by us now we'll take a look at there's beaudine in the coming into the checkered flag is about to come out Checkered Flag will come down and I think Kyle Petty is going to win it for the Wood Brothers caution is on the racetrack take a look at number 11. there's number seven that came through that Calamity up here on the last lap coming down Harold kinder flag in hand and Kyle Petty who watched it all checkered flag is coming out I believe right now they're only showing 398 complete but I believe that's 400 the checkers are down Kyle Petty has won it but we want to look again at exactly what happened up here in turn number three there's going to be some tempers after this one Kyle Petty goes up on the board and the wins column his first Winston Cup victory coming on the track where his dad dominated for so many years up through to the mid 70s Kyle petting has won it for the Wood Brothers in car number seven and the story again is what happened in turn number three let's take a look again Benny here they were they're going down the back straight away Earnhardt drives in the right rear quarter of Walter takes himself out takes himself out 1-6 Joe Rudman he can't get through without spinning there Rutman gets through but he spins Bodine spins in on the outside of the we see him obscure it up there but he spends and hits the outside retaining wall there's Dale Walter Chevrolet and it is torn up that's gone away it's stalled on the back straightaway he can't go any farther that's as far as it'll go Kyle Petty is headed for Victory Lane a disappointed discouraged Waltrip trying to gather himself up climbing out thought he was going to Victory Lane instead he's going to take that one over to the Boneyard there's nothing left of car number 11 today he did a great job getting up there too he and Earnhardt had some swap some sheet metal down in turns one and two Earnhardt's number three comes in incredible finish I'm numb I I don't really want to say ah let's go to the Winner's Circle right now okay we're down here in the Victory Lane down here in Victory Lane with uh the winning driver he's taking the steering wheel off the car and come on Kyle you don't have to calm your hair get out here [Music] has been out of the Winner's Circle for quite some time come on out Kyle here he is here's the winner hey congratulations you surprised surprised like the word for it I mean you know we get we worked hard all day you know the car pushed all day long and couldn't never get it the motor ran good real good but uh you know we never got the driving right until right there at the very end and then they just drove off and left and I got caught in traffic but evidently they all got to run at each other and we were lucky did you did you see the crash no I was I was in the middle of back position I seen the smoke I just went up on dating them and him and I guess the 10 car sacks and those guys and was trying to just feel my way around him to finish the race and look down the corner and I seen the yellow bumper and I figured it was uh boat hands or or Earnhardt's I didn't know which one it was but everybody was fortunate real lucky today congratulations I'm just praising the Lord for us being out of the way and everything today and the Lord giving us the opportunity to be here Patty and Kyle Petty a happy started Winner's Circle back to you Kim we'll try to get a word of the other participants as to what happened here let's take another look at this final moment with about three laps to go this was it turn number three 11-3 getting into contact then Joe Rutman ran out of room and that was the story it set it up for Kyle Petty to take his first Victory let's go quickly to Jerry Garrett Dale Earnhardt what was your view on what happened in that accident Ally got in the wall close racing all day do you think it was going to come down to that I was you know I was hoping with the race on but uh we just hung up congratulations no cow you know you're set in the right place right there who do you feel hit who on that last thing between you and Daryl not just racing I ain't gonna you know Mandel's got a race week wheat you ain't nothing to it okay obviously not too anxious to talk about it too much more we'll try to get a word with Daryl Waltrip still looking very disappointed they said there was some gesturing between the two of them after that incident we'll give you more of the story in just a moment here on the super station [Music] well there you see Daryl Waltrip secluded with his crew on the back straightaway and he does not want to talk to the Press he's still over there and now he's walking away from the car you're watching these pictures live from Richmond Virginia after one of the most dramatic finishes in the past several years Benny Parsons I mean you get right down to the last three laps and then all the fireworks went off and Kyle Petty wins his first unbelievable Dave to Spain what have you got to add we got a couple of things to take care of in the way of uh the money that these guys are going to win here today Kyle Petty has won the race so it's going to be one of the biggest paydays of his career Rutman second Dale Earnhardt apparently third we think Bobby Allison was fourth and Daryl Waltrip was fifth they're still discussing that as they figure out who did what on those last couple of laps the goodies headache award has been voted by the press to Bill Elliott who tore up his race car very early on but note that the voting the final vote was taken just a few laps from the finish of the race and we understand they may have demanded a recap a recount based on what happened on last lap to decide who in fact is going to get the goodies money here the True Value hardware stores hard charge reward went to this guy he charged all day he accumulated the most points and will take home the winner's share of that five thousand dollars that will be shared by these top five drivers that money goes to Earnhardt now I think we're going to check out the Champion spark plug racer of the day ballot that's the one that we get to vote on let's go up top side and start with the guys who had the overall view of the thing Ken Squire Benny Parsons who do you like race for the day how about it Parsons you know I I you got to give Walter I think you got to give it to Walter because he made up a left he was a lap down he made it up and he was leading the race with two or three laps to go when they had the problem up there in the third point they're just drawing away the beaudine car is going to give it to him he stayed in there all day long they had a problem in the pits apparently they made the wrong massage in a race car and they turned him off but I would I really thought he had as good as I've seen a long time for about 300 bucks let's get the fit reporter's view Chris economaki and Jerry Garrett your votes well I think that uh Joe Rutman looked pretty good to me with that car all torn apart he stayed in there and if it weren't for some handling problems he might have been a more definite Factor at the Finish back here now to Jerry well I would vote for Kyle Petty he uh he kept us cool on this thing and it paid off for him anyway hey to Spain it's all yours I get to be the tiebreaker Daryl Waltrip he was a laughable he got by and he got back into the lead lap he got clobbered by Dale Earnhardt we know who hit who on that last couple of laps Waldron was we're trying to get a word with Daryl Waltrip now remember the Vitalis U.S Olympic invitational track and field meet is next here on the superstation wtbs so stay with us for that and we'll we'll try to get a word and show you again exactly what happened in this incredible finish at Richmond Virginia this afternoon then we got to get everybody in here let's look again at the circumstances that created Kyle Petty's first victory in Winston Cup racing and the first for the Wood Brothers since July 4th of 1983. 11 car getting hooked by number three and away they go Bodine is about to get trapped Joe Rutman tries to go on the inside he can't make it that's beaudine that just ran into the pile up there if he had just gotten through he would have been the Victor we still haven't seen Kyle Petty he still hasn't come through there's Joe Rutman he really tried to keep it under control beaudine on the outside hitting the outside guardrail heavy damage of the Bodine car Jerry Garrett has a report on Daryl Waltrip well can we try to talk to Daryl Waltrip and he said he'd rather not he says there's nothing I can say there's nothing I ought to say right now the way I feel he did want his parents at home to know that he's okay so Kyle Petty wins his first race his dad wound up 20th today Joe Rutland comes home in second place Dale Earnhardt for third Bobby Allison for fourth Daryl Waltrip is credited with fifth Bobby Hillen comes across in six and finishing in seventh was Neil Bonnett Bodine is credited with eighth at this time in ninth day Marcus and in 10th was Rusty Wallace 11th was Jimmy means 12th went to Davey Allison this afternoon 13th went to Doug heveron 14th to Buddy Arrington and 15th went to Terry labonte's car number 44. J.D McDuffie is credited with 16th Lake speed with 17th Ron Bouchard back in 18th Greg sacks with 19th and as we mentioned Richard was in 20th spot Bill Elliott was given 21st on the count all right that's the story here this afternoon there were a total of 10 nine cautions today let's get a quick word from Dave to Spain how's it going to be remembered will it be remembered as the day that Earnhardt and Waltrip did it again and knocked one another out of the race or will that overshadow the first Victory ever for one of the great names in this sport Kyle Petty following in his father's tradition finally won one it's a bit of a shame he had to back into it for Benny Parsons Chris economaki Jerry Garrett Bob varsha and Dave despain I'm Ken Squire here at the Richmond Fairgrounds where Kyle Petty Reigns Supremes how to win races well you got lucky again you know what I mean uh any anytime you run a race anywhere and you win you're lucky but uh he ran good all day long and he would just happen to be uh in the right place at the right time and uh you know I guess he'll take those wins just like we take any of the rest of them we kind of left Victory Circle to him I guess that's what Lee did to you when uh when you won didn't it well I didn't I didn't mean to leave it to him we didn't have too good today at least everybody else was bouncing off the wall all day and all this kind of stuff but uh it was a good win for him he ran hard he's been running hard and you know they just put it all together today and they had some good luck and they was able to win the race you remember your first race Victory I guess you got to be that happy for him well I don't know right now I'm trying to get happy for me yeah but naturally yeah we're just tickled to death one because it's been a long time coming and I know that you know he knew he could do it I know the woods boys and 7-Eleven people all those people knew that you know that he could do the job and it's just the idea now that uh you know he's won a race now he's got to come back now and show him and do it some more were you uh front row uh participant or witness to that last lap banging I'm prayed I would I was about halfway down to Baxter as I was to the first banging too but I didn't quite get through that one then the second one I was able to get stopped and uh was the thing down but just one of those things when when you running that close in this past and anything happens there's just no room to for any mistakes and once one one cat makes a mistake it it costs everybody that way were they were the guilty of being a little too intense there you think well I'd say that uh you know it shouldn't happen I'll put it that way so you know it did and uh it did and Kyle wound up winning so Kyle end up on a good end of that part though thank you very much Kyle is kind of a page out of the the petty handbook on how to win races and then yeah it seemed like it anyhow you know we just caught all the breaks today yeah every time something happened we had a flat tire one time caught a caution we were able to change it and stay in the lead lap and you know we run at the tail end the lead lap all day long and we kept changing staggering kept changing chassis set up and never really got it right but we got it close enough to where we could stay out of trouble and uh you know it paid off at the end if you felt like you're overdue for a break here for a long time we're about to pass three or four years I felt like I was overdue for a break you know we felt like last year we could have won a racer too and things just didn't go our way but the day everything fell our way and we ended up looking in and winning one now the Wood Brothers that's their first victory in a long time they got to be happy too yeah I think this is big for all of us this is big for me because uh you know I've never won a grand or a Winston Cup race and this is big for them because they hadn't won a race in a couple years this breaks a dry spell for them and I think it gives the whole team confidence and especially at the beginning of a season like this where we've got uh 26 27 races ago it gives us a lot of confidence to roll on the rest of the year you feel like the pressure's off you now after all the years when people say when's he going to win I don't think the pressure's ever really off of uh anymore you know what I mean I think the pressure's uh the pressure's subsided a little bit because we did win a race but we didn't just outrun everybody today you know we still you still got to be realistic and look at it that we were just in a in the right place at the right time and able to take advantage of what happened but uh you know I think it'll be the pressure will be off a little bit more when we're able to just go out and blow the doors off a couple of times your dad sends his regards says he wish he felt good enough to come down here and visit with you yeah I'm sure he's sore I'm I'm glad I'm sorry he's feeling kind of bad but uh he's pretty tough up here at Richmond and as long as he was down that was one you didn't have to worry about okay Kyle Petty Grand National win number one

Channel: NASCAR Classics

Views: 18,392

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Id: x0JJzBOiAkA

Length: 165min 20sec (9920 seconds)

Published: Thu Aug 17 2023