NASCAR Classic Races: 1978 Southern 500 in 4K

put yourself behind the wheel of a racecar in front of you the awesome challenge of the Darlington Raceway [Music] 100 miles an hour before you reach the end of pit row then slam into high gear there are 600 horses under your foot they can power your 4000 pound stock car at a hundred and eighty miles an hour but you can't run this track at 180 and live it takes years to learn how hard you dare punch the throttle and the exact moment when bravery turns to stupidity this is practice in the race if you run up front you'll be fighting three battles one against the other drivers two against the track three against your own fear those one of these three battles [Music] you end up on the sideline your wife crying your car wreck wondering whether it's all worth it you answer that question every Labor Day when they line up to start the southern 500 then you realize there's nowhere else in the world you rather be on this battlefield are your friendly enemies their names known across the continent Cale Yarborough three-time winner of the southern 500 and three times stock car racing national champion David Pearson graying hair on the outside and lots of gray matter on the inside have earned him a nickname the Silver Fox Buddy Baker six feet five a gentle giant except when he's trying to pass you [Applause] Bobby Allison another three-time winner of this southern 500 he knows the track inch by inch and uses radio to keep in touch with his pit crew so does Benny Parsons and so does the king of stock car racing Richard Petty petty has 85 more victories than any other driver he has earned three million dollars behind the wheel today petty is nursing ribs injured in a crash two weeks ago there's a question whether he can go the full 500 miles challenging these veterans are young men like Darrell Waltrip who has led the southern 500 but never won [Applause] this is the twenty-ninth southern 500 the oldest 500-mile stock car race in America the pace lap is underway it's a slow lap to warm the engines and tires and to get rid of the butterflies that are part of waiting years ago at this track the fans knocked down fences to watch ordinary passenger cars run for big-money no longer these ordinary passenger cars competition has changed the breed as cow ponies are different from thoroughbreds these are different from showroom models a first class racing stock car cost twenty five thousand dollars to build and two or three hundred thousand dollars to campaign during a year-long season if you're going to race you'd better be rich or a winner 40 cars with a power of 25 thousand horses are crowded onto a track that's a mile and a third long these cars run on bigger and wider tracks but none tougher the Darlington track is eight shaped with the radius of turns one and two different than turns three and four it's impossible to set up a racecar chassis that will work equally well on both ends of the track drivers decide on where they'll try to pass and give a performance at the other end most drivers agree I'd rather drive anywhere else but I'd rather win at Darlington whole inside front roll David Pearson number 21 fastest qualifier next to Pearson is darrell waltrip number 88 in the second row Bobby Allison inside Benny Parsons outside bro 3 Lenny pond and cale yarborough each car earns its starting position by running two laps against the clock faster cars start in front now out of the main straightaway looking for the green flag and the first of three hundred and sixty seven laps [Music] they're racing heading for the first turn with engines roaring like cannon fire Pearson looks at the wall and keeps his foot down Waltrip polled second Bobby Allison his third Benny Parsons holes for its mercury Chevrolet Ford and Chevrolet the enormous crowd of nearly 75,000 is cheering for favorite Car and Driver off the back stretch and into turn three with Pearson showing the field a fast way around Pearson is one of stock car racing all-time greats he's fought for 100 victories during his 17-year career he's won the Rebel 500 on this track six times and won the southern 500 twice he's forgotten more about this racetrack that most drivers ever learned race cars must be set up differently for every track gear ratios spring ratios steering controls are all adjustable and it takes a great driver to know exactly what to change and how to change it the track at Darlington has been completely resurfaced adding another unknown is it faster more slippery how will it feel late in the race when there's oil and rubber on dozens of questions peel that part of their mind not busy with handling a guided missile in traffic at better than 150 miles an hour there's a car to the wall on the front stretch that's ty Scott at the wheel pointing at the first turn after a short ride backward that must have seemed like forever Scott keeps it under control and will try to motor around with spin to see if he can stay in the race luckily Scott kept his car low on the track away from past traffic the yellow flag flies to warn other drivers that cleanup crews are on the track and the pace car slows everybody down pit road is busy as a Lovers Lane on Saturday night the veteran racers refuel and changed tires some drivers asked their mechanics to change the spring settings with a few turns of a wrench a cars handling characteristics can be adjusted to track conditions then it's back to the wars first car on the track will get position one when the green flag flies again Dave Marcus and number two is on his way followed by Waltrip in number 88 who slams into Neil Bonnett and bonnets car hooks and television cables stretched across a track the cables come down across the pit area but not over the track no one was hurt as those inch thick cables tore loose from their supports here's what happened in slow motion Waltrip swung wide to pass Pearson's parked car and hip Neil Bonnett slept front fender bonnet scarf brushed the wall and a telephone pole like a sailfish taking a hook it roared down pit road with a long line of heavy cable bonnets car shook off the cables but the damage had been done luckily no injuries from that backlash they're ready to run again the green flag signals for high speed and Dave Pearson is in front of the pack but he's not leading the race a long pit stop for four fresh tires has dropped him to six position two cars behind Pearson his buddy Baker's number 27 army Chevrolet and he's in position one right behind Baker's car Darrell Waltrip has positioned too but Donnie Allison is passing Allison passes deep in the third turn and there's Cale Yarborough following Allison like a shadow allison is second gabbro third and water drops two positions in about four seconds it's flat-out racing now they found and who they can pass now it's a question of taking a deep breath and doing it there's cale yarborough going for second place by diving into turn three with full power Garros got second and here comes Waltrip it's a game of a hundred and fifty our musical chairs before the track was resurfaced passing in turn three was a hair-raising piece of work now they make it look easy after 200 miles six cars are running nose to tail and everybody's chasing number 27 Buddy Baker who has a tight grip on position one there's a challenge from Cale Yarborough who is closing on the leader Baker hammers the throttle of his army Chevrolet and turns one of the fastest laps ever run on this racetrack better than a hundred and fifty two miles an hour but Cale Yarborough three-time winner of the southern 500 hills Baker's rearview mirror Yarborough tries to flub Baker in turn one but but he doesn't back off yah groans got to show a better hand to take the lead as they lap slower car Yarbrough is going for the front and gets it Baker slides as the blast of air from the Argos car slams into him with the force of a tornado right behind Baker in position three is Darrell Waltrip number 88 [Music] there's trouble in turn for a chain reaction of cars out of control [Applause] one cars in the fence another slam midships the yellow flag and yellow signal lights around the track warn all drivers to slow down [Music] Bobby Wawa is out of his car which backed into the guardrail and slid for 200 feet Dave marques on the left and Ricky Rudd on the right are both safe although their cars are heavily damaged every driver will pass that spot with an unspoken thought it could just as well be me Marcus makes it through the heavy traffic that's heading for the pit road the chain reaction started as bobby womack blue attire spun a hundred and eighty degrees and knocked Dave Marcus number two out of control Warwick's car sailed backward at a hundred miles an hour for the length of a city block directly in the path of past cars it's a miracle someone didn't tear into it while this was happening Dave Marcus broadside - traffic was hit solidly by Ricky Rudd both drivers were shaken but not injured the injury to Bobby Warwick goes deeper he's been seriously hurt in accidents on other tracks and his wife can't forget Racing's a great life if you're a winner the race has restarted and the lead foots are at the head of the pack in position one cale yarborough right behind him David Pearson but Pearson is a full lap behind Yarborough Pearson's had too long pit stops he's trying to make up for lost time but it's tough getting past a man like Yarborough there's still 200 miles to run and Pearson's won lots of races on the last lap Pearson tries to unlap himself but Yarborough is just too fast in second position buddy Baker's number 27 darrell waltrip number 88 is right behind Baker there's an invisible path around the track called the groove unlike other super speedways Darlington is not quite two lanes wide a driver has just a few seconds on each lap to decide where he wants to pass then punch the throttle and make his move Dave Pearson tries to unlap himself but Yarborough is too strong Waltrip out Braves Buddy Baker and take second place Yarborough holds a lead of three car lengths on this track that's enough he led the race earlier seems to be slowing down there goes Donnie Allison a number one passing Baker buddy his Racing's hard-charger he never slows down unless the cars coming apart under him Donnie like Baker is one of racing's hard luck drivers he's led a lot more races than he's been able to win something seems to go wrong at the worst possible time for Donnie Allison and Buddy Baker now Allison's in third place less than a straightaway behind Yarborough's flying Chevrolet moving in behind bakers his Donnie Alison's brother Bobby up front Pearson is still hammering on the door but Yarborough keeps up nailed shut he doesn't want a competitor like Pearson on the same lap plagg nascar's rules allow everybody to bunch up and Yarbrough will have Pearson right behind it Richard Petty is out of his car using oxygen to clear his head the seat pushed against his injured ribs on every turn buddy Baker's slowing down on pit lane and there's the end of the road for the Army's hard charger engine failure Yarborough is riding high wide and handsome cutting to traffic with a confidence of a three-time winner he knows exactly what that car can do and just as important what it can't do Yarborough shows the way to Waltrip Donnie Allison and Bobby Allison in that order all the leaders are flying past slower traffic drivers who can't run with the leaders are told to stay down out of the high groove there's a slow car into the wall high in the second turn look out cuckoo Marlin Rams the wall Dave Pearson a DJ Ulrich slamming and red and tall car other drivers slide all over the racetrack there on the left is the cards Adcox on the right DK Ulrich's it's in junk metal and it's burning there's Pearson's number 21 the drivers are still in there demolish racecars if these were ordinary passenger cars without roll bars or safety reinforcements this might have been a tragedy NASCAR's safety regulations wear lifesavers here the rescue teams report that no driver is seriously injured Pearson's out of his car looks at the damage and knows he's through for the day Ulrich's car looks like it was run over by a train all reckon Hancock's aren't going to the hospital in the infield from another viewpoint here's what happened Adcox in number 41 slid along the wall and then down the track as kuku Marlon came by Adcox sideways to traffic blocked the fast lane Ulrich's lambda dad Cox and then Pearson also hit him after a long yellow flag and pit stops by all the leaders the race is on Yarbrough still leads with Bobby Allison and number 15 Ford right on his bumper behind Allison his Waltrip's number 88 they're running better than a hundred and fifty miles an hour as if they were tied together by a tow rope it's getting close to showdown time and Bobby Allison wants to know just how fast Yarborough can run both these men are three-time winners of the southern 500 there are no four-time winners yet and the battle that shaping up right now may decide whether there's going to be one door handle the door handle is what they call this kind of racing this is an amazing show two of the fastest cards and drivers on the circuit proving that Darlington really is two lanes wide it is if you're Bobby Allison and Cale Yarborough peach trusts himself and the man in the next car to do the right thing at the right time if either slides one foot it's good bye everybody Waltrip stays right behind the leaders this is historic stock car racing and the crowd is going wild moving in right behind Waltrip is Donnie Allison Waltrip bobbles and hits Allison he's heading for the web Allisyn and stock car racing hard luck hero is shaken but not injured he's led many southern five hundreds but never come home first he gave the wall a tremendous cloud the leaders Yarborough and Bobby Allison were running like two railroad trains on parallel tracks but Waltrip right behind him slid dropped down and bumped Alison these cars are traveling so fast that the slightest nudge will put up out of control after the accident Alison said Waltrip just turned left I didn't see any turn signal or anything he just turned left Alison did a great job of driving sliding across the track without hitting anybody Dave Marcus wheels of petty Chevrolet into the pits ready to get the car back to Richard Petty Dale Inman one of the mainstays of a petty crew goes in the window to help Richard readjust the seatbelts Marcus held fourth place while Richard rested his injured ribs now Richard wants to drive the closing laps of darling Alison's car is towed in the track is clear and 100 laps to go Yarbrough in number 11 Chevrolet still shows the way Waltrip thanks to a fast pit stop his second Richard Petty and Bobby Allison are close behind in positions 3 & 4 it's still anybody's race and all four drivers have a special desire to win Yarborough wants to be the first man to win the southern 500 four times a victory would also give him a big lead for NASCAR's National Championship Waltrip has won the Rebel 500 on this track but not the granddaddy of them all the southern 500 a victory would add to his national reputation Richard Petty has switched from his familiar Dodge into a Chevrolet trying to get back in the winning groove he's won the southern 500 only once in his brilliant career Bobby Allison in fourth spot also has three southern 500 victories like Yarborough he wants to be the first man to win four there goes Waltrip challenging for the lead Yarborough seems to back off and lets Waltrip go by Yarborough may have a lot of reasons for easing off the throttle he made a few minutes ago or he may want to watch Waltrip to see how he handles a tricky Darlington turns Yarborough may also be playing a psychological game if Waltrip goes all out to pass then his repast he might give up the fight Yarborough challenges Waltrip and then backs off Bobby Allison number 15 one of the four major challengers for the lead is behind the pit wall and probably finished for the day the last scheduled pit stops are coming up and Waltrip is first into the pits Carrboro leads but he too will have to make a pit stop soon Waltrip's crew starts refueling before the car comes to a full stop aircraft type fuel connectors are used to save time outside tires have changed to give more of a better bite on the track without side tires and enough gas to run the distance Walther rolls out in just under 14 seconds Waltrip stands on the throttle leaving the pits and as he passes Cale Yarborough's pit the maiden Yarborough's crew with a signboard ready to give him a stop signal now bro slowing down he knows that wall trips made a 14 second stop Yarborough and junior Johnson the crew chief for number 11 know exactly how they plan to handle this final critical pit stop they're gambling the tires are okay it looks like one can of gas no more than 11 gallons and gasps Candace empty kayo heads for the door Yarborough's car was standing still only four and three-quarter seconds Yarbrough guns it back out of the track trying to accelerate without spinning his wheels and wearing away rubber that's already thin Yarborough moves into the first turn ahead of Darrell Waltrip there's Waltrip running flat out but he's not going to catch Yarbrough on this laughs at least Jeff rose up to speed and coming onto the main straightaway with a lead that's about a third of the lap ten seconds Waltrip has fresh tires and he's proven that he's as fast or faster than Yarborough can he run Cale down in the few laps that are left jr. Johnson mastermind of Yarborough's crew stands quietly in the pits with the look of a man who has everything in hand the radio that connects him to Yarborough is quiet there's no need to plan anymore just drive at kale drive it Yarborough's doing just that he's run more than 6000 competitive miles on this track during his career he eases off the throttle just a bit and Waltrip picks up a full second but that's not going to be enough unless his car breaks Yarborough's got it won but he's crashed as often as he's won on this track so Yarborough's not about to let his mind wander Petty's car is in the pits and Dave Marcus is back in the past chair Richards worn out by wrestling it through the turns even the padding under his uniform didn't cushion the g-load as the car turned left Yarborough is cruising the last two laps coming off the backstretch he'll be looking for the white flag at the finish line and there it is signaling one more lap to go 32 more seconds four more left turns to complete 367 laps although Waltrip's close to within five seconds Yarborough is going to win this race if he keeps it running another half lap Yarborough's winning game plan was simple stay out of trouble in the early laps race with men you can trust give make your pitstop a little faster than the next man and always use your head and there's the checkered flag from Cale Yarborough it's four hours 17 minutes since a green flag wave Cale can Coast around now to meet his crew in victory lane coasting has never been kale style Kayle was charging for the lead when this racetrack almost chewed him up and spit out the pieces he was running wheeled away over Samak wag when suddenly Cale Yarborough went flying out of this racetrack [Music] as kale steps from his car in victory lane the first man ever to win the southern 500 four times he has to have some memory of that moment there's nothing as great as coming back from defeat to win the southern 500 kales white and some of the are burro children are in victory lane to help celebrate theirs the winner's trophy and a check from Barney Wallace president of the Darlington Raceway kale takes home $30,000 this afternoon that prize money doesn't have far to travel the Yarborough clan lives just down the road apiece in Timmonsville which proudly calls itself the home of Cale Yarborough next year Cale will likely be racing for his fifth victory and the crowds that seemed to grow each year we'll be back with kale for the southern 500 [Music]

Channel: NASCAR

Views: 84,114

Keywords: NASCAR, motorsports, racing, stock car, 4k, high definition, remastered, historic nascar, good ole days, wreck, crash, david pearson, Richard petty, cale yarborough, Daytona 500, Darlington, southern 500

Id: Nq8S0CNKO-M

Length: 26min 6sec (1566 seconds)

Published: Fri Aug 24 2018

Reddit Comments

[u/iamaranger23]

man id love for this to be a test of an early stage sub service with a full backlog of races

[u/[deleted]]

Just finished watching all of them. Great stuff. Insightful, and hilarious at times. Hopefully they do more of this.

[u/heliogt2]

I watched one of these and I really enjoyed it but I was kind of surprised by the amount of people that were wearing green shirts

[u/lostin863]

But... Nascar is all about $$$, so they have you basically pay-per-view today's races.

[u/[deleted]]

How does this work? How do they upscale it and gain detail if it wasn’t recorded in 4K?

[u/x-the-unknown]

Wish they would do color correction and cleanup on these great high quality 16mm films at the same time as upping the rez on them.