| Race details[1] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 19 of 28 in the1973 NASCAR Winston Cup Series | |||
 Layout of Atlanta International Speedway, used until 1996 | |||
| Date | July 22, 1973 (1973-07-22) | ||
| Official name | Dixie 500 | ||
| Course | Permanent racing facility | ||
| Course length | 1.522 miles (2.449 km) | ||
| Distance | 328 laps, 499.2 mi (803.3 km) | ||
| Weather | Temperatures of 90 °F (32 °C); wind speeds of 8 miles per hour (13 km/h) | ||
| Average speed | 130.211 miles per hour (209.554 km/h) | ||
| Attendance | 30,000[2] | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Petty Enterprises | ||
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | David Pearson | Wood Brothers | |
| Laps | 178 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 21 | David Pearson | Wood Brothers | |
The1973 Dixie 500 was aNASCARWinston Cup Series race that took place on July 22, 1973, atAtlanta International Raceway inHampton,Georgia.[2]
Atlanta International Raceway (now Atlanta Motor Speedway) is one of ten currentintermediate tracks to holdNASCAR races; the others areCharlotte Motor Speedway,Chicagoland Speedway,Darlington Raceway,Homestead Miami Speedway,Kansas Speedway,Kentucky Speedway,Las Vegas Motor Speedway,New Hampshire Motor Speedway, andTexas Motor Speedway.[3] However, at the time, only Charlotte and Darlington were built.
The layout at Atlanta International Speedway at the time was a four-turn traditional oval track that is 1.54 miles (2.48 km) long.[4] The track's turns arebanked at twenty-fourdegrees, while the front stretch, the location of the finish line, and the back stretch are banked at five.[4]
It took three hours and fifty minutes forDavid Pearson to defeatCale Yarborough by more than one lap. Pearson would take home $16,650 in prize money ($117,935.42 when adjusted for inflation) while last-place finisherCharles Barrett would receive $880 ($6,233.22 when adjusted for inflation).[5]
Though running a limited schedule, this was David Pearson's ninth win in the last ten races that he and the Wood Brothers entered, with a second in the other race.[6] In the NASCAR Cup Series after 1972, nobody has ever matched this.
Jabe Thomas, finished 9th in a 40 car field. He had higher finishes but many were at small tracks no longer used after 1971.[7]
Fourteen lead changes were exchanged among six drivers (Richard Petty,Bobby Allison,Bobby Isaac, Cale Yarborough,Donnie Allison, and David Pearson).[8] Six cautions lasted 47 laps and the average speed of the race was 130.211 miles per hour or 209.554 kilometres per hour.[2] Thirty-thousand people would see a racing grid of 39 American drivers and oneCanadian driver (Vic Parsons).[2]Richard Petty would win thepole position with a speed of 157.163 miles per hour or 252.929 kilometres per hour.[2]
| Grid | No. | Driver | Manufacturer | Speed[9] | Time[9] | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 43 | Richard Petty | '73 Dodge | 157.163 | 34.863 | Petty Enterprises |
| 2 | 12 | Bobby Allison | '73 Chevrolet | 157.046 | 34.889 | Bobby Allison |
| 3 | 11 | Cale Yarborough | '73 Chevrolet | 156.369 | 35.040 | Richard Howard |
| 4 | 15 | Bobby Isaac | '72 Ford | 156.075 | 35.106 | Bud Moore |
| 5 | 21 | David Pearson | '71 Mercury | 155.007 | 35.348 | Wood Brothers |
| 6 | 24 | Cecil Gordon | '72 Chevrolet | 153.905 | 35.601 | Cecil Gordon |
| 7 | 88 | Donnie Allison | '73 Chevrolet | 153.388 | 35.721 | DiGard |
| 8 | 7 | Dean Dalton | '71 Mercury | 151.748 | 36.107 | Dean Dalton |
| 9 | 14 | Coo Coo Marlin | '72 Chevrolet | 151.610 | 36.140 | H.B. Cunningham |
| 10 | 70 | J.D. McDuffie | '72 Chevrolet | 151.012 | 36.283 | J.D. McDuffie |
Failed to qualify:Phil Finney (#80),Richard D. Brown (#44)[9]
* Driver failed to finish race
† signifies that the driver is known to be deceased
Section reference:[2]
| Preceded by | NASCAR Winston Cup Series Season 1973 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Dixie 500 races 1973 | Succeeded by |