The 1970 Motor Trend 500 was a NASCAR

NASCAR

The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...

 Grand National Series (now Sprint Cup Series) race that took place on January 18, 1970 at the now defunct Riverside International Raceway

Riverside International Raceway

Riverside International Raceway was a race track or road course in Riverside, California. The track was in operation from September 22, 1957, to July 2, 1989...

 in Riverside

Riverside, California

Riverside is a city in Riverside County, California, United States, and the county seat of the eponymous county. Named for its location beside the Santa Ana River, it is the largest city in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario metropolitan area of Southern California, 4th largest inland California...

, California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

, USA

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

.

Summary

The Plymouth Superbird

Plymouth Superbird

The short-lived Plymouth Road Runner Superbird was a highly modified version of the Plymouth Road Runner with well known graphics and horn. It was the factory's follow up stock car racing design for the 1970 season to the Dodge Charger Daytona of 1969, and incorporated many engineering changes and...

 would make its first ever NASCAR appearance during this race. Six cautions were handed out by NASCAR for 31 complete laps. A.J. Foyt was the winner of the race in his 1970 Ford Torino

Ford Torino

The Ford Torino is an intermediate automobile produced by the Ford Motor Company for the North American market between 1968 and 1976. The car was named after the city of Turin , which is considered the Detroit of Italy...

; defeating Roger McCluskey

Roger McCluskey

Roger McCluskey was an American race car driver. He was from Tucson, Arizona.He won championship titles in three divisions of USAC -Sprints, Stocks, and Champ Cars. He won the USAC Sprint Car title in 1963 and 1966, the USAC Stock car title in 1969 and 1970. The Champ Car title in 1973...

 by 3½ seconds. There were forty-four competitors in this race; 43 were from the United States of America

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 while one competitor (Lothar Motschenbacher) was from Cologne, West Germany

West Germany

West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....

. Jim Cook

Jim Cook

James "Jim" Preston Cook was a stock car racer who competed in the NASCAR Grand National Series and NASCAR Pacific Coast Late Model Series. Born in Illinois, Cook lived in Boston before relocating west across the United States to Norwalk, California.-Biography:Cook began racing in Boston...

 was involved in a major accident that would leave him using a wheelchair for the rest of his life on lap 94. The other finishers in the top ten were: LeeRoy Yarbrough

LeeRoy Yarbrough

Lonnie "LeeRoy" Yarbrough was a NASCAR racer. His best season was 1969 when he won seven races, tallied 21 finishes in the top-ten and earned $193,211...

, Donnie Allison

Donnie Allison

Dunkiny "Donnie" Allison is a former driver on the NASCAR Grand National/Winston Cup circuit, who won ten times during his racing career, which spanned the 1960s, 1970s and early 1980s. He was part of the "Alabama Gang," and is the brother of 1983 champion Bobby Allison and uncle of Davey Allison...

, Richard Petty

Richard Petty

Richard Lee Petty is a former NASCAR driver who raced in the Strictly Stock/Grand National Era and the NASCAR Winston Cup Series...

, Dan Gurney

Dan Gurney

Daniel Sexton Gurney is an American racing driver, race car constructor, and team owner.The son of a Metropolitan Opera star, he was born in Port Jefferson, New York, but moved to California as a teenager...

, Neil Castles

Neil Castles

Neil "Soapy" Castles is a retired NASCAR Grand National and Winston Cup Series driver that participate from 1957 to 1976.-History:...

, Friday Hassler

Friday Hassler

Raymond "Friday" Hassler was a NASCAR Grand National and Winston Cup Series driver.-Summary:He made his debut in 1960 but only drove a handful of races per year until 1967 when he drove 21 of the 49 races for Red Sharp and finished 32nd in points. He improved to 27th for Sharp the next year and...

, Jerry Oliver

Jerry Oliver

Jerry Oliver is a former American basketball coach who served as the head coach of the Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball team during the 1969-70 season and for the final game of the 1970-71 season....

, and Dick Guldstrand. Motschenbacher would start in 31st place and finish the race in 40th.

The average speed of the race was 97.045 mi/h while Dan Gurney earned the pole position with a qualifying speed of 112.006 mi/h. There was a live attendance of 43,200 fans waiting to see 193 laps of action on a road course

Road racing

Road racing is a general term for most forms of motor racing held on paved, purpose-built race tracks , as opposed to oval tracks and off-road racing...

. The previous year's event

1969 Motor Trend 500

The 1969 Motor Trend 500 was a NASCAR Grand National Series race that took place on February 1, 1969 at the now defunct Riverside International Raceway in the American community of Riverside, California.-Summary:...

 was notable for being a "perfect race." However, this event included yellow flags.

The winner's purse

Prize money

Prize money has a distinct meaning in warfare, especially naval warfare, where it was a monetary reward paid out to the crew of a ship for capturing an enemy vessel...

 was considered to be $19,700 ($ in today's money).

Top twenty finishers

1. A.J. Foyt
2. Roger McClunskey
3. LeeRoy Yarbrough
4. Donnie Allison
5. Richard Petty
6. Dan Gurney
7. Neil Castles
8. Friday Hassler
9. Jerry Oliver
10. Dick Guldstrand
11. Parnelli Jones
    Parnelli Jones
    Rufus Parnell "Parnelli" Jones , is a retired American racing driver and racecar owner. He is most remembered for his 1963 Indianapolis 500 win, and almost winning the 1967 Indy 500 in a turbine car...
    
    
12. Kevin Terris
13. Bobby Allison
    Bobby Allison
    Robert Arthur Allison is a former NASCAR Winston Cup driver and was named one of NASCAR's 50 greatest drivers. His two sons, Clifford Allison and Davey Allison followed him into racing, and both died within a year of each other....
    
    
14. Dave Marcis
    Dave Marcis
    Dave Marcis is a retired driver on the NASCAR Winston Cup circuit whose career spanned five decades. Marcis won five times over this tenure, twice at Richmond, including his final win in 1982...
    
    
15. Sam Rose
16. Dave Alonzo
17. David Pearson
18. Dick Kranzler
19. Paul Dorrity
20. Joe Frasson
    Joe Frasson
    Joseph "Joe" Frasson is a retired NASCAR Winston Cup Series driver with four finishes in the top five and nineteen finishes in the top ten under his belt. He has experienced 20284 laps of racing and an overall career windfall of $148,930...