1971 Islip 250
Encyclopedia
The 1971 Islip 250 was a NASCAR
Winston Cup Series (now Sprint Cup Series) race that occurred on July 15, 1971 at Islip Speedway
in the American
community of Islip
, New York
.
card system that would flip down cards with minutes (with numbers from 00 to 99) and seconds (with numbers from 00 to 59) on them. This would give the time elapsed in the race with some manual output; similar to the scoring system used at the very first Daytona 500
because electronic scoring would be decades away from being reality. The first column would count the number of minutes elapsed with the second column would count the number of second elapsed. It would be rare to see a race last for more than ninety-nine minutes and fifty-nine seconds (approximately 1.6 hours) until NASCAR started lengthening their races in the 1970s.
The time of the race was fifty-five minutes and seventeen seconds. Speeds were considered to be 49.925 mi/h for the average and 46.133 mi/h for the pole. Richard Petty
managed to defeat Friday Hassler
by outlapping him twice. Frog Fagan
was the lone Canadian
in the race making his final start in a Cup Series vehicle. Coca-Cola
was one the top sponsors involved in the race. Fagan would race for a single lap before quitting in Neil Castles' #06 Dodge
vehicle. In addition to leading the race, Richard Petty led all 230 laps of the race. The track was shorter than even Martinsville Speedway
; seven drivers chose to quit the race because they could see the leader even before the green flag. Benny Listman would do his only NASCAR Cup Series race here.
Start and park
racing was a way to avoid demoralization as opposed to the largely economic reasons of today. Even the previous race at this track
saw two drivers quit the race because they could see the leaders about to outlap them just when the race is about to begin. The winner would receive a prize bounty of $1,500 ($ in today's money) while the last place finisher would receive a paltry $10 ($ in today's money) prize bounty. Total winnings for this track would be $8,685 ($ in today's money). This would be the final race for this track; the track would later be demolished to become a cookie
factory
. All races shorter than 250 miles would be axed by the NASCAR organization; just a part of the sport's modernization process.
* Driver failed to finish race
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...
Winston Cup Series (now Sprint Cup Series) race that occurred on July 15, 1971 at Islip Speedway
Islip Speedway
Islip Speedway was a .2-mile oval race track in Islip, New York which was open from 1947 until 1984. It is the smallest track ever to host NASCAR's Grand National Series , from 1964 to 1971. The first demolition derby took place at Islip Speedway in 1958...
in the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
community of Islip
Islip (town), New York
The Town of Islip is one of ten towns in Suffolk County, New York . Located on the south shore of Long Island, the town population was 322,612 at the 2000 census. The smaller, unincorporated hamlet of Islip lies within the town.-Demographics:...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
Summary
Two hundred and fifty green flag laps were done on a paved oval track spanning 0.2 mile (0.321868 km). However, the race was shortened by twenty laps to 230 laps due to an error with the scoring system. At the time, Islip Speedway had a scoring system that looked like a RolodexRolodex
A Rolodex is a rotating file device used to store business contact information currently manufactured by Newell Rubbermaid. The Rolodex holds specially shaped index cards; the user writes the contact information for one person or company on each card...
card system that would flip down cards with minutes (with numbers from 00 to 99) and seconds (with numbers from 00 to 59) on them. This would give the time elapsed in the race with some manual output; similar to the scoring system used at the very first Daytona 500
1959 Daytona 500
The 1959 First Annual 500 Mile NASCAR International Sweepstakes at Daytona was the second race of the 1959 NASCAR Grand National season. It was held on February 22, 1959, in front of 41,921 spectators...
because electronic scoring would be decades away from being reality. The first column would count the number of minutes elapsed with the second column would count the number of second elapsed. It would be rare to see a race last for more than ninety-nine minutes and fifty-nine seconds (approximately 1.6 hours) until NASCAR started lengthening their races in the 1970s.
The time of the race was fifty-five minutes and seventeen seconds. Speeds were considered to be 49.925 mi/h for the average and 46.133 mi/h for the pole. 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...
managed to defeat 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...
by outlapping him twice. Frog Fagan
Frog Fagan
Harold "Frog" Fagan was a NASCAR Winston Cup driver from the Toronto subdivision of Willowdale, Ontario, Canada.-History:...
was the lone Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
in the race making his final start in a Cup Series vehicle. Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola is a carbonated soft drink sold in stores, restaurants, and vending machines in more than 200 countries. It is produced by The Coca-Cola Company of Atlanta, Georgia, and is often referred to simply as Coke...
was one the top sponsors involved in the race. Fagan would race for a single lap before quitting in Neil Castles' #06 Dodge
Dodge
Dodge is a United States-based brand of automobiles, minivans, and sport utility vehicles, manufactured and marketed by Chrysler Group LLC in more than 60 different countries and territories worldwide....
vehicle. In addition to leading the race, Richard Petty led all 230 laps of the race. The track was shorter than even Martinsville Speedway
Martinsville Speedway
Martinsville Speedway is an International Speedway Corporation-owned NASCAR stock car racing track located in Henry County, near Ridgeway, Virginia, just to the south of Martinsville. At in length, it is the shortest track in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. The track was also one of the first paved...
; seven drivers chose to quit the race because they could see the leader even before the green flag. Benny Listman would do his only NASCAR Cup Series race here.
Start and park
Start and park
Start and park is a term used in NASCAR-sanctioned and other auto racing sanctioning bodies to describe the practice of racing teams starting races but pulling the car off the track after just a few laps in order to collect prize money while avoiding expenses such as replacement tires, engine wear...
racing was a way to avoid demoralization as opposed to the largely economic reasons of today. Even the previous race at this track
1968 Islip 300
The 1968 Islip 300 was a NASCAR Grand National race that occurred on July 7, 1968 at Islip Speedway in the American community of Islip, New York.-Summary:...
saw two drivers quit the race because they could see the leaders about to outlap them just when the race is about to begin. The winner would receive a prize bounty of $1,500 ($ in today's money) while the last place finisher would receive a paltry $10 ($ in today's money) prize bounty. Total winnings for this track would be $8,685 ($ in today's money). This would be the final race for this track; the track would later be demolished to become a cookie
Cookie
In the United States and Canada, a cookie is a small, flat, baked treat, usually containing fat, flour, eggs and sugar. In most English-speaking countries outside North America, the most common word for this is biscuit; in many regions both terms are used, while in others the two words have...
factory
Factory
A factory or manufacturing plant is an industrial building where laborers manufacture goods or supervise machines processing one product into another. Most modern factories have large warehouses or warehouse-like facilities that contain heavy equipment used for assembly line production...
. All races shorter than 250 miles would be axed by the NASCAR organization; just a part of the sport's modernization process.
Finishing order
- Richard Petty
- Friday Hassler (best career finish)
- Elmo LangleyElmo LangleyElmo Langley was a NASCAR driver and owner. Langley primarily used the number "64" on his race cars during his NASCAR career.-Racing career:...
- Bobby AllisonBobby AllisonRobert 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....
- G.C. SpencerG.C. SpencerG. C. Spencer July 9, 1925 in Owensboro, Kentucky – September 20, 2007 in Johnson City, Tennessee was a NASCAR driver who competed in 415 Grand National/Winston Cup races from 1958 to 1977...
- James HyltonJames HyltonJames Harvey Hylton is a part-time race car driver. He is a two-time winner in NASCAR and competes in the ARCA RE/MAX Series,finishing 16th in points in 2006. He made headlines while attempting to qualify for the 2007 Daytona 500 at age 72...
- Neil CastlesNeil CastlesNeil "Soapy" Castles is a retired NASCAR Grand National and Winston Cup Series driver that participate from 1957 to 1976.-History:...
- Cecil GordonCecil GordonCecil Gordon was a NASCAR driver. He is not related to Sprint Cup driver Jeff Gordon although the two drivers drove in car number 24....
- Jabe ThomasJabe ThomasCerry Ezra "Jabe" Thomas is a retired NASCAR Grand National and Winston Cup Series driver who competed from the mid 1960s through the late 1970s. His son Ronnie was also a NASCAR Cup Series driver; competing from 1977 to 1989.-Career:Thomas drove 75243 laps of racing and earned $295,497 in total...
- Walter BallardWalter BallardWalter Ballard is a former NASCAR Winston Cup driver from Houston, Texas.He made a single Grand National start in 1966 and did not return to the series until 1971 when he ran a nearly full season in a car owned by his father Vic capturing 11 top tens on his way to Rookie of the Year honors and a...
- Wendell ScottWendell ScottWendell Oliver Scott was an American stock car racing driver from Danville, Virginia. He is the only black driver to win a race in what is now the Sprint Cup Series. According to a 2008 biography of Scott, he broke the color barrier in Southern stock car racing on May 23, 1952, at the Danville...
- D.K. Ulrich
- Henley GrayHenley GrayHenley Gray is a retired NASCAR Winston Cup Series driver whose career spanned from 1964 to 1977.-Summary:...
* - Bill HollarBill HollarBill Hollar is a retired NASCAR Winston Cup Series driver who participated in 29 races out of his nine-year career in NASCAR....
- Larry BaumelLarry BaumelLarry Baumel is a retired NASCAR Winston Cup Series driver whose career spanned from 1969 to 1971.-Summary:...
* - J.D. McDuffieJ.D. McDuffieJohn Delphus McDuffie was a NASCAR Winston Cup driver. He raced in the top division of NASCAR from 1963 to 1991. McDuffie had 106 top-tens in his Cup Series career...
* - Jerry Churchill*
- Bill SeifertBill SeifertBill Seifert is a retired NASCAR Sprint Cup Series who raced from 1966 to 1979.-Summary:Seifert raced 41,875 laps for . His grand total for race winnings is $147,831 USD . Seifert's average career start is 21st and his average career finish is 19th...
* - Ed NegreEd NegreEd Negre is a retired NASCAR Grand National and Winston Cup Series driver who raced from 1955 to 1979....
* - Bob Mausgrover*
- Bill ChampionBill ChampionBuford Billy Champion , is a retired American professional baseball player, a right-handed pitcher who played in 202 games in the Major Leagues from -. He would play for the Milwaukee Brewers and Philadelphia Phillies.-External links:...
* - John Sears*
- Pete HamiltonPete HamiltonPete Hamilton is a retired American NASCAR racer. He won four times in his career , three times driving for Petty Enterprises. His father was a Ph.D. from Harvard University....
* - Ken Meisenhelder*
- Bill ShireyBill ShireyBill Shirey is a retired NASCAR Winston Cup Series driver who accomplished three finishes in the "top ten" and has driven for 9588 laps - the equivalent of . He started 24th on average and also finished an average of 24th place...
* - Bennis Listman*
- Dick MayDick MayDick May was a NASCAR driver who competed in 185 races in the NASCAR Grand National/Winston Cup between 1967 and 1985....
* - George Wiltshire*
- Charlie RobertsCharlie RobertsCharles "Charlie" Roberts was an English footballer.-Playing career:Born in Darlington, Roberts started his football career with Bishop Auckland, but soon moved to Grimsby Town....
* - James Cox*
- Richard ChildressRichard ChildressRichard Childress is a former NASCAR driver and the current team owner of Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup series. As a business entrepreneur, Childress became one of the wealthiest men in North Carolina...
* - Frog Fagan*
- Frank WarrenFrank Warren (NASCAR driver)Frank Warren is a retired NASCAR Winston Cup Series driver who raced from 1963 to 1980.Out of 88863 laps finished in his career, Warren had led 72 of them. Warren's total career earnings were $625,886 and while his average finish was 20th place in his entire career. The total amount of miles...
*
* Driver failed to finish race