The 1971 Miller High Life 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...

 Winston Cup Series (now Sprint Cup Series) event that took place at Ontario Motor Speedway

Ontario Motor Speedway

The Ontario Motor Speedway, located in Ontario, California, east of Los Angeles, was the first and only automobile racing facility built to accommodate major races sanctioned by all of the four dominant racing sanctioning bodies: IndyCar Series and USAC for open-wheel oval car races; NASCAR for a ...

 in the American

United States

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

 community of Ontario

Ontario, California

Ontario is a city located in San Bernardino County, California, United States, 35 miles east of downtown Los Angeles. Located in the western part of the Inland Empire region, it lies just east of the Los Angeles county line and is part of the Greater Los Angeles Area...

, 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...

.

Summary

Two hundred laps were taken on a paved oval track spanning 2.5 miles (4 km). The total time of the race was three hours, forty-three minutes, and thirty-six seconds. This would be the first event to ever take place at Ontario Speedway. The day of the race was February 28, 1971.

Average speed was 134.168 mi/h and the pole position speed was 151.711 mi/h. There were five cautions for 21 laps and the margin of victory was 8½ seconds. With an attendance of 78810 people, the race was well attended even by modern standards. The top ten finishers were: A.J. Foyt (winner), Buddy Baker

Buddy Baker

Elzie Wylie Baker, Jr. , nicknamed "Leadfoot" or more famously Buddy, is a former American NASCAR racecar driver.-Early life:...

, 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...

, Bobby Isaac

Bobby Isaac

Bobby Isaac is a former NASCAR Grand National champion.-Early life:Isaac grew up on a farm near Catawba, North Carolina, the second youngest of nine children...

, 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...

, Ray Elder

Ray Elder

Raymond Marvin Elder was a former NASCAR Grand National and Winston Cup Series driver.He participated primarily in west coast races at Riverside International Raceway and Ontario Motor Speedway from 1967 to 1978. He won races at Riverside in 1971 and 1972 driving for Fred Elder...

, Tiny Lund

Tiny Lund

DeWayne Louis "Tiny" Lund was a NASCAR driver. He was ironically nicknamed "Tiny" due to his rather large and imposing size.-Background:...

, Benny Parsons

Benny Parsons

Benjamin Stewart Parsons was an American NASCAR driver, and later an announcer/analyst on TBS, ESPN, NBC and TNT...

, and James Hylton

James Hylton

James 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...

. Major sponsors participating at the event were Purolator

Purolator

Purolator may refer to:* Purolator Courier, a Canadian courier company* Purolator Filters, a joint venture of Bosch and Mann-Hummel, which distributes the Purolator brand of automotive filtration products...

 and 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...

. In the 51-man entire racing grid, there were 50 American

United States

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

s and only one Mexican

Mexico

The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...

 (by the name of Pedro Rodríguez

Pedro Rodriguez (racing driver)

Pedro Rodríguez was a Mexican Grand Prix motor racing driver. He was born in Mexico City and was the older brother of Ricardo Rodríguez.-Career:...

 who finished in 47th due to an electrical fault). It was the 1000th race ever to be accomplished in NASCAR history. Rodríguez would retire from the NASCAR Winston Cup Series after his race here. Dean Dalton would finish in last place due to being black flagged and disqualified on lap 2.

The total winnings of the race were considered to be $180,200 ($ in today's money) - making it the biggest non-Daytona

Daytona 500

The Daytona 500 is a -long NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race held annually at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is one of four restrictor plate races on the Cup schedule....

 purse during that era. Manufacturers involved in the event included Chevrolet

Chevrolet

Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918...

, Ford

Ford Motor Company

Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...

, 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....

, Mercury

Mercury (automobile)

Mercury was an automobile marque of the Ford Motor Company launched in 1938 by Edsel Ford, son of Henry Ford, to market entry-level luxury cars slotted between Ford-branded regular models and Lincoln-branded luxury vehicles, similar to General Motors' Buick brand, and Chrysler's namesake brand...

, and Plymouth

Plymouth (automobile)

Plymouth was a marque of automobile based in the United States, produced by the Chrysler Corporation and its successor DaimlerChrysler.-Origins:...

. Other notable drivers included Elmo Langley

Elmo Langley

Elmo Langley was a NASCAR driver and owner. Langley primarily used the number "64" on his race cars during his NASCAR career.-Racing career:...

, Fred Lorenzen

Fred Lorenzen

Fred Lorenzen , nicknamed The Golden Boy, Fast Freddie, The Elmhurst Express and Flyin Freddy, is a former NASCAR driver active between 1958 and 1972. He won the 1965 Daytona 500. Lorenzen was born in Elmurst, Illinois.-Early career:Lorenzen first caught the car bug young, and had built his first...

, and Ron Hornaday, Sr.

Ron Hornaday, Sr.

Ron Hornaday Sr. was an American racer from San Fernando, California. He was the father of NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion Ron Hornaday, Jr. and the grandfather of Ronnie Hornaday. Hornaday Sr. was inducted in the West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame in its first class in 2002...

 (whose son

Ron Hornaday

Ronald Hornaday, Jr. is a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver. He is the father of former NASCAR driver Ronnie Hornaday, and son of the late Ron Hornaday, Sr., a two-time Winston West Champion. Adding on to the family legacy, Ron is a four-time champion in the Truck Series, his most recent...

 is a four-time Craftsman Truck Series champion). Marty Kinerk would also retire after this race.