The 1976 Riverside 400 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 racing event that took place on June 13, 1976 at 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 the American community of 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...

.

Summary

Most of the vehicles that raced in this event had 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...

 as their manufacturer. Roy Smith

Roy Smith (racecar driver)

Roy Smith is a former NASCAR driver and part of a Victoria-era racing family—brother Al and son Gary have raced.-Career:...

 was the only 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...

 competitor out of the 35-driver grid; the rest of them were American

United States

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

-born males. Ron Esau

Ron Esau

Ron Esau is a retired NASCAR Winston Cup Series driver who has competed from 1975 to 1990.The primary vehicle for this driver was the #56 Marc Reno-owned Gear Vendor Chevrolet. He has competed in 1704 laps - the equivalent of of racing - while picking up 8 DNQs in the process...

 would acquire the last-place finish due to a clutch

Clutch

A clutch is a mechanical device which provides for the transmission of power from one component to another...

 problem on lap 6 out of the 95 that made up the regulation length of the course. David Pearson managed to defeat 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....

 by a time of 1.6 seconds in front of 29,500 people. The race took two hours and twenty minutes to complete thanks to a single caution for four laps. Pearson's qualifying speed of 114.437 miles per hour (184.2 km/h) would earn him the pole position

Pole position

The term "pole position", as used in motorsports, comes from the horse racing term where the number one starter starts on the inside next to the inside pole. The term made its way, along with several other customs, to auto racing. In circuit motorsports, a driver has pole position when he or she...

 while the average speed of the actual race was 106.279 miles per hour (171 km/h).

The victor would take home $15,150 in winnings ($ in today's money) while last-place paid a meager $665 ($ in today's money). Benny Parsons

Benny Parsons

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

, 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...

, Buddy Baker

Buddy Baker

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

, Darrell Waltrip

Darrell Waltrip

Darrell Lee Waltrip is a 3-time NASCAR Cup Series champion , 3-time runner-up , winner of the 1989 Daytona 500 and 5-time winner of the prestigeous Coca-Cola 600 ,...

, Cale Yarborough

Cale Yarborough

William Caleb "Cale" Yarborough , is a farmer, businessman and former NASCAR Winston Cup Series driver and owner. He is one of only two drivers in NASCAR history to win three consecutive championships...

, Jimmy Insolo

Jimmy Insolo

Jimmy Insolo is a NASCAR Winston Cup Series race driver whose career spanned from 1970 to 1983.-Summary:He would mainly drive the Buick vehicles sponsored by Miller High Life. In addition to his Winston Cup Series starts, Insolo would make 129 appearances in a Chevrolet vehicle at the Winston West...

, 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...

, and 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...

 would round out the rest of the "top ten" finishers. A little known fact was that Darrell Waltrip was listed down as a resident of Daytona Beach

Daytona Beach, Florida

Daytona Beach is a city in Volusia County, Florida, USA. According to 2008 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, the city has a population of 64,211. Daytona Beach is a principal city of the Deltona – Daytona Beach – Ormond Beach, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, which the census bureau estimated had...

, Florida

Florida

Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...

 for the purpose of tracking the starting grid instead of using his home town of Owensboro

Owensboro, Kentucky

Owensboro is the fourth largest city by population in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It is the county seat of Daviess County. It is located on U.S. Route 60 about southeast of Evansville, Indiana, and is the principal city of the Owensboro, Kentucky, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city's...

, Kentucky

Kentucky

The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...

.

A race

1989 Daytona 500

The 31st annual Daytona 500 was held February 19 at Daytona International Speedway. Ken Schrader won the pole for the second time in a row.-General information:...

 that Waltrip would end up winning later in his career would him as listed as a resident Franklin

Franklin, Tennessee

Franklin is a city within and the county seat of Williamson County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 62,487 as of the 2010 census Franklin is located approximately south of downtown Nashville.-History:...

, Tennessee

Tennessee

Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...

- which is located exactly 127 miles (204.4 km) to the south of Owensboro.