The 1983 Winston Western 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 racing event that took place on November 20, 1983 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 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...

, U.S.A.

Summary

There were 42 drivers; 40 of them were American

United States

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

-born while 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:...

 and Trevor Boys

Trevor Boys

Trevor Boys , is a Canadian race car driver. He raced in 102 Winston Cup races from 1982 to 1993, posting two top-ten finishes, and ran six races in the Craftsman Truck Series in 2003, his best finish a 22nd at Memphis Motorsports Park...

 were born in Canada

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...

.

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...

 quit the race on the first lap due to team issues. Bill Elliott

Bill Elliott

William Clyde "Bill" Elliott , also known as Awesome Bill from Dawsonville or Million Dollar Bill, is a part-time driver and former champion of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Elliott was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America on August 15, 2007. He won the 1988 NASCAR Winston Cup...

 would defeat Benny Parsons

Benny Parsons

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

 under the final caution flag in front of 24,000 loyal NASCAR spectators for his first ever Cup Series victory under the rainy conditions. There were 13 lead changes and five caution flags for 26 laps; making the race last three hours and fifteen minutes long. While the average speed of the race was 95.859 miles per hour (154.3 km/h), 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 ,...

 qualified for 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...

 with a top speed of 116.782 miles per hour (187.9 km/h). The regulation length of this race was 119 laps - the equivalent of 311.8 miles (501.8 km). Other finishers in the top ten were: Neil Bonnett

Neil Bonnett

Lawrence Neil Bonnett was a NASCAR driver who compiled 18 victories and 20 poles over his 18-year career. The Alabama native currently ranks 35th in all-time NASCAR Cup victories. He appeared in the 1983 film Stroker Ace and the 1990 film Days of Thunder...

, Dale Earnhardt

Dale Earnhardt

Ralph Dale Earnhardt, Sr. was an American race car driver, best known for his involvement in stock car racing for NASCAR...

 (who would defect to Richard Childress Racing

Richard Childress Racing

RCR Enterprises, LLC, doing business as Richard Childress Racing, is a NASCAR team based in Welcome, North Carolina, and is owned and operated by former driver Richard Childress...

 right after this racing event), Tim Richmond

Tim Richmond

Tim Richmond was an American race car driver from Ashland, Ohio. He competed in IndyCar racing before transferring to NASCAR's Winston Cup Series . Richmond was one of the first drivers to change from open wheel racing to NASCAR stock cars full-time, which has since become an industry trend...

, Darrell Waltrip, Terry Labonte

Terry Labonte

Terrance Lee Labonte is a semi-retired NASCAR driver who occasionally drives in the Sprint Cup Series when called upon and is a two-time Winston Cup and IROC champion. He currently drives the #32 U.S. Chrome Ford for FAS Lane Racing. Labonte was introduced to the sport through his father, who had...

, Hershel McGriff

Hershel McGriff

Hershel McGriff won four races during his brief career in the NASCAR Grand National series, and later in the NASCAR Winston West Series.-Racing career:...

, 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....

 (who would secure his only Winston Cup Championship in 1983), and 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...

.

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...

, Doug Wheeler, Don Waterman

Don Waterman

Don Waterman is a retired NASCAR Winston Cup Series race car driver whose career spanned from 1980 to 1983.The primary vehicle for this driver was the self-owned #38 St. John's Auto Parts Buick. Only three races were spent inside an Oldsmobile machine. His only "top ten" finish came at the January...

, Pat Mintey, and Randy Becker would retire from NASCAR Cup Series racing after this event.