1984 Firecracker 400
Encyclopedia
The 1984 Firecracker 400 was a NASCAR
Winston Cup Series (now Sprint Cup Series) racing event that took place on July 4
, 1984 at Daytona International Speedway
(Daytona Beach
, Florida
, USA
).
's 200th and final victory in the Winston Cup Series. Petty beat Cale Yarborough
at the line with just two laps remaining in the race after Doug Heveron
flipped over in the first turn to end the race. Rumors circulated that Petty used illegal parts for his final five victories in his Cup Series career. Some people believe that this event was fixed in favor of Richard Petty. The final eight years of his NASCAR career would unfortunately be winless due to aging reasons. Darrell Waltrip would begin to reach his prime - climaxing at his win at the 1989 Daytona 500
. Ronald Reagan
was there to see Petty's 200th victory and became the first sitting president to see a NASCAR racing event. One of the reasons that Richard Petty managed to earn 200 wins in his Cup series career (impossible by today's standards) is that he raced in the early days when the average season had fifty-one races. Dale Earnhardt would not even acquire 100 wins because more of his racing career took place in the "modern NASCAR era" than Richard Petty.
The entire race took two hours, nineteen minutes, and fifty-nine seconds from the green flag to its final conclusion. All the drivers were averaging speeds up to 171.204 mi/h while the pole speed was 199.743 mi/h. There were three cautions for fifteen laps and the race ended under caution. A live audience of 80,000 people came to see this race (with more people attending the subsequent Daytona 500 races). The other finishers in the top ten were: Harry Gant
, Cale Yarborough
, Bobby Allison
, Benny Parsons
, Bill Elliott
, Terry Labonte
, Dale Earnhardt
, Neil Bonnett
, and Joe Ruttman
. Other notable participants in the 1984 Firecracker 400 included Trevor Boys
, Geoffrey Bodine, Ricky Rudd
(who retired after the 2006 NEXTEL Cup Season), David Pearson, Dale Jarrett
(his first start on a superspeedway), Rusty Wallace
, Kyle Petty
(son of Richard Petty
and grandson of Lee Petty
), Buddy Baker
, Sterling Marlin
, and Darrell Waltrip
.
Out of the forty-two drivers on the grid, there were forty-one drivers who were born in the United States of America
. Trevor Boys
was the only non-American driver because he was born in Calgary
, Alberta
, Canada
. Dale Earnhardt kept the championship lead in points for the 1984 NASCAR Winston Cup Series
after the race. However, Darrell Waltrip was beginning to catch up and he was only fifty-two points away from securing the points lead after the 1984 Firecracker 400 race. This would be Dean Roper's final race before retiring from the NASCAR Winston Cup Series.
s, soft drink
sponsors, restaurant
s, variety stores, automotive sponsors, and even one political sponsorship for the Republican Party
's candidate for the 1984 United States presidential election
(Reagan in '84
). John McCain
tried to recreate that political sponorship using his name for the 2008 United States presidential election
but was turned down by all teams. During the era that the 1984 Firecracker 400 race took place in, political sponsorship in motorsports wasn't considered to be taboo ye. It was simply considered to be the same as an alcohol sponorship because it dealt with a product or service that only an adult could use. People had to be eighteen years of age or older to vote all 50 of American's states; so this demographics of the sponsorship excluded children. The total winnings for this race was $336,550 ($ in today's money). However, the winner received $43,755 of that purse ($ in today's money). Manufacturers involved in the race were: Buick
(an active organization that is no longer involved in racing), Chevrolet
(active), Ford
(active), Chrysler
(another active organization that is no longer racing), Pontiac
(defunct), and Oldsmobile
(defunct).
Also, because of the 1971 Myers Brothers 250
dispute, there is dispute whether this is Petty's 201st win or not; because of the Grand American / Grand National combination race status, Petty had finished second in a Grand National car to a Grand American car that won the race; under current NASCAR rules for combination races, both the Grand National and Grand American winners would be credited a win for their division.
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) racing event that took place on July 4
Independence Day (United States)
Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain...
, 1984 at Daytona International Speedway
Daytona International Speedway
Daytona International Speedway is a race track in Daytona Beach, Florida, United States. Since opening in 1959, it has been the home of the Daytona 500, one of the most prestigious races in NASCAR. In addition to NASCAR, the track also hosts races of ARCA, AMA Superbike, Grand-Am and Motocross...
(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...
, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
).
General information
This racing event was Richard PettyRichard Petty
Richard Lee Petty is a former NASCAR driver who raced in the Strictly Stock/Grand National Era and the NASCAR Winston Cup Series...
's 200th and final victory in the Winston Cup Series. Petty beat 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...
at the line with just two laps remaining in the race after Doug Heveron
Doug Heveron
Doug Heveron is an American race car driver from Liverpool, New York. He has driven supermodifieds, modifieds, Indy cars, NASCAR Winston Cup cars, NASCAR Busch Grand National cars, sprint cars, late models and midgets....
flipped over in the first turn to end the race. Rumors circulated that Petty used illegal parts for his final five victories in his Cup Series career. Some people believe that this event was fixed in favor of Richard Petty. The final eight years of his NASCAR career would unfortunately be winless due to aging reasons. Darrell Waltrip would begin to reach his prime - climaxing at his win at the 1989 Daytona 500
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:...
. Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
was there to see Petty's 200th victory and became the first sitting president to see a NASCAR racing event. One of the reasons that Richard Petty managed to earn 200 wins in his Cup series career (impossible by today's standards) is that he raced in the early days when the average season had fifty-one races. Dale Earnhardt would not even acquire 100 wins because more of his racing career took place in the "modern NASCAR era" than Richard Petty.
The entire race took two hours, nineteen minutes, and fifty-nine seconds from the green flag to its final conclusion. All the drivers were averaging speeds up to 171.204 mi/h while the pole speed was 199.743 mi/h. There were three cautions for fifteen laps and the race ended under caution. A live audience of 80,000 people came to see this race (with more people attending the subsequent Daytona 500 races). The other finishers in the top ten were: Harry Gant
Harry Gant
Harry Phil Gant is a retired American racecar driver best known for driving the #33 Skoal Bandit car on the NASCAR Winston Cup circuit during the 1980s and 1990s.-Nicknames:...
, 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...
, 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....
, Benny Parsons
Benny Parsons
Benjamin Stewart Parsons was an American NASCAR driver, and later an announcer/analyst on TBS, ESPN, NBC and TNT...
, 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...
, 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...
, 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...
, 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...
, and Joe Ruttman
Joe Ruttman
Joe Ruttman , is an American former racecar driver. He currently lives in Franklin, Tenn. He actively competed in NASCAR's Sprint Cup Series, Nationwide Series, and Camping World Truck Series and is a 13 time winner in the Truck Series, the seventh most wins by any driver in the Truck...
. Other notable participants in the 1984 Firecracker 400 included 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...
, Geoffrey Bodine, Ricky Rudd
Ricky Rudd
Ricky Rudd is a former American NASCAR driver. He is the uncle of actor Skeet Ulrich and Nationwide Series driver Jason Rudd. Rudd is known as the "Iron Man" of NASCAR; holding the record for most consecutive starts in NASCAR racing. At the conclusion of the 2005 season, Rudd had made 788...
(who retired after the 2006 NEXTEL Cup Season), David Pearson, Dale Jarrett
Dale Jarrett
Dale Arnold Jarrett is a former American race car driver and current sports commentator known for winning the 1999 NASCAR Winston Cup Series championship...
(his first start on a superspeedway), Rusty Wallace
Rusty Wallace
Russell William Wallace, Jr. is a past NASCAR Winston Cup Champion, currently a broadcaster on ESPN, car owner in the Nationwide Series, and a co-host of NASCAR Angels.-Early racing career:...
, Kyle Petty
Kyle Petty
Kyle Eugene Petty is a former American NASCAR driver and is currently a co-host for NASCAR RaceDay and panel member for NASCAR Smarts which are both on SPEED. He also commentates for TNT in the summer. He is the son of racer Richard Petty, grandson of racer Lee Petty, and father of the late Adam...
(son of 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 grandson of Lee Petty
Lee Petty
Lee Arnold Petty was an American stock car driver in the 1950s and 1960s. He was one of the pioneers of NASCAR, and one of its first superstars. He was born near Randleman, North Carolina.-Career:...
), Buddy Baker
Buddy Baker
Elzie Wylie Baker, Jr. , nicknamed "Leadfoot" or more famously Buddy, is a former American NASCAR racecar driver.-Early life:...
, Sterling Marlin
Sterling Marlin
Sterling Marlin is a retired NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver. He is the son of late NASCAR driver Coo Coo Marlin. He is married to Paula and has a daughter, Sutherlin, and a son, Steadman, who sometimes races in the Nationwide Series....
, and 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 ,...
.
Out of the forty-two drivers on the grid, there were forty-one drivers who were born in the United States of America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. 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...
was the only non-American driver because he was born in Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
, Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, 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...
. Dale Earnhardt kept the championship lead in points for the 1984 NASCAR Winston Cup Series
1984 NASCAR Winston Cup Series
The 1984 NASCAR Winston Cup Season began on Sunday February 19 and ended on Sunday November 18. Terry Labonte was crowned champion at the end of the season.-Notable Races:-Daytona 500:...
after the race. However, Darrell Waltrip was beginning to catch up and he was only fifty-two points away from securing the points lead after the 1984 Firecracker 400 race. This would be Dean Roper's final race before retiring from the NASCAR Winston Cup Series.
Sponsorship
Sponsors for the race included sponsors for alcoholic beverageAlcoholic beverage
An alcoholic beverage is a drink containing ethanol, commonly known as alcohol. Alcoholic beverages are divided into three general classes: beers, wines, and spirits. They are legally consumed in most countries, and over 100 countries have laws regulating their production, sale, and consumption...
s, soft drink
Soft drink
A soft drink is a non-alcoholic beverage that typically contains water , a sweetener, and a flavoring agent...
sponsors, restaurant
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
s, variety stores, automotive sponsors, and even one political sponsorship for the Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
's candidate for the 1984 United States presidential election
United States presidential election, 1984
The United States presidential election of 1984 was a contest between the incumbent President Ronald Reagan, the Republican candidate, and former Vice President Walter Mondale, the Democratic candidate. Reagan was helped by a strong economic recovery from the deep recession of 1981–1982...
(Reagan in '84
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
). John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
tried to recreate that political sponorship using his name for the 2008 United States presidential election
United States presidential election, 2008
The United States presidential election of 2008 was the 56th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008. Democrat Barack Obama, then the junior United States Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain, the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. Obama received 365...
but was turned down by all teams. During the era that the 1984 Firecracker 400 race took place in, political sponsorship in motorsports wasn't considered to be taboo ye. It was simply considered to be the same as an alcohol sponorship because it dealt with a product or service that only an adult could use. People had to be eighteen years of age or older to vote all 50 of American's states; so this demographics of the sponsorship excluded children. The total winnings for this race was $336,550 ($ in today's money). However, the winner received $43,755 of that purse ($ in today's money). Manufacturers involved in the race were: Buick
Buick
Buick is a premium brand of General Motors . Buick models are sold in the United States, Canada, Mexico, China, Taiwan, and Israel, with China being its largest market. Buick holds the distinction as the oldest active American make...
(an active organization that is no longer involved in racing), 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...
(active), 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...
(active), Chrysler
Chrysler
Chrysler Group LLC is a multinational automaker headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, USA. Chrysler was first organized as the Chrysler Corporation in 1925....
(another active organization that is no longer racing), Pontiac
Pontiac
Pontiac was an automobile brand that was established in 1926 as a companion make for General Motors' Oakland. Quickly overtaking its parent in popularity, it supplanted the Oakland brand entirely by 1933 and, for most of its life, became a companion make for Chevrolet. Pontiac was sold in the...
(defunct), and Oldsmobile
Oldsmobile
Oldsmobile was a brand of American automobile produced for most of its existence by General Motors. It was founded by Ransom E. Olds in 1897. In its 107-year history, it produced 35.2 million cars, including at least 14 million built at its Lansing, Michigan factory...
(defunct).
Also, because of the 1971 Myers Brothers 250
1971 Myers Brothers 250
The 1971 Myers Brothers 250 was a NASCAR Winston Cup Series event that took place on August 6, 1971 at Bowman-Gray Stadium in the American community of Winston-Salem, North Carolina.-Summary:...
dispute, there is dispute whether this is Petty's 201st win or not; because of the Grand American / Grand National combination race status, Petty had finished second in a Grand National car to a Grand American car that won the race; under current NASCAR rules for combination races, both the Grand National and Grand American winners would be credited a win for their division.