Random Recap: The 1985 Busch 500
Welcome to Random Recaps, a weekly feature at From The Marbles. In this space, we’ll recap a random race from the past at the track the where Sprint Cup Series is racing next.This week’s race is the 1985 Busch 500. And as always, Random Recap is truly random thanks to Random.org.
Dale Earnhardt dominated the Busch 500 Saturday night, leading 343 of the race’s 500 laps en route to his third win of the season.
Earnhardt started on the pole and led the first 75 laps. He surrendered the lead for the final time to Tim Richmond on lap 447, but passed Richmond with 18 laps to go for the win. Richmond finished second while Neil Bonnett was third and Darrell Waltrip was fourth.
Waltrip led 87 laps. The four drivers were the only four to finish on the lead lap. Bill Elliott, who finished fifth, was the only car one lap down.
The race was slowed by 11 cautions for 82 laps and Earnhardt beat Richmond to the finish line by three car lengths.
Elliott’s points lead over Waltrip is now at 138 points with nine races to go in the season. Bonnett is third, 276 points back while Harry Gant is fourth, 341 points behind.
Epilogue: This race’s box score is the perfect example of how NASCAR wasn’t so close in the good old days, or perhaps not as good as people want to remember it. Imagine the outrage if four drivers finished on the lead lap on Saturday night. And Lake Speed, who finished 10th, was 10 laps down. That would make fans apoplectic.
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Nick Bromberg is the editor of From The Marbles on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!
