1984 Delaware 500 (partially found footage of NASCAR Winston Cup Series race; 1984)
The 1984 Delaware 500 was the 24th race of the 1984 NASCAR Winston Cup Series. Occurring on 16th September 1984 at Dover International Speedway, the race primarily consisted of a duel between title contenders Harry Gant and Terry Labonte, with Gant edging out his opponent.
Background
The 1984 Delaware 500 was the 2nd occasion that a race was held at Dover International Speedway during the 1984 NASCAR Winston Cup Series,[1] with another race, the Budweiser 500, having been won by Richard Petty on 20th May.[2] The track itself is a mainstay of the NASCAR Cup Series, with the latest race having occurred on 16th May 2021 under the new name Drydene 400.[3] Heading into the race, qualifying was ultimately rained out according to Ultimate Racing History.[4] Nevertheless, Labonte won the pole position, ahead of fellow Chevrolet drivers Dale Earnhardt and Gant.[4][5]
Based on the number of laps led, the battle for the first position was primarily between Gant and Labonte. Labonte led for 104 laps, and over the course of the race, the lead changed 19 times between the duo, Ron Bouchard, Earnhardt, Rusty Wallace, Trevor Boys, Ricky Rudd, Darrell Waltrip, and Bobby Allison.[4][5] However, Gant was primarily in control, leading 281 of the 500 laps to claim victory and $40,005 in prize money.[4] He finished ahead of Labonte, and Ford driver Rudd. The race featured 10 cautions for a total of 73 laps, with nine retiring due to accidents.[4][5] The most serious crash involved Allison, who slammed his Buick into the wall at the exit of turn 4 at over 140mph, bending the car's seat and breaking one of his shoulder blades. Despite claims he would need four weeks of recovering, Allison was able to compete one week later, at the 1984 Goody's 500.[6]
By winning the race, Gant collected 185 points, 10 of those being bonus points because he led the most laps. He outscored Labonte by ten points, thus helping his title chances.[5] Ultimately, Labonte won the 1984 Winston Cup with 4,508 points, 65 ahead of Gant, who ended up runners-up.[7]
Availability
While broadcasts of later Delaware 500 races can be found on YouTube, footage of the 1984 edition is scarce. According to NASCAR on TV, there were claims that the race was televised as a 1-hour tape delay on Mizlou, but currently there is no evidence that this broadcast exists.[8] Thus, whether the race was ever televised remains unconfirmed. However, the race was recorded, as footage of Allison's crash can be found as part of a recap prior to the 1984 Goody's 500.
Gallery
Video
See Also
- 1960 Daytona Races (lost CBS and NBC televised footage of NASCAR prelude events to Daytona 500; 1960)
- 1971 Twin 125s (lost footage of NASCAR Daytona 500 qualifying races; 1971)
- 1974 Twin 125s (lost footage of NASCAR Daytona 500 qualifying races; 1974)
- 1975 Twin 125s (lost footage of NASCAR Daytona 500 qualifying races; 1975)
- 1976 Dixie 500 (lost CBS footage of NASCAR Winston Cup Series race; 1976)
- 1979 Southeastern 500 (partially found footage of NASCAR Winston Cup Series race; 1979)
- 1982 Twin 125s race 1 (lost footage of NASCAR Daytona 500 qualifying race; existence unconfirmed; 1982)
- 1984 Warner W. Hodgdon Carolina 500 (lost footage of NASCAR Winston Cup Series race; existence unconfirmed; 1984)
- 1985 Twin 125s (lost footage of NASCAR Daytona 500 qualifying races; existence unconfirmed; 1985)
- 1986 Twin 125s (lost footage of NASCAR Daytona 500 qualifying races; existence unconfirmed; 1986)
- 1996 DeVilbiss SuperFinish 200 (partially found televised footage of NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race; 1996)
References
- ↑ Fantasy Racing Cheat Sheet detailing the 1984 NASCAR Winston Cup Series schedule. Retrieved 30 Dec '21
- ↑ Fantasy Racing Cheat Sheet detailing results of the 1984 Budweiser 500. Retrieved 30 Dec '21
- ↑ Dover Motor Speedway detailing its history in the NASCAR Cup Series. Retrieved 30 Dec '21
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Ultimate Racing History providing results and prize money for the event, noting qualifying was rained out. Retrieved 30 Dec '21
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Fantasy Racing Cheat Sheet detailing results of the race, and points won. Retrieved 30 Dec '21
- ↑ Fantasy Racing Cheat Sheet detailing results of the 1984 Goody's 500, which Allison competed in. Retrieved 30 Dec '21
- ↑ The final 1984 Winston Cup Series standings. Retrieved 30 Dec '21
- ↑ NASCAR on TV detailing the possibility of the race being broadcast on Mizlou. Retrieved 30 Dec '21