Official name Los Angeles Times 500 | ||
Date November 23, 1975 (1975-November-23) Location Ontario Motor Speedway, Ontario, California Course Permanent racing facility
2.500 mi (4.023 km) Distance 200 laps, 500 mi (804 km) Weather Warm with temperatures approaching 82 °F (28 °C); wind speeds up to 8.9 miles per hour (14.3 km/h) | ||
The 1975 Los Angeles Times 500 was a NASCAR Winston Cup Series racing event that took place on November 23, 1975, at Ontario Motor Speedway in Ontario, California.
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Summary
Two hundred laps were completed in three hours and thirty-three minutes on a paved track spanning 2.500 miles (4.023 km). More than 50,000 live spectators would show up to see Buddy Baker defeat David Pearson by 29.4 seconds in the #15 Norris Industries Ford machine. Only one caution was handed out by NASCAR officials for nine laps. While Pearson would earn the pole position with a speed of 153.525 miles per hour (247.075 km/h), the average race of the speed would only be 140.712 miles per hour (226.454 km/h). The total prize purse that handed out for this race was $140,775 ($626,566.28 when adjusted for inflation); Baker would receive $35,300 of it ($157,114.47 when adjusted for inflation) while Negre would walk away with a meager $1,050 ($4,673.38 when adjusted for inflation).
Out of the 40-driver grid, 39 of them were American-born while Roy Smith was a Canadian. Cecil Gordon had engine problems that put him out of the race on lap 141; which nearly destroyed his vehicle. A tie-rod end had backed out and was just hanging on by just a thread or two.
Ed Negre would be the last-place finisher due to an engine problem on the second lap. Carl Adams would retire from NASCAR after this race along with Jim Boyd, Don Hall and John Martin. Richard Petty would clinch his sixth NASCAR championship; defeating Dave Marcis in the championship standings by more than 700 points.
Finishing order
† signifies that the driver is known to be deceased
* Driver failed to finish race