Waltrip, the Winston Cup Series champion in 1981 & 1982
The 1982 NASCAR Winston Cup Series was the 34th season of professionalstock car racing in the United States and the 11th modern-era Cup series. The season began on February 14 at the Daytona International Speedway and concluded on November 21 at Riverside International Raceway. Darrell Waltrip took his second straight championship driving for Junior Johnson by 72 points over Bobby Allison.
The 1982 season unofficially kicked off on February 7 with the non-points fourth annual Busch Clash, open to all pole winners from the 1981 season in a 20 lap (50 mi (80 km)) dash. Terry Labonte drew pole position
Time of Race: 51 minutes, 54 seconds Caution Flags: 2 for 12 Laps Margin Of Victory: Under Caution[3]
Daytona 500 Consolation Race
On February 12, NASCAR allowed all 14 cars that failed to qualify for the Daytona 500 to race in a consolation race at a 30 lap (75 mi (121 km)) distance. Slick Johnson was on the pole.
Time of Race: 3 hours 14 minutes 49 seconds Caution Flags: 5 for 34 Laps Margin Of Victory: 22.87 seconds
Bobby Allison, who had won the Busch Clash on February 7, would dominate the race leading 147 of 200 laps and cruise to victory. Buick would take seven of the first eight finishing spots. There was controversy in Allison's victory as his bumper fell off early in the race.
This also would be the first time since 1971 that no Chevrolets were in the field.
Time of Race: 1 hour 51 minutes 30 seconds. Caution Flags: 6 for 33 laps. Margin of Victory: Under Caution Race shortened to 250 of 400 laps due to rain.
Dave Marcis captured the final win of his career and the only victory with his own team.
Time of Race: 3 hours 29 minutes 58 seconds Caution Flags: 7 for 47 laps Margin of Victory: Under Caution Race shortened to 287 of 328 laps due to rain.
Darrell Waltrip led 33 laps and when rain hit in the final laps he beat Richard Petty by inches to the race-ending yellow. It was Waltrip's second win of the 1982 Winston Cup season.
Gary Balough whom brought out the races final caution flag for a crash ended up finishing 12th. It was his last Cup Series race until 1991 as he was shortly after this event sentenced to prison for drug trafficking charges as was Billie Harvey, Tim Richmond's car owner.
Time of Race: 4 hours 3 minutes 27 seconds Caution Flags: 8 for 53 laps Margin of Victory: 3 feet
Unfortunately pole sitter Buddy Baker would finish last (37th) due to flywheel problems.
Dale Earnhardt led 181 laps on way to his only Winston Cup victory of 1982, his first victory since the October 5th 1980 National 500 at Charlotte, and his first victory in a Ford.
Time of Race: 3 hours 11 minutes 19 seconds Caution Flags: 8 for 39 laps Margin of Victory: 3 car lengths
The lead changed 53 times among 13 drivers. Parsons drafted into the lead with three laps to go; on the final lap he swung low to break the draft, but Waltrip, Labonte, and Petty drafted past on the high side; Parsons edged Petty while Labonte's last-second bid for the win fell short. Darrell Waltrip led 54 laps on way to his fourth Winston Cup victory of 1982.
The race is also remembered for the bizarre story of the mysterious L. W. Wright, a con-artist pretending to be a NASCAR veteran. Wright started and finished near the back, then after the race disappeared after the checks for a NASCAR license and car bounced, going in hiding for almost 40 years until resurfacing for an interview with The Scene Vault's Rick Houston[5]
The inaugural Van Scoy Diamond Mine 500 was held on June 6 at the Pocono International Raceway. Terry Labonte was on the pole because qualifying was rained out so the line up was set by the current Winston Cup points standings. This was the only time in 1982 that qualifying was rained out.
Darrell Waltrip had a dismal day falling out of the race after 28 laps with a piston failure finishing 32nd with no laps led.
Bobby Allison didn't fare much better falling out of the race after 47 laps with engine failure but he led 15 laps.
Terry Labonte padded to his points lead by finishing 2nd and leading the most laps (64). Labonte now led by 144 points over Allison, 210 points over Waltrip.
Richard Petty led some 70 laps as the lead changed 46 times but had to pit for fuel with four laps remaining. Darrell Waltrip ran out of fuel coming out of turn one on the final lap.
The race saw a 23 lap caution period when Dale Earnhardt and Tim Richmond blasted the first turn boilerplate wall and track crews had to weld it back in place.
Time of Race: 3 hours 39 minutes 5 seconds Caution Flags: 6 for 34 laps Margin of Victory: 2.93 seconds
Harry Gant won his second Winston Cup victory of 1982 (also second win of his career) after Bobby Allison, who led the most laps (280 of 334 laps), blew his engine with ten laps remaining.
This was Gant's first victory from pole position.
This was also David Pearson's 300th Winston Cup top five finish.
This was also Jody Ridley's 100th Winston Cup start.
Richard Petty finished eighth despite damage in a ten-car crash started by Dale Earnhardt; Petty was unusually angry when Earnhardt blamed Petty for the crash.
Bobby Allison blew an engine after leading 98 laps and finished 19th.
Waltrip came into this race trailing Allison by 37 points. His victory and Allison's retirement meant Waltrip took over the points lead for the first time all season. Waltrip left Martinsville holding a 37-point lead over Allison.
Bobby Allison led the most laps (127 of 492 laps) but spun out of the pits on Lap 450. He recovered for a 2nd place finish but the difference between he & Waltrip would remain unchanged at 37 points.
Wood Brothers Racing with Neil Bonnett led 108 laps. Wood Brothers prepared cars would not lead 100 laps or more in a Cup Series race again until 2017 when Ryan Blaney led for 148 laps at Texas.
This was the final Winston Cup race for country singer Marty Robbins before his death in December 1982.
Rodney Combs made his first NASCAR start in this race.
Heading into the season finale at Riverside, Waltrip had a 22 point lead over Allison.
This was Cale Yarborough's last race in the M. C. Anderson #27. He would complete 73 laps before blowing an engine finishing 35th. He would join Mizlou as the Driver Expert for the season finale at Riverside.
The Winston Western 500 was held on November 21 at the Riverside International Raceway. He had already locked up the season long pole award for winning the most poles but Darrell Waltrip added one more to his tally for his seventh pole of 1982 with a speed of 114.995 mph.
Time of Race: 3 hours 7 minutes 24 seconds Caution Flags: 3 for 16 laps Margin of Victory: 7 seconds
Tim Richmond led the most laps (92 of 119) and won his second Winston Cup victory of 1982. It was his final victory with the J. D. Stacy team.
Bobby Allison's title hopes ended on lap 111 of 119 when his engine failed - the fourth time in the last six races where engine trouble ended his race - and he finished 16th. It was Allison's last race with the number 88 and the last with sponsor Gatorade. Next season he would use number 22 and retain Miller High Life for sponsorship while staying with DiGard Racing.
Waltrip won his second straight title by 72 points over Allison.
By virture of finishing 8th & Dale Earnhardt finishing last (42nd), Morgan Shepherd was able to get to 10th in points while Earnhardt fell to 12th in the final standings. Jimmy Means finishing 12th in the race was the other reason for the 12th place final points standings as Means took 11th in the final standings, a career-best in the standings.
Conversely; Dale Earnhardt's 12th place finish in the standings would be the worst points finish of his career. A feat he would match in 1992, also recording only one victory that season as well.
This would be the last full time (entire season) race for Mark Martin in the Cup Series until 1988.
For the second straight season, Terry Labonte failed to win a race. However his consistency paid off with 3rd place in the final drivers points standings.
Geoff Bodine won the rookie of the year even though he only started 25 of the 30 races. However, he had 4 top fives, 10 top tens, 2 poles, and 118 laps led, he had a season long average finishing position of 15.16. Mark Martin, his closest competitor for the award, did start all 30 races but he only had 2 top fives, 8 top tens, 0 poles, and 4 laps led, he had a season long average finishing position of 19.47.
