Holding nearly a lap lead on the field in the 20th annual Daytona 500 and with just 100 miles to go, Buddy Baker was forced to make two consecutive unscheduled pit stops for cut tires. Even so, he still had a slight advantage over Bobby Allison, when his engine, so strong all day, expired with five laps remaining. Allison had gone 67 races without a win and wrecked during the qualifying race. That forced him to start 33rd in the field and left him and crew chief/car owner Bud Moore pessimistic about their chances. Instead, the two were celebrating a surprise win in Victory Lane, outrunning Cale Yarborough by 33 seconds at the stripe.
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To learn more about Bobby Allison, go to his website.