Note: I watched the race on the NASCAR Classics YouTube Channel.
Talk about the race on my Facebook page: John Milner’s Track Talk.
For the uninitiated, “The Winston” is what NASCAR used to call the All-Star Race. It was made up of all the Cup Winners from the 1986 Daytona 500 (Geoff Bodine) through to the 1987 Winston 500 (Davey Allison), plus the 1987 Winston Open (Buddy Baker) They also tossed in a number of drivers who won in 1985 and even 1984, plus Benny Parsons who had won the 1986 Atlanta Invitational (basically that year’s Winston Open) to ensure there was at least 19 (actually 20) cars in the field.
The Winston was historically run in Charlotte (which by the way is where I think they should continue to hold it today) but I think in 1986 it had been run in Atlanta.
The 1987 Winston remains infamous today because of the poster that NASCAR produced. It included a group shot of all the driver, including Tim Richmond who returned from having “double pneumonia” and may or may not have exposed himself in the photo. Believe it or not, I have seen the poster “out in the wild” on two occasions and saw a photo of it being for sale as part of a recent yard sale. (I didn’t see the posting for the yard sale until it was too late to attend.)
The ABC broadcast is sponsored by Chevy Trucks, AC Delco and Budweiser. Now, those were sponsors for a NASCAR race. Keith Jackson, better known for his college football and World Series broadcasting, explains there will be three segments: 75 laps, 50 laps, and 10 laps. The starting lineup is set by qualifying speeds but in the second and third segments will be set by number of times they assume the lead. Jackson and Donnie Allison also discuss the mandatory pit stops. The drivers involved also discuss what they think about the format with mixed reactions.
Bill Caudill is announced as giving the command to start engines. I’m not sure if I got the name right but is it possible that former Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Bill Caudill gave the command. Wikipedia says he was with the Oakland Athletics but broke his hand after punching a man who was reportedly trying to accost his wife in a hotel parking lot that year. Whoever it was gave a damn good command.
Bill Elliott has the pole with Tim Richmond sharing the front row with him. It would be interesting to figure out how many wins, championships and Daytona 500s are collectively in this field. Weird to hear them talk about Morgan Shepherd as a young driver.
As the race gets underway, Bill Elliott holds the lead. Geoff Bodine gets loose and almost takes out Earnhardt on the first lap.Man…the mile and a halfs ran in the 80s just like they do in 2024, if not worse. Elliott is just driving away and has about a five second lead. Rusty Wallace is in second with a small lead over Tim Richmond.
Greg Sacks is the first to make a mandatory 2-tire pit stop under green. Initially, there is speculation it might be strategy but it turns out he had a tire issue. Dr. Jerry Punch reports that the leaders are coming in around Lap 60. Just as the commentators follow-up on the Sacks pit stop, in comes Davey Allison for his pit stop.
Meanwhile Geoff Bodine has taken second place as Wallace falls back to fourth. Richmond remains in third.
Lap 42 and Elliott has an 8.5 second lead. Meanwhile, Joey Knuckles, Davey Allison’s crew chief and owner of one of the coolest looks in NASCAR history, talks about how Davey was going backwards and the pitstop was designed to help him out. Bobby Allison is in but has a bad spot. He may get saved as Bill Elliott comes in to pit (along with Parsons and I think Earnhardt.) Elliott had a 12 second pit stop while Bobby Allison had a 22-second pit stop, due to a gun jamming, it’s believed.
Geoff Bodine assumes the lead. The first lead change of the race but he pits within a lap or so as almost everyone comes down for their pit stops. I saw almost because Kyle Petty stays out to lead a lap.
Jackson and Donnie Allison discuss why Bodine and Earnhardt took left side tires. Allison doesn’t have an answer. Jerry Punch has Bodine’s crew chief, Gary Nelson, and Nelson says It was quicker to take left side tires and tire wear wasn’t an issue.
Elliott resumes the lead but we are soon under caution as Richard Petty and Neil Bonnett collide. Petty is able to drive his damaged car back to the garage but Bonnett’s car is still on the track and an ambulance arrives with a stretcher.
Richard Petty reports that Bonnett blew an engine and Petty was going to try to go below. However, Petty wasn’t able to get by Bonnett and clipped him, sending him into the wall.
The restart has Geoff Bodine trying to keep up with Elliott as Waltrip and Earnhardt in third and fourth. Elliott hangs on to the lead as the first stage comes to an end.
It appears Bodine got a push from Hendrick Motorsports teammate Darrell Waltrip on the restart and that’s how Bodine was able to keep up with Bill Elliott. Report on Neil Bonnett says Neil is awake and alert but is being taken to a local hospital just for some follow-up examinations.
During the 10-minute break, they air a rather cringy song about Bill Elliott that Bill sings himself. This is followed by a short documentary piece about Elliott and Dawsonville (with footage of the local pool hall.) I’m taking it as a sign that footage of Dawsonville includes somebody driving down the street in a 1965 Ford pickup. (IYKYK!)
The 10 minutes is up and people are still trying to get their cars in place and, in the case of Davey Allison, working on their cars. There was a rule that if you weren’t out on the track by the time the leader took the green flag, you were out of the race. As the cars head out, Allison and Greg Sacks are still in the pits but they do make it out.
The second segment starts off the same way the first stage ended, with Elliott and Bodine leading the field. Elliott starts to draw away and Bodine has to worry about Earnhardt, who will quickly take second place from him.
After we hear a tale of Cale Yarborough’s exploits as a turkey farmer (you read that right), we find out that Buddy Baker is out of the race. I guess when Elliott has a 4-plus second lead over Earnhardt, you have to find entertainment where you can get it.
Okay, when all these NASCAR experts tell you how great the racing was “back in the day” point them to this race. Sure, if you’re a Bill Elliott fan, you’re probably loving this…but for the rest of the field, it’s a snooze fest!
Jackson throws it to Jerry Punch who is with “Dick Childress”. Wait..who? Oooohhh. Richard Childress!
With three laps to go, Elliott is looking to put Bobby Hillin, Jr. and Greg Sacks another lap down. Harry Gant is headed to the garage but they’ve forgotten that Baker is also out of the race.
Elliott wins the second stage. During the break, they air another documentary-style piece, this time on Dale Earnhardt and his relationship with his father, wife and children. Then they go to Indy for an update on qualifying for the 1987 Indy 500 (won by Al Unser, Sr.)
The final segment – 10 laps – gets underway, and again it’s Elliott and Bodine on the front. Earnhardt looks like he’s pushing Bodine to the lead but as push comes to shove, Bodine spins, Elliott doesn’t quite get collected but slows down. Earnhardt goes low and drives away with the lead until the caution comes out.
When they go back to green, Earnhardt assumes the lead with Elliott giving chase. (But not “Chase”) Elliott gets right to the back bumper of the #3 car.
And as they come to seven to go, Elliott taps Earnhardt sending the latter into the grass but Earnhardt gathers it up, gets back on the track and maintains the lead. And thus the legend of the Pass In the Grass is born. Through turns 3 and 4, Elliott and Earnhardt get together. This forces Elliott to drop back and Earnhardt loses the lead for a moment to Terry Labonte. Elliott has an issue and starts to slow on the apron and heads to the pits, with a flat tire.
As the white flag comes out, Earnhardt has the lead. Labonte looks like he might have a shot but the #3 car holds on to take the win. Elliott gives him a slam in the driver’s side door on the cool down lap.
In Victory Lane, Earnhardt delivers one of the coolest promos, talking about Elliott “tried to spin me out twice. I didn’t take it!”
So the legendary 1987 Winston was, I hate to say it…boring! Seriously, great to demonstrate the dominance of Bill Elliott and the #9 car of that era but really, he stunk up the joint. If you go back and read the recap, there’s Elliott, with Earnhardt, Bodine, and maybe Tim Richmond and Terry Labonte battling for the runner-up spot through most of the race, as Elliott just drove away from the field.
johnmilner.ca 