1983 Winston Western 500
| Race details[1][2] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 30 of 30 in the 1983 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season | |||
 Layout of Riverside International Raceway | |||
| Date | November 20, 1983 | ||
| Official name | Winston Western 500 | ||
| Location | Riverside International Raceway, Riverside, California | ||
| Course |
Permanent racing facility 2.700 mi (4.345 km) | ||
| Distance | 119 laps, 311.8 mi (501.7 km) | ||
| Weather | Chilly with temperatures reaching up to 64.9 °F (18.3 °C); wind speeds up to 8 miles per hour (13 km/h) | ||
| Average speed | 95.859 miles per hour (154.270 km/h) | ||
| Attendance | 24,000 | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Junior Johnson & Associates | ||
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Darrell Waltrip | Junior Johnson & Associates | |
| Laps | 34 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 9 | Bill Elliott | Melling Racing | |
| Television in the United States | |||
| Network | WTBS | ||
| Announcers | local announcers | ||
The 1983 Winston Western 500 was a NASCAR Winston Cup Series racing event that took place on November 20, 1983, at Riverside International Raceway in Riverside, California.
Using the 2015 Chase to the Sprint Cup format, Neil Bonnett would have won the 1983 championship. Bonnett, Darrell Waltrip, Labonte and Petty would have been the "final four" and with two points now going to the driver who leads the most laps and Darrell Waltrip finishing three spots behind Bonnett with Bonnett winning by a single point.
Summary
There were 42 drivers;[3] 40 of them were American-born while Roy Smith and Trevor Boys were born in Canada.[2] Dale Earnhardt defected to Richard Childress Racing right after this racing event while Bobby Allison managed to secure his only Winston Cup Championship during the course of the race.
Jimmy Insolo quit the race on the first lap due to team issues.[2][3] Bill Elliott would defeat Benny Parsons under the final caution flag in front of 24,000 loyal NASCAR spectators for his first ever Cup Series victory[2] under the rainy conditions. There were 13 lead changes and five caution flags for 26 laps;[3] making the race last three hours and fifteen minutes long.[2] While the average speed of the race was 95.859 miles per hour (154.270 km/h), Darrell Waltrip qualified for the pole position with a top speed of 116.782 miles per hour (187.942 km/h).[2][3] The regulation length of this race was 119 laps - the equivalent of 311.8 miles (501.8 km).[2][3]
Jimmy Insolo, Doug Wheeler, Don Waterman, Pat Mintey, and Randy Becker would retire from NASCAR Cup Series racing after this event.[4]
Top ten finishers
| Pos[2] | Grid | No. | Driver | Manufacturer | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 | 9 | Bill Elliott | Ford | 119 |
| 2 | 5 | 55 | Benny Parsons | Chevrolet | 119 |
| 3 | 11 | 75 | Neil Bonnett | Chevrolet | 119 |
| 4 | 9 | 15 | Dale Earnhardt | Ford | 119 |
| 5 | 26 | 27 | Tim Richmond | Pontiac | 119 |
| 6 | 1 | 11 | Darrell Waltrip | Chevrolet | 119 |
| 7 | 3 | 44 | Terry Labonte | Chevrolet | 119 |
| 8 | 22 | 04 | Hershel McGriff | Buick | 119 |
| 9 | 6 | 22 | Bobby Allison | Buick | 119 |
| 10 | 8 | 43 | Richard Petty | Pontiac | 118 |
Standings after the race
| Pos | Driver | Points[2] | Differential |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bobby Allison | 4667 | 0 |
| 2 | Darrell Waltrip | 4620 | -47 |
| 3 | Bill Elliott | 4279 | -388 |
| 4 | Richard Petty | 4025 | -625 |
| 5 | Terry Labonte | 4004 | -663 |
| 6 | Neil Bonnett | 4002 | -665 |
| 7 | Harry Gant | 3790 | -877 |
| 8 | Dale Earnhardt | 3732 | -935 |
| 9 | Ricky Rudd | 3693 | -974 |
| 10 | Tim Richmond | 3597 | -1070 |
References
- ↑ Weather information for the 1983 Winston Western 500 at the Old Farmers' Almanac
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1983 Winston Western 500 racing information at Racing Reference
- 1 2 3 4 5 1983 Winston Western 500 racing information at Fantasy Racing Cheat Sheet
- ↑ NASCAR Retirements at Race Database
| Preceded by 1983 Atlanta Journal 500 |
NASCAR Winston Cup Series Season 1983-4 |
Succeeded by 1984 Daytona 500 |
| Preceded by 1982 |
Winston Western 500 races 1983 |
Succeeded by 1984 |