May 12, 1974 - 250 Miles - Purse $38,565

 (Race began May 11 but completed on May 12th due to inclimate weather )

NOTE:  Race was shortened to 238 miles due to Energy Crisis. 

Local favorite Darrell Waltrip battles with Virginian Lennie Pond during the 1974 Music City 420.  Waltrip would finish third in the event, four laps down to the leaders.  Pond would finish the race in 11th place.(Photo: Ted Marchman)

   Richard Petty (pictured at right/photo Ted Marchman) captured his 8th career Fairgrounds Speedway victory at the 1974 Music City 420.  The Race was red-flagged at lap 127 on Saturday night, May 11 and resumed the following day.

This would the last win at Nashville by a Chrysler product.

Cale Yarborough led most of the race but was sidelined on lap 346 with a blown engine. After the race, Richard Petty stated "When Cale went out, I knew I had it in the bag. He was real strong but sometimes he was holding me up. He wouldn't let me pass. It would have been a real dogfight if he'd have stayed in there."

Chattanooga TN's Bob Burcham scored a surprising 4th place finish

NASCAR initialized procedures to help with nation's energy crises by cutting the length of races.  The Music City 420 was actually 400 contested laps.  Laps 1-20 were not scored.

Donnie Allison finished second in a rare Winston Cup appearance at the Fairgrounds.  He would race again at the Fairgrounds in the 1980 Busch Nashville 420.

Road Racing great George Follmer would finish sixth in his only start at the Fairgrounds.  He was running in fourth place with three laps to go when a tire blew on his Bud Moore prepared Ford.
     


Eventual race winner Richard Petty leads Bobby Allison into turn three		  

The crowded pit road of Fairgrounds Speedway
 (Photo: Jimmy Ellis The Tennessean)
     


Richard Petty notches his eight victory at Fairgrounds Speedway
(Photo: Jimmy Ellis The Tennessean)		  

Cale Yarbrorough dominated the majority of the race until his engine expired on lap 346
 (Photo: Fred Marchman)
     
     

 


Cale Yarborough leads Richard Petty down the back straight
 (Photo: Jimmy Ellis The Tennessean)
Average Speed:  82.24 mph Time of Race:   3:06:31 Margin:  1/2 Lap
Pole Winner:     Bobby Allison 100.088 mph Attendance:      19,000 Cautions:  8 for 96 Laps
Lap Leaders:    First 20 Laps not scored, B Allison 21 - 45, Petty 46, B Allison 47-111, Yarborough 112-116, Pond 117, Yarborough 118-220, D Allison 221, Yarborough 222-253, Parsons 254-256, Yarborough 257-314, Petty 315-420
     
DriverDDriver Fin Str Car Team / Owner Car Laps Money Status Led
Richard Petty 1 2 43 STP  -  Petty Enterprises 74 Dodge 420 7,900 Running 107
Donnie Allison 2 5 88 DiGard Racing   74 Chevrolet 420 3,850 Running 1
Darrell Waltrip 3 6 95 Terminal Transport  -  Darrell Waltrip 74 Chevrolet 416 2,390 Running 0
Bob Burcham 4 9 57 Precision Specialties  - Jack White 74 Chevrolet 415 1,370 Running 0
Dave Marcis 5 18 2 Deppe Enterprises   -  Dave Marcis 73 Dodge 414 1,520 Running 0
George Follmer 6 8 15 R.C. Cola    -
Bud Moore		 73 Ford 411 2,885 Blew tire 0
J.D. McDuffie 7 14 70 J D McDuffie 72 Chevrolet 411 1,210 Running 0
David Sisco 8 12 05 Reliable Plumbing  -  David Sisco 74 Chevrolet 410 1,125 Running 0
Coo Coo Marlin 9 16 14 Cunningham-Kelley   - H.B. Cunningham 73 Chevrolet 408 800 Running 0
Buddy Arrington 10 20 67 Arrington Racing 72 Plymouth 404 1,005 Running 0
Lennie Pond 11 3 54 Master Chevy Sales -  Ronnie Elder 74 Chevrolet 403 880 Running 1
Elmo Langley 12 22 64 Elmo Langley 72 Ford 395 860 Running 0
Henley Gray 13 15 19 Henley Gray 73 Chevrolet 375 720 Running 0
Cale Yarborough 14 4 11 Kar-Kare    -
Richard Howard		 74 Chevrolet 346 585 Engine 198
Dean Dalton 15 10 7 Belden Asphalt   -
Dean Dalton 		74 Chevrolet 336 795 Engine 0
Benny Parsons 16 7 72 King's Row Fireplace  -  L.G. DeWitt 72 Chevrolet 312 2,755 Crash 3
D.K. Ulrich 17 24 40 Noel's Auto Parts  -
D K Ulrich		 72 Chevrolet 261 475 Crash 0
Frank Warren 18 23 79 Frank Warren 74 Dodge 255 675 Over
Heating		 0
Jack Donohue 19 27 51 Bill Strong 72 Chevrolet 238 375 Engine 0
Bobby Allison 20 1 12 Coca-Cola   -
Bobby Allison Racing		 74 Chevrolet 217 2,325 Crash 90
Walter Ballard 21 17 30 Ballard Racing   74 Chevrolet 185 665 Engine 0
  Jerry Sisco 22 26 5 Reliable Plumbing  -  David Sisco 73 Chevrolet 142 295 Engine 0
Tony Bettenhausen 23 25 9 Vita Fresh Orange Juice \Gordon Van Liew 72 Chevrolet 111 290 Rear end 0
James Hylton 24 13 48 James Hylton 74 Chevrolet 95 665 Clutch 0
Cecil Gordon 25 19 24 Cecil Gordon 72 Chevrolet 79 635 Engine 0
Richard Childress 26 11 96 L.C. Newton Trucking  -  Tom Garn 73 Chevrolet 77 695 Handling 0
Alton Jones 27 28 68 Crimson Dale Nursery   -  Butch Hawkersmith 73 Chevrolet 70 285 Over
Heating		 0
Richie Panch 28 21 25 Tracmaster  -
Don Robertson 		73 Dodge 56 535 Over
Heating		 0