DODGE  "The Dying Years"

     During the seventies Dodge made the trip to victory lane seventy-five times.  Richard Petty who switched from Plymouth,  led the field of Dodge drivers with 37 wins followed by Bobby Isaac with sixteen, Buddy Baker (7), Bobby Allison (5), Dave Marcis (4), Charlie Glotzbach (2), Ray Elder (2), and Neil Bonnett (2). 

     The big event for Dodge came on March 24, 1970 at Talladega when Buddy Baker became the first in the Strictly Stock Grand National to pass the 200mph mark.  Bobby Isaac made it to victory lane eleven times that year followed by Bobby Allison (3), Charlie Glotzbach (2), and Buddy Baker (1).  Four different drivers took a Dodge to victory lane in 1971 as follows; Bobby Isaac (4), Bobby Allison (2), Ray Elder (1), and Buddy Baker (1).  Buddy Baker picked up two wins in 1972, Charlotte, NC and College Station, TX, while Bobby Isaac won at Rockingham, NC and Ray Elder took the checkered flag at Riverside, CA.

     Seventy-Three brought the future king of NASCAR, Richard Petty, over to Dodge.  Petty and Buck Baker were the only Dodge drivers to get victories in '73, Petty collected (6) and Baker (3).  Seventy-Four was all Petty collecting all the Dodge wins, ten to be exact.  He lead the field at Daytona Beach, Rockingham, N. Wilkesboro, Nashville, Brooklyn, Atlanta, Pocono, Talladega, Richmond, and Dover.  Petty also had eight second place finishes for the year.  The Richard Petty show returned again in seventy-five with thirteen victories to his credit.  The only other Dodge driver to reach the winners circle was Dave Marcis who won at Martinsville.

     Seventy-six saw Petty gets wins at Rockingham (2) and Pocono  to equal the three wins of Dave Marcis who won at Richmond, Talladega, and Atlanta.  Seventy-seven would turn out to be the last year that a Dodge would win a Winston Cup race.  That last victory for Dodge came at Ontario, CA on November 20, 1977 with Neil Bonnett doing the honors.  Bonnett averaged 128.296 mph to finish the race in 3 hrs. 53 min. 50 sec. and just ahead of Petty.  Petty had four victories that year and Bonnett (2).  

     Dodge continued to race from '78 to '85 but not another win to be recorded.  Dodge did show some top-ten  finishes during these last years.  They had thirteen Top-5 finishes and sixty-one Top-10 finishes.  Buddy Arrington was one of the last true dodge men. He continued to run his Dodge up to the Martinsville race in 1985.  The last race I show a Dodge appearing in was on June 9, 1985, at Pocono, PA where Phil Good finished 30th. One last little note, on March 12, 1972 Bobby Isaac drove the first Dodge to a victory in the Winston Cup Series.  It was the fifth race of the season.      

     Watch next week for "Strictly Stock Grand Nationals All-Time Win Leaders" and find out who has the most wins in Grand Nationals from 1949 thru 1971.  See who made the 100 win club, the 50 win club and the 25 win club, plus honorable mention

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