Richard Petty and his counterparts rolled into Rockingham fifty years ago for a race date that rarely appears on the calendar. Leap Day comes around only once every four years, and in NASCAR’s 77-year history, the Cup Series has contested a Leap Day race just once. That rare occasion came on February 29, 1976, with the Carolina 500 at North Carolina Motor Speedway, which Richard Petty won in his No. 43 Dodge.
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Petty crossed the finish line two full laps ahead of Darrell Waltrip. Cale Yarborough took third, with Buddy Baker, Benny Parsons, and Bobby Isaac completing the top six. Attrition underscored the brutality of the event. Only 19 of the 36 starters were running at the finish.
Parsons completed the race 25 laps behind Petty, despite finishing fifth. J.D. McDuffie took tenth at 31 laps down, and Tommy Gale placed 15th while trailing the leader by 45 laps.
Two weeks earlier, Petty and David Pearson had collided in the Daytona 500, a duel that ended with Pearson steering the No. 21 Wood Brothers Mercury across the line first. At Rockingham, Petty took control of the rematch. Qualifying proved smoother for him than Daytona. He captured the pole position, setting the tone for Sunday’s rare date on the schedule.
One small footnote emerged from qualifying as a rookie, Bill Elliott made his Cup Series debut in his No. 9 Ford, finishing 34th on the grid.
Once the green flag waved, Petty established the rhythm of the afternoon. His only setbacks were two unscheduled pit stops for cut tires, neither of which derailed his dominance. Pearson, believed to be the leading threat, paced the field for just nine laps before a failing oil pump parked the No. 21 Mercury after 186 of the scheduled 492 laps.
That opened the door for Bobby Allison, who commanded the race for 91 laps in Roger Penske’s No. 2 Mercury. His shot, however, ended violently on Lap 373. Reporters described the crash as one of the most chilling in the facility’s 11-year existence. Allison made contact with Yarborough’s No. 11 and then struck the outside retaining wall.
The impact sent his car barrel-rolling down the backstretch, shedding metal and components as it bounced across the racing groove and even onto the Chevrolets of Richard Childress and Benny Parsons. The battered machine finally landed inverted with the roll cage exposed.
Incredibly, Allison escaped without broken bones. X-rays and examination showed only chest soreness and shock. He was transported to a local hospital and was reported in satisfactory condition that evening. He returned the next week with bruises, winning the pole and finishing third at the Richmond fairgrounds track.
Petty, meanwhile, was far removed from the chaos. His No. 43 Dodge resumed command once the race went back under green, eventually holding a three-lap cushion over Waltrip. By the time the checkered flag arrived, Petty had led 362 of the 492 laps, including the final 220, securing the first, and to date only, Leap Day Cup Series win in NASCAR history.
