August 13 is a bitter anniversary in the sport’s history, as in 1989 that date the sport lost one of its most controversial and most amazing competitors ever. That Tim Richmond still commands the memory of the sport, albiet in much more subtle fashion than Dale Earnhardt, shows how much impact his seven seasons in NASCAR had.
His brief era in the sport produced some outrageous moments, a lot of controversy – especially at the end of the decade – and some memorable racing moments, both on the track and also in some moments away from it. Presented here is a chronological list of Richmond’s ten most memorable moments in NASCAR -
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1981 Dixie 500 – Debuting in stock cars in 1980 at Pocono, Richmond posted several respectable finishes in racecars that were chronically underfunded, and for 1981 he was squared off against Morgan Shepherd and Ron Bouchard for the season’s rookie of the year honors. After driving for D.K. Ulrich and Kenny Childers, Richmond in September jumped into Bob Rogers’ Buick, finished ninth at Dover, and led for the first time in NASCAR competition at Martinsville.
At the Dixie 500 that November Richmond timed 16th in a race that was being televised live by third-year cable network ESPN, the first live racecast by the network. While Bouchard and Shepherd fell out with engine failures Richmond clawed into the top ten and doggedly raced to stay there. It was one of the first times that Richmond not only ran well but showed the fight needed to win. He later spun out and also nearly hit Darrell Waltrip on pit road, but the point was made that Richmond could race.
1982 Riverside – Hired by J.D. Stacy in April, Richmond raced hard from his first race, the ’82 Rebel 500. Few people ever doused Les Richter with drink, but Richmond did it twice in 1982.
1983 Summer 500, Pocono – Driving for Raymond Beadle, Richmond had run poorly until finishing fourth at Pocono in June; from there he and the team began gelling into a consistent power. At Pocono in July Richmond didn’t put much stock into practice – when he ran a practice lap he “half-assed it” in the words of Tim Brewer, but when qualifying began for real he won the pole. He battled throughout a day delayed twice by rain before storming to the win, his first for Beadle and first on an oval.
1984 Firecracker 400 – This race was memorable not for Richmond’s performance (he finished 11th) but for what happened afterward. He got into David Pearson a few times and then radioed, “Better get to the garage, I think me and Pearson are going to have a fight.” It was a one-hit fight – Richmond got into Pearson’s face and Pearson slapped him to the ground.
1986 North Wilkesboro tire test – Signing with third-year team owner Rick Hendrick for a second team when second teams were not a proven success for racing, Richmond raised eyebrows by changing his appearence to an almost mocking level of panache. It didn’t translate to success on the track, and he was at loggerheads with crew chief Harry Hyde, who to that point of his career was tired of being a babysitter to “young ‘uns.”
At one point Richmond and Hyde got into a such a savage argument that the two started outside to fight – Richmond then started laughing, saying he’d look foolish losing a fight to “an old man.” It broke up the dark mood between the two, and later at a tire test at North Wilkesboro Hyde had Richmond drive 50 laps to his style and 50 laps to the style Hyde wanted. It was here that Richmond saw for himself in tire wear and the lap sheets what Hyde wanted and why it would work.
It was the turning point for both men and for their team.
1986 Summer 500, Pocono – Fog delayed the start by two hours and a stretch of nearly 80 laps hit the race before things began heating up around Lap 100. Richmond and teammate Geoff Bodine led on and off during the day while Dale Earnhardt got into it with Richard Petty on a pitstop and Petty responded by swerving Earnhardt to the Tunnel Turn wall. Following blown engines by Bill Elliott and Buddy Baker, pitstops around Lap 115 put Neil Bonnett and Petty into the lead and in the ensuing scramble Richmond made a three-abreast pass into the Tunnel Turn that could best be described as ill-advised – the result was a spin into Petty’s path and a wreck; Petty was eliminated (and livid at Richmond and Bodine’s driving in interviews) while Richmond had to drive backwards to get to pit road. A lap down Richmond got repairs and fought it out with Waltrip, Cale Yarborough, and Bodine to get his lap back – and he got it when Earnhardt crashed. Getting tires, Richmond faced a five-lap sprint as NASCAR decided to end the race at Lap 150 due to fog; it turned into one of the sport’s greatest finishes as Richmond ripped past six cars and on the final two laps went after Bodine, then Bodine fought back, and as they hung together nose to nose Ricky Rudd stormed from nowhere to pass them both, but was edged by Richmond at the stripe, a finish so close the two looked at each other in confusion as to who actually won.
1986 Talladega and Hayride 500s – The Talladega 500 that year broke 20 official leaders for the first time in racing history as 26 drivers led amid 49 lead changes. An epidemic of crashes late in the going wiped out roughly a dozen cars and Richmond could only finish second to upstart Bobby Hillin Jr.
Following the race NASCAR organized an effort where team transporters hauled hay to drought-stricken farms in the Midwest. Richmond cleared his schedule for the week and personally drove one of the haulers; a famous image of the effort showed Richmond, Petty, Pearson, Rudd, and Phil Barkdoll loading hay into a hauler. Richmond also dazzled people on his CB radio, taking the handle Top Gun.
1986 Southern 500 – Surviving the Southern 500 was always a chore. Here Richmond led 168 laps but had to sweat out a late showdown with Bill Elliott to storm to the win. Richmond was especially proud since it was Harry Hyde’s first ever win at Darlington.
1986 Capital City 400, Richmond – Richmond wins Richmond – it was a headline that Tim enjoyed greatly as he took his sixth win of the season, sixth in the last ten races, and had suddenly jumped into legitimate contention for the season title.
June 1987 – Richmond’s 1986 season hit the skids in September and he finished third in points, while his health hit the skids at the same time. He fought to get back into the racecar and after testing in March and running the All Star Race in May, Richmond entered the Pocono 500. He stormed to the front early on, then lost a lap with transmission trouble; he got the lap back and whipped into the lead for good with 46 to go. He never saw the flag, so emotional he’d become at his greatest comeback moment.
He then followed up by leading 46 of the last 57 laps at Riverside, dedicating the win to his dad Al.
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The way it all ended became a bitter moment for the sport. The way it had developed in that seven season span will stick with people always. It’s why anniversaries such as this resonate.
