Isaac Shines on Short Tracks
Bobby Isaac and Bobby Allison proved to be the top championship contenders of the 1970 NASCAR Cup Series season, collecting a combined 14 victories during the 48-race schedule.
After years of success as a short-track racer around his home state of North Carolina, Isaac entered NASCAR’s top division in 1961. In his ninth Cup Series season, Isaac finally found success with a championship-caliber team owned by Nord Krauskopf.
Isaac placed the No. 71 K&K Insurance Dodges on the pole 13 times with the help of such mechanical stars as Hall of Fame crew chiefs Harry Hyde and Buddy Parrott. Chrysler’s winged Dodges and Plymouths were in their second year of competition, but Isaac and Hyde discovered some of their greatest tricks in the square-nosed Dodge used on short tracks.
Amazingly, Isaac won his lone championship by notching all 11 of his victories that season on short tracks. The native of Catawba, North Carolina, native logged 32 top-five finishes in 47 starts.
By season’s end, Isaac accumulated 51 more points than Allison to claim the title.
1970
PRESIDENT: RICHARD NIXON
GALLON OF GAS: 36¢
NO. 1 AT THE BOX OFFICE: LOVE STORY
POP CULTURE: MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL DEBUTS ON ABC
BEST DRIVER
RICHARDPETTY,DRIVINGTHENO.43
Petty Enterprises Plymouth, enjoyed one of his best seasons in 1970 with 18 NASCAR Cup Series victories. The native of Level Cross, North Carolina, led 5,007 of 10,536 laps completed during his 40-race schedule. However, 10 DNFs relegated Petty to fourth in the final standings.
BEST RACE
a winged Dodge Charger to victory in the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway. The son of NASCAR champion Buck Baker led 88 of 367 laps for his third of 19-career victories in a car owned by former driver Cotton Owens.
TOP CARS
BOBBY ISAAC, DRIVING THE NO. 71 K&K
Insurance Dodge owned by Nord Krauskopf, won 11 short-track races en route to claiming the 1970 NASCAR Cup Series championship. Bobby Allison’s No. 22 Coca-Cola Dodge owned by Mario Rossi was a three-time Cup Series winner that year.
SEASON RECAP
DATE | LOCATION | WINNER
Jan. 18 | Riverside International Raceway | A.J. Foyt
Feb. 19 | Daytona International Speedway | Cale Yarborough
Feb. 19 | Daytona International Speedway | Charlies Glotzbach
Feb. 22 | Daytona International Speedway | Pete Hamilton
Mar. 1 | Richmond Raceway | James Hylton
Mar. 8 | Rockingham Speedway | Richard Petty
Mar. 15 | Savannah Speedway | Richard Petty
Mar. 29 | Atlanta Motor Speedway | Bobby Allison
April 5 | Bristol Motor Speedway | Donnie Allison
April 12 | Talladega Superspeedway | Pete Hamilton
April 18 | North Wilkesboro Speedway | Richard Petty
April 30 | Columbia Speedway | Richard Petty
May 9 | Darlington Speedway | David Pearson
May 15 | Beltsville Speedway | Bobby Isaac
May 18 | Langley Speedway | Bobby Isaac
May 24 | Charlotte Motor Speedway | Donnie Allison
May 28 | Smoky Mountain Raceway | Bobby Isaac
May 31 | Martinsville Speedway | Bobby Isaac
June 7 | Michigan International Speedway | Cale Yarborough
June 14 | Riverside International Raceway | Richard Petty
June 20 | Hickory Motor Speedway | Bobby Isaac
June 26 | Kingsport Speedway | Richard Petty
June 27 | Greenville-Pickens Speedway | Bobby Isaac
July 4 | Daytona International Speedway | Donnie Allison
July 7 | Albany-Saratoga Speedway | Richard Petty
July 9 | Thompson Speedway | Bobby Isaac
July 12 | Trenton Speedway | Richard Petty
July 19 | Bristol Motor Speedway | Bobby Allison
July 24 | Smoky Mountain Raceway | Richard Petty
July 25 | Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway | Bobby Isaac
Aug. 2 | Atlanta Motor Speedway | Richard Petty
Aug. 6 | Columbia Speedway | Bobby Isaac
Aug. 11 | International Raceway Park | Richard Petty
Aug. 16 | Michigan International Speedway | Charlie Glotzbach
Aug. 23 | Talladega Superspeedway | Pete Hamilton
Aug. 28 | Bowman Gray Stadium | Richard Petty
Aug. 29 | South Boston Speedway | Richard Petty
Sept. 7 | Darlington Raceway | Buddy Baker
Sept. 11 | Hickory Motor Speedway | Bobby Isaac
Sept. 13 | Richmond Raceway | Richard Petty
Sept. 20 | Dover International Speedway | Richard Petty
Sept. 30 | State Fairgrounds Speedway | Richard Petty
Oct. 4 | North Wilkesboro Speedway | Bobby Isaac
Oct. 11 | Charlotte Motor Speedway | LeeRoy Yarbrough
Oct. 18 | Martinsville Speedway | Richard Petty
Nov. 8 | Middle Georgia Raceway | Richard Petty
Nov. 15 | Rockingham Speedway | Cale Yarborough
Nov. 22 | Langley Speedway | Bobby Allison