June 27, 2011
ONE-HOUR DOCUMENTARY PREMIERES THURSDAY AT 8 P.M. ET
1984 FIRECRACKER 400 SPECIAL IS SECOND "IN THE DAY" SERIES
Independence Day 1984 … The twofold historic significance of that memorable day may have been foreshadowed by the unprecedented command to start engines, delivered via telephone by President Ronald Reagan from aboard Air Force One en route to Daytona International Speedway. Seven-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Richard Petty won his 200th and final race July 4, 1984, in front of an audience that included the first sitting United States president ever to attend a NASCAR race.
In honor of Petty’s final win, SPEED and NASCAR Media Group examine one of NASCAR’s finest hours in a one-hour documentary special entitled The Day: The 1984 Firecracker 400 premiering Thursday at 8 p.m. ET. SPEED reflects on the landmark race from sunrise to sunset, focusing on the events and emotions for everyone involved, and how The King’s victory and the president’s visit left an indelible, defining and matchless mark on the sport.
“Daytona has produced many spectacular and historic finishes, but it also provided one of the sport’s most magical moments in the 1984 Firecracker 400,” said SPEED President Hunter Nickell. “NASCAR wasn’t just on the sports page that day – President Reagan’s attendance put the sport on the front page as the whole nation watched the president meet ‘The King.’ SPEED is looking forward to reminding viewers just how special that entire day was.”
The program, second in a series that began in February with The Day: Remembering Dale Earnhardt, tells the story of Petty’s final victory through the memories of Petty; Bobby Allison; NASCAR President Mike Helton (watching as a fan in the grandstands); Petty’s daughters, Sharon, Lisa and Rebecca; Jim Hooley of the Reagan administration; Chris Wallace (then-NBC News Chief White House correspondent); Ned Jarrett; Buddy Parrott (Petty’s crew chief); and Mike Curb (Petty’s car owner).
The president, amidst a campaign swing in his bid for re-election, landed at the airport across the street from the speedway midway through the race.
“As I remember it, because it was a big deal, we were called to the front of the plane to photograph, to shoot the President as he was talking on the phone and saying, ‘Gentlemen, start your engines,’” said Chris Wallace, NBC’s chief White House correspondent at the time, in the SPEED special. “It was pretty cool - the idea here’s the President, on the telephone, on Air Force One, starting a car race then still over 1,000 miles from Daytona.”
Petty and Cale Yarborough put on a battle fitting a president, dueling for the win in the closing laps in a heart-stopping finish before Yarborough, thinking the race was over, dove onto pit road. Yarborough was relegated to third place behind Harry Gant. Upon taking the checkered flag, Petty was instructed to park his No. 43 STP Pontiac at the start/finish line and run up to a VIP suite to visit the President, capping a glorious and pivotal day for NASCAR at its birthplace.
Petty, who celebrates his 74th birthday Saturday, retired at the conclusion of the 1992 season with 1,184 Cup Series starts
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