1972
The NASCAR "Modern Era" began when R. J. Reynolds Tobacco became the prime sponsor and narrowed the Grand National tour to a total of 31 races per season.March 26, 1972, marks the first "Modern Era" win for Chevrolet. At the Atlanta 500, Bobby Allison made up a seven-second deficit in the final 30 laps at Atlanta International Raceway (now known as Atlanta Motor Speedway) to beat A. J. Foyt to the checkered flag by 0.16 seconds!
1974
In 1974, at just 28 years of age, Darrell Waltrip fielded his own team (with himself as driver and wife Stevie as owner), entered 16 races, and led 15 of them! After decades of NASCAR racing, he still remains competitive in his #17 Western Auto/Parts America Chevrolet Monte Carlo.
1976
Cale Yarborough claimed the first Winston Cup Grand National series championship won by a Chevrolet with nine wins, 22 top-five, and 23 top-ten finishes for the series.
Janet Guthrie, at 38, foiled in her attempt to be the first female driver at the Indianapolis 500, drove the #68 Lynda Ferreri Chevrolet to a respectable 15th place at the World 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 30, 1976.
1977
Chevrolet had a new vehicle design for the 1977 NASCAR season, the slope-nosed Laguna S-3, which was deemed the car to beat that year. Cale Yarborough and Darrell Waltrip proved it so, winning 15 of the 30 Winston Cup races that season.
Yarborough also became the first driver in NASCAR's "Modern Era" to finish all 30 races in a single season, driving the #11 Chevrolet Laguna.
Janet Guthrie became the only woman driver ever to lead a Winston Cup Grand National race during the Los Angeles Times 500 at Ontario Motor Speedway on November 20, 1977. She was also Top Rookie at the Daytona 500, Rockingham, Charlotte, Richmond, and Bristol in 1977.
1978
On September 4, 1978, Terry Labonte, a rookie from Corpus Christi, Texas, drove in his first Winston Cup race, taking fourth place at the Southern 500 at Darlington, South Carolina
1979
February 18, 1979, a major television network broadcasted the Daytona 500 unedited from start to finish on live television.Dale Earnhardt won his first Winston Cup race, the Southern 500, at Bristol, Tennessee, and was also named 1979 Winston Cup Rookie of the Year.
1980
Dale Earnhardt became the 1980 NASCAR Winston Cup Grand National champion, the first driver to ever win Rookie of the Year and a championship back-to-back!The 1980 Winston Cup championship also saw a Chevrolet vehicle place 1st, 2nd and 3rd in the final point standings (Earnhardt, Yarborough, and Benny Parsons).
1981
This was the last year older and larger (115-inch wheelbase) cars were used for NASCAR Winston Cup racing. The shift to smaller cars caused big problems, as many drivers experienced difficulty maintaining the cars at high speeds, resulting in serious crashes. NASCAR eventually increased the size of the rear spoilers from 250 to 276 square inches. Chevrolet posted only one win during the season, by Bobby Allison at the Winston Western 500 at Riverside, California.
1983
Sterling Marlin won the 1983 Winston Cup Rookie of the Year honor, placing 17th in point standings.