MARTINSVILLE, Va. – Today, 67-year-old Morgan Shepherd exhibits his racing talents in the Nationwide Series, a circuit where he developed his career when it was known as NASCAR's Sportsman division and it provided sheet-metal bending duels on the nation's bullrings.
Perhaps it was the prowess Shepherd developed on those short tracks that was largely responsible for him conquering the tough, half-mile Martinsville Speedway for his first career NASCAR Winston Cup [now Sprint Cup] victory.
The year was 1981 and Shepherd was a rookie on the circuit, driving a Pontiac for team owner and furniture manufacturer Cliff Stewart. He'd dabbled in NASCAR's top series in the 1970s, competing in eight races over a three-year period, but this was the first time the 1980 NASCAR Sportsman champion had ever competed full time on the Cup circuit.
Events leading up to the April 26 race possibly provided a clue to the direction that year's Virginia 500 would take. In qualifying, the lightly regarded independents and the circuit's newcomers stole the spotlight. Ricky Rudd earned the pole, while Harry Gant claimed the other front row starting position. Rounding out the top five, respectively, were Buddy Arrington, Butch Lindley and Dave Marcis. Then in second-round qualifying, rookie Mike Alexander set a track record of 89.094 mph to take the 11th starting position.
It was the then 39-year-old Shepherd, however, who surprised everyone on race day. Competing in just his 15th NASCAR Cup race, Shepherd led 294 of the race's 500 laps and finished 16 seconds ahead of Neil Bonnett's Wood Brothers Ford to provide Pontiac with its first victory since Oct. 27, 1963 at Hillsboro, N.C., when Joe Weatherly won a 150-mile race. Shortly after his victory, Shepherd admitted his accomplishment didn't sink in until he came around for the checkered flag and then he almost cried.
Rudd took third in the season's ninth race, while Gant and Terry Labonte rounded out the top five, respectively.
Standings leader Bobby Allison finished 13th, but maintained his point lead. Gant moved into second, while Rudd advanced to third and Darrell Waltrip fell to fourth. Waltrip would eventually win the 1981 series championship, while Shepherd would have to settle for 13th.
