Chuck Wahl

Wahl began competing in the NASCAR Winston West Series in 1972, debuting at Saugus Speedway, where he finished fifteenth; he ran five more races, scoring four top-tens.^[1] He expanded to running fifteen races in 1973, scoring his first top-five at Cajon Speedway as well as four other top-tens, however he only finished six races of the fifteen.^[2] In running these West races, he made his NASCAR Winston Cup Series debut at Riverside International Raceway, finishing thirty-ninth after water pump issues caused him to retire after seven laps.^[3] Wahl ran twenty-three of twenty-eight West Series races in 1974, scoring a pole and eleven top-ten finishes.^[4] This schedule included two combination races with the Winston Cup Series, where he scored his first Cup top ten at Riverside despite running out of fuel and not finishing the race, and finished twentieth at Ontario Motor Speedway.^[5] Wahl ran the full West schedule for the first time in his career in 1975, driving the No. 37 Chevrolet for Joe Marsik. In eighteen races, he scored a pole, ten top-tens, seven of which were top-fives and two of which were wins.^[6] His first win came in the season's second race at Laguna Seca Raceway, and the second came in the race at Craig Road Speedway,^[7] where he led every lap. Wahl finished third in the final standings. In the Cup Series events, mechanical problems took him out of two races, but he did finish the second Riverside race, scoring a career-best seventh place result.^[8] Wahl returned to the West Series full time in 1976, attempting all thirteen races, scoring five top-tens, including three third place finishes.^[9] In the Cup Series races, Wahl finished twenty-second in the season opener at Riverside, leading laps for the first and only time in his Winston Cup career, and thirteenth in the second Riverside race; he failed to qualify for the finale at Ontario.^[10] Wahl only competed in five West Series races in 1977, scoring two runner-up finishes.^[11] He finished twenty-sixth and eighteenth in the Cup Series races at Riverside.^[12] Wahl also made his first and only start in the USAC Stock Car Series in 1977, finishing twenty-first at Ontario due to engine issues.^[13] In 1978, Wahl only competed in combination races, not running for West Series points. He failed to qualify for the season opener at Riverside, finished twenty-eighth due to an oil leak in the second Riverside race, and finished thirty-sixth due to overheating issues at Ontario.^[14] Wahl did not compete in NASCAR in 1979. He made his final start in both the West and Cup series in 1980 Winston Western 500, finishing twenty-fifth.^[15][16] He competed in the 1980 Copper World Classic at Phoenix Raceway, finishing fourth.^[17]