Race report A crowd of 65,000 people would see a race lasting four hours and thirty minutes. There were eleven cautions for 101 laps; which has become the longest duration under the yellow flag in Darlington Raceway history. The race itself lasted 367 laps on the paved track spanning in distance. Richard Petty was the pole winner at a speed of . There were 39 Americans and one Canadian competitor in the race; Earl Ross. Roy Mayne and Jerry Hansen would make their respective exits from the NASCAR Cup Series after this race. Bobby Allison climbed into the No. 24 Cecil Gordon car after falling out early and substituted for Gordon until his car fell out also. He did not want to blow the engine and possibly crash Cecil's only car. Only twelve vehicles finished the race; Cale Yarborough defeated Darrell Waltrip by one lap. Yarborough was able to successfully spin his vehicle trying to avoid a crash involving Bobby Allison, Bob Burcham, and Richie Panch early in the race, becoming a three-time Southern 500 winner. Petty didn't score more points than Waltrip during the race; however, the overall standings after each race were made by multiplying each driver's points tally with the number of races he started. Thus, it became possible for Petty to increase his lead by finishing behind. This was the best career finish for Pee Wee Wentz. Last-place finisher Earl Brooks had a water pump issue on the first lap of the race, earning $1,100 ($ when adjusted for inflation) while the race winner went home $28,000 richer ($ when adjusted for inflation). Chevrolet and Dodge vehicles were the mainstay of the racing lineup; with racing models varying from 1972 to 1974. The average speed of the race was ; with speeds improving measurably since the 1964 Southern 500. Not counting bonus money, this race counted as $15,000 to win and $10,000 for second. Petty had about $200,000 in season winnings and Cale was closer to accumulating $175,000 in his 1974 NASCAR season. Notable crew chiefs for this race were Tim Brewer, Jake Elder, Travis Carter, Dale Inman, Tom Vandiver, and Bud Moore, among others. Thirteen of the 40 drivers on the starting grid would see their race end prematurely due to engine failures, and eight crashes were recorded by NASCAR. This resulted in a majority of the starting grid not finishing the race. The total