The 1973 Mason-Dixon 500 was a 500-lap NASCAR Winston Cup Series race held on June 3, 1973, at Dover Downs International Speedway in Delaware. The event drew a strong crowd of 30,000 fans for the 40-car field on the one-mile concrete oval.
David Pearson, driving the #21 Mercury for the Wood Brothers, captured the pole position with a speed of 133.111 mph. The race featured 13 lead changes among four drivers and was slowed by three cautions for 22 laps. Pearson dominated the afternoon, leading an impressive 317 laps, and went on to win by 15 seconds over Cale Yarborough with an average speed of 119.745 mph. Bobby Allison finished third, followed by Richard Petty in fourth and Cecil Gordon in fifth. Pearson earned $14,025 for the victory — his sixth win in his last seven starts.
This strong performance further highlighted Pearson’s mastery of Dover and his exceptional 1973 season with the Wood Brothers team.
