The 1973 Wilkes 400 took place on September 23 at North Wilkesboro Speedway in North Carolina. The 0.625-mile short track hosted the 400-lap (250-mile) NASCAR Winston Cup event with a 30-car field and an attendance of 16,500.
Bobby Allison won the pole in his No. 12 Chevrolet with a qualifying speed of 105.619 mph. He and Richard Petty delivered another classic short-track duel. After pitting for four fresh tires late in the race, Allison fell more than a lap behind Petty. He methodically worked back through the field, passing Petty to get back on the lead lap with 47 laps to go. On the final lap, Allison caught and passed Petty to steal the dramatic win. The race had two cautions for just nine laps and finished at an average speed of 95.198 mph.
Allison earned $7,425 for the victory, beating Petty by 1.5 seconds. Cale Yarborough finished third, Buddy Baker fourth, and Benny Parsons fifth. Allison led 161 laps in a masterful comeback drive.
