1978 NAPA National 500

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1978 NAPA National 500
Race details[1]
Race 27 of 30 in the 1978 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season
Layout of Charlotte Motor Speedway
Layout of Charlotte Motor Speedway
Date October 8, 1978 (1978-October-08)
Official name NAPA National 600
Location Charlotte Motor Speedway, Concord, North Carolina
Course Permanent racing facility
1.500 mi (2.414 km)
Distance 334 laps, 500 mi (865 km)
Weather Chilly with temperatures approaching 66 °F (19 °C); wind speeds up to 12 miles per hour (19 km/h)
Average speed 141.846 miles per hour (228.279 km/h)
Pole position
Driver Wood Brothers Racing
Most laps led
Driver Bobby Allison Bud Moore Engineering
Laps 108
Winner
No. 72 Bobby Allison Bud Moore Engineering
Television in the United States
Network ABC
Announcers Jim McKay
Chris Economaki

The 1978 NAPA National 500 was a NASCAR Winston Cup Series racing event held on October 8, 1978, at Charlotte Motor Speedway in the American community of Concord, North Carolina.

Summary

40 drivers competed in this 334-lap racing event in front of a live crowd of 80,000 ardent NASCAR followers. Bobby Fisher's problems with his stock car engine on lap 3 would make him the last-place finisher of the day. Butch Mock would become the lowest-finishing driver to complete the entire event; albeit 80 laps behind the competitors in the lead lap.[2]

Bobby Allison would defeat Darrell Waltrip after nearly three hours and thirty-two minutes of racing. The margin between the victor and the second-place finisher would be slightly more than half a minute. There were 40 changes in the lead position throughout the racing event; with Bobby Allison, Cale Yarborough and Richard Petty dominating a fair amount of these laps. Dick Brooks would develop a problem with his fuel pump on lap 325; preventing him from achieving a "top five" finish.[2]

The vehicles involved in this race would drive in speeds averaging around 141.826 miles per hour (228.247 km/h). David Pearson would become the fan favorite for this event; due to his pole position-earning speed of 161.355 miles per hour (259.676 km/h) during qualifying. Ford and Chevrolet vehicles were used by the majority of the qualifying drivers. All drivers were born in the United States of America.[2] Individual race earnings for each driver ranged from the winner's share of $40,000 ($145,122.45 when adjusted for inflation) to the last-place finisher's purse of $895 ($3,247.11 when adjusted for inflation). Total driver earnings handed out by NASCAR officials for this event was finalized at $259,980 ($943,223.36 when adjusted for inflation).[3]

Top ten finishers

Pos Grid No. Driver Manufacturer Laps
1 8 15 Bobby Allison Ford 334
2 10 88 Darrell Waltrip Chevrolet 334
3 12 2 Dave Marcis Chevrolet 334
4 5 1 Donnie Allison Chevrolet 334
5 1 21 David Pearson Mercury 333
6 4 54 Lennie Pond Chevrolet 330
7 6 14 Coo Coo Marlin Chevrolet 330
8 34 57 Dick May Ford 326
9 19 3 Richard Childress Oldsmobile 325
10 14 90 Dick Brooks Mercury 325

Standings after the race

Pos Driver Points[2]
1 Cale Yarborough 4334
2 Darrell Waltrip 3953
3 Dave Marcis 3936
4 Benny Parsons 3878
5 Bobby Allison 3857

References

  1. Weather information for the 1978 NAPA National 500 at The Old Farmers' Almanac
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 1978 NAPA National 500 race information at Racing Reference
  3. Winnings information for the 1978 NAPA National 500 at Fantasy Racing Cheat Sheet
Preceded by NASCAR Winston Cup Series Season
1978
Succeeded by
1978 American 500
Preceded by NAPA National 500 races
1978
Succeeded by
1979