1978 NAPA National 500
| Race details[1] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 27 of 30 in the 1978 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season | |||
 Layout of Charlotte Motor Speedway | |||
| Date | October 8, 1978 | ||
| 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; Allison swept the weekend as he also won the World Service Life 300 Sportsman race. 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 ($145,367.35 when adjusted for inflation) to the last-place finisher's purse of $895 ($3,252.59 when adjusted for inflation). Total driver earnings handed out by NASCAR officials for this event was finalized at $259,980 ($944,815.07 when adjusted for inflation).[3]
Top ten finishers
| Pos | Grid | No. | Driver | Manufacturer | Laps | Laps led |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8 | 15 | Bobby Allison | Ford | 334 | 108 |
| 2 | 10 | 88 | Darrell Waltrip | Chevrolet | 334 | 4 |
| 3 | 12 | 2 | Dave Marcis | Chevrolet | 334 | 5 |
| 4 | 5 | 1 | Donnie Allison | Chevrolet | 334 | 15 |
| 5 | 1 | 21 | David Pearson | Mercury | 333 | 35 |
| 6 | 4 | 54 | Lennie Pond | Chevrolet | 330 | 0 |
| 7 | 6 | 14 | Coo Coo Marlin | Chevrolet | 330 | 3 |
| 8 | 34 | 57 | Dick May | Ford | 326 | 0 |
| 9 | 19 | 3 | Richard Childress | Oldsmobile | 325 | 0 |
| 10 | 14 | 90 | Dick Brooks | Mercury | 325 | 0 |
Standings after the race
| Pos | Driver | Points[2] | Differential |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cale Yarborough | 4334 | 0 |
| 2 | Darrell Waltrip | 3953 | -381 |
| 3 | Dave Marcis | 3936 | -398 |
| 4 | Benny Parsons | 3878 | -456 |
| 5 | Bobby Allison | 3857 | -477 |
| 6 | Richard Petty | 3553 | -781 |
| 7 | Lennie Pond | 3442 | -892 |
| 8 | Dick Brooks | 3344 | -990 |
| 9 | Buddy Arrington | 3315 | -1019 |
| 10 | Richard Childress | 3229 | -1105 |
References
- ↑ Weather information for the 1978 NAPA National 500 at The Old Farmers' Almanac
- 1 2 3 4 1978 NAPA National 500 race information at Racing Reference
- ↑ Winnings information for the 1978 NAPA National 500 at Fantasy Racing Cheat Sheet
| Preceded by 1978 Wilkes 400 |
NASCAR Winston Cup Series Season 1978 |
Succeeded by 1978 American 500 |
| Preceded by 1977 |
NAPA National 500 races 1978 |
Succeeded by 1979 |