Jump to content

1978 Southern 500: Difference between revisions

Add links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous edit
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
Tags: Mobile edit Mobile web edit
 
(28 intermediate revisions by 19 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{short description|Auto race held at Darlington Raceway in 1978}}
{{NASCAR race season infobox
{{NASCAR race season infobox
| Type = CUST
| Type = CUST
| Description = Race 22 of 30 in the [[1978 NASCAR Winston Cup Series]] season
| Description = Race 22 of 30 in the [[1978 NASCAR Winston Cup Series]] season
| country = United States
| Race Name = Southern 500
| Race Name = Southern 500
| Details ref = <ref name="race weather">[http://www.almanac.com/weather/history/SC/Darlington/1978-09-04 Weather information for the ''1978 Southern 500''] at The Old Farmers' Almanac</ref><ref name="1978s500">[http://www.racing-reference.info/race?id=1978-22&series=W ''1978 Southern 500''] at Racing Reference. Accessed 2012-03-05. [http://www.webcitation.org/65yhk7BT1?url=http://www.racing-reference.info/race?id=1978-22 Archived] 2012-03-07.</ref>
| Details ref = <ref name="race weather">[http://www.almanac.com/weather/history/SC/Darlington/1978-09-04 Weather information for the ''1978 Southern 500''] at The Old Farmers' Almanac</ref><ref name="1978s500">[http://www.racing-reference.info/race?id=1978-22&series=W ''1978 Southern 500'']at Racing Reference. Accessed 2012-03-05. 2012-03-07.</ref>
| Fulldate = {{Start date|1978|September|4}}
| Fulldate = {{Start date|1978|September|4}}
| Year = 1978
| Year = 1978
| Race_No = 22
| Race_No = 22
| Season_No = 30
| Season_No = 30
| Image = Darlington raceway.svg
| Image = 1978_Southern_500_program_cover_and_logo.jpg
| Caption = Layout of Darlington Raceway
| Caption = 1978 Darlington 500 program cover
| Official name = Southern 500
| Official name = Southern 500
| Location = [[Darlington Raceway]], [[Darlington, South Carolina]]
| Location = [[Darlington Raceway]], [[Darlington, South Carolina]]
Line 18: Line 18:
| Distance_mi = 500.5
| Distance_mi = 500.5
| Distance_km = 805.4
| Distance_km = 805.4
| Weather = Hot with temperatures reaching up to {{convert|88|F|C}}; wind speeds up to {{convert|8.9|mph|km/h}}
| Weather = Temperatures of {{convert|88|F|C}}; wind speeds of {{convert|8.9|mph|km/h}}
| Avg = {{convert|116.828|mi/h}}
| Avg = {{convert|116.828|mi/h}}
| Pole_Driver = [[David Pearson (racing driver)|David Pearson]]
| Pole_Driver = [[David Pearson (racing driver)|David Pearson]]
| Pole_Team = [[Wood Brothers Racing]]
| Pole_Team = [[Wood Brothers Racing]]
| Pole_Time = 31.998 seconds
| Most_Driver = [[Cale Yarborough]]
| Most_Driver = [[Cale Yarborough]]
| Most_Team = [[Junior Johnson|Junior Johnson & Associates]]
| Most_Team = [[Junior Johnson|Junior Johnson & Associates]]
Line 32: Line 33:
}}
}}


The '''1978 Southern 500''', the 29th running of the [[Southern 500|event]], was a [[NASCAR]] [[Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series|Winston Cup Series]] racing event that took place on September 4, 1978, at [[Darlington Raceway]] in [[Darlington, South Carolina]].
The '''1978 Southern 500''', the 29th running of the [[Southern 500|event]], was a [[NASCAR]] [[NASCAR Cup Series|Winston Cup Series]] racing event that took place on September 4, 1978, at [[Darlington Raceway]] in [[Darlington, South Carolina]].

By 1980, NASCAR had completely stopped tracking the year model of all the vehicles and most teams did not take stock cars to the track under their own power anymore. Only manual transmission vehicles were allowed to participate in this race; a policy that NASCAR has retained to the present day.


==Background==
==Background==
[[Darlington Raceway]], nicknamed by many NASCAR fans and drivers as "The Lady in Black" or "The Track Too Tough to Tame" and advertised as a "NASCAR Tradition", is a [[race track]] built for [[NASCAR]] racing located near [[Darlington, South Carolina]]. It is of a unique, somewhat egg-shaped design, an oval with the ends of very different configurations, a condition which supposedly arose from the proximity of one end of the track to a minnow pond the owner refused to relocate. This situation makes it very challenging for the crews to set up their cars' handling in a way that will be effective at both ends.
[[Darlington Raceway]], nicknamed by many NASCAR fans and drivers as "The Lady in Black" or "The Track Too Tough to Tame" and advertised as a "NASCAR Tradition", is a [[race track]] built for [[NASCAR]] racing located near [[Darlington, South Carolina]]. It is of a unique, somewhat egg-shaped design, an oval with the ends of very different configurations, a condition which supposedly arose from the proximity of one end of the track to a minnow pond the owner refused to relocate. This situation makes it very challenging for the crews to set up their cars' handling in a way that will be effective at both ends.


The track is a four-turn {{convert|1.366|mi|km}} oval.<ref name="trackfacts">{{cite web | url=http://www.cbssports.com/nascar/tracks/page/darlington/darlington-raceway | title=Darlington Raceway | publisher=CBS Sports | accessdate=2013-05-07}}</ref> The track's first two turns are banked at twenty-five degrees, while the final two turns are banked two degrees lower at twenty-three degrees.<ref name="trackfacts" /> The front stretch (the location of the finish line) and the back stretch are banked at six degrees.<ref name="trackfacts" /> Darlington Raceway can seat up to 60,000 people.<ref name="trackfacts" />
The track is a four-turn {{convert|1.366|mi|km}} oval.<ref name="trackfacts">{{cite web | url=http://www.cbssports.com/nascar/tracks/page/darlington/darlington-raceway | title=Darlington Raceway | publisher=CBS Sports | access-date=2013-05-07}}</ref> The track's first two turns are banked at twenty-five degrees, while the final two turns are banked two degrees lower at twenty-three degrees.<ref name="trackfacts" /> The front stretch (the location of the finish line) and the back stretch are banked at six degrees.<ref name="trackfacts" /> Darlington Raceway can seat up to 60,000 people.<ref name="trackfacts" />

Darlington has something of a legendary quality among drivers and older fans; this is probably due to its long track length relative to other NASCAR speedways of its era and hence the first venue where many of them became cognizant of the truly high speeds that stock cars could achieve on a long track. The track allegedly earned the moniker The Lady in Black because the night before the race the track maintenance crew would cover the entire track with fresh asphalt sealant, in the early years of the speedway, thus making the racing surface dark black. Darlington is also known as "The Track Too Tough to Tame" because drivers can run lap after lap without a problem and then bounce off of the wall the following lap. Racers will frequently explain that they have to race the racetrack, not their competition. Drivers hitting the wall are considered to have received their "Darlington Stripe" thanks to the missing paint on the right side of the car.

==Race report==
⚫
40 competitors competed in this 367-lap race.<ref name="1978s500"/> Attendance was 65000. The race lasted four hours and seventeen minutes.<ref name="1978s500"/> Nine cautions slowed the race for 72 laps; 21 changes for first-place position were made. The race leader remained unchanged for long periods of time; including Cale Yarborough's 69-lap lead which lasted from lap 118 to lap 186 and his late-race streak where he would take over the lead on lap 261 and would not relinquish it.<ref name="1978s500"/><ref name="fantasyracingsheet"/>

⚫
[[Cale Yarborough]] would defeat [[Darrell Waltrip]] by three seconds while [[Richard Petty]], rookie driver [[Terry Labonte]], and [[Bobby Allison]] would round out the top five finishers.<ref name="1978s500"/><ref name="fantasyracingsheet"/> Yarborough's win would become his fourth at the [[Southern 500 (1950–2004)|Southern 500]].<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0R33hq_rOnw ''1978 SOUTHERN 500 - Yarborough makes it four''] at [[YouTube]]</ref> Terry Labonte would make an impressive Winston Cup debut at this race. He was 11 laps down at the end, but finished fourth.<ref name="1978s500"/>


Yarborough would retain the lead in championship points after this race.<ref name="1978s500"/> [[Bruce Hill (racing driver)|Bruce Hill]] would finish in last place on lap 80 due to a problem with his vehicle's rear end.<ref name="1978s500"/><ref name="fantasyracingsheet"/> [[David Pearson (racing driver)|David Pearson]] would get the pole position with a speed of {{convert|153.685|mph|km/h}}.<ref name="1978s500"/><ref name="fantasyracingsheet"/> [[D. K. Ulrich]] was cited for [[nitrous oxide]] in his vehicle and lost the rest of the 1978 Winston Cup Series season. [[Neil Bonnett]] had an unfortunate incident by hitting the [[telephone]] wires while exiting pit road; nobody was injured.
==Summary==
⚫
There were 40 competitors who competed in this 367-lap race.<ref name="1978s500"/> A crowd of 65000 racing fans would cheer them on for four hours and seventeen minutes.<ref name="1978s500"/> NASCAR officials would signal nine cautions for an outstanding 72 laps; 21 changes for the first-place position were made. There were moments when the race leader remained unchanged for a long period of time; including Cale Yarborough's 69-lap lead which lasted from lap 118 to lap 186 and his late-race streak where he would take over the lead on lap 261 and would never relinquish it for the remainder of the event.<ref name="1978s500"/><ref name="fantasyracingsheet"/>


Notable crew chiefs who participated in the race were [[Darrell Bryant]], [[Junie Donlavey]], [[Buddy Parrott]], [[Jake Elder]], [[Joey Arrington]], [[Kirk Shelmerdine]], [[Dale Inman]] and [[Bud Moore (NASCAR owner)|Bud Moore]].<ref>[https://www.racing-reference.info/entrylist/1978-22/W/C 1978 Southern 500 crew chiefs information] at Racing Reference</ref>
⚫
[[Cale Yarborough]] would defeat future [[Fox NASCAR|NASCAR on Fox]] personality [[Darrell Waltrip]] by three seconds while [[Richard Petty]], rookie driver [[Terry Labonte]], and [[Bobby Allison]] would round out the top five finishers.<ref name="1978s500"/><ref name="fantasyracingsheet"/> Yarborough's win would become the fourth ever at the [[Southern 500 (1950–2004)|Southern 500]].<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0R33hq_rOnw ''1978 SOUTHERN 500 - Yarborough makes it four''] at [[YouTube]]</ref> He would also retain the lead in championship points right after this race.<ref name="1978s500"/> [[Bruce Hill (racing driver)|Bruce Hill]] would finish in last place on lap 80 due to a problem with his vehicle's rear end.<ref name="1978s500"/><ref name="fantasyracingsheet"/> [[David Pearson (racing driver)|David Pearson]] would get the pole position with a top speed of {{convert|153.685|mph|km/h}}.<ref name="1978s500"/><ref name="fantasyracingsheet"/> [[D. K. Ulrich]] would bring [[nitrous oxide]] into his racing vehicle and lost the rest of the 1978 Winston Cup Series season. [[Neil Bonnett]] had the most unfortunate incident by hitting the [[telephone]] wires while exiting pit road; nobody was injured.


The total prize purse of the race was $200,170 (${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|200170|1978|r=2}}}} when considering inflation); Yarborough received $30,175 of it for winning the race in first-place (${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|30175|1978|r=2}}}} when considering inflation).<ref name="fantasyracingsheet">[http://fantasyracingcheatsheet.com/nascar/races/results/1978/darlington-raceway/southern-500/1460 ''1978 Southern 500''] racing information at Fantasy Racing Cheat Sheet. Accessed 2012-03-05. [http://www.webcitation.org/65yhkake2 Archived] 2012-03-07.</ref>
The total purse of the race was $200,170 (${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|200170|1978|r=0}}}} when considering inflation); Yarborough received $30,175 for winning the race. (${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|30175|1978|r=0}}}} when considering inflation).<ref name="fantasyracingsheet">[http://fantasyracingcheatsheet.com/nascar/races/results/1978/darlington-raceway/southern-500/1460 ''1978 Southern 500'']racing information at Fantasy Racing Cheat Sheet. Accessed 2012-03-05. 2012-03-07.</ref>


===Qualifying===
===Qualifying===
Line 55: Line 60:
! Driver
! Driver
! Manufacturer
! Manufacturer
! {{Tooltip|Qualifying time|Qualifying time in seconds}}<ref name="getqualify">{{cite web | url=http://www.racing-reference.info/getqualify/1978-22/W | title=1978 Southern 500 qualifying information | publisher=Racing Reference | accessdate=2017-04-21}}</ref>
! {{Tooltip|Qualifying time|Qualifying time in seconds}}<ref name="getqualify">{{cite web | url=http://www.racing-reference.info/getqualify/1978-22/W | title=1978 Southern 500 qualifying information | publisher=Racing Reference | access-date=2017-04-21}}</ref>
! {{Tooltip|Speed|Speed in miles per hour}}<ref name="getqualify"/>
! {{Tooltip|Speed|Speed in miles per hour}}<ref name="getqualify"/>
! Owner
|-
|-
! 1
! 1
| 21 || [[David Pearson (racing driver)|David Pearson]] || Mercury || 31.998 || 153.685
| 21 || [[David Pearson (racing driver)|David Pearson]] || [[Mercury (automobile)|Mercury]] || 31.998 || 153.685 || [[Wood Brothers Racing|Wood Brothers]]
|-
|-
! 2
! 2
| 88 || [[Darrell Waltrip]] || Chevrolet || 32.125 || 153.077
| 88 || [[Darrell Waltrip]] || [[Chevrolet]] || 32.125 || 153.077 || [[DiGard Motorsports|DiGard]]
|-
|-
! 3
! 3
| 15 || [[Bobby Allison]] || Ford || 32.170 || 152.863
| 15 || [[Bobby Allison]] || [[Ford Motor Company|Ford]] || 32.170 || 152.863 || [[Bud Moore (NASCAR owner)|Bud Moore]]
|-
|-
! 4
! 4
| 72 || [[Benny Parsons]] || Chevrolet || 32.285 || 152.318
| 72 || [[Benny Parsons]] || [[Chevrolet]] || 32.285 || 152.318 || [[L.G. DeWitt]]
|-
|-
! 5
! 5
| 54 || [[Lennie Pond]] || Chevrolet || 32.302 || 152.238
| 54 || [[Lennie Pond]] || [[Chevrolet]] || 32.302 || 152.238 || [[Harry Ranier]]
|-
|-
! 6
! 6
| 11 || [[Cale Yarborough]] || Oldsmobile || 32.314 || 152.182
| 11 || [[Cale Yarborough]] || [[Oldsmobile]] || 32.314 || 152.182 || [[Junior Johnson]]
|-
|-
! 7
! 7
| 1 || [[Donnie Allison]] || Chevrolet || 32.397 || 151.792
| 1 || [[Donnie Allison]] || [[Chevrolet]] || 32.397 || 151.792 || [[Hoss Ellington]]
|-
|-
! 8
! 8
| 5 || [[Neil Bonnett]] || Chevrolet || 32.424 || 151.665
| 5 || [[Neil Bonnett]] || [[Chevrolet]] || 32.424 || 151.665 || [[Rod Osterlund]]
|-
|-
! 9
! 9
| 43 || [[Richard Petty]] || Chevrolet || 32.431 || 151.633
| 43 || [[Richard Petty]] || [[Chevrolet]] || 32.431 || 151.633 || [[Petty Enterprises]]
|-
|-
! 10
! 10
| 2 || [[Dave Marcis]] || Chevrolet || 32.496 || 151.329
| 2 || [[Dave Marcis]] || [[Chevrolet]] || 32.496 || 151.329 || [[Rod Osterlund]]
|}
|}


==Top ten finishers==
==Top 10 finishers==
{| class="sortable wikitable" style="font-size:95%"
{| class="sortable wikitable" style="font-size:95%"
|-
|-
Line 101: Line 107:
! {{Tooltip|Laps led|Laps as the lead driver}}
! {{Tooltip|Laps led|Laps as the lead driver}}
! {{Tooltip|Points|Number of points earned towards championship standings}}
! {{Tooltip|Points|Number of points earned towards championship standings}}
! Time/Status
|-
|-
! 1
! 1
| 6 || 11 || [[Cale Yarborough]] || [[Oldsmobile]] || 367 || $30,175 || 203 || 185
| 6 || 11 || [[Cale Yarborough]] || [[Oldsmobile]] || 367 || $30,175 || 203 || 185 || 4:17:46
|-
|-
! 2
! 2
| 2 || 88 || [[Darrell Waltrip]] || [[Chevrolet]] || 367 || $18,450 || 44 || 175
| 2 || 88 || [[Darrell Waltrip]] || [[Chevrolet]] || 367 || $18,450 || 44 || 175 || +3 seconds
|-
|-
! 3
! 3
| 9 || 43 || [[Richard Petty]] || [[Chevrolet]] || 366 || $13,175 || 1 || 170
| 9 || 43 || [[Richard Petty]] || [[Chevrolet]] || 366 || $13,175 || 1 || 170 || +1 lap
|-
|-
! 4
! 4
| 19 || 92 || [[Terry Labonte]] || [[Chevrolet]] || 356 || $9,850 || 0 || 160
| 19 || 92 || [[Terry Labonte]] || [[Chevrolet]] || 356 || $9,850 || 0 || 160 || +11 laps
|-
|-
! 5
! 5
| 3 || 15 || [[Bobby Allison]] || [[Ford]] || 355 || $10,875 || 21 || 160
| 3 || 15 || [[Bobby Allison]] || [[Ford Motor Company|Ford]] || 355 || $10,875 || 21 || 160 || +12 laps
|-
|-
! 6
! 6
| 16 || 9 || [[Bill Elliott]] || Mercury || 355 || $5,200 || 0 || 150
| 16 || 9 || [[Bill Elliott]] || Mercury || 355 || $5,200 || 0 || 150 || +12 laps
|-
|-
! 7
! 7
| 25 || 48 || [[James Hylton]] || [[Chevrolet]] || 353 || $7,000 || 0 || 146
| 25 || 48 || [[James Hylton]] || [[Chevrolet]] || 353 || $7,000 || 0 || 146 || +14 laps
|-
|-
! 8
! 8
| 29 || 67 || [[Buddy Arrington]] || Dodge || 350 || $6,380 || 0 || 142
| 29 || 67 || [[Buddy Arrington]] || Dodge || 350 || $6,380 || 0 || 142 || +17 laps
|-
|-
! 9
! 9
| 28 || 25 || [[Ronnie Thomas]] || [[Chevrolet]] || 349 || $6,270 || 0 || 138
| 28 || 25 || [[Ronnie Thomas]] || [[Chevrolet]] || 349 || $6,270 || 0 || 138 || +18 laps
|-
|-
! 10
! 10
| 4 || 72 || [[Benny Parsons]] || [[Chevrolet]] || 348 || $7,650 || 12 || 139
| 4 || 72 || [[Benny Parsons]] || [[Chevrolet]] || 348 || $7,650 || 12 || 139 || +19 laps
|}
|}


Line 213: Line 220:


[[Category:1978 NASCAR Winston Cup Series|Southern 500]]
[[Category:1978 NASCAR Winston Cup Series|Southern 500]]
[[Category:1978 in South Carolina|Southern 500]]
[[Category:1978 in sports in South Carolina|Southern 500]]
[[Category:NASCAR races at Darlington Raceway]]
[[Category:NASCAR races at Darlington Raceway]]

Latest revision as of 02:02, 10 April 2023

1978 Southern 500
Race details[1][2]
Race 22 of 30 in the 1978 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season
1978 Darlington 500 program cover
1978 Darlington 500 program cover
Date September 4, 1978 (1978-September-04)
Official name Southern 500
Standort Darlington Raceway, Darlington, South Carolina
Course Permanent racing facility
1.375 mi (2.212 km)
Distance 367 laps, 500.5 mi (805.4 km)
Weather Temperatures of 88 °F (31 °C); wind speeds of 8.9 miles per hour (14.3 km/h)
Average speed 116.828 miles per hour (188.016 km/h)
Pole position
Driver
Wood Brothers Racing
Zeit 31.998 seconds
Most laps led
Driver Cale Yarborough Junior Johnson & Associates
Laps 203
Winner
No. 11 Cale Yarborough Junior Johnson & Associates
Television in the United States
Network ABC
Announcers Keith Jackson
Chris Economaki

The 1978 Southern 500, the 29th running of the event, was a NASCAR Winston Cup Series racing event that took place on September 4, 1978, at Darlington Raceway in Darlington, South Carolina.

Background

[edit]

Darlington Raceway, nicknamed by many NASCAR fans and drivers as "The Lady in Black" or "The Track Too Tough to Tame" and advertised as a "NASCAR Tradition", is a race track built for NASCAR racing located near Darlington, South Carolina. It is of a unique, somewhat egg-shaped design, an oval with the ends of very different configurations, a condition which supposedly arose from the proximity of one end of the track to a minnow pond the owner refused to relocate. This situation makes it very challenging for the crews to set up their cars' handling in a way that will be effective at both ends.

The track is a four-turn 1.366 miles (2.198 km) oval.[3] The track's first two turns are banked at twenty-five degrees, while the final two turns are banked two degrees lower at twenty-three degrees.[3] The front stretch (the location of the finish line) and the back stretch are banked at six degrees.[3] Darlington Raceway can seat up to 60,000 people.[3]

Darlington has something of a legendary quality among drivers and older fans; this is probably due to its long track length relative to other NASCAR speedways of its era and hence the first venue where many of them became cognizant of the truly high speeds that stock cars could achieve on a long track. The track allegedly earned the moniker The Lady in Black because the night before the race the track maintenance crew would cover the entire track with fresh asphalt sealant, in the early years of the speedway, thus making the racing surface dark black. Darlington is also known as "The Track Too Tough to Tame" because drivers can run lap after lap without a problem and then bounce off of the wall the following lap. Racers will frequently explain that they have to race the racetrack, not their competition. Drivers hitting the wall are considered to have received their "Darlington Stripe" thanks to the missing paint on the right side of the car.

Race report

[edit]

40 competitors competed in this 367-lap race.[2] Attendance was 65000. The race lasted four hours and seventeen minutes.[2] Nine cautions slowed the race for 72 laps; 21 changes for first-place position were made. The race leader remained unchanged for long periods of time; including Cale Yarborough's 69-lap lead which lasted from lap 118 to lap 186 and his late-race streak where he would take over the lead on lap 261 and would not relinquish it.[2][4]

Cale Yarborough would defeat Darrell Waltrip by three seconds while Richard Petty, rookie driver Terry Labonte, and Bobby Allison would round out the top five finishers.[2][4] Yarborough's win would become his fourth at the Southern 500.[5] Terry Labonte would make an impressive Winston Cup debut at this race. He was 11 laps down at the end, but finished fourth.[2]

Yarborough would retain the lead in championship points after this race.[2] Bruce Hill would finish in last place on lap 80 due to a problem with his vehicle's rear end.[2][4] David Pearson would get the pole position with a speed of 153.685 miles per hour (247.332 km/h).[2][4] D. K. Ulrich was cited for nitrous oxide in his vehicle and lost the rest of the 1978 Winston Cup Series season. Neil Bonnett had an unfortunate incident by hitting the telephone wires while exiting pit road; nobody was injured.

Notable crew chiefs who participated in the race were Darrell Bryant, Junie Donlavey, Buddy Parrott, Jake Elder, Joey Arrington, Kirk Shelmerdine, Dale Inman and Bud Moore.[6]

The total purse of the race was $200,170 ($935,080 when considering inflation); Yarborough received $30,175 for winning the race. ($140,960 when considering inflation).[4]

Qualifying

[edit]
Grid No. Driver Manufacturer Qualifying time[7] Speed[7] Owner
1 21 David Pearson Mercury 31.998 153.685 Wood Brothers
2 88 Darrell Waltrip Chevrolet 32.125 153.077 DiGard
3 15 Bobby Allison Ford 32.170 152.863 Bud Moore
4 72 Benny Parsons Chevrolet 32.285 152.318 L.G. DeWitt
5 54 Lennie Pond Chevrolet 32.302 152.238 Harry Ranier
6 11 Cale Yarborough Oldsmobile 32.314 152.182 Junior Johnson
7 1 Donnie Allison Chevrolet 32.397 151.792 Hoss Ellington
8 5 Neil Bonnett Chevrolet 32.424 151.665 Rod Osterlund
9 43 Richard Petty Chevrolet 32.431 151.633 Petty Enterprises
10 2 Dave Marcis Chevrolet 32.496 151.329 Rod Osterlund

Top 10 finishers

[edit]
Pos[2] Grid No. Driver Manufacturer Laps Winnings Laps led Points Time/Status
1 6 11 Cale Yarborough Oldsmobile 367 $30,175 203 185 4:17:46
2 2 88 Darrell Waltrip Chevrolet 367 $18,450 44 175 +3 seconds
3 9 43 Richard Petty Chevrolet 366 $13,175 1 170 +1 lap
4 19 92 Terry Labonte Chevrolet 356 $9,850 0 160 +11 laps
5 3 15 Bobby Allison Ford 355 $10,875 21 160 +12 laps
6 16 9 Bill Elliott Mercury 355 $5,200 0 150 +12 laps
7 25 48 James Hylton Chevrolet 353 $7,000 0 146 +14 laps
8 29 67 Buddy Arrington Dodge 350 $6,380 0 142 +17 laps
9 28 25 Ronnie Thomas Chevrolet 349 $6,270 0 138 +18 laps
10 4 72 Benny Parsons Chevrolet 348 $7,650 12 139 +19 laps

Standings after the race

[edit]
Pos Driver Points[2] Differential
1 Cale Yarborough 3532 0
2 Increase Benny Parsons 3244 -288
3 Decrease Dave Marcis 3197 -335
4 Darrell Waltrip 3083 -449
5 Bobby Allison 3001 -531
6 Richard Petty 2966 -566
7 Increase Buddy Arrington 2724 -808
8 Decrease Lennie Pond 2708 -824
9 Dick Brooks 2643 -889
10 Richard Childress 2586 -946

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Weather information for the 1978 Southern 500 at The Old Farmers' Almanac
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k 1978 Southern 500at Racing Reference. Accessed 2012-03-05. 2012-03-07.
  3. ^ a b c d "Darlington Raceway". CBS Sports. Retrieved 2013-05-07.
  4. ^ a b c d e 1978 Southern 500racing information at Fantasy Racing Cheat Sheet. Accessed 2012-03-05. 2012-03-07.
  5. ^ 1978 SOUTHERN 500 - Yarborough makes it four at YouTube
  6. ^ 1978 Southern 500 crew chiefs information at Racing Reference
  7. ^ a b "1978 Southern 500 qualifying information". Racing Reference. Retrieved 2017-04-21.
Preceded by NASCAR Winston Cup Series Season
1978 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Southern 500 races
1978 		Succeeded by
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=1978_Southern_500&oldid=1149078245"