1978 NAPA National 500

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	David Pearson	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

1. Weather information for the 1978 NAPA National 500 at The Old Farmers' Almanac
2. 1978 NAPA National 500 race information at Racing Reference
3. Winnings information for the 1978 NAPA National 500 at Fantasy Racing Cheat Sheet