1978 NASCAR Winston Cup Series

Last updated

The 1978 NASCAR Grand National Winston Cup Series was the 30th season of professional stock car racing in the United States and the 7th modern era NASCAR Cup series. The season began on Sunday, January 22 and ended on Sunday, November 19. Cale Yarborough driving the Junior Johnson #11 First National City Travelers Checks Oldsmobile won his then record third consecutive NASCAR Grand National Winston Cup Winston Cup. Ronnie Thomas was crowned NASCAR Rookie of the Year in a tight battle with Roger Hamby.

Contents

Season recap

NoDateEventCircuitWinner
1January 22 Winston Western 500 Riverside International Raceway Cale Yarborough
February 16 125 Mile Qualifying Races Daytona International Speedway A. J. Foyt
Darrell Waltrip
2February 19 Daytona 500 Bobby Allison
3February 26 Richmond 400 Richmond Fairgrounds Raceway Benny Parsons
4March 5 Carolina 500 North Carolina Speedway David Pearson
5March 19 Atlanta 500 Atlanta International Raceway Bobby Allison
6April 2 Southeastern 400 Bristol International Raceway Darrell Waltrip
7April 9 Rebel 500 Darlington Raceway Benny Parsons
8April 16 Gwyn Staley 400 North Wilkesboro Speedway Darrell Waltrip
9April 23 Virginia 500 Martinsville Speedway Darrell Waltrip
10May 14 Winston 500 Alabama International Motor Speedway Cale Yarborough
11May 21 Mason-Dixon 500 Dover Downs International Speedway David Pearson
12May 28 World 600 Charlotte Motor Speedway Darrell Waltrip
13June 3 Music City USA 420 Nashville Speedway Cale Yarborough
14June 11 NAPA 400 Riverside International Raceway Benny Parsons
15June 18 Cam 2 Motor Oil 400 Michigan International Speedway Cale Yarborough
16July 4 Firecracker 400 Daytona International Speedway David Pearson
17July 15 Nashville 420 Nashville Speedway Cale Yarborough
18July 30 Coca-Cola 500 Pocono Raceway Darrell Waltrip
19August 6 Talladega 500 Alabama International Motor Speedway Lennie Pond
20August 20 Champion Spark Plug 400 Michigan International Speedway David Pearson
21August 26 Volunteer 400 Bristol International Raceway Cale Yarborough
22September 4 Southern 500 Darlington Raceway Cale Yarborough
23September 10 Capital City 400 Richmond Fairgrounds Raceway Darrell Waltrip
24September 17 Delaware 500 Dover Downs International Speedway Bobby Allison
25September 24 Old Dominion 500 Martinsville Speedway Cale Yarborough
26October 1 Wilkes 400 North Wilkesboro Speedway Cale Yarborough
27October 8 National 500 Charlotte Motor Speedway Bobby Allison
28October 22 American 500 North Carolina Speedway Cale Yarborough
29November 5 Dixie 500 Atlanta International Raceway Donnie Allison
30November 19 Los Angeles Times 500 Ontario Motor Speedway Bobby Allison

Notable races

Full Drivers’ Championship

(key) Bold – Pole position awarded by time. Italics – Pole position set by owner's points. * – Most laps led. ** – All laps led.

Pos.Driver RSD DAY RCH CAR ATL BRI DAR NWS MAR TAL DOV CLT NSV RSD MCH DAY NSV POC TAL MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR NWS CLT CAR ATL ONT Pts
1 Cale Yarborough 1*23184415*26161*241**5*121*264*2*1*1*421*1221*824841
2 Bobby Allison 301621*21146638832132427736522521*731*261*4367
3 Darrell Waltrip 232842135121*1*226*1*261628*321*343321522*232854362
4 Benny Parsons 2313132*1315314620132662931321062636284584350
5 Dave Marcis 5671123454815324446441446359888383274335
6 Richard Petty 16332242625523117832642330714532027642762343949
7 Lennie Pond DNQ102*555341821333272552618262612757673963794
8 Dick Brooks 155528619358271591914267368796425561391051293769
9 Buddy Arrington 1116159148181151213159181234121415121281622101314916353626
10 Richard Childress 2013881562810893320815202432425317271112121491030113566
11 J. D. McDuffie 28302725162811726403422122413125101778208332211111214263255
12 Neil Bonnett 4279633263224239535510362328368920343*2945303134373129
13 Tighe Scott 1811103434934252513113171111102281019232327252910122122DNQ3110
14 Frank Warren 1324141219131722222927231629201713183324151223212124251633233036
15 Dick May 18291712361828232113182119161811161125381510172581119312936
16 Jimmy Means 3512103223121410261737301513241332151911133223231323222756
17 David Pearson 3341*21292135152721*2512842552432382756
18 Ronnie Thomas (R)DNQ181324203121201432301525182510332426119141116193315302733
19 Cecil Gordon 2521172217183317925251912173219401713171430261518152641
20 Tommy Gale 25231422222127171618242115162016211324172717311831172639
21 Roger Hamby (R)DNQ15252737171323141931232717273630101910182412182611122617
22 D. K. Ulrich 1017162611112013131716291014141920251923929DNQ2452
23 Baxter Price (R)DNQ202316161911202225172620272823211615222319212919DNQ2418
24 Buddy Baker 7*3327622378375283632326342221*42130
25 Donnie Allison 393132324253335229249420131993
26 James Hylton 111571271011394135177183411161514161965
27 Gary Myers Wth203026182823151921201414212015221727241915
28 Ed Negre DNQDNQ2129251015192835273518292130151820213526211857
29 Skip Manning 2112137231589234122616393838251802
30 Grant Adcox 14307255116222211223133381467
31 Ricky Rudd 37102728921639283623259DNQ1260
32 Bruce Hill DNQ936191025294014173534401336DNQ1214
33 Bill Elliott 8389614913617371176
34 Al Holbert (R)829317103831301230QL13351142
35 Ferrel Harris 9789201110182836203420191066
36 Coo Coo Marlin 26394122382630710765
37 Blackie Wangerin (R)36291930323115402533760
38 Bobby Wawak DNQ291228DNQ1334283727DNQ680
39 Terry Labonte 4792413659
40 Ralph Jones Wth20242127183029634
41 Janet Guthrie DNQ10113129273513592
42 Earle Canavan DNQ242422203331323916DNQ559
43 Dale Earnhardt 17712164558
44 Roland Wlodyka DNQ192632182721549
45 Joe Frasson DNQ1624141723533
46 Nelson Oswald DNQ3038DNQ24252418501
47 Joe Mihalic 3119242630DNQ32419
48 Jim Thirkettle 17910389
49 Jimmy Insolo 7327369
50 Satch Worley 14DNQ18914368
51 John Kennedy DNQWth2929DNQ302740350
52 Bill Schmitt 32814350
53 Harry Gant 413628197325
54 Connie Saylor 83416318
55 Richard White 241918308
56 Chuck Bown 30302433301
57 Nestor Peles DNQ242119297
58 Rick McCray 121339297
59 John Utsman DNQ40321632292
60 Joey Arrington 221931273
61 Joe Booher 183422273
62 John Borneman 272325264
63 Rocky Moran 263020261
64 Jimmy Lee Capps 231935258
65 Dave Dion 40382628256
66 Ray Elder 34640254
67 Elmo Langley 371629243
68 Woody Fisher DNQ283620237
69 Sterling Marlin 925226
70 Ron Hutcherson 43439221
71 Jerry Jolly 204036201
72 Junior Miller 1528197
73 Bill Hollar Wth283636189
74 Norm Palmer 1435DNQ179
75 Ernie Stierly 1931DNQ176
76 Morgan Shepherd 4012170
77 Harry Goularte DNQ2033167
78 Mel Larson 3329140
79 Roy Smith 9DNQ138
80 Chuck Wahl DNQ2836134
81 Jim Vandiver 3827131
82 Sam Sommers DNQ1227127
83 Wayne Morgan DNQ3929122
84 Hershel McGriff 617112
85 Marty Robbins 18109
86 Glenn Jarrett 20103
87 Bob Burcham 2297
88 Don Graham 22DNQ97
89 Jack Simpson 22DNQ97
90 Butch Mock 262485
91 Steve Moore 2782
92 Don Noel 332879
93 Billy McGinnis 2879
94 Vince Giaformaggio 29QL76
95 Richard Waters 2976
96 Raymond Williams 2976
97 Bill Green 3073
98 Johnny Halford 3073
99 Don Puskarich 31DNQ70
100 Steve Pfeifer DNQDNQ3267
101 Eddie Bradshaw 3364
102 Bill Baker DNQ3461
103 Louis Gatto DNQ3558
104 Gary Johnson 35DNQ58
105 Butch Hartman Wth3655
106 Bill Dennis 3752
107 Jocko Maggiacomo DNQWth3752
108 Jabe Thomas 3752
109 Dick Trickle 3946
110 Bobby Fisher 294043
111 Claude Ballot-Léna 22183537
112 A. J. Foyt 323
113 Lynn Carroll 14
114 Dave Watson 17DNQ
115 Kenny Brightbill 23
116 Paul Fess 28
117 Greg Heller 29
118 Charlie Blanton 32
119 Frank Hill 37
120 Pappy Pryor DNQ
121 John Soares DNQ
122 Evan Noyes Jr. DNQ
123 Glenn Francis DNQ
124 Bob Switzer DNQ
125 Mike Kempton DNQ
126 Bob Brown DNQ
127 Mike Brockman DNQDNQ
128 John Dineen DNQWthDNQ
129 Dick Whalen DNQDNQDNQ
130 Ron McGee DNQDNQ
131 Dick Kranzler DNQDNQ
132 Bennie Vaught DNQDNQ
133 Steve Stolarek DNQ
134 Tommy Robbs DNQ
135 Tom Frank DNQ
136 Claude Aubin DNQ
137 Earl Ross DNQ
138 Terry Link DNQ
139 Robin Schildknecht DNQ
140 Keith Nebern DNQ
141 Hal Callentine DNQ
142 Mike Roche DNQ
143 Ross Kusah DNQ
144 John Krebs DNQ
145 Billy Hagan DNQ
146 Chris Monoleos DNQ
147 Johnny Kieper DNQ
148 Fred Lovell Wth
149 A. J. Reno Wth
150 Larry LaMay Wth
151 Paul Dean Holt Wth
152 Travis Tiller Wth
153 Jim Bray Wth
154 Keith Davis Wth
155 Hoss Ellington QL
156 Walter Ballard QL30
Pos.Driver RSD DAY RCH CAR ATL BRI DAR NWS MAR TAL DOV CLT NSV RSD MCH DAY NSV POC TAL MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR NWS CLT CAR ATL ONT Pts

[2]

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References

  1. 2012 Richmond 400 Story With NASCAR Scoring Controversies from Mike Mulhern
  2. "1978 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Central - The Third Turn". www.thethirdturn.com. Retrieved 2021-04-29.