1978 Talladega 500

Talladega Superspeedway, originally known as Alabama International Motor Superspeedway (AIMS), is a motorsports complex located north of Talladega, Alabama. It is located on the former Anniston Air Force Base in the small city of Lincoln. The track is a Tri-oval and was constructed by International Speedway Corporation, a business controlled by the France Family, in the 1960s. Talladega is most known for its steep banking and the unique location of the start/finish line - located just past the exit to pit road. The track currently hosts the NASCAR series such as the Sprint Cup Series, Xfinity Series, and the Camping World Truck Series. Talladega Superspeedway is the longest NASCAR oval with a length of 2.66 miles (4.28 km), and the track at its peak had a seating capacity of 175,000 spectators.[3]

Four cautions were waved for seventeen laps; making the race last almost three hours in length,[2] 67 lead changes the race.[2] James Hylton finished last due to a transmission issue on the first lap of this 188-lap race.[2] Lennie Pond became the third driver whose only career victory was at the summer Talladega race (Richard Brickhouse in 1969 and Dick Brooks in 1973).[2] He would defeat Donnie Allison by two car lengths in front of 60,000 spectators.[2][4] Yarborough lost half a lap near the end of the race, losing the leaders because he missed the pit entry and made his stop on lap 181.[2]

Because he would get fired at the end of 1978, Waddell Wilson kept changing the setup on the car without telling Lennie. He would end up sleeping in his car so that Waddell wouldn't be able to change the setup on his vehicle without him knowing about it. Pond still got fired from Ranier's team in the end; making Ranier an owner/driver again because Darrell Waltrip's contract with DiGard Motorsports was too strong to be broken with negotiations.

There was one foreigner in the 41-car lineup: Claude Ballot-Léna from Paris, France.[2] Cale Yarborough would earn the pole position with a speed of 192.717 miles per hour (310.148 km/h) while the average speed of the race was 174.7 miles per hour (281.2 km/h).[2] It was a 500 mile world's record in 1978.[5] Bill Elliott would break that record at the 1985 Winston 500 with an average of 186.288 miles per hour (299.801 km/h).[6] Female driver Janet Guthrie was also a part of the grid; finishing in 29th place due to a crash on lap 129.[2] Country music star and part-time NASCAR driver Marty Robbins made his only start of the season and comes home in the top-20 driving his Dodge Magnum vehicle.[7]

Richard Petty would stop racing in Chrysler cars after this race. Only the 1984 Winston 500 would see more lead changes than this event.

Section reference: [2]

Section reference: [2]

• Start: Cale Yarborough was leading the starting grid as the cars were approaching the start/finish line.
• Lap 9: Blackie Wangerin had some engine issues that forced him out of the event.
• Lap 22: Ricky Rudd had some engine issues that forced him out of the event.
• Lap 46: Skip Manning had some engine issues that forced him out of the event.
• Lap 48: Claude Ballot-Lena had some engine issues that forced him out of the event.
• Lap 94: Roger Hamby's vehicle had a clutch that went bad which caused him to exit the race.
• Lap 96: The axle on Bruce Hill's vehicle became unsafe for further racing.
• Lap 105: Darrell Waltrip had some engine issues that forced him out of the event.
• Lap 118: Jimmy Means had a terminal crash.
• Lap 124: Al Holbert had some engine issues that forced him out of the event.
• Lap 129: Janet Guthrie had a terminal crash.
• Lap 149: Buddy Baker had some engine issues that forced him out of the event.
• Lap 158: Coo Coo Marlin had some engine issues that forced him out of the event.
• Finish: Lennie Pond was officially declared the winner of the event.