1979 Talladega 500

The 1979 Talladega 500 was a NASCAR Winston Cup Series racing event that took place on August 5, 1979, at Alabama International Motor Speedway in Talladega, Alabama.

1979 Talladega 500
Race details[1]
Race 20 of 31 in the 1979 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season
Layout of Talladega Superspeedway
Date August 5, 1979 (1979-August-05)
Official name Talladega 500
Location Alabama International Motor Speedway, Talladega, Alabama
Course Permanent racing facility
2.660 mi (4.280 km)
Distance 188 laps, 500.1 mi (804.8 km)
Weather Hot with temperatures of 90.9 °F (32.7 °C); wind speeds of 9.9 miles per hour (15.9 km/h)
Average speed 161.229 miles per hour (259.473 km/h)
Attendance 80,000[2]
Pole position
Driver
Wood Brothers Racing
Most laps led
Driver Darrell Waltrip DiGard Motorsports
Laps 102
Winner
No. 88 Darrell Waltrip DiGard Motorsports
Television in the United States
Network CBS
Announcers Ken Squier
Lee Petty

Background

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]

Race report

There were 41 American-born drivers on the starting grid; 21 of them failed to finish the race. Most of the problems were engine failures. After 188 laps and five caution flags, Darrell Waltrip would defeat David Pearson by a minute and two seconds in front of a crowd of eighty thousand fans. After many lead changes, Waltrip lead the final 55 laps.[2]

The race averaged 161.229 miles per hour (259.473 km/h) for the 500 miles while Neil Bonnett would earn his pole position in qualifying with a speed of 193.6 miles per hour (311.6 km/h).[2] Kyle Petty would earn ninth place in his inaugural Winston Cup race after starting 18th. Bob Burcham and Al Holbert would make this race their individual swan songs.[4] The total prize purse at this event was $205,680 ($724,548 when adjusted for inflation). While the winner would collect $32,325 of this purse ($113,871 when adjusted for inflation), the last-place finisher, Dick May, would collect $1,050 ($3,699 when adjusted for inflation).[5]

Oldsmobile would rack up their 100th victory in the history of the NASCAR Cup Series.

Qualifying
Grid[2] No. Driver Manufacturer Owner
1 21Neil BonnettMercuryWood Brothers
2 2David PearsonOldsmobileRod Osterlund
3 30Tighe ScottBuickWalter Ballard
4 28Buddy BakerOldsmobileHarry Ranier
5 11Cale YarboroughOldsmobileJunior Johnson
6 67Buddy ArringtonDodgeBuddy Arrington
7 41Grant AdcoxOldsmobileHerb Adcox
8 88Darrell WaltripOldsmobileDiGard Racing
9 79Frank WarrenDodgeFrank Warren
10 50Bruce HillOldsmobileWalter Ballard
11 90Ricky RuddMercuryJunie Donlavey
12 27Benny ParsonsOldsmobileM.C. Anderson
13 43Richard PettyOldsmobilePetty Enterprises
14 71Dave MarcisChevroletDave Marcis
15 44Terry LabonteBuickBilly Hagan
16 12Jack IngramOldsmobileKennie Childers
17 7Al HolbertOldsmobileAl Holbert
18 42Kyle PettyDodgePetty Enterprises
19 15Bobby AllisonFordBud Moore
20 3Richard ChildressOldsmobileRichard Childress
21 47Harry GantOldsmobileJack Beebe
22 9Bill ElliottMercuryGeorge Elliott
23 1Donnie AllisonChevroletHoss Ellington
24 05Dick BrooksOldsmobileNelson Malloch
25 77Jody RidleyMercuryJunie Donlavey

Finishing order

Section reference: [2]

  1. Darrell Waltrip
  2. David Pearson†
  3. Ricky Rudd
  4. Richard Petty
  5. Jody Ridley
  6. Tighe Scott
  7. Harry Gant
  8. Buddy Arrington
  9. Kyle Petty
  10. Richard Childress
  11. Dick Brooks†
  12. Bill Elliott
  13. Jimmy Means
  14. Bob Burcham†
  15. Rick Newsom†
  16. Bruce Hill*
  17. Steve Moore
  18. J.D. McDuffie†
  19. Grant Adcox†
  20. James Hylton†
  21. Benny Parsons*†
  22. Ronnie Thomas*
  23. Frank Warren
  24. Cale Yarborough*
  25. Joe Millikan*
  26. Baxter Price*
  27. D.K. Ulrich*
  28. Bobby Allison*
  29. Coo Coo Marlin*†
  30. Donnie Allison*
  31. Dave Marcis*
  32. Marty Robbins*†
  33. Terry Labonte*
  34. Neil Bonnett*†
  35. Jack Ingram*
  36. Tommy Gale*†
  37. Blackie Wangerin*
  38. Al Holbert*†
  39. Buddy Baker*†
  40. Cecil Gordon*†
  41. Dick May*†

† signifies that the driver is known to be deceased
* Driver failed to finish race

Standings after the race
Pos Driver Points[2] Differential
1 Darrell Waltrip 3246 0
2 Richard Petty 3017 -229
3 Cale Yarborough 2946 -300
4 Bobby Allison 2924 -322
5 Benny Parsons 2662 -584
6 Dale Earnhardt 2588 -658
7 Joe Millikan 2564 -682
8 Richard Childress 2390 -856
9 J.D. McDuffie 2372 -874
10 Buddy Arrington 2312 -934

References
  1. Weather information for the 1979 Talladega 500 at the Old Farmers' Almanac
  2. 1979 Talladega 500 racing information at Racing-Reference
  3. "Track Facts". talladegasuperspeedway.com. Talladega Superspeedway. November 1, 2012. Archived from the original on November 1, 2012. Retrieved April 27, 2015.
  4. 1979 Talladega 500 at Race-Database
  5. 1979 Talladega 500 race information at Fantasy Racing Cheat Sheet
Preceded by
1979 Coca-Cola 500		 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Season
1979		 Succeeded by
1979 Champion Spark Plug 400
Preceded by
1978		 Talladega 500 races
1979		 Succeeded by
1980
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