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 championship. Ronnie Thomas was crowned NASCAR Rookie of the Year in a tight battle with Roger Hamby.
Teams and drivers Complete schedule MakeTeamDriverCrew Chief Chevrolet DiGard Racing 88 Darrell Waltrip Buddy Parrott McDuffie Racing 70 J.D. McDuffie Ford Bud Moore Engineering 15 Bobby Allison Bud Moore Langley Racing 64 Dick Brooks Tommy Gale Elmo Langley Oldsmobile Junior Johnson & Associates 11 Cale Yarborough Tim Brewer Chevrolet Dodge Petty Enterprises 43 Richard Petty Dale Inman Chevrolet Dodge Oldsmobile Jim Stacy Racing Rod Osterlund Racing 5 Neil Bonnett Harry Hyde Chevrolet Oldsmobile Ballard Racing 30 Tighe Scott DeWitt Racing 72 Benny Parsons Jake Elder Richard Childress Racing 3 Richard Childress Rod Osterlund Racing 2 Dave Marcis Dodge Ford Arrington Racing 67 Buddy Arrington
Limited schedule MakeTeamDriverCrew ChiefRounds Buick A. J. Foyt Enterprises 51 A. J. FoytEmerson Racing 66 Harry Gant Chevrolet Adcox Racing 41 Grant Adcox George White Gordon Racing 24 Cecil Gordon Junior Miller Hylton Racing 18 James Hylton Kirk Shelmerdine Jimmy Means Racing 52 Jimmy Means Kennie Childers Racing 12 Harry Gant Miller Racing 95 Junior Miller Robertson Racing 25 Ronnie Thomas (R) 81 Jabe Thomas Price Racing 45 Baxter Price (R) Richard Childress Racing 31 Bobby Wawak Wawak Racing 74 Dick May Joe Booher Tommy Gale Chrysler Negre Racing 1 Ed Negre Norman Negre 18 81 61 Ferrel Harris Dodge Jim Stacy Racing 6 Harry Hyde Arrington Racing 7 Ed Negre Joey Arrington 19 Warren Racing Frank Warren 79 Ford Champion Racing 10 Jimmy MeansCronkrite Racing96 Dale Earnhardt Baxter Price (R) Mercury Makar Racing 84 Morgan Shepherd Wangerin Racing 39 Blackie Wangerin (R) 84 Skip Manning Wood Brothers Racing 21 David Pearson Oldsmobile Clary Racing 05 Bruce Hill Buick Chevrolet Gray Racing 10 Elmo Langley 19 Woody Fisher Dick May Joe Booher Bob Burcham Joey Arrington Bill Dennis Rod Osterlund Racing 98 Roland Wlodyka Dale Earnhardt Jimmy Insolo Rudd Racing Enterprises 12 James Hylton 22 Ricky Rudd Ulrich Racing 40 D.K. Ulrich Buick Chevrolet OldsmobileHagan Racing 92 Skip Manning Mel Larson Terry Labonte Dick May Chevrolet Oldsmobile Craker Racing 01 Jimmy Insolo Leon Ruther Ellington Racing 1 Donnie Allison Hamby Motorsports 17 Roger Hamby (R) Hylton Racing 48 Al Holbert (R) Kirk Shelmerdine James Hylton Walter Ballard M. C. Anderson Racing 27 Buddy Baker Ranier Racing 54 Lennie Pond Chevrolet Pontiac Myers Racing 4 Gary Myers Chrysler Dodge Negre Racing 8 Ed Negre Norman Negre Dick May Ford Mercury Donlavey Racing 90 Dick Brooks Mercury Oldsmobile Elliott Racing 9 Bill Elliott
Season recap No Date Event Circuit Winner1January 22 Winston Western 500 Riverside International Raceway Cale YarboroughFebruary 16125 Mile Qualifying RacesDaytona International SpeedwayA. J. FoytDarrell Waltrip2February 19 Daytona 500 Bobby Allison3February 26 Richmond 400 Richmond Fairgrounds Raceway Benny Parsons4March 5 Carolina 500 North Carolina Speedway David Pearson5March 19 Atlanta 500 Atlanta International Raceway Bobby Allison6April 2 Southeastern 400 Bristol International Raceway Darrell Waltrip7April 9 Rebel 500 Darlington Raceway Benny Parsons8April 16 Gwyn Staley 400 North Wilkesboro Speedway Darrell Waltrip9April 23 Virginia 500 Martinsville Speedway Darrell Waltrip10May 14 Winston 500 Alabama International Motor Speedway Cale Yarborough11May 21 Mason-Dixon 500 Dover Downs International Speedway David Pearson12May 28 World 600 Charlotte Motor Speedway Darrell Waltrip13June 3 Music City USA 420 Nashville Speedway Cale Yarborough14June 11 NAPA 400 Riverside International Raceway Benny Parsons15June 18 Cam 2 Motor Oil 400 Michigan International Speedway Cale Yarborough16July 4 Firecracker 400 Daytona International Speedway David Pearson17July 15 Nashville 420 Nashville Speedway Cale Yarborough18July 30 Coca-Cola 500 Pocono Raceway Darrell Waltrip19August 6 Talladega 500 Alabama International Motor Speedway Lennie Pond20August 20 Champion Spark Plug 400 Michigan International Speedway David Pearson21August 26 Volunteer 400 Bristol International Raceway Cale Yarborough22September 4 Southern 500 Darlington Raceway Cale Yarborough23September 10 Capital City 400 Richmond Fairgrounds Raceway Darrell Waltrip24September 17 Delaware 500 Dover Downs International Speedway Bobby Allison25September 24 Old Dominion 500 Martinsville Speedway Cale Yarborough26October 1 Wilkes 400 North Wilkesboro Speedway Cale Yarborough27October 8 National 500 Charlotte Motor Speedway Bobby Allison28October 22 American 500 North Carolina Speedway Cale Yarborough29November 5 Dixie 500 Atlanta International Raceway Donnie Allison30November 19 Los Angeles Times 500 Ontario Motor Speedway Bobby Allison
Notable races Winston Western 500 - NASCAR banned the Chevrolet Laguna S3 racecar but also allowed Chevrolet engines to be used in other General Motors brands; as a result teams were fielding Monte Carlos, Chevrolet Malibus, Buick Centuries, and Oldsmobile Cutlasses. The Oldsmobile brand reached its first win since 1959 as Cale Yarborough drove Junior Johnson's Olds to the win. Bobby Allison, making his debut in Bud Moore's Ford, fell out after 40 laps, while Richard Petty finished 16th after rearend failure; Petty was driving the 1974 Dodge Charger for the final time as the car's Winston Cup Grand National eligibility ended after this race.
11 - Cale Yarborough 72 - Benny Parsons 21 - David Pearson 5 - Neil Bonnett 2 - Dave Marcis 95 - Hershel McGriff 01 - Jimmy Insolo 48 - Al Holbert 29 - Roy Smith 40 - D.K. Ulrich
Daytona 125s - The two qualifying races for the Daytona 500 were the first superspeedway test of the new 1977-78 model racecars now eligible for NASCAR competition. Preseason testing had exposed serious stability issues with the cars, particularly the Olds Cutlass with its shorter rear deck and open rear side windows; Cale Yarborough and Donnie Allison were pointed in their concerns about the instability of the Olds (said Donnie, "I can't drive the Olds, it moves around too much"); Richard Petty was similarly critical of the Dodge Magnum ("The Magnum is undriveable at 190 MPH") he now was fielding. Cale won the pole for the 500 while Ron Hutcherson timed second. In the 125s the lead changed a combined 25 times. Bobby Allison and Buddy Baker crashed out of the first 125 while A. J. Foyt drove a superspeedway Buick to win it. Darrell Waltrip drove a Monte Carlo, edging Richard Petty's Magnum in the second; Waltrip said after the win, "Richard Petty has the fastest car here."
Race 1 results: 51 - A.J. Foyt 21 - David Pearson 1 - Donnie Allison 11 - Cale Yarborough 9 - Bill Elliott 30 - Tighe Scott 41 - Grant Adcox 98 - Roland Wlodyka 67 - Buddy Arrington 3 - Richard Childress
Race 2 results: 88 - Darrell Waltrip 43 - Richard Petty 72 - Benny Parsons 53 - Ron Hutcherson 2 - Dave Marcis 5 - Neil Bonnett 48 - Al Holbert 14 - Coo Coo Marlin 92 - Skip Manning 66 - Harry Gant
Daytona 500 - Richard Petty led 26 laps in his 125, and his Magnum was pronounced the fastest car in Daytona by Waltrip after the Twins. Petty raced to the lead with Waltrip and David Pearson drafting him. By Lap 61 they had put all but Bobby Allison and Buddy Baker a lap down, but in Turn Four Petty blew a tire and all three hit the wall, then slid into the inside wall. Following the restart Benny Parsons spun out after blowing a tire while A. J. Foyt was drop-kicked by Lennie Pond and tumbled through the infield grass; he was cut from the car and hospitalized. Allison took the lead with ten to go and Buddy Baker blew his engine, leaving Allison uncontested for his first Cup win since 1975.
15 - Bobby Allison 11 - Cale Yarborough 72 - Benny Parsons 53 - Ron Hutcherson 90 - Dick Brooks 2 - Dave Marcis 27 - Buddy Baker 9 - Bill Elliott 6 - Ferrel Harris 54 - Lennie Pond
Richmond 400 - Lennie Pond took the lead after Cale Yarborough led 69 laps and by the final 100 laps seemed in control of the race, but a blown tire put Benny Parsons into the lead and Parsons won by nearly three seconds over Pond. The 142 laps led were the most Pond had led in a race to date, surpassing the 113 laps led at the 1976 American 500.
72 - Benny Parsons 54 - Lennie Pond 11 - Cale Yarborough 88 - Darrell Waltrip 90 - Dick Brooks 15 - Bobby Allison 2 - Dave Marcis 3 - Richard Childress 5 - Neil Bonnett 30 - Tighe Scott
Carolina 500 - Pearson reached a NASCAR milestone with his 100th Grand National win, running down Benny Parsons on a frigid raceday.
21 - David Pearson 15 - Bobby Allison 72 - Benny Parsons 43 - Richard Petty 54 - Lennie Pond 5 - Neil Bonnett 92 - Skip Manning 3 - Richard Childress 67 - Buddy Arrington 52 - Jimmy Means
Atlanta 500 - NASCAR mandated larger spoiler sizes to combat the instability of the new racecars beginning with the Atlanta 500. Bobby Allison led 261 laps and put the entire field a lap down en route to the win. Darrell Waltrip blew his engine after 146 laps then publicly called out his pit crew; "Every time I pitted, I fell further behind."
15 - Bobby Allison 2 - Dave Marcis 1 - Donnie Allison 11 - Cale Yarborough 54 - Lennie Pond 90 - Dick Brooks 41 - Grant Adcox 49 - Connie Saylor 05 - Bruce Hill 68 - Janet Guthrie
Southeastern 500 - After his crew repaired damage in an early crash, Darrell Waltrip drove to victory at Bristol and praised his crew for their work. It was the first of his record 12 Cup Series wins at the circuit.
88 - Darrell Waltrip 72 - Benny Parsons 2 - Dave Marcis 11 - Cale Yarborough 54 - Lennie Pond 3 - Richard Childress 48 - James Hylton 67 - Buddy Arrington 30 - Tighe Scott 8 - Ed Negre
Rebel 500 - Benny Parsons grabbed his second win of the season, leading 83 laps after his team had to change engines before the race. "This one was a stick of dynamite," Parsons said of the new engine.
72 - Benny Parsons 88 - Darrell Waltrip 54 - Lennie Pond 2 - Dave Marcis 43 - Richard Petty 27 - Buddy Baker 48 - Al Holbert 92 - Skip Manning 9 - Bill Elliott 22 - Ricky Rudd
Winston 500 - Rain delayed the Winston 500 from May 7 to Mother's Day May 14 - and also pushed back the scheduled Music City 420 at Nashville as well. The Talladega race saw 44 official lead changes as Cale Yarborough battled Darrell Waltrip, Richard Petty, and others; Benny Parsons and Dick Brooks stormed to the lead on the opening lap and Parsons led it, but fell out with clutch failure 121 laps in. Petty battled for the lead but on a late caution (for Lennie Pond's spin) his transmission acted up, and he lost five laps getting it fixed (he finished 11th). Yarborough drafted past Buddy Baker on the final lap for only his second win of the year.
11 - Cale Yarborough 72 - Benny Parsons 51 - A.J. Foyt 92 - Skip Manning 41 - Grant Adcox 9 - Bill Elliott 6 - Ferrel Harris 2 - Dave Marcis 3 - Richard Childress 48 - James Hylton