1978 NASCAR Winston Cup Series explained

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.

Season recap

No DateEvent Circuit Winner
1January 22 Cale Yarborough
February 16125 Mile Qualifying RacesDaytona International SpeedwayA. J. Foyt
Darrell Waltrip
2February 19 Bobby Allison
3February 26 Benny Parsons
4March 5 David Pearson
5March 19 Bobby Allison
6April 2 Darrell Waltrip
7April 9 Benny Parsons
8April 16 Darrell Waltrip
9April 23Darrell Waltrip
10May 14 Cale Yarborough
11May 21 David Pearson
12May 28 Darrell Waltrip
13June 3 Music City USA 420Cale Yarborough
14June 11 Benny Parsons
15June 18 Cale Yarborough
16July 4 David Pearson
17July 15 Nashville 420Cale Yarborough
18July 30 Darrell Waltrip
19August 6 Lennie Pond
20August 20 David Pearson
21August 26 Cale Yarborough
22September 4 Cale Yarborough
23September 10 Darrell Waltrip
24September 17 Bobby Allison
25September 24 Cale Yarborough
26October 1 Cale Yarborough
27October 8 Bobby Allison
28October 22 Cale Yarborough
29November 5 Donnie Allison
30November 19 Bobby Allison

Notable races

Full Drivers’ Championship

See also: List of NASCAR points scoring systems. (key) 

Bold – Pole position awarded by time. Italics – Pole position set by owner's points. * – Most laps led. ** – All laps led.
DriverRSDDAYRCHCARATLBRIDARNWSMARTALDOVCLTNSVRSDMCHDAYNSVPOCTALMCHBRIDARRCHDOVMARNWSCLTCARATLONT
1Cale Yarborough1*23184415*26161*241**5*121*264*2*1*1*421*1221*824841
2Bobby Allison301621*21146638832132427736522521*731*261*4367
3Darrell Waltrip232842135121*1*226*1*261628*321*343321522*232854362
4Benny Parsons2313132*1315314620132662931321062636284584350
5Dave Marcis5671123454815324446441446359888383274335
6Richard Petty16332242625523117832642330714532027642762343949
7Lennie PondDNQ102*555341821333272552618262612757673963794
8Dick Brooks155528619358271591914267368796425561391051293769
9Buddy Arrington1116159148181151213159181234121415121281622101314916353626
10Richard Childress2013881562810893320815202432425317271112121491030113566
11J. D. McDuffie28302725162811726403422122413125101778208332211111214263255
12Neil Bonnett4279633263224239535510362328368920343*2945303134373129
13Tighe Scott1811103434934252513113171111102281019232327252910122122DNQ3110
14Frank Warren1324141219131722222927231629201713183324151223212124251633233036
15Dick May18291712361828232113182119161811161125381510172581119312936
16Jimmy Means3512103223121410261737301513241332151911133223231323222756
17David Pearson3341*21292135152721*2512842552432382756
18Ronnie Thomas (R)DNQ181324203121201432301525182510332426119141116193315302733
19Cecil Gordon2521172217183317925251912173219401713171430261518152641
20Tommy Gale25231422222127171618242115162016211324172717311831172639
21Roger Hamby (R)DNQ15252737171323141931232717273630101910182412182611122617
22D. K. Ulrich1017162611112013131716291014141920251923929DNQ2452
23Baxter Price (R)DNQ202316161911202225172620272823211615222319212919DNQ2418
24Buddy Baker7*3327622378375283632326342221*42130
25Donnie Allison393132324253335229249420131993
26James Hylton111571271011394135177183411161514161965
27Gary MyersWth203026182823151921201414212015221727241915
28Ed NegreDNQDNQ2129251015192835273518292130151820213526211857
29Skip Manning2112137231589234122616393838251802
30Grant Adcox14307255116222211223133381467
31Ricky Rudd37102728921639283623259DNQ1260
32Bruce HillDNQ936191025294014173534401336DNQ1214
33Bill Elliott8389614913617371176
34Al Holbert (R)829317103831301230QL13351142
35Ferrel Harris9789201110182836203420191066
36Coo Coo Marlin26394122382630710765
3736291930323115402533760
38Bobby WawakDNQ291228DNQ1334283727DNQ680
39Terry Labonte4792413659
40Ralph JonesWth20242127183029634
41Janet GuthrieDNQ10113129273513592
42Earle CanavanDNQ242422203331323916DNQ559
43Dale Earnhardt17712164558
44Roland WlodykaDNQ192632182721549
45Joe FrassonDNQ1624141723533
46Nelson OswaldDNQ3038DNQ24252418501
47Joe Mihalic3119242630DNQ32419
48Jim Thirkettle17910389
49Jimmy Insolo7327369
50Satch Worley14DNQ18914368
51John KennedyDNQWth2929DNQ302740350
52Bill Schmitt32814350
53Harry Gant413628197325
54Connie Saylor83416318
55Richard White241918308
56Chuck Bown30302433301
57Nestor PelesDNQ242119297
58Rick McCray121339297
59John UtsmanDNQ40321632292
60Joey Arrington221931273
61Joe Booher183422273
62John Borneman272325264
63Rocky Moran263020261
64Jimmy Lee Capps231935258
65Dave Dion40382628256
66Ray Elder34640254
67Elmo Langley371629243
68Woody FisherDNQ283620237
69Sterling Marlin925226
70Ron Hutcherson43439221
71Jerry Jolly204036201
72Junior Miller1528197
73Bill HollarWth283636189
74Norm Palmer1435DNQ179
75Ernie Stierly1931DNQ176
76Morgan Shepherd4012170
77Harry GoularteDNQ2033167
78Mel Larson3329140
79Roy Smith9DNQ138
80Chuck WahlDNQ2836134
81Jim Vandiver3827131
82Sam SommersDNQ1227127
83Wayne MorganDNQ3929122
84Hershel McGriff617112
85Marty Robbins18109
86Glenn Jarrett20103
87Bob Burcham2297
88Don Graham22DNQ97
89Jack Simpson22DNQ97
90Butch Mock262485
91Steve Moore2782
92Don Noel332879
93Billy McGinnis2879
9429QL76
95Richard Waters2976
96Raymond Williams2976
97Bill Green3073
98Johnny Halford3073
99Don Puskarich31DNQ70
100Steve PfeiferDNQDNQ3267
101Eddie Bradshaw3364
102Bill BakerDNQ3461
103Louis GattoDNQ3558
104Gary Johnson35DNQ58
105Butch HartmanWth3655
106Bill Dennis3752
107DNQWth3752
108Jabe Thomas3752
109Dick Trickle3946
110Bobby Fisher294043
11122183537
112A. J. Foyt323
113Lynn Carroll14
114Dave Watson17DNQ
115Kenny Brightbill23
116Paul Fess28
117Greg Heller29
118Charlie Blanton32
119Frank Hill37
120Pappy PryorDNQ
121John SoaresDNQ
122Evan Noyes Jr.DNQ
123Glenn FrancisDNQ
124Bob SwitzerDNQ
125Mike KemptonDNQ
126Bob BrownDNQ
127Mike BrockmanDNQDNQ
128John DineenDNQWthDNQ
129Dick WhalenDNQDNQDNQ
130Ron McGeeDNQDNQ
131Dick KranzlerDNQDNQ
132Bennie VaughtDNQDNQ
133Steve StolarekDNQ
134Tommy RobbsDNQ
135Tom FrankDNQ
136Claude AubinDNQ
137Earl RossDNQ
138Terry LinkDNQ
139Robin SchildknechtDNQ
140Keith NebernDNQ
141Hal CallentineDNQ
142Mike RocheDNQ
143Ross KusahDNQ
144John KrebsDNQ
145Billy HaganDNQ
146Chris MonoleosDNQ
147Johnny KieperDNQ
148Fred LovellWth
149A. J. RenoWth
150Larry LaMayWth
151Paul Dean HoltWth
152Travis TillerWth
153Jim BrayWth
154Keith DavisWth
155Hoss EllingtonQL
156Walter BallardQL30
DriverRSDDAYRCHCARATLBRIDARNWSMARTALDOVCLTNSVRSDMCHDAYNSVPOCTALMCHBRIDARRCHDOVMARNWSCLTCARATLONT
[2]

External links

Notes and References

  1. http://www.mikemulhern.net/DailyBriefing/rethinking-nascar-s-handling-of-that-carl-edwards-deal-in-saturday-s-richmond-400 2012 Richmond 400 Story With NASCAR Scoring Controversies
  2. Web site: 1978 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Central - The Third Turn. 2021-04-29. www.thethirdturn.com. en.