1978 Delaware 500

Background

Dover Downs International Speedway, now called Dover International Speedway, is one of five short tracks to hold NASCAR races; the others are Bristol Motor Speedway, Richmond International Raceway, Martinsville Speedway, and Phoenix International Raceway. The NASCAR race makes use of the track's standard configuration, a four-turn short track oval that is 1 mi long. The track's turns are banked at twenty-four degrees, and both the front stretch (the location of the finish line) and the backstretch are banked at nine degrees.

Race report

Five hundred laps were completed on the paved oval track spanning 1.000 mi. The race took four hours, eleven minutes, and twenty seconds to complete. Three cautions slowed the race for eighteen laps. Thirty thousand fans attended. Notable speeds were: 119.323 mi/h for the average speed and 135.480 mi/h for the pole position speed (accomplished by J.D. McDuffie).

Bobby Allison defeated Cale Yarborough by 11 seconds. J.D. McDuffie won his only NASCAR Cup pole position while using tires from the McCreary Tire Company. This pole position also secured a spot in the first running of the Busch Clash (now the Sprint Unlimited); Buddy Baker would ultimately win that race in February 1979.

Jabe Thomas would retire from NASCAR after this race. Bobby Allison would gain his 50th career Winston Cup Series victory from this race. Although McDuffie would never win a Winston Cup Series race, his best overall finish would come at the 1979 Sun-Drop Music City USA 420 in Nashville, Tennessee.

Notable crew chiefs who participated in the race included Darrell Bryant, Junie Donlavey, Buddy Parrott, Jake Elder, Joey Arrington, Herb Nab, Dale Inman, Walter Ballard, Kirk Shelmerdine, and Bud Moore.

Qualifying

Finishing order

Section reference:

1. Bobby Allison
2. Cale Yarborough†
3. Buddy Baker†
4. David Pearson
5. Darrell Waltrip
6. Dick Brooks†
7. Lennie Pond†
8. Dave Marcis
9. Donnie Allison
10. Dick May†
11. Ronnie Thomas
12. Richard Childress
13. Al Holbert†
14. Cecil Gordon†
15. Ed Negre†
16. Earle Canavan
17. Tommy Gale†
18. Roger Hamby
19. Nestor Peles
20. Gary Myers*
21. Frank Warren
22. Buddy Arrington
23. Baxter Price
24. Nelson Oswald*
25. Tighe Scott*
26. Benny Parsons*†
27. Richard Petty*
28. Dave Dion*
29. Neil Bonnett*†
30. Ralph Jones*
31. Joey Arrington*
32. Jimmy Means*
33. J.D. McDuffie*†
34. James Hylton*†
35. Louis Gatto*
36. Ferrel Harris*†
37. Jabe Thomas*† ** Driver failed to finish race*

† signifies that the driver is known to be deceased

Timeline

Section reference:

• Start of race: J.D. McDuffie had the pole position to start the event.
• Lap 3: Ferrel Thomas quit the race for unknown reasons.
• Lap 5: Louis Gatto was black flagged due to unsportsmanlike conduct.
• Lap 10: James Hylton quit the race for unknown reasons.
• Lap 11: Bobby Allison took over the lead from J.D. McDuffie.
• Lap 21: Cale Yarborough took over the lead from Bobby Allison.
• Lap 80: J.D. McDuffie blew his engine while driving at high speeds.
• Lap 98: Darrell Waltrip took over the lead from Cale Yarborough.
• Lap 99: Cale Yarborough took over the lead from Darrell Waltrip.
• Lap 110: Caution due to Nestor Peles spinning into turn two, ended on lap 112.
• Lap 140: Jimmy Means blew his engine while driving at high speeds.
• Lap 143: Joey Arrington managed to lose the rear end of his vehicle.
• Lap 213: Caution due to Ralph Jones' problematic engine, ended on lap 220.
• Lap 224: Caution due to an accident involving Neil Bonnett and four other drivers on turn three, ended on lap 230.
• Lap 238: Dave Dion blew his engine while driving at high speeds.
• Lap 243: Bobby Allison took over the lead from Cale Yarborough.
• Lap 269: The ignition on Richard Petty's vehicle stopped working, ending his day on the track.
• Lap 311: Benny Parsons blew his engine while driving at high speeds.
• Lap 318: Buddy Baker took over the lead from Bobby Allison.
• Lap 319: Bobby Allison took over the lead from Buddy Baker.
• Lap 320: The oil pan on Tighe Scott's vehicle developed some major issues.
• Lap 335: Nelson Oswald blew his engine while driving at high speeds.
• Lap 438: Gary Myers blew his engine while driving at high speeds.
• Finish: Bobby Allison was officially declared the winner of the event.

Standings after the race

References

before = 1978 Capital City 400| after = 1978 Old Dominion 500| title = NASCAR Winston Cup Series Season| years = 1978 |

References

1. "1978 Delaware 500 weather information". The Old Farmers' Almanac.
2. "1978 Delaware 500 racing results". Racing Reference.
3. "NASCAR Race Tracks". Turner Sports Interactive, Inc..
4. "NASCAR Tracks—The Dover International Speedway". Dover International Speedway.
5. "Dover International Speedway - Racing Records". Dover International Speedway.
6. "Old #70 - The J.D. McDuffie Story". CarolinaCountry.com.
7. "J.D. McDuffie information". Legends of NASCAR.
8. "1978 Delaware 500 crew chiefs information". Racing Reference.
9. "1978 Delaware 500 qualifying results". Racing Reference.