Official name NAPA National 600 | ||
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Date October 9, 1977 (1977-October-09) Location Charlotte Motor Speedway, Concord, North Carolina Course Permanent racing facility
1.500 mi (2.414 km) Distance 334 laps, 500 mi (865 km) Weather Mild with temperatures approaching 78.1 °F (25.6 °C); wind speeds up to 14 miles per hour (23 km/h) | ||
The 1977 NAPA National 500 was a NASCAR Winston Cup Series racing event that was held on October 9, 1977, at Charlotte Motor Speedway in the American community of Concord, North Carolina.
Contents
By 1980, NASCAR had completely stopped tracking the year model of all the vehicles and most teams did not take stock cars to the track under their own power anymore.
Summary
There were 41 American-born drivers who competed at this event; Benny Parsons defeated Cale Yarborough by 19.2 seconds in front of 79,400 live audience members. There were 18 lead changes and four cautions; making this event last three hours and thirty minutes. Bruce Hill received the last-place finish due to engine difficulties on lap 15 of this 334-lap race. David Pearson would bring in the pole position with a qualifying speed of 160.982 miles per hour (259.075 km/h) while the average racing speed was 142.780 miles per hour (229.782 km/h).
His next pole position would come at the 1978 World 600 where he would get his 10th consecutive pole position start at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Pearson's final pole position at Charlotte Motor Speedway would come at the 1978 NAPA National 500 - setting a record that future NASCAR legend Jeff Gordon has yet to break. Other notable drivers at this event included: Bill Elliott, Janet Guthrie, Neil Bonnett, A.J. Foyt, Dick Brooks, Darrell Waltrip, and Buddy Baker. Tom Sneva would make his NASCAR debut at this racing event. Dale Earnhardt would start his only race in 1977 under the employment of Mr. Henley Gray.
Individual earnings for each driver ranged from the winner's share of $41,075 ($162,337.60 when adjusted for inflation) to the last-place finisher's share of $820 ($3,240.82 when adjusted for inflation). The total prize purse for this event was $223,530 ($883,440.64 when adjusted for inflation).
Finishing order
* Driver failed to finish race
† signifies that the driver is known to be deceased