Official name NAPA National 600 | ||
 | ||
Date October 8, 1978 (1978-October-08) 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 Chilly with temperatures approaching 66 °F (19 °C); wind speeds up to 12 miles per hour (19 km/h) | ||
The 1978 NAPA National 500 was a NASCAR Winston Cup Series racing event held on October 8, 1978, at Charlotte Motor Speedway in the American community of Concord, North Carolina.
Summary
40 drivers competed in this 334-lap racing event in front of a live crowd of 80,000 ardent NASCAR followers. Bobby Fisher's problems with his stock car engine on lap 3 would make him the last-place finisher of the day. Butch Mock would become the lowest-finishing driver to complete the entire event; albeit 80 laps behind the competitors in the lead lap.
Bobby Allison would defeat Darrell Waltrip after nearly three hours and thirty-two minutes of racing; Allison swept the weekend as he also won the World Service Life 300 Sportsman race. The margin between the victor and the second-place finisher would be slightly more than half a minute. There were 40 changes in the lead position throughout the racing event; with Bobby Allison, Cale Yarborough and Richard Petty dominating a fair amount of these laps. Dick Brooks would develop a problem with his fuel pump on lap 325; preventing him from achieving a "top five" finish.
The vehicles involved in this race would drive in speeds averaging around 141.826 miles per hour (228.247 km/h). David Pearson would become the fan favorite for this event; due to his pole position-earning speed of 161.355 miles per hour (259.676 km/h) during qualifying. Ford and Chevrolet vehicles were used by the majority of the qualifying drivers. All drivers were born in the United States of America. Individual race earnings for each driver ranged from the winner's share of $40,000 ($146,877.55 when adjusted for inflation) to the last-place finisher's purse of $895 ($3,286.39 when adjusted for inflation). Total driver earnings handed out by NASCAR officials for this event was finalized at $259,980 ($954,630.64 when adjusted for inflation).