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Atlanta 500
NASCAR Winston Cup race
Atlanta Motor Speedway, Hampton, GA
March 18, 1979
328 laps on 1.522 mile paved oval; 499.216 miles
Fin
| St
| Driver
| #
| Owner
| Car
| Laps
| Money
| Status
| Laps Led
|
1
| 1
| Buddy Baker
| 28
| Harry Ranier
| Oldsmobile
| 328
| 35,975
| running
| 88 |
2
| 2
| Bobby Allison
| 15
| Bud Moore
| Ford
| 328
| 32,875
| running
| 167 |
3
| 6
| Darrell Waltrip
| 88
| DiGard
| Chevrolet
| 328
| 15,400
| running
| 3 |
4
| 4
| Cale Yarborough
| 11
| Junior Johnson
| Oldsmobile
| 327
| 11,725
| running
| 22 |
5
| 3
| Benny Parsons
| 27
| M.C. Anderson
| Chevrolet
| 327
| 5,775
| running
| 0 |
6
| 15
| Dave Marcis
| 02
| Dave Marcis
| Chevrolet
| 327
| 4,775
| running
| 0 |
7
| 14
| Donnie Allison
| 1
| Hoss Ellington
| Chevrolet
| 326
| 7,075
| running
| 0 |
8
| 13
| Joe Millikan
| 72
| L.G. DeWitt
| Oldsmobile
| 326
| 8,925
| running
| 0 |
9
| 8
| Ricky Rudd
| 90
| Junie Donlavey
| Mercury
| 325
| 5,720
| running
| 0 |
10
| 12
| Dick Brooks
| 05
| Nelson Malloch
| Oldsmobile
| 325
| 3,025
| running
| 0 |
11
| 11
| Richard Petty
| 43
| Petty Enterprises
| Oldsmobile Cutlass 442
| 324
| 6,025
| running
| 0 |
12
| 17
| Dale Earnhardt
| 2
| Rod Osterlund
| Buick
| 321
| 4,835
| running
| 0 |
13
| 22
| James Hylton
| 48
| James Hylton
| Chevrolet
| 321
| 4,390
| running
| 0 |
14
| 24
| D.K. Ulrich
| 40
| D.K. Ulrich
| Buick
| 321
| 4,155
| running
| 0 |
15
| 16
| Bruce Hill
| 50
| Walter Ballard
| Oldsmobile
| 321
| 1,825
| running
| 0 |
16
| 9
| Chuck Bown
| 68
| Jim Testa
| Buick
| 315
| 1,600
| running
| 0 |
17
| 32
| J.D. McDuffie
| 70
| J.D. McDuffie
| Oldsmobile
| 314
| 3,640
| running
| 0 |
18
| 5
| David Pearson
| 21
| Wood Brothers
| Mercury
| 299
| 1,990
| engine
| 42 |
19
| 37
| Baxter Price
| 45
| Baxter Price
| Chevrolet
| 295
| 3,410
| running
| 0 |
20
| 26
| Richard Childress
| 3
| Richard Childress
| Oldsmobile
| 295
| 3,295
| running
| 0 |
21
| 23
| Tom Gale
| 64
| Elmo Langley
| Ford
| 282
| 2,705
| running
| 0 |
22
| 30
| Frank Warren
| 79
| Frank Warren
| Dodge
| 273
| 2,470
| engine
| 0 |
23
| 29
| Cecil Gordon
| 24
| Cecil Gordon
| Oldsmobile
| 249
| 2,285
| running
| 0 |
24
| 27
| Dick May
| 19
| Henley Gray
| Chevrolet
| 221
| 2,000
| overheating
| 0 |
25
| 7
| Terry Labonte
| 44
| Billy Hagan
| Chevrolet
| 211
| 1,965
| engine
| 0 |
26
| 36
| Roger Hamby
| 17
| Roger Hamby
| Chevrolet
| 172
| 1,880
| accident
| 0 |
27
| 35
| Claude Ballot-Léna
| 6
| G.C. Spencer
| Oldsmobile
| 168
| 950
| accident
| 0 |
28
| 34
| Grant Adcox
| 41
| Herb Adcox
| Chevrolet
| 133
| 925
| accident
| 0 |
29
| 38
| Buddy Arrington
| 67
| Buddy Arrington
| Dodge
| 129
| 1,785
| engine
| 0 |
30
| 20
| Blackie Wangerin
| 39
| Blackie Wangerin
| Mercury
| 126
| 875
| transmission
| 0 |
31
| 31
| Ralph Jones
| 98
| Ralph Jones
| Ford
| 126
| 1,835
| clutch
| 0 |
32
| 18
| Dave Watson
| 37
| Phil Howard
| Chevrolet
| 123
| 1,075
| quit
| 6 |
33
| 25
| Jimmy Means
| 52
| Jimmy Means
| Chevrolet
| 82
| 1,315
| transmission
| 0 |
34
| 39
| Ronnie Thomas
| 25
| Don Robertson
| Buick
| 71
| 1,305
| handling
| 0 |
35
| 21
| Geoff Bodine
| 47
| Jack Beebe
| Oldsmobile
| 66
| 795
| handling
| 0 |
36
| 10
| Bill Elliott
| 9
| George Elliott
| Mercury
| 61
| 765
| steering
| 0 |
37
| 28
| Tighe Scott
| 30
| Walter Ballard
| Buick
| 54
| 1,255
| steering
| 0 |
38
| 19
| Coo Coo Marlin
| 14
| H.B. Cunningham
| Chevrolet
| 53
| 745
| accident
| 0 |
39
| 33
| John Kennedy
| 0
| John Kennedy
| Chevrolet
| 50
| 735
| accident
| 0 |
40
| 40
| Keith Davis
| 53
| Keith Davis
| Chevrolet
| 15
| 725
| rear end
| 0 |
Notes: Pit crew member Dennis Wade was killed when Dave Watson's rear end locked up and sent him into a spin in the pits.
Watson had been leading the race but withdrew from the race, leaving for the hospital immediately.
Time of race: 03:41:47
Average Speed: 135.136 MPH
Pole Speed: 33.017 seconds
5 cautions for 42 laps
Attendance: 62,000