Race: Atlanta 500
NASCAR Winston Cup Series: Race 5 of 31
Date: March 18, 1979
Track: Atlanta International Raceway
← Richmond 400 | 1979 Season Results | Northwestern Bank 400 →
Atlanta 500 Race Information
| Winner | Buddy Baker | Car | No. 28 Oldsmobile |
| Team / Owner | Harry Ranier | Sponsor | Spectra |
| Winner Start | 1st | Winner Laps Led | 88 |
| Started First | Buddy Baker | Most Laps Led | Bobby Allison (167) |
| Race Distance | 499.216 miles (328 laps) | Track Length | 1.522 miles |
| Track Type | Paved oval | Starters | 40 |
| Total Purse | $194,825 | Winner Earnings | $35,975 |
| Different Leaders | 6 | Lead-Lap Finishers | 3 |
| Points Leader After Race | Darrell Waltrip | Season Race | 5 of 31 |
Atlanta 500 Race Results
| Fin | Start | No. | Driver | Sponsor | Team / Owner | Make | Laps | Led | Status | Points | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 28 | Buddy Baker | Spectra | Harry Ranier | Oldsmobile | 328 | 88 | running | 180 | $35,975 |
| 2 | 2 | 15 | Bobby Allison | Hodgdon / Moore | Bud Moore | Ford | 328 | 167 | running | 180 | $32,875 |
| 3 | 6 | 88 | Darrell Waltrip | Gatorade | DiGard Racing | Chevrolet | 328 | 3 | running | 170 | $15,400 |
| 4 | 4 | 11 | Cale Yarborough | Busch | Junior Johnson | Oldsmobile | 327 | 22 | running | 165 | $11,725 |
| 5 | 3 | 27 | Benny Parsons | Griffin Marine | M.C. Anderson | Chevrolet | 327 | 0 | running | 155 | $5,775 |
| 6 | 15 | 2 | Dave Marcis | Shoney's | Dave Marcis | Chevrolet | 327 | 0 | running | 150 | $4,775 |
| 7 | 14 | 1 | Donnie Allison | Hawaiian Tropic | Hoss Ellington | Chevrolet | 326 | 0 | running | 146 | $7,075 |
| 8 | 13 | 72 | Joe Millikan | Appliance Wheels | L.G. DeWitt | Oldsmobile | 326 | 0 | running | 142 | $8,925 |
| 9 | 8 | 90 | Ricky Rudd | Truxmore | Junie Donlavey | Mercury | 325 | 0 | running | 138 | $5,720 |
| 10 | 12 | 5 | Dick Brooks | Bearfinder | Nelson Malloch | Oldsmobile | 325 | 0 | running | 134 | $3,025 |
| 11 | 11 | 43 | Richard Petty | STP | Petty Enterprises | Oldsmobile | 324 | 0 | running | 130 | $6,025 |
| 12 | 17 | 2 | Dale Earnhardt | Osterlund Enterprises | Rod Osterlund | Buick | 321 | 0 | running | 127 | $4,835 |
| 13 | 22 | 48 | James Hylton | Palatine Automotive Parts | James Hylton | Chevrolet | 321 | 0 | running | 124 | $4,390 |
| 14 | 24 | 40 | D.K. Ulrich | Airport Howard Johnson's | D.K. Ulrich | Buick | 321 | 0 | running | 121 | $4,155 |
| 15 | 16 | 50 | Bruce Hill | Ballard Racing | Walter Ballard | Oldsmobile | 321 | 0 | running | 118 | $1,825 |
| 16 | 9 | 68 | Chuck Bown | Kings Mountain Truck Plaza | Jim Testa | Buick | 315 | 0 | running | 115 | $1,600 |
| 17 | 32 | 70 | J.D. McDuffie | Bailey Excavating | J.D. McDuffie | Oldsmobile | 314 | 0 | running | 112 | $3,640 |
| 18 | 5 | 21 | David Pearson | Purolator | Wood Brothers | Mercury | 299 | 42 | engine | 114 | $1,990 |
| 19 | 37 | 45 | Baxter Price | Price Racing | Baxter Price | Chevrolet | 295 | 0 | running | 106 | $3,410 |
| 20 | 26 | 3 | Richard Childress | CRC Chemicals | Richard Childress | Oldsmobile | 295 | 0 | running | 103 | $3,295 |
| 21 | 23 | 64 | Tommy Gale | Sunny King Ford & Honda | Elmo Langley | Ford | 282 | 0 | running | 100 | $2,705 |
| 22 | 30 | 79 | Frank Warren | Native Tan | Frank Warren | Dodge | 273 | 0 | engine | 97 | $2,470 |
| 23 | 29 | 24 | Cecil Gordon | Gordon-Barnicle | Cecil Gordon | Oldsmobile | 249 | 0 | running | 94 | $2,285 |
| 24 | 27 | 19 | Dick May | Belden Asphalt | Henley Gray | Chevrolet | 221 | 0 | overheating | 91 | $2,000 |
| 25 | 7 | 44 | Terry Labonte | Stratagraph | Billy Hagan | Chevrolet | 211 | 0 | engine | 88 | $1,965 |
| 26 | 36 | 17 | Roger Hamby | Hamby-Ellis | Roger Hamby | Chevrolet | 172 | 0 | crash | 85 | $1,880 |
| 27 | 35 | 6 | Claude Ballot-Lena | JMS | G.C. Spencer | Oldsmobile | 168 | 0 | crash | — | $950 |
| 28 | 34 | 41 | Grant Adcox | Adcox-Kirby | Herb Adcox | Chevrolet | 133 | 0 | crash | 79 | $925 |
| 29 | 38 | 67 | Buddy Arrington | Sam Dell | Buddy Arrington | Dodge | 129 | 0 | engine | 76 | $1,785 |
| 30 | 20 | 39 | Blackie Wangerin | Wangerin Incorporated | Blackie Wangerin | Mercury | 126 | 0 | transmission | 73 | $875 |
| 31 | 31 | 98 | Ralph Jones | Jones Racing | Ralph Jones | Ford | 126 | 0 | clutch | 70 | $1,835 |
| 32 | 18 | 37 | Dave Watson | Ams Oil | Phil Howard | Chevrolet | 123 | 6 | quit | 72 | $1,075 |
| 33 | 25 | 52 | Jimmy Means | Mr. Transmission | Jimmy Means | Chevrolet | 82 | 0 | transmission | 64 | $1,315 |
| 34 | 39 | 25 | Ronnie Thomas | 1st National City Travelers Checks | Don Robertson | Buick | 71 | 0 | handling | 61 | $1,305 |
| 35 | 21 | 47 | Geoffrey Bodine | Race Hill Farm | Jack Beebe | Oldsmobile | 66 | 0 | handling | 58 | $795 |
| 36 | 10 | 9 | Bill Elliott | Dahlonega Ford Sales | George Elliott | Mercury | 61 | 0 | steering | — | $765 |
| 37 | 28 | 30 | Tighe Scott | Russ Togs | Walter Ballard | Buick | 54 | 0 | steering | 52 | $1,255 |
| 38 | 19 | 14 | Coo Coo Marlin | Cunningham-Kelley | H.B. Cunningham | Chevrolet | 53 | 0 | crash | 49 | $745 |
| 39 | 33 | 0 | John Kennedy | Avanti CB | John Kennedy | Chevrolet | 50 | 0 | crash | 46 | $735 |
| 40 | 40 | 53 | Keith Davis | Davis Racing | Keith Davis | Chevrolet | 15 | 0 | rear end | 43 | $725 |
Season Navigation
1979 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Results
← Richmond 400 | 1979 Season Results | Northwestern Bank 400 →