1977 NAPA National 500
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 Concord, North Carolina.
| Race details[1][2] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 27 of 30 in the 1977 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season | |||
| Layout of Charlotte Motor Speedway | |||
| Date | October 9, 1977 | ||
| Official name | NAPA National 600 | ||
| 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 of 78.1 °F (25.6 °C); wind speeds of 14 miles per hour (23 km/h) | ||
| Average speed | 142.780 miles per hour (229.782 km/h) | ||
| Attendance | 79,400[2] | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Wood Brothers Racing | ||
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Benny Parsons | DeWitt Racing | |
| Laps | 250 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 72 | Benny Parsons | DeWitt Racing | |
| Television in the United States | |||
| Network | ABC | ||
| Announcers | Al Michaels Chris Economaki | ||
Race report
41 drivers competed at this event. Benny Parsons defeated Cale Yarborough by 19.2 seconds in front of 79,400 spectators.[2] Parsons scored a dominant Winston Cup victory, in terms of percentage of laps led.[2] There were 18 lead changes and four cautions; the race lasted three hours and thirty minutes.[2] Bruce Hill received the last-place finish due to engine problems on lap 15 of this 334-lap race.[2] David Pearson would win the pole position with a qualifying speed of 160.982 miles per hour (259.075 km/h) while the average race speed was 142.780 miles per hour (229.782 km/h).[2] By all evidence, this would be the last win for a Chevrolet Laguna in NASCAR Cup Series history.[2]
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.[3] Pearson's final pole position at Charlotte Motor Speedway would come at the 1978 NAPA National 500 - setting a record.[3] Other notable drivers at this event included: Bill Elliott, Janet Guthrie, Neil Bonnett, A. J. Foyt, Dick Brooks, Darrell Waltrip, and Buddy Baker.[2] Tom Sneva would make his NASCAR debut at this racing event. Dale Earnhardt would start his only race in 1977 driving for Henley Gray.
Individual earnings for each driver ranged from the winner's share of $41,075 ($183,676 when adjusted for inflation) to the last-place finisher's share of $820 ($3,667 when adjusted for inflation). The total prize purse for this event was $223,530 ($999,563 when adjusted for inflation).[4]
Qualifying
| Grid | No. | Driver | Manufacturer | Speed[5] | Qualifying time[5] | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 21 | David Pearson | Mercury | 160.982 | 33.544 | Wood Brothers |
| 2 | 11 | Cale Yarborough | Chevrolet | 159.848 | 33.782 | Junior Johnson |
| 3 | 1 | Donnie Allison | Chevrolet | 159.848 | 33.782 | Hoss Ellington |
| 4 | 15 | Buddy Baker | Ford | 159.773 | 33.798 | Bud Moore |
| 5 | 43 | Richard Petty | Dodge | 159.363 | 33.885 | Petty Enterprises |
| 6 | 88 | Darrell Waltrip | Chevrolet | 158.810 | 34.003 | DiGard Racing |
| 7 | 5 | Neil Bonnett | Dodge | 158.753 | 34.015 | Jim Stacy |
| 8 | 72 | Benny Parsons | Chevrolet | 158.735 | 34.019 | L.G. DeWitt |
| 9 | 51 | A.J. Foyt | Chevrolet | 158.158 | 34.143 | A.J. Foyt |
| 10 | 92 | Skip Manning | Chevrolet | 158.094 | 34.157 | Billy Hagan |
Finishing order
Section reference: [2]
- Benny Parsons†
- Cale Yarborough
- David Pearson†
- Buddy Baker†
- Darrell Waltrip
- Dick Brooks†
- A.J. Foyt
- Neil Bonnett†
- Janet Guthrie
- Bill Elliott
- Ron Hutcherson
- Coo Coo Marlin†
- Dick May†
- James Hylton†
- J.D. McDuffie†
- Richard Childress
- Buddy Arrington†
- G.C. Spencer†
- D.K. Ulrich
- Peter Knab
- Tommy Gale†
- Ed Negre†
- Dave Marcis*
- Ricky Rudd
- Tighe Scott*
- Bobby Allison*
- Tom Sneva*
- Jimmy Means*
- Dick Trickle*
- Lennie Pond*
- Butch Hartman*†
- Richard Petty*
- Frank Warren*
- Sam Sommers*
- Skip Manning*
- Donnie Allison*
- Cecil Gordon*†
- Dale Earnhardt*†
- Roland Wlodyka*
- Jim Raptis*
- Bruce Hill*†
* Driver failed to finish race
† signifies that the driver is known to be deceased
Standings after the race
| Pos | Driver | Points[2] | Differential |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cale Yarborough | 4505 | 0 |
| 2 | Benny Parsons | 4127 | -378 |
| 3 | Richard Petty | 4109 | -396 |
| 4 | Darrell Waltrip | 4067 | -438 |
| 5 | Buddy Baker | 3579 | -926 |
| 6 | Dick Brooks | 3380 | -1125 |
| 7 | James Hylton | 3124 | -1381 |
| 8 | Richard Childress | 3120 | -1385 |
| 9 | Cecil Gordon | 3030 | -1475 |
| 10 | Bobby Allison | 3028 | -1477 |
References
- ^ "Weather information for the 1977 NAPA National 500". The Old Farmers' Almanac. Retrieved 2012-09-13.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "1977 NAPA National 500 racing information". Racing Reference. Retrieved 2012-09-13.
- ^ a b "David Pearson's pole position accomplishment". Scene Daily. Retrieved 2011-08-06.
- ^ "1977 NAPA National 500 racing information". Fantasy Racing Cheat Sheet. Retrieved 2012-12-06.
- ^ a b "1977 NAPA National 500 qualifying information". Racing Reference. Retrieved 2017-04-03.