1977 NAPA National 500

1977 NAPA National 500

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 approaching 78.1 °F (25.6 °C); wind speeds up to 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	David Pearson	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	Jim McKay Chris Economaki

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.

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.^[2] There were 18 lead changes and four cautions; making this event last three hours and thirty minutes.^[2] Bruce Hill received the last-place finish due to engine difficulties on lap 15 of this 334-lap race.^[2] 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).^[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 that future NASCAR legend Jeff Gordon has yet to break.^[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 under the employment of Mr. Henley Gray.

Individual earnings for each driver ranged from the winner's share of $41,075 ($160,668.44 when adjusted for inflation) to the last-place finisher's share of $820 ($3,207.50 when adjusted for inflation). The total prize purse for this event was $223,530 ($874,357.05 when adjusted for inflation).^[4]

Finishing order

1. Benny Parsons†
2. Cale Yarborough
3. David Pearson
4. Buddy Baker
5. Darrell Waltrip
6. Dick Brooks†
7. A.J. Foyt
8. Neil Bonnett†
9. Janet Guthrie
10. Bill Elliott
11. Ron Hutcherson
12. Coo Coo Marlin†
13. Dick May†
14. James Hylton
15. J.D. McDuffie†
16. Richard Childress
17. Buddy Arrington
18. G.C. Spencer†
19. D.K. Ulrich
20. Peter Knab
21. Tommy Gale†
22. Ed Negre†
23. Dave Marcis*
24. Ricky Rudd
25. Tighe Scott*
26. Bobby Allison*
27. Tom Sneva*
28. Jimmy Means*
29. Dick Trickle*
30. Lennie Pond*
31. Butch Hartman*†
32. Richard Petty*
33. Frank Warren*
34. Sam Sommers*
35. Skip Manning*
36. Donnie Allison*
37. Cecil Gordon*†
38. Dale Earnhardt*†
39. Roland Wlodyka*
40. Jim Raptis*
41. 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

1. "Weather information for the 1977 NAPA National 500". The Old Farmers' Almanac. Retrieved 2012-09-13.
2. "1977 NAPA National 500 racing information". Racing Reference. Retrieved 2012-09-13.
3. "David Pearson's pole position accomplishment". Scene Daily. Retrieved 2011-08-06.
4. "1977 NAPA National 500 racing information". Fantasy Racing Cheat Sheet. Retrieved 2012-12-06.