With two races to go and a third consecutive championship in the hip pocket of Cale Yarborough and his #11 Junior Johnson team, the Cup fellas headed for Atlanta for the Dixie 500. Source: Motor Racing Programme Covers
Headed into the race, fans continued to follow the story of Richard Petty's losing streak. Having gone winless since the Firecracker 400 on July 4, 1977, the King had only 2 more chances to avoid going 0'fer in 1978.
Cale Yarborough won the pole but the story seemed to take a back seat to many Silly Season stories, rumors and gossip. Involved in the mix were DW, Buddy Baker, Lennie Pond, Dave Marcis, and rookie Dale Earnhardt. What else is new these days? Source: Sumter Daily Item
King Richard kept a close eye on his competitors during qualifying. The Dispatch 's sports editor did not keep a close eye on photo captions and apparently overlooked the fact that the LA Times 500 at ONTARIO was the final race of the season - not Atlanta.
Several future stars raced in the 1978 Dixie 500.
- Dale Earnhardt - His 2nd start at Atlanta ended with far better results than his first race there two years earlier in Johnny Ray's car. It was also his first start with Rod Osterland's team as a teammate to Dave Marcis. The rest as they say is history as Earnhardt became Marcis' successor in the 2 car in 1979. ( JC Hayes )
- Terry Labonte who had taken over the Billy Hagan ride from Skip Manning races Dave Marcis in the primary Osterland car. Atlanta was the last of 5 races Terry raced in1978 so he could protect his rookie status for 1979 when he'd end up in a class of rookies including Earnhardt, Joe Millikan and Harry Gant. ( JC Hayes )
- Bill Elliott made the last of his 10 starts in 1978 in his familiar #9 ... but in an OLDSMOBILE. As a driver who'd driven Fords and Mercurys throughout the heyday of his career, its puzzling as to why he raced an Olds. I'm not enough of an Elliott historian to know if there is a back story. If so, I hope someone will add a comment about it. ( Craig Bontrager )
Starting 6th, Buddy Baker was the rabbit of the day. He led 151 of the race's 328 laps. But as seemed to happen so often in his career - enough to almost be cruel - his M.C. Anderson Chevy lost an engine. He was done with about 17 laps to go and finished 21st.
Petty was lively in his Monte Carlo and paced the field for 67 laps, and Cale led for 61 laps of his own. Dave Marcis got in the mix too as the laps wound down. One car the drivers up front really had no reason to pay attention to was Donnie Allison in the Hawaiian Tropic Chevy. Allison seemed to be a lap down and no threat for the win.
Donnie Allison being serviced by Hoss Ellington's Runt Pittman led crew ( Robert Turner )
With only a handful of laps to go, a late race, 5-car crash set the stage for a crazy finish.
The green flew again with 3 to go. Marcis and Petty were going door to door. As the checkers flew, all eyes were on the finish that would bring Petty's 1-1/2 season losing streak to an end. (From TMC Productions)
But as Petty pulled into victory lane as the crowd roared with approval, Donnie said "not so fast my friends". He argued he had made up his lap and was actually ahead of both Petty and Marcis. He claimed HE was the winner - not Petty.
The initial decision was then reversed - and Donnie was allowed to go to victory lane. But then the decision was made to review the scoring cards, and then no one was certain who the winner was.
Petty met with NASCAR's scoring officials. Its still amazing that as recently as 1978 fans went home not knowing who'd won the race. Source: Atlanta Motor Speedway
I'm not sure if King was thinking "this really can't be happening" or "why did I decide to wear THIS shirt today?" (TMC archives)
Ultimately, Donnie got the hardware and the King's streak continued to the next race - and then on to the 1979 season. (Although he did win the 1978 Phoenix Winston West race for a good team morale boost.) Petty was credited with 2nd, Marcis third, and Earnhardt 4th as he notched his 1st career top 5.
How about this jewel of "revisionist history" courtesy of AMS's website :
No. 8: Young Brian France Determines 1978 Dixie 500 Winner
The 1978 Dixie 500 ended in controversy and fans were left to wonder who actually won the race until an unexpected player, 16-year-old Brian France, stepped forward to settle the matter.
Richard Petty appeared to edge Dave Marcis to the finish line by a fender in an Atlanta photo finish to claim the win in the 1978 Dixie 500. However, before Petty was able to pull into Victory Lane, the track's Public Address announcer proclaimed Donnie Allison the winner.
Allison had blown past Petty and Marcis with only seven laps remaining, but after being two circuits down earlier in the race, the race leaders and most fans assumed Allison was still one lap down. However, the NASCAR veteran had in fact previously reemerged on the lead lap and overtook Petty and Marcis to claim the race lead.
But just after Allison had conducted his winner's interview in Victory Lane, Atlanta International Raceway officials announced Petty was the winner, further confusing the matter.
When continued conversation between track officials, scorers and drivers failed to definitively confirm the winner, France emerged from the Scorer's Booth to confidently verify Allison was the winner. The victory marked Allison's 10th and final NASCAR win and his only victory in Atlanta. The win also completed an Allison brother sweep of Atlanta's 1978 races, as older brother Bobby won the 1978 Atlanta 500 in March.
- See more at: http://www.atlantamotorspeedway.com/media/news/top-moments-years-ams-1978-dixie-500-track-damaged-tornado.html#sthash.KgQhXH4m.dpuf
Young Brian France Determines 1978 Dixie 500 Winner
The 1978 Dixie 500 ended in controversy and fans were left to wonder who actually won the race until an unexpected player, 16-year-old Brian France , stepped forward to settle the matter.
Richard Petty appeared to edge Dave Marcis to the finish line by a fender in an Atlanta photo finish to claim the win in the 1978 Dixie 500. However, before Petty was able to pull into Victory Lane, the track's Public Address announcer proclaimed Donnie Allison the winner.
Allison had blown past Petty and Marcis with only seven laps remaining, but after being two circuits down earlier in the race, the race leaders and most fans assumed Allison was still one lap down. However, the NASCAR veteran had in fact previously reemerged on the lead lap and overtook Petty and Marcis to claim the race lead.
But just after Allison had conducted his winner's interview in Victory Lane, Atlanta International Raceway officials announced Petty was the winner, further confusing the matter.
When continued conversation between track officials, scorers and drivers failed to definitively confirm the winner, France emerged from the Scorer's Booth to confidently verify Allison was the winner. The victory marked Allison's 10th and final NASCAR win and his only victory in Atlanta. The win also completed an Allison brother sweep of Atlanta's 1978 races, as older brother Bobby won the 1978 Atlanta 500 in March.
Race reports.
From Sumter Daily Item
And from the Daytona Beach Morning Journal . And what's that? Cynicism and sarcasm from Donnie Allison?? WOW, that almost never happened during his career. Ha ha.
Fin | Driver | Car |
1 | Donnie Allison | Chevrolet |
2 | Richard Petty | Chevrolet |
3 | Dave Marcis | Chevrolet |
4 | Dale Earnhardt | Chevrolet |
5 | Benny Parsons | Oldsmobile |
6 | Bobby Allison | Ford |
7 | Harry Gant | Chevrolet |
8 | Cale Yarborough | Oldsmobile |
9 | Ricky Rudd | Chevrolet |
10 | Coo Coo Marlin | Chevrolet |
11 | Roger Hamby | Chevrolet |
12 | Dick Brooks | Mercury |
13 | Terry Labonte | Chevrolet |
14 | J.D. McDuffie | Chevrolet |
15 | Ronnie Thomas | Chevrolet |
16 | Buddy Arrington | Dodge |
17 | Dave Watson | Chevrolet |
18 | Cecil Gordon | Chevrolet |
19 | Dick May | Chevrolet |
20 | Ferrel Harris | Chevrolet |
21 | Buddy Baker | Chevrolet |
22 | Tighe Scott | Oldsmobile |
23 | Jimmy Means | Chevrolet |
24 | Butch Mock | Chevrolet |
25 | Skip Manning | Mercury |
26 | Ed Negre | Chrysler |
27 | Gary Myers | Chevrolet |
28 | Darrell Waltrip | Chevrolet |
29 | Ralph Jones | Ford |
30 | Richard Childress | Oldsmobile |
31 | Tommy Gale | Chevrolet |
32 | David Pearson | Mercury |
33 | Frank Warren | Dodge |
34 | Neil Bonnett | Chevrolet |
35 | Al Holbert | Chevrolet |
36 | Bruce Hill | Oldsmobile |
37 | Bill Elliott | Oldsmobile |
38 | Grant Adcox | Chevrolet |
39 | Lennie Pond | Chevrolet |
40 | John Kennedy | Ford |
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Schaefer: It's not just for racing anymore.
updated by @tmc-chase: 01/11/17 11:27:24AM