1979 Firecracker 400

Auto race held at Daytona International Speedway in 1979 February 2025 CUST Race 17 of 31 in the 1979 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season Firecracker 400 1979 07 4 1979 17 31 1979_Firecracker_400_program_cover.png The 1979 Firecracker 400 program cover. "We Are America Day" Firecracker 400 Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, Florida 2.500 4.023 160 400 643 172.89 mi/h Hot with temperatures of 93.9 F C; wind speeds of 12 mph km/h with 0.28 in mm of rain reported within 24 hours of the racing eventWeather information for the 1979 Firecracker 400 at The Old Farmer's Almanac 45,000 Buddy Baker Ranier Racing Neil Bonnett Wood Brothers Racing 77 21 Neil Bonnett Wood Brothers Racing ABC's Wide World Of Sports Bill Flemming & Sam Posey Motor Racing Network Jack Arute & Barney Hall Turns 1 & 2: Mike JoyBackstreatch: Hal HamrickTurns 3 & 4: Eli GoldPit Reporter: Ned Jarrett thumb|The layout of Daytona International Speedway, the venue where the race was held. The 1979 Firecracker 400 was a NASCAR Winston Cup Series racing event that took place on July 4, 1979, at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. Race report There were 41 drivers on the starting grid of this race; Bruce Hill was credited with the last-place finish due to an engine problem on the first lap.1979 Firecracker 400 racing information at Racing-Reference Fifteen drivers would fail to finish the race with problems varying from engine trouble, blown tires, and crashes. Claude Ballot-Léna from France would make his final NASCAR Cup Series appearance here; winning $1,130. ($ when adjusted for inflation).1979 Firecracker 400 racing results at Race-Database His race ended on lap 83 of 160 with engine problems. Forty-five thousand fans were in attendance. The average speed was a record 172.89 mph km/h. The green flag waved at 10 a.m. Buddy Baker earned the pole position during qualifying with a speed of 193.196 mph km/h. Darrell Waltrip would become a frequent contender for the first-place position along with Buddy Baker and Neil Bonnett. Bonnett would go on to defeat Benny Parsons by a single second. Terry Labonte went head on into the outside wall in one of the corners just past the halfway point and was sliding back down the track when Bobby Allison suddenly spun sideways and clobbered the #44 right in the door. Neither driver was hurt but the heavy crash put both drivers out of the race. Notable crew chiefs who participated in the race include Buddy Parrott, Joey Arrington, Kirk Shelmerdine, Darrell Bryant, Dale Inman, Harry Hyde, Waddell Wilson, Bud Moore, Tim Brewer, and Jake Elder.1979 Firecracker 400 crew chiefs at Racing Reference A souvenir program was sold for $3 USD ($ when adjusted for inflation). Kyle Petty attempted to qualify for this race, but crashed during qualifying with the consequence of having to work on his father's pit crew. He would make his NASCAR debut at Talladega. Qualifying Buddy Baker would score the pole, averaging 193.196 mph km/h, a new track record at the time. Grid No. Car number Driver Manufacturer Team/OwnerTimeAvg. Speed (mph) 1 28 Buddy Baker Oldsmobile Ranier-Lundy Racing46.585193.196 2 21 Neil Bonnett Mercury Wood Brothers Racing46.730192.596 3 27 Benny Parsons Oldsmobile M. C. Anderson Racing46.803192.296 4 41 Grant Adcox Oldsmobile Adcox Racing46.864192.046 5 11 Cale Yarborough Oldsmobile Junior Johnson & Associates46.889191.943 6 88 Darrell Waltrip Oldsmobile DiGard Motorsports47.067191.205 7 67 Buddy Arrington Dodge Arrington Racing47.091191.120 8 51 A.J. Foyt Oldsmobile A. J. Foyt Enterprises47.147190.893 9 30 Tighe Scott Buick Ballard Racing47.154190.864 10 44 Terry Labonte Buick Hagan Racing47.255190.4571143Richard PettyOldsmobilePetty Enterprises47.324190.1791268Chuck BownBuickTesta Racing47.392189.9061312Lennie PondOldsmobileKennie Childers Racing47.578189.1641479Frank WarrenDodgeFrank Warren47.713188.6281547Harry GantOldsmobileRace Hill Farm Team47.765188.423163Richard ChildressOldsmobileRichard Childress Racing47.930187.7741717Roger HambyOldsmobileHamby Racing47.960187.657187Al HolbertChevroletAl Holbert47.988187.5471990Ricky RuddMercuryDonlavey Racing48.036187.3602015Bobby AllisonFordBud Moore Engineering48.046187.321212Dale EarnhardtOldsmobileOsterlund Racing47.881187.9662271Dave MarcisChevroletMarcis Auto Racing48.022187.415231Donnie AllisonChevroletEllington Racing48.116187.0482472Joe MillikanOldsmobileDeWitt Racing48.144186.9402550Bruce HillBuickBallard Racing48.206186.6992687Gary BaloughOldsmobileBillie Harvey48.300186.336279Bill ElliottMercuryElliott Racing48.398185.9592814Coo Coo MarlinChevroletCunningham-Kelley Racing48.603185.1742938Sandy SatulloBuickSandy Satullo48.793184.4533048James HyltonChevroletJames Hylton Motorsports48.860184.200316Claude Ballot-LenaOldsmobileG. C. Spencer Racing48.479185.6483270J.D. McDuffieChevroletMcDuffie Racing48.574185.2853339Blackie WangerinMercuryBlackie Wangerin48.981183.7453432Jimmy FingerBuickDon Bierschwale48.987183.7233540D.K. UlrichBuickUlrich Racing49.125183.2073664Tommy GaleFordLangley Racing49.156183.0913705Dick BrooksOldsmobileNelson Malloch Racing49.255182.7233852Jimmy MeansChevroletJimmy Means Racing49.350182.3713946Travis TillerDodgeTravis Tiller49.351182.3684020Rick NewsomOldsmobileRick Newsom49.411182.14641 (FIA)24Cecil GordonOldsmobileGordon Racing50.654177.676WithdrewWD42Kyle PettyDodgePetty Enterprises0.0000.000 Finishing order FinSt#DriverMakeTeam/OwnerSponsorLapsLedStatusPtsWinnings1221Neil BonnettMercuryWood Brothers RacingPurolator16077running185$21,7052327Benny ParsonsOldsmobileM. C. Anderson RacingGriffin Marine1606running175$16,8753212Dale EarnhardtOldsmobileOsterlund RacingRod Osterlund1601running170$14,9804688Darrell WaltripOldsmobileDiGard MotorsportsGatorade15954running165$12,28051143Richard PettyOldsmobilePetty EnterprisesSTP1582running160$9,48061268Chuck BownBuickTesta RacingKings Mountain Truck Plaza1570running150$4,99071547Harry GantOldsmobileRace Hill Farm TeamRace Hill Farm1570running146$4,24082472Joe MillikanOldsmobileDeWitt RacingAppliance Wheels1560running142$7,54093705Dick BrooksOldsmobileNelson Malloch RacingSub-Tropic1560running138$5,57510851A.J. FoytOldsmobileA. J. Foyt EnterprisesValvoline1563running$3,14011279Bill ElliottMercuryElliott RacingYandle, Thermol King, Dahlonega Ford Sales1560running130$2,96012231Donnie AllisonChevroletEllington RacingHawaiian Tropic1550running127$2,935131990Ricky RuddMercuryDonlavey RacingTruxmore1550running124$5,07514930Tighe ScottBuickBallard RacingRuss Togs1540running121$4,86515767Buddy ArringtonDodgeArrington RacingRossmeyer1540running118$4,555162687Gary BaloughOldsmobileBillie HarveyFast Lane Ltd.1540running$1,750172271Dave MarcisChevroletMarcis Auto RacingShoney's1510running112$3,635183540D.K. UlrichBuickUlrich RacingU.S. Army1510running109$3,775193048James HyltonChevroletJames Hylton MotorsportsPalatine Automotive Parts1511running111$3,41520511Cale YarboroughOldsmobileJunior Johnson & AssociatesBusch Beer1490running103$6,960213270J.D. McDuffieChevroletMcDuffie RacingBailey Excavating1460running100$2,855223852Jimmy MeansChevroletJimmy Means RacingMr. Transmission1460running97$2,645234020Rick NewsomOldsmobileRick NewsomMARS Inc.1450running94$1,410243339Blackie WangerinMercuryBlackie WangerinWangerin Inc.1440blew tire91$1,385252814Coo Coo MarlinChevroletCunningham-Kelley RacingCunningham-Kelley1380engine88$1,360261717Roger HambyOldsmobileHamby RacingKings Inn1370running85$2,260273664Tommy GaleFordLangley RacingSunny King Ford & Honda1210rear end82$2,225281312Lennie PondOldsmobileKennie Childers RacingBurger King1050engine79$1,285291044Terry LabonteBuickHagan RacingStratagraph890crash76$2,165302015Bobby AllisonFordBud Moore EngineeringHodgdon, Moore890crash73$4,92531316Claude Ballot-LenaOldsmobileG. C. Spencer RacingLady & Son Auction830engine$1,13032187Al HolbertChevroletAl HolbertHolbert Porsche-Audi820spindle$89533441Grant AdcoxOldsmobileAdcox RacingAdcox-Kirby810engine64$1,18034128Buddy BakerOldsmobileRanier-Lundy RacingW.I.N.5716ignition66$4,225354124Cecil GordonOldsmobileGordon RacingGordon Barnical Racing500engine58$1,915363946Travis TillerDodgeTravis TillerRing Enterprises460engine55$1,02537163Richard ChildressOldsmobileRichard Childress RacingCRC Chemicals280engine52$1,520382938Sandy SatulloBuickSandy SatulloCopper Kettle Marina180crash49$1,015393432Jimmy FingerBuickDon BierschwaleVita Fresh, Pharis Chevy170crash46$1,010401479Frank WarrenDodgeFrank WarrenNative Tan70engine43$1,505412550Bruce HillBuickBallard RacingGlobal Heat Exchanger10engine40$1,035WithdrewWD42Kyle PettyDodgePetty EnterprisesSTP Standings after the race Pos Driver Points Differential 1 10px Darrell Waltrip 2720 0 2 10px Bobby Allison 2587 -133 3 Richard Petty 2522 -198 4 Cale Yarborough 2500 -220 5 10px Dale Earnhardt 2342 -378 6 Benny Parsons 2237 -483 7 Joe Millikan 2221 -499 8 10px Terry Labonte 2009 -711 9 J.D. McDuffie 1997 -723 10 Richard Childress 1983 -737 References 1979 Gabriel 400 1979 Busch Nashville 420 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Season 1979 1978 1980 Firecracker 400 races 1979 Firecracker 400 Firecracker 400 Category:NASCAR races at Daytona International Speedway