LAST LAP OF THE 1979 DAYTONA 500

In the closing laps of one of the most famous races in NASCAR history, Donnie Allison (1) leads Cale Yarborough to the high side to lap rookie Dale Earnhardt (2). Another lapped car, that of Bobby Allison (15), trails the trio. To this day, the mishap between Donnie Allison and Yarborough on the backstretch of the final circuit and their subsequent scuffle remain two of the sport’s signature moments. (Bill Niven/BRH Racing Archives)

Petty Backs Into ‘Daytona 500’
Reprinted from March 1, 1979 edition of Grand National Scene
By Gene Granger

They said no one would ever top the David Pearson-Richard Petty crashing, grinding finish in the 1976 “Daytona 500”. 

The Winston Cup drivers not only topped it, but added some extra, totally unexpected fireworks Sunday in what was easily the most competitive and exciting “Daytona 500” in the 21-year history of the race.  

Petty, the slumping king of stock car racing, who was said to be racing against his doctor’s wishes, backed into victory in the “Daytona 500” after leaders Donnie Allison and Cale Yarborough crashed in the third turn about a mile away from the checkered flag. 

To Petty and his legions of followers, the King was back on his throne much to the delight of an estimated 100,000 fans and a national television audience. The victory of about a car length over Darrell Waltrip ended the longest drought of Petty’s career (45 races). 

In posting his first GN win since the “Firecracker 400” on July 4, 1977, here at Daytona International Speedway, Petty collected a record $73,500 from a purse of nearly $600,000, the largest in stock car racing history. Petty held the old record of $62,300 set for winning the 1977 “World 600” at Charlotte Motor Speedway.  

Petty, making his debut in an Oldsmobile with the familiar Petty blue and the STP red, became the first driver to put an Olds in victory lane since his father, Lee, won the inaugural “Daytona 500” in 1959 on the 2.5-mile trioval. 

But Petty was not the man to beat on a gray afternoon with rain hovering over the track until the bitter end. In fact, a late morning rain delayed the start of the race by 10 minutes and the first 16 of the 200 laps were run under the yellow flag. 

Buddy Baker, who won the pole, the pole sprint race and a 125-mile qualifying event, was the man to beat. But he never got into the race once the green flag fell. “It was skipping and fouled up on the first lap,” Baker said after parking the Olds 38 laps into the race. 

Donnie Allison and Yarborough, both driving Oldsmobiles which they qualified second and third behind Baker a week ago, and Bobby Allison brought out the first second caution following an altercation in the second turn. All three drivers continued, but they were one to three laps behind — Donnie (one), Bobby (two) and Cale (three). 

D. Allison and Yarborough were able to make up their deficits under the numerous cautions. However, B. Allison never got in the right place at the right time to put his Thunderbird back on the lead lap.  

There was a six-car incident about a fourth of the way through the race, and it took Pearson out of the event. It marked the third time in four years that Pearson has been innocently involved in an accident in this event. 

The final caution appeared on the 139th lap. The drivers never made a pit stop under the green until there were less than 30 laps remaining. With 22 laps to go, D. Allison and Yarborough hooked up in a two-car draft and pulled away from the other contenders. 

They were more than a lap ahead when they took the white flag signaling the last lap. As they started down the backstretch, Yarborough attempted to go under D. Allison, who took Yarborough down to the wet grass. 

They tagged each other once, then again. They collided a third time and Yarborough cut his wheels to the right and carried both of them up into the outer retaining barrier. They spun to the bottom of the track. D. Allison wound up fourth behind A.J. Foyt while Yarborough was fifth. 

Meanwhile, Petty had gotten around Waltrip and Foyt, also in Oldsmobiles, for the third position. They thought that they were battling for third place. Petty was quickly informed to “stand on it”, as the leaders were in an accident. 

Waltrip tried to take Petty on the inside coming through the trioval, but Petty locked the door. Waltrip was on the apron with nowhere to go. He fell a car length short in a valiant attempt to post his initial “Daytona 500” triumph. 

When Petty took the victory lap around the track, he noticed the commotion in the third turn. He then went on to victory lane. It was an unprecedented sixth “Daytona 500” win for him. The Petty team now has won eight of the 21 “500s” here. 

B. Allison stopped in the third turn after the final lap, and he and Yarborough got into it. According to early reports, Yarborough cussed out D. Allison. Yarborough and B. Allison started fighting and a brief struggle ensued before it was finally broken up.  

Despite the seven cautions for 57 laps, Petty still averaged 143.977 mph. Just before Allison and Yarborough crashed, they had turned a lap at more than 194 mph. 

Thirty 22-car drafts were present throughout most of the first 250 miles. And as late as 375 miles there was still 100 cars in the lead draft. 

The race never got boring, as there were 36 lead changes among 12 drivers. It was the complete opposite of the twin 12-milers Thursday when it was strictly a parade-type race. 

D. Allison led 91 laps. Benny Parsons, whose Olds began overheating late in the race, was next with 39 laps. Petty and Neil Bonnett led 12 laps each. The other eight leaders led nine laps or less. 

Asked what his doctor thought now, Petty said, “You know how doctors are. The more you go, the more they make. Right now, physically speaking, I’m on top of the world.” 

And he was. His fans mobbed him after his post-race interview. He talked with the media for almost two hours. He first was greeted with a round of applause in the press box. The only other time that happened was when unsponsored Parsons won the 1975 “Daytona 500”. 

This was only the second “Daytona 500” ever started under a caution. The first was in 1963 when unheralded Tiny Lund won the race in a Cinderella story that will live as long as racing. The first 10 circuits of that event were under the yellow flag.

See Also:
- Push Turns To Shove, Shove Turns To...
- 1979 Daytona 500 Photo Gallery