# 1979 Virginia 500

The 1979 Virginia 500 was the 9th stock car race of the 1979 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season. The race took place at Martinsville Speedway in Martinsville, Virginia on April 22, 1979 before a crowd of 35,500. Richard Petty, driving for his team Petty Enterprises would win the race by 4 seconds, leading 247 laps. Buddy Baker of Ranier-Lundy Racing and Darrell Waltrip of DiGard Motorsports would finish 2nd and 3rd, respectively.

## Background

Entry list :
| # | Driver | Team | Make | Sponsor |
| 1 | Donnie Allison | Ellington Racing | Chevrolet | Hawaiian Tropic |
| 2 | Dale Earnhardt | Rod Osterlund Racing | Chevrolet | Rod Osterlund Racing |
| 02 | Dave Marcis | Marcis Auto Racing | Chevrolet | Shoney's |
| 3 | Richard Childress | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | CRC Chemicals |
| 05 | Dick Brooks | Nelson Malloch Racing | Oldsmobile | Bearfinder |
| 11 | Cale Yarborough | Junior Johnson & Associates | Oldsmobile | Busch |
| 12 | Lennie Pond | Kennie Childers Racing | Chevrolet | Kencoal Mining |
| 15 | Bobby Allison | Bud Moore Engineering | Ford | Hodgdon, Moore |
| 19 | Dick May | Gray Racing | Chevrolet | Belden Asphalt |
| 21 | Neil Bonnett | Wood Brothers Racing | Mercury | Purolator |
| 24 | Cecil Gordon | Gordon Racing | Oldsmobile | Gordon-Barnicle |
| 25 | Ronnie Thomas | Robertson Racing | Chevrolet | 1st National City Travelers Checks |
| 27 | Benny Parsons | M. C. Anderson Racing | Chevrolet | Power Tool Service |
| 28 | Buddy Baker | Ranier-Lundy Racing | Chevrolet | Spectra |
| 30 | Tighe Scott | Ballard Racing | Buick | Russ Togs |
| 40 | D.K. Ulrich | Ulrich Racing | Chevrolet | Midwestern Farm Lines |
| 43 | Richard Petty | Petty Enterprises | Chevrolet | STP |
| 44 | Terry Labonte | Hagan Racing | Chevrolet | Stratagraph |
| 45 | Baxter Price | Price Racing | Chevrolet | Price Racing |
| 47 | Harry Gant | Race Hill Farm Team | Chevrolet | Race Hill Farm |
| 48 | James Hylton | Hylton Racing | Chevrolet | Palatine Automotive Parts |
| 52 | Jimmy Means | Means Racing | Chevrolet | Mr. Transmission |
| 64 | Tommy Gale | Langley Racing | Ford | Sunny King Ford & Honda |
| 67 | Buddy Arrington | Arrington Racing | Dodge | Reid Trailer Sales |
| 68 | Chuck Bown | Testa Racing | Buick | Kings Mountain Truck Plaza |
| 70 | J.D. McDuffie | McDuffie Racing | Chevrolet | Bailey Excavating |
| 72 | Joe Millikan | DeWitt Racing | Chevrolet | Appliance Wheels |
| 79 | Frank Warren | Warren Racing | Dodge | Native Tan |
| 88 | Darrell Waltrip | DiGard Motorsports | Chevrolet | Gatorade |
| 90 | Ricky Rudd | Donlavey Racing | Ford | Truxmore |

## Qualifying

| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make |
| 1 | 88 | Darrell Waltrip | DiGard Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 2 | 43 | Richard Petty | Petty Enterprises | Chevrolet |
| 3 | 15 | Bobby Allison | Bud Moore Engineering | Ford |
| 4 | 28 | Buddy Baker | Ranier-Lundy Racing | Chevrolet |
| 5 | 11 | Cale Yarborough | Junior Johnson & Associates | Oldsmobile |
| 6 | 12 | Lennie Pond | Kennie Childers Racing | Chevrolet |
| 7 | 68 | Chuck Bown | Testa Racing | Buick |
| 8 | 72 | Joe Millikan | DeWitt Racing | Chevrolet |
| 9 | 21 | Neil Bonnett | Wood Brothers Racing | Mercury |
| 10 | 70 | J.D. McDuffie | McDuffie Racing | Chevrolet |
| 11 | 2 | Dale Earnhardt | Rod Osterlund Racing | Chevrolet |
| 12 | 1 | Donnie Allison | Ellington Racing | Chevrolet |
| 13 | 27 | Benny Parsons | M. C. Anderson Racing | Chevrolet |
| 14 | 48 | James Hylton | Hylton Racing | Chevrolet |
| 15 | 40 | D.K. Ulrich | Ulrich Racing | Chevrolet |
| 16 | 3 | Richard Childress | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet |
| 17 | 90 | Ricky Rudd | Donlavey Racing | Ford |
| 18 | 67 | Buddy Arrington | Arrington Racing | Dodge |
| 19 | 44 | Terry Labonte | Hagan Racing | Chevrolet |
| 20 | 79 | Frank Warren | Warren Racing | Dodge |
| 21 | 47 | Harry Gant | Race Hill Farm Team | Chevrolet |
| 22 | 30 | Tighe Scott | Ballard Racing | Buick |
| 23 | 19 | Dick May | Gray Racing | Chevrolet |
| 24 | 02 | Dave Marcis | Marcis Auto Racing | Chevrolet |
| 25 | 64 | Tommy Gale | Langley Racing | Ford |
| 26 | 25 | Ronnie Thomas | Robertson Racing | Chevrolet |
| 27 | 05 | Dick Brooks | Nelson Malloch Racing | Oldsmobile |
| 28 | 52 | Jimmy Means | Means Racing | Chevrolet |
| 29 | 45 | Baxter Price | Price Racing | Chevrolet |
| 30 | 24 | Cecil Gordon | Gordon Racing | Oldsmobile |

## Race results

| Fin | St | # | Driver | Team | Make | Laps | Led | Status | Pts | Winnings |
| 1 | 2 | 43 | Richard Petty | Petty Enterprises | Chevrolet | 500 | 247 | running | 185 | $23,400 |
| 2 | 4 | 28 | Buddy Baker | Ranier-Lundy Racing | Chevrolet | 500 | 196 | running | 175 | $14,700 |
| 3 | 1 | 88 | Darrell Waltrip | DiGard Motorsports | Chevrolet | 499 | 49 | running | 170 | $10,200 |
| 4 | 3 | 15 | Bobby Allison | Bud Moore Engineering | Ford | 498 | 1 | running | 165 | $7,100 |
| 5 | 8 | 72 | Joe Millikan | DeWitt Racing | Chevrolet | 497 | 0 | running | 155 | $6,550 |
| 6 | 21 | 47 | Harry Gant | Race Hill Farm Team | Chevrolet | 497 | 0 | running | 150 | $2,500 |
| 7 | 14 | 48 | James Hylton | Hylton Racing | Chevrolet | 495 | 7 | engine | 151 | $4,200 |
| 8 | 11 | 2 | Dale Earnhardt | Rod Osterlund Racing | Chevrolet | 495 | 0 | running | 142 | $4,200 |
| 9 | 19 | 44 | Terry Labonte | Hagan Racing | Chevrolet | 494 | 0 | running | 138 | $3,350 |
| 10 | 10 | 70 | J.D. McDuffie | McDuffie Racing | Chevrolet | 493 | 0 | running | 134 | $3,080 |
| 11 | 5 | 11 | Cale Yarborough | Junior Johnson & Associates | Oldsmobile | 492 | 0 | running | 130 | $5,050 |
| 12 | 17 | 90 | Ricky Rudd | Donlavey Racing | Ford | 489 | 0 | running | 127 | $2,470 |
| 13 | 22 | 30 | Tighe Scott | Ballard Racing | Buick | 488 | 0 | running | 124 | $2,300 |
| 14 | 16 | 3 | Richard Childress | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 485 | 0 | running | 121 | $2,140 |
| 15 | 15 | 40 | D.K. Ulrich | Ulrich Racing | Chevrolet | 476 | 0 | running | 118 | $1,980 |
| 16 | 25 | 64 | Tommy Gale | Langley Racing | Ford | 476 | 0 | running | 115 | $1,820 |
| 17 | 30 | 24 | Cecil Gordon | Gordon Racing | Oldsmobile | 474 | 0 | running | 112 | $1,685 |
| 18 | 20 | 79 | Frank Warren | Warren Racing | Dodge | 472 | 0 | running | 109 | $1,500 |
| 19 | 13 | 27 | Benny Parsons | M. C. Anderson Racing | Chevrolet | 458 | 0 | running | 106 | $675 |
| 20 | 26 | 25 | Ronnie Thomas | Robertson Racing | Chevrolet | 454 | 0 | running | 103 | $2,150 |
| 21 | 27 | 05 | Dick Brooks | Nelson Malloch Racing | Oldsmobile | 437 | 0 | running | 100 | $640 |
| 22 | 18 | 67 | Buddy Arrington | Arrington Racing | Dodge | 312 | 0 | engine | 97 | $1,130 |
| 23 | 7 | 68 | Chuck Bown | Testa Racing | Buick | 263 | 0 | engine | | $620 |
| 24 | 29 | 45 | Baxter Price | Price Racing | Chevrolet | 247 | 0 | engine | 91 | $860 |
| 25 | 9 | 21 | Neil Bonnett | Wood Brothers Racing | Mercury | 207 | 0 | engine | 88 | $850 |
| 26 | 24 | 02 | Dave Marcis | Marcis Auto Racing | Chevrolet | 167 | 0 | engine | 85 | $590 |
| 27 | 12 | 1 | Donnie Allison | Ellington Racing | Chevrolet | 137 | 0 | engine | 82 | $3,030 |
| 28 | 28 | 52 | Jimmy Means | Means Racing | Chevrolet | 132 | 0 | overheating | 79 | $820 |
| 29 | 6 | 12 | Lennie Pond | Kennie Childers Racing | Chevrolet | 10 | 0 | engine | 76 | $810 |
| 30 | 23 | 19 | Dick May | Gray Racing | Chevrolet | 0 | 0 | engine | | $800 |