1979 Piston Cup Season

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## Season Information

### Number of races

36
1 exhibition race

### Points

175-170-165-160-155-150-146-142-138-134-130-127-124-121-118-115-112-109-106-103-100-97-94-91-88-85-82-79-76-73-70-67-64-61-58-55-52-49-46-43-40-37-34

## Awards

### Rookie of the Year

Dale Earnhardt

The **1979 Piston Cup Season** was the 36th season of the Piston Cup Racing Series. This is considered to a well known season for the battle between Bill Brady (who was upgraded into a Stodgey Suaver EX this year), Alloy Wilson and Strip Weathers but in the end it was alloy who won the championship. This season was also marked by two tragic events. First was Ronald Oaks's season-ending crash during the Alabama 500 and then the fatal crash of James Carlidge during the Beachside 500.

## Changes

### Rookies and sponsors

Dale Earnhardt went full-time this season after running 4 seasons as a part-timer. Cozsen also debuted with Chick Hicks. Clutch Aid went back to becoming a two car team sponsoring Klint Shiftright, father of Kraig Shiftright. Kraig even changed his number to 122. One part-time entered being Greg Candyman for Tach-O-Mint.

## Racers

* **Bold - Rookie**
* *Italics - Part-timer*

1. Pepsi 01 - Sam Krankzler
2. **Wrangler 3 - Dale Earnhardt**
3. Tow Cap 4 - David Palmer
4. View Zeen 10 - Bill Shields
5. No Stall 13 - Marvin Johnson
6. Texas Tea 14 - Mike Seasons
7. Gatorade 17 - Darrell Cartrip
8. BnL 23 - Nathan Allison
9. Nitroade 28 - Andrew Axler
10. Rubbertons 30 - R.A. Rubberton
11. Lucky's Bar & Grill and Ulysses Mining Co. 31 - Alex Quint
12. Mood Springs 33 - Bill Brady
13. Trunk Fresh 34 - Alloy Wilson
14. Shifty Drug 35 - Harold Axel
15. Tank Coat 36 - Dick Miller
16. Dinoco 43 - Strip Weathers
17. *Oxnard 48 - Thomas Tanrev*
18. Easy Idle 51 - Ronald Oaks **(1-10)** Joe Carbureski **(11-36)**
19. *Leak Less 52 - Claude Scruggs*
20. Southern Gold Gasoline 53 - Thomas Tireson
21. Fiber Fuel 56 - Charles Johnson
22. Octane Gain 58 - Bernie Simpson
23. Vitoline 61 - William Highbanks
24. Transberry Juice 63 - Brad Gonzalez
25. RPM 64 - Don Chapcar
26. Southern Special 67 - Bertie Fast
27. N20 Cola 68 - Ron Pitcar
28. Gasprin 70 - Mike Yankee
29. Sludgee 71 - John Watson
30. *Rev-N-Go 73 - Misti Motorkrass*
31. Sidewall Shine 74 - Slide Powers
32. Frostar Air Filters 75 - Cole Speedland
33. Retread 79 - Norman Green
34. Gask-Its 80 - Billy Ford
35. Shiny Wax 84 - Tom Landis **(1-32, 34-36)** John Kennedy **(33)**
36. Re-Volting 84 - Don Alternators
37. **Cozsen 86 - Chick Hicks**
38. Chop Saves 87 - James Carlidge **(1-32)**
39. Bumper Save 90 - James Robson
40. Sputter Stop 92 - Herbert Brown
41. Spare Mint 93 - Ernie Gearson
42. Tuxedo Plumbing 98 - Jonathan Melter
43. Retread Free 99 - Pete Wilson
44. *Tach-O-Mint 101 - Greg Candyman*
45. Lil' Torquey Pistons 117 - Lonnie Pond
46. **Clutch Aid 121 - Klint Shiftright**
47. Clutch Aid and Cozsen 122 - Kraig Shiftright

## Gallery

Sam KrankzlerDale EarnhardtDavid PalmerBill ShieldsMarvin JohnsonMike SeasonsDarrell CartripNathan AllisonAndrew AxlerR.A. RubbertonAlex QuintBill BradyAlloy WilsonHarold AxelDick MillerStrip WeathersThomas TanrevRonald OaksJoe CarbureskiClaude ScruggsThomas TiresonCharles JohnsonBernie SimpsonWilliam HighbanksBrad GonzalezDon ChapcarJohn WatsonBertie FastRon PitcarMike YankeeSludgee WatsonMisti MotorkrassSlide PowersCole SpeedlandNorman GreenBilly FordTom LandisJohn Kennedy.pngJohn KennedyDon AlternatorsChick HicksJames CarlidgeJames RobsonHerbert BrownErnie GearsonJonathan MelterPete WilsonGreg CandymanLonnie PondKlint ShiftrightKraig Shiftright
## Trivia

* Aside from Carlidge, this was the final season for R.A. Rubberton and Slide Powers.

## Navigation

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