1978 Piston Cup Season

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## Season Information

### 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

## Awards

### Rookie of the Year

William Highbanks

The **1978 Piston Cup Season** was the 35th season of the Piston Cup Racing Series.

## Changes

### Rookies and sponsors

Only one full-time rookie debuted being William Highbanks for Vitoline, part-time racers include Claude Scruggs for Leak Less and Misti Motorkrass for Rev-N-Go.

## 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
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
36. Re-Volting 84 - Don Alternators
37. Chop Saves 87 - James Carlidge
38. Bumper Save 90 - James Robson
39. Sputter Stop 92 - Herbert Brown
40. Spare Mint 93 - Ernie Gearson
41. Tuxedo Plumbing 98 - Jonathan Melter
42. Retread Free 99 - Pete Wilson
43. Lil' Torquey Pistons 117 - Lonnie Pond
44. Clutch Aid and Cozsen 121 - Kraig Shiftright

## Race Winners

1. Virginia 400 - Cole Speedland (1)
2. Florida 500 - Strip Weathers (1)
3. Hollywood 400 - Bill Shields (1)
4. Lightyear 350 - Don Chapcar (1)
5. Glen Ellen 350 - Darrell Cartrip (1)
6. Olympus 400 - James Robson
7. BnL 600 - Kraig Shiftright (1)
8. Rev-N-Go 350 - Alloy Wilson (1)
9. Thunderhill 400 - Jonathan Melter
10. Alabama 500 - Lonnie Pond
11. MTN Dew 400 - Alloy Wilson (2)
12. 5 Mile 400 - Mike Yankee
13. Heartland 400 - Bill Shields (2)
14. Re-Volting 300 - Kraig Shiftright (2)
15. Sidewall Shine 350 - Alloy Wilson (3)
16. Los Angeles 500 - Strip Weathers (2)
17. Palm Mile 300 - Billy Ford (1)
18. Iowa Hybrid 450 - Don Alternators
19. Oxnard 400 - Dale Earnhardt
20. Georgia Safety Horn 350 - Billy Ford (2)
21. Gasprin 350 - Bill Shields (3)
22. Copper Canyon 400 - Kraig Shiftright (3)
23. RPM 400 - Strip Weathers (3)
24. Grandol Oil Co. 400 - Darrell Cartrip (2)
25. BnL 500 - Alloy Wilson (4)
26. Mood Springs 400 - Cole Speedland (2)
27. Tuxedo Plumbing 400 - Billy Ford (3)
28. Spare Mint 350 - Kraig Shiftright (4)
29. Vitoline 400 - Strip Weathers (4)
30. Daniel 500 - Kraig Shiftright (5)
31. Gears & Glory 450 - Slide Powers
32. Beachside 500 - Don Chapcar (2)
33. Simpletown 400 - Kraig Shiftright (6)
34. Octane Gain 400 - Strip Weathers (5)
35. Smasherville 400 - Darrell Cartrip (3)
36. Rubbertons 400 - Kraig Shiftright (7)

## Win Chart

1. Kraig Shiftright - 7 wins
2. Strip Weathers - 5 wins
3. Alloy Wilson - 4 wins
4. Darrell Cartrip - 3 wins
5. Billy Ford - 3 wins
6. Bill Shields - 3 wins
7. Don Chapcar - 2 wins
8. Cole Speedland - 2 wins
9. Slide Powers - 1 win
10. Don Alternators - 1 win
11. Mike Yankee - 1 win
12. Lonnie Pond - 1 win
13. Jonathan Melter - 1 win
14. James Robson - 1 win

## Gallery

Sam KrankzlerDale EarnhardtDavid PalmerBill ShieldsMarvin JohnsonMike SeasonsDarrell CartripNathan AllisonAndrew AxlerR.A. RubbertonAlex QuintBill BradyAlloy WilsonHarold AxelDick MillerStrip WeathersThomas TanrevRonald OaksClaude ScruggsThomas TiresonCharles JohnsonBernie SimpsonWilliam HighbanksBrad GonzalezDon ChapcarJohn WatsonBertie FastRon PitcarMike YankeeJohn WatsonMisti MotorkrassSlide PowersCole SpeedlandNorman GreenBilly FordTom LandisDon AlternatorsJames CarlidgeJames RobsonHerbert BrownErnie GearsonJonathan MelterPete WilsonLonnie PondKraig Shiftright

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