| Official Race Results | |||||||||
| Atlanta 500 | Atlanta Motor Speedway | |||||||||
| March 18, 1979 | Race 5 of 31 | |||||||||
| Average Speed: 135.136 mph | |||||||||
| Margin of Victory: 6 seconds | Time of Race: 03:41:39 | ||||||||
| Lead Changes: 29 | |||||||||
| Cautions: 5 for 42 laps. | |||||||||
| Fin | St | Car | Driver | Make | Sponsor | Pts / Bonus | Laps | Status | Winnings |
| 1 | 1 | #28 | Buddy Baker | Oldsmobile | Spectra | 180/5 | 328 | Running | $35,975 |
| 2 | 2 | #15 | Bobby Allison | Ford | Hodgdon/Moore | 180/10 | 328 | Running | $32,875 |
| 3 | 6 | #88 | Darrell Waltrip | Chevrolet | Gatorade | 170/5 | 328 | Running | $15,400 |
| 4 | 4 | #11 | Cale Yarborough | Oldsmobile | Busch | 165/5 | 327 | Running | $11,725 |
| 5 | 3 | #27 | Benny Parsons | Chevrolet | Griffin's Marine | 155/0 | 327 | Running | $5,775 |
| 6 | 15 | #02 | Dave Marcis | Chevrolet | Shoney's | 150/0 | 327 | Running | $4,775 |
| 7 | 14 | #1 | Donnie Allison | Chevrolet | Hawaiian Tropic | 146/0 | 326 | Running | $7,075 |
| 8 | 13 | #72 | Joe Millikan | Oldsmobile | Appliance Wheels | 142/0 | 326 | Running | $8,925 |
| 9 | 8 | #90 | Ricky Rudd | Mercury | Truxmore | 138/0 | 325 | Running | $5,720 |
| 10 | 12 | #05 | Dick Brooks | Oldsmobile | Bearfinder | 134/0 | 325 | Running | $3,025 |
| 11 | 11 | #43 | Richard Petty | Oldsmobile | STP | 130/0 | 324 | Running | $6,025 |
| 12 | 17 | #2 | Dale Earnhardt * | Buick | Osterlund | 127/0 | 321 | Running | $4,835 |
| 13 | 22 | #48 | James Hylton | Chevrolet | Palatine Automotive | 124/0 | 321 | Running | $4,390 |
| 14 | 24 | #40 | D.k. Ulrich | Buick | Airport Howard Jonnson's | 121/0 | 321 | Running | $4,155 |
| 15 | 16 | #50 | Bruce Hill | Oldsmobile | Hill | 118/0 | 321 | Running | $1,825 |
| 16 | 9 | #68 | Chuck Bown | Buick | Kings Mountain | 115/0 | 315 | Running | $1,600 |
| 17 | 32 | #70 | J.D. McDuffie | Oldsmobile | Bailey Excavating | 112/0 | 314 | Running | $3,640 |
| 18 | 5 | #21 | David Pearson | Mercury | Purolator | 114/5 | 299 | Engine Failure | $1,990 |
| 19 | 37 | #45 | Baxter Price | Chevrolet | Price Racing | 106/0 | 295 | Running | $3,410 |
| 20 | 26 | #3 | Richard Childress | Oldsmobile | Crc Chemicals | 103/0 | 295 | Running | $3,295 |
| 21 | 23 | #64 | Tommy Gale | Ford | Sunny King Ford & Honda | 100/0 | 282 | Running | $2,705 |
| 22 | 30 | #79 | Frank Warren | Dodge | Native Tan | 97/0 | 273 | Engine Failure | $2,470 |
| 23 | 29 | #24 | Cecil Gordon | Oldsmobile | Gordon-Barnicle | 94/0 | 249 | Running | $2,285 |
| 24 | 27 | #19 | Dick May | Chevrolet | Belden Asphalt | 91/0 | 221 | Overheating | $2,000 |
| 25 | 7 | #44 | Terry Labonte | Chevrolet | Stratagraph | 88/0 | 211 | Engine Failure | $1,965 |
| 26 | 36 | #17 | Roger Hamby | Chevrolet | Hamby/Ellis Automotive | 85/0 | 172 | Accident | $1,880 |
| 27 | 35 | #6 | Claude Ballott-Lena | Oldsmobile | Jms | PE | 168 | Accident | $950 |
| 28 | 34 | #41 | Grant Adcox | Chevrolet | Adcox-Kirby | 79/0 | 133 | Accident | $925 |
| 29 | 38 | #67 | Buddy Arrington | Dodge | Sam Dell | 76/0 | 129 | Blown Head Gasket | $1,785 |
| 30 | 20 | #39 | Blackie Wangerin | Mercury | Wangerin | 73/0 | 126 | Transmission | $875 |
| 31 | 31 | #98 | Ralph Jones | Ford | Jones | 70/0 | 126 | Clutch | $1,835 |
| 32 | 18 | #37 | Dave Watson | Chevrolet | Amsoil | 72/5 | 123 | Withdrew | $1,075 |
| 33 | 25 | #52 | Jimmy Means | Chevrolet | Mr. Transmission | 64/0 | 82 | Transmission | $1,315 |
| 34 | 39 | #25 | Ronnie Thomas | Buick | 1st Nat'l City Trav. Cks. | 61/0 | 71 | Not Handling | $2,305 |
| 35 | 21 | #47 | Geoffrey Bodine | Oldsmobile | Race Hill Farm | 58/0 | 66 | Not Handling | $795 |
| 36 | 10 | #9 | Bill Elliott | Mercury | Dahlonega Ford Sales | PE | 61 | Steering | $765 |
| 37 | 28 | #30 | Tighe Scott | Buick | Russ Togs | 52/0 | 54 | Steering | $1,255 |
| 38 | 19 | #14 | Coo Coo Marlin | Chevrolet | Cunningham-Kelley | 49/0 | 53 | Accident | $745 |
| 39 | 33 | #0 | John Kennedy | Chevrolet | Avanti Cb | 46/0 | 50 | Accident | $735 |
| 40 | 40 | #53 | Keith Davis | Chevrolet | Davis | 43/0 | 15 | Rear End | $725 |
| * Denotes Rookie | |||||||||