| Official Race Results | |||||||||
| Daytona 500 | Daytona International Speedway | |||||||||
| February 18, 1979 | Race 2 of 31 | |||||||||
| Average Speed: 143.977 mph | |||||||||
| Margin of Victory: one car length | Time of Race: 03:28:22 | ||||||||
| Lead Changes: 36 | |||||||||
| Cautions: 7 for 57 laps. | |||||||||
| Fin | St | Car | Driver | Make | Sponsor | Pts / Bonus | Laps | Status | Winnings |
| 1 | 13 | #43 | Richard Petty | Oldsmobile | STP | 180/5 | 200 | Running | $73,900 |
| 2 | 4 | #88 | Darrell Waltrip | Oldsmobile | Gatorade | 175/5 | 200 | Running | $59,350 |
| 3 | 6 | #51 | AJ Foyt | Oldsmobile | Gilmore | PE | 200 | Running | $38,550 |
| 4 | 2 | #1 | Donnie Allison | Oldsmobile | Hawaiian Tropic | 170/10 | 199 | Accident | $39,600 |
| 5 | 3 | #11 | Cale Yarborough | Oldsmobile | Busch | 160/5 | 199 | Accident | $34,525 |
| 6 | 33 | #30 | Tighe Scott | Buick | Russ Togs | 150/0 | 199 | Running | $24,540 |
| 7 | 28 | #68 | Chuck Bown | Buick | Kings Inn | 146/0 | 199 | Running | $18,895 |
| 8 | 10 | #2 | Dale Earnhardt * | Buick | Osterlund | 147/5 | 199 | Running | $22,845 |
| 9 | 37 | #14 | Coo Coo Marlin | Chevrolet | Cunningham-Kelley | 138/0 | 198 | Running | $15,885 |
| 10 | 24 | #79 | Frank Warren | Dodge | Native Tan | 134/0 | 197 | Running | $17,475 |
| 11 | 7 | #15 | Bobby Allison | Ford | Hodgdon/Moore | 135/5 | 197 | Running | $17,725 |
| 12 | 15 | #67 | Buddy Arrington | Dodge | Reid Trailer Sales | 127/0 | 197 | Running | $13,795 |
| 13 | 35 | #40 | D.k. Ulrich | Buick | Midwestern Farm Lines | 124/0 | 197 | Running | $11,355 |
| 14 | 38 | #19 | Bill Dennis | Chevrolet | Belden Jennite | 121/0 | 196 | Running | $10,115 |
| 15 | 26 | #98 | Ralph Jones | Ford | Jones | 118/0 | 195 | Running | $8,110 |
| 16 | 19 | #44 | Terry Labonte | Buick | Stratagraph | 115/0 | 189 | Running | $8,820 |
| 17 | 31 | #3 | Richard Childress | Oldsmobile | Crc Chemicals | 112/0 | 188 | Running | $6,865 |
| 18 | 5 | #27 | Benny Parsons | Oldsmobile | Griffin's Marine | 114/5 | 183 | Running | $10,435 |
| 19 | 17 | #50 | Bruce Hill | Oldsmobile | Newport & Assoc. | 106/0 | 168 | Running | $5,375 |
| 20 | 36 | #39 | Blackie Wangerin | Mercury | Wangerin | 103/0 | 160 | Running | $4,005 |
| 21 | 30 | #74 | Bobby Wawak | Oldsmobile | Wawak | 100/0 | 152 | Overheating | $4,840 |
| 22 | 23 | #82 | Paul Fess | Oldsmobile | Lasky Construction | 97/0 | 135 | Engine Failure | $3,860 |
| 23 | 21 | #41 | Grant Adcox | Chevrolet | Adcox-Kirby | 94/0 | 129 | Rear Wheel Cylinder | $3,730 |
| 24 | 12 | #02 | Dave Marcis | Chevrolet | Shoney's | 91/0 | 119 | Engine Failure | $3,950 |
| 25 | 29 | #70 | J.D. McDuffie | Oldsmobile | Bailey Excavating | 88/0 | 116 | Cracked Cylinder Head | $4,470 |
| 26 | 25 | #37 | Dave Watson | Chevrolet | Amsoil | 90/5 | 115 | Clutch | $2,850 |
| 27 | 8 | #05 | Dick Brooks | Oldsmobile | Bearfinder | 82/0 | 105 | Transmission | $5,275 |
| 28 | 22 | #00 | John A. Utsman | Chevrolet | Whitaker | 79/0 | 101 | Engine Failure | $2,850 |
| 29 | 16 | #47 | Geoffrey Bodine | Oldsmobile | Race Hill Farm | 81/5 | 99 | Engine Failure | $3,275 |
| 30 | 40 | #54 | Lennie Pond | Oldsmobile | Burger King | 78/5 | 83 | No Brakes | $2,085 |
| 31 | 11 | #90 | Ricky Rudd | Mercury | Truxmore | 70/0 | 79 | Broken Valve | $4,110 |
| 32 | 20 | #5 | Neil Bonnett | Oldsmobile | Jim Stacy | 72/5 | 76 | Suspension | $4,475 |
| 33 | 14 | #12 | Harry Gant | Oldsmobile | J.W. Hunt Produce | 64/0 | 72 | Accident | $2,875 |
| 34 | 41 | #25 | Ronnie Thomas | Chevrolet | Sub-Tropic | 61/0 | 64 | Burned Piston | $4,045 |
| 35 | 27 | #87 | Gary Balough | Oldsmobile | Fast Lane Ltd. | 58/0 | 53 | Accident | $3,425 |
| 36 | 32 | #72 | Joe Millikan | Oldsmobile | L.G. Dewitt | 55/0 | 53 | Accident | $5,340 |
| 37 | 9 | #21 | David Pearson | Mercury | Purolator | 52/0 | 53 | Accident | $3,275 |
| 38 | 18 | #17 | Skip Manning | Oldsmobile | Valvoline | 49/0 | 53 | Accident | $3,555 |
| 39 | 34 | #75 | Butch Mock | Buick | Rahilly | 46/0 | 38 | Accident | $2,165 |
| 40 | 1 | #28 | Buddy Baker | Oldsmobile | Spectra | 48/5 | 38 | Engine Failure | $23,775 |
| 41 | 39 | #89 | Jim Vandiver | Oldsmobile | O.l. Nixon | 40/0 | 27 | Engine Failure | $1,930 |
| * Denotes Rookie | |||||||||