| Official Race Results | |||||||||
| Champion 400 | Michigan International Speedway | |||||||||
| August 20, 1978 | Race 20 of 30 | |||||||||
| Average Speed: 129.566 mph | |||||||||
| Margin of Victory: 0.32 seconds | Time of Race: 03:05:14 | ||||||||
| Lead Changes: 34 | |||||||||
| Cautions: 7 for 35 laps. | |||||||||
| Fin | St | Car | Driver | Make | Sponsor | Pts / Bonus | Laps | Status | Winnings |
| 1 | 1 | #21 | David Pearson | Mercury | Purolator | 180/5 | 200 | Running | $12,000 |
| 2 | 3 | #11 | Cale Yarborough | Oldsmobile | 1st Nat'l City Trav. Cks. | 180/10 | 200 | Running | $13,275 |
| 3 | 4 | #88 | Darrell Waltrip | Chevrolet | Gatorade | 170/5 | 200 | Running | $9,325 |
| 4 | 7 | #2 | Dave Marcis | Chevrolet | Osterlund | 165/5 | 200 | Running | $5,950 |
| 5 | 2 | #15 | Bobby Allison | Ford | Norris Industries | 160/5 | 198 | Running | $7,300 |
| 6 | 12 | #90 | Dick Brooks | Mercury | Truxmore | 150/0 | 198 | Running | $4,950 |
| 7 | 9 | #70 | J.D. McDuffie | Chevrolet | Bailey Excavating | 151/5 | 197 | Running | $4,330 |
| 8 | 15 | #54 | Lennie Pond | Oldsmobile | W.i.n. | 142/0 | 196 | Running | $5,400 |
| 9 | 17 | #5 | Neil Bonnett | Oldsmobile | Armor All | 138/0 | 195 | Running | $5,300 |
| 10 | 11 | #8 | Ferrel Harris | Chevrolet | Autowize | 134/0 | 194 | Running | $3,820 |
| 11 | 28 | #19 | Dick May | Chevrolet | Belden Asphalt | 130/0 | 194 | Running | $3,610 |
| 12 | 26 | #67 | Buddy Arrington | Dodge | Falls Radiator | 127/0 | 193 | Running | $3,390 |
| 13 | 5 | #72 | Benny Parsons | Oldsmobile | 1st Nat'l City Trav. Cks. | 129/5 | 191 | Running | $5,150 |
| 14 | 14 | #43 | Richard Petty | Chevrolet | STP | 121/0 | 190 | Accident | $5,075 |
| 15 | 31 | #52 | Jimmy Means | Chevrolet | Wixc Radio | 118/0 | 190 | Running | $2,810 |
| 16 | 24 | #64 | Tommy Gale | Ford | Sunny King Ford & Honda | 115/0 | 190 | Running | $2,370 |
| 17 | 33 | #24 | Cecil Gordon | Chevrolet | Transmissions Unlimited | 112/0 | 189 | Running | $2,135 |
| 18 | 36 | #8 | Ed Negre | Dodge | Negre | 109/0 | 189 | Running | $1,050 |
| 19 | 27 | #30 | Tighe Scott | Chevrolet | Russ Togs | 106/0 | 187 | Running | $1,925 |
| 20 | 34 | #4 | Gary Myers | Chevrolet | Spencer's Baby Wear | 103/0 | 185 | Running | $1,000 |
| 21 | 30 | #45 | Baxter Price | Chevrolet | Price Racing | 100/0 | 183 | Running | $1,615 |
| 22 | 29 | #7 | Joey Arrington | Dodge | Sam Dell | 97/0 | 183 | Running | $950 |
| 23 | 10 | #40 | D.k. Ulrich | Chevrolet | Midwestern Farm Lines | 99/5 | 181 | Running | $1,555 |
| 24 | 35 | #79 | Frank Warren | Dodge | Native Tan | 91/0 | 170 | Running | $1,520 |
| 25 | 23 | #39 | Blackie Wangerin | Mercury | Wangerin | 88/0 | 143 | Engine Failure | $1,330 |
| 26 | 25 | #25 | Ronnie Thomas * | Chevrolet | Louise Smith | 85/0 | 139 | Engine Failure | $1,405 |
| 27 | 18 | #68 | Janet Guthrie | Buick | Kelly Girl | PE | 128 | Engine Failure | $780 |
| 28 | 21 | #22 | Ricky Rudd | Chevrolet | 1st Nat'l City Trav. Cks. | 84/5 | 113 | Cracked Cylinder Head | $2,255 |
| 29 | 19 | #1 | Donnie Allison | Oldsmobile | Grog Pond | 76/0 | 96 | Broken Valve | $740 |
| 30 | 16 | #17 | Roger Hamby | Chevrolet | Hamby/Ellis Automotive | 73/0 | 88 | Overheating | $720 |
| 31 | 8 | #3 | Richard Childress | Oldsmobile | Kansas Jack | 75/5 | 68 | Broken Valve | $1,195 |
| 32 | 32 | #01 | Earle Canavan | Dodge | Pepsi | 67/0 | 59 | Transmission | $685 |
| 33 | 20 | #92 | Mel Larson | Oldsmobile | Thermo-Sol | 64/0 | 31 | Wiring System | $1,175 |
| 34 | 13 | #05 | Bruce Hill | Oldsmobile | Bearfinder | 61/0 | 23 | Engine Failure | $665 |
| 35 | 22 | #48 | James Hylton | Chevrolet | Palatine Automotive | 58/0 | 17 | Engine Failure | $1,155 |
| 36 | 6 | #27 | Buddy Baker | Oldsmobile | M.C. Anderson | 55/0 | 9 | Engine Failure | $1,130 |
| * Denotes Rookie | |||||||||