| Official Race Results | |||||||||
| Talladega 500 | Alabama International Motor Speedway | |||||||||
| August 06, 1978 | Race 19 of 30 | |||||||||
| Average Speed: 174.7 mph | |||||||||
| Margin of Victory: 2 car lengths | Time of Race: 02:51:45 | ||||||||
| Lead Changes: 67 | |||||||||
| Cautions: 4 for 17 laps. | |||||||||
| Fin | St | Car | Driver | Make | Sponsor | Pts / Bonus | Laps | Status | Winnings |
| 1 | 5 | #54 | Lennie Pond | Oldsmobile | W.i.n. | 180/5 | 188 | Running | $19,600 |
| 2 | 9 | #1 | Donnie Allison | Oldsmobile | Hawaiian Tropic | 175/5 | 188 | Running | $12,200 |
| 3 | 2 | #72 | Benny Parsons | Oldsmobile | 1st Nat'l City Trav. Cks. | 170/5 | 188 | Running | $13,300 |
| 4 | 1 | #11 | Cale Yarborough | Oldsmobile | 1st Nat'l City Trav. Cks. | 170/10 | 188 | Running | $17,000 |
| 5 | 3 | #21 | David Pearson | Mercury | Purolator | 160/5 | 187 | Running | $6,100 |
| 6 | 20 | #15 | Bobby Allison | Ford | Norris Industries | 150/0 | 186 | Running | $8,440 |
| 7 | 6 | #43 | Richard Petty | Dodge | STP | 151/5 | 186 | Running | $7,740 |
| 8 | 14 | #5 | Neil Bonnett | Chevrolet | Armor All | 147/5 | 183 | Running | $6,640 |
| 9 | 15 | #90 | Dick Brooks | Mercury | Truxmore | 138/0 | 182 | Running | $5,490 |
| 10 | 17 | #30 | Tighe Scott | Oldsmobile | Russ Togs | 134/0 | 181 | Running | $5,070 |
| 11 | 24 | #8 | Ferrel Harris | Chevrolet | Autowize | 130/0 | 181 | Running | $4,785 |
| 12 | 27 | #96 | Dale Earnhardt | Ford | Cardinal Tractor | 127/0 | 180 | Running | $2,740 |
| 13 | 19 | #9 | Bill Elliott | Mercury | Dahlonega Ford Sales | 124/0 | 179 | Running | $2,640 |
| 14 | 25 | #2 | Dave Marcis | Oldsmobile | Osterlund | 121/0 | 176 | Running | $3,850 |
| 15 | 29 | #67 | Buddy Arrington | Dodge | Sam Dell | 118/0 | 175 | Running | $4,130 |
| 16 | 34 | #19 | Dick May | Chevrolet | Belden Asphalt | 115/0 | 172 | Running | $3,870 |
| 17 | 23 | #70 | J.D. McDuffie | Chevrolet | Bailey Excavating | 112/0 | 172 | Running | $3,635 |
| 18 | 38 | #42 | Marty Robbins | Dodge | Marty Robbins Racing | 109/0 | 171 | Running | $2,240 |
| 19 | 41 | #40 | D.k. Ulrich | Chevrolet | Midwestern Farm Lines | 106/0 | 168 | Running | $3,250 |
| 20 | 30 | #64 | Tommy Gale | Ford | Sunny King Ford & Honda | 103/0 | 168 | Running | $2,940 |
| 21 | 31 | #4 | Gary Myers | Chevrolet | Spencer's Baby Wear | 100/0 | 167 | Running | $1,890 |
| 22 | 33 | #41 | Grant Adcox | Chevrolet | Krystal | 97/0 | 165 | Running | $1,840 |
| 23 | 32 | #45 | Baxter Price | Chevrolet | Price Racing | 94/0 | 165 | Running | $2,430 |
| 24 | 35 | #25 | Ronnie Thomas * | Chevrolet | Louise Smith | 91/0 | 164 | Running | $3,870 |
| 25 | 18 | #3 | Richard Childress | Oldsmobile | Kansas Jack | 88/0 | 164 | Running | $2,310 |
| 26 | 8 | #14 | Coo Coo Marlin | Chevrolet | Cunningham-Kelley | 85/0 | 158 | Engine Failure | $1,640 |
| 27 | 40 | #73 | Steve Moore | Chevrolet | Willard-Moore | 82/0 | 150 | Running | $1,590 |
| 28 | 4 | #27 | Buddy Baker | Oldsmobile | Howell Heflin | 84/5 | 149 | Broken Valve | $5,040 |
| 29 | 12 | #68 | Janet Guthrie | Buick | Kelly Girl | 76/0 | 129 | Accident | $1,990 |
| 30 | 28 | #48 | Al Holbert | Oldsmobile | Southland Industries | 73/0 | 124 | Broken Timing Chain | $1,930 |
| 31 | 39 | #01 | Earle Canavan | Dodge | Pepsi | PE | 119 | Running | $1,280 |
| 32 | 36 | #52 | Jimmy Means | Chevrolet | Wixc | 67/0 | 118 | Accident | $1,755 |
| 33 | 13 | #79 | Frank Warren | Dodge | Native Tan | 64/0 | 110 | Running | $1,730 |
| 34 | 11 | #88 | Darrell Waltrip | Chevrolet | Gatorade | 66/5 | 105 | Engine Failure | $5,205 |
| 35 | 21 | #05 | Bruce Hill | Oldsmobile | Bearfinder | 58/0 | 96 | Broken Axle Housing | $1,480 |
| 36 | 37 | #17 | Roger Hamby | Chevrolet | Kockum's | 55/0 | 94 | Clutch/Brk. Axle Housing | $1,155 |
| 37 | 16 | #49 | Claude Ballott-Lena | Dodge | Jms | PE | 48 | Engine Failure | $1,130 |
| 38 | 10 | #92 | Skip Manning | Buick | Stratagraph | 49/0 | 46 | Engine Failure | $1,605 |
| 39 | 7 | #22 | Ricky Rudd | Chevrolet | 1st Nat'l City Trav. Cks. | 46/0 | 22 | Cracked Cylinder Head | $2,580 |
| 40 | 26 | #39 | Blackie Wangerin | Mercury | Wangerin | 43/0 | 9 | Broken Valve Lifter | $980 |
| 41 | 22 | #12 | James Hylton | Buick | Rudd Auto Parts | PE | 1 | Transmission | $1,130 |
| * Denotes Rookie | |||||||||