| Official Race Results | |||||||||
| Talladega 500 | Alabama International Motor Speedway | |||||||||
| August 05, 1979 | Race 20 of 31 | |||||||||
| Average Speed: 161.229 mph | |||||||||
| Margin of Victory: 62 seconds | Time of Race: 03:06:06 | ||||||||
| Lead Changes: 34 | |||||||||
| Cautions: 5 for 28 laps. | |||||||||
| Fin | St | Car | Driver | Make | Sponsor | Pts / Bonus | Laps | Status | Winnings |
| 1 | 8 | #88 | Darrell Waltrip | Oldsmobile | Gatorade | 185/10 | 188 | Running | $32,325 |
| 2 | 2 | #2 | David Pearson | Oldsmobile | Osterlund | 175/5 | 188 | Running | $20,925 |
| 3 | 11 | #90 | Ricky Rudd | Mercury | Truxmore | 165/0 | 186 | Running | $13,920 |
| 4 | 13 | #43 | Richard Petty | Oldsmobile | STP | 165/5 | 186 | Running | $11,475 |
| 5 | 25 | #77 | Jody Ridley | Mercury | Sunny King Ford | 155/0 | 186 | Running | $6,025 |
| 6 | 3 | #30 | Tighe Scott | Buick | Russ Togs | 150/0 | 186 | Running | $8,000 |
| 7 | 21 | #47 | Harry Gant | Oldsmobile | Race Hill Farm | 146/0 | 184 | Running | $4,815 |
| 8 | 6 | #67 | Buddy Arrington | Dodge | Rossmeyer | 142/0 | 181 | Running | $5,980 |
| 9 | 18 | #42 | Kyle Petty | Dodge | STP | 138/0 | 181 | Running | $3,315 |
| 10 | 20 | #3 | Richard Childress | Oldsmobile | Crc Chemicals | 134/0 | 179 | Running | $5,520 |
| 11 | 24 | #05 | Dick Brooks | Oldsmobile | Bearfinder | 130/0 | 177 | Running | $4,560 |
| 12 | 22 | #9 | Bill Elliott | Mercury | Yandle/Thermo King | 127/0 | 176 | Running | $2,865 |
| 13 | 37 | #52 | Jimmy Means | Chevrolet | Mr. Transmission | 124/0 | 175 | Running | $4,740 |
| 14 | 38 | #19 | Bob Burcham | Chevrolet | Belden Asphalt | 121/0 | 172 | Running | $4,480 |
| 15 | 34 | #20 | Rick Newsom | Oldsmobile | Mars, Inc. | 118/0 | 172 | Running | $2,565 |
| 16 | 10 | #50 | Bruce Hill | Oldsmobile | Global Heat Exchange | 115/0 | 171 | Engine Failure | $2,465 |
| 17 | 39 | #73 | Steve Moore | Chevrolet | Gilbert Moore | 112/0 | 170 | Running | $2,415 |
| 18 | 31 | #70 | J.D. McDuffie | Chevrolet | Bailey Excavating | 109/0 | 163 | Running | $3,920 |
| 19 | 7 | #41 | Grant Adcox | Oldsmobile | Adcox-Kirby | 111/5 | 162 | Dropped Valve | $2,515 |
| 20 | 30 | #48 | James Hylton | Oldsmobile | Palatine Automotive | 103/0 | 159 | Running | $3,510 |
| 21 | 12 | #27 | Benny Parsons | Oldsmobile | Griffin's Marine | 105/5 | 146 | Engine Failure | $3,400 |
| 22 | 32 | #25 | Ronnie Thomas | Buick | Stone's Cafeteria | 97/0 | 143 | Engine Failure | $3,965 |
| 23 | 9 | #79 | Frank Warren | Dodge | Native Tan | 94/0 | 142 | Running | $2,830 |
| 24 | 5 | #11 | Cale Yarborough | Oldsmobile | Busch | 96/5 | 138 | Engine Failure | $8,015 |
| 25 | 26 | #72 | Joe Millikan | Oldsmobile | Appliance Wheels | 93/5 | 120 | Engine Failure | $6,615 |
| 26 | 36 | #45 | Baxter Price | Oldsmobile | Iron Peddlers | 85/0 | 95 | Engine Failure | $2,670 |
| 27 | 35 | #40 | D.k. Ulrich | Buick | Ulrich | 82/0 | 92 | Engine Failure | $2,600 |
| 28 | 19 | #15 | Bobby Allison | Ford | Hodgdon/Moore | 79/0 | 90 | Engine Failure | $5,365 |
| 29 | 33 | #14 | Coo Coo Marlin | Chevrolet | Cunningham-Kelley | 76/0 | 87 | Engine Failure | $1,590 |
| 30 | 23 | #1 | Donnie Allison | Chevrolet | Hawaiian Tropic | 73/0 | 83 | Dropped Valve | $1,515 |
| 31 | 14 | #71 | Dave Marcis | Chevrolet | Shoney's | 70/0 | 83 | Timing Chain | $1,350 |
| 32 | 40 | #36 | Marty Robbins | Dodge | Robbins Racing | 67/0 | 75 | Engine Failure | $1,325 |
| 33 | 15 | #44 | Terry Labonte | Buick | Stratagraph | 64/0 | 75 | Engine Failure | $2,300 |
| 34 | 1 | #21 | Neil Bonnett | Mercury | Purolator | 66/5 | 71 | Engine Failure | $6,025 |
| 35 | 16 | #12 | Jack Ingram | Oldsmobile | Kencoal | 58/0 | 70 | Clutch | $1,250 |
| 36 | 27 | #64 | Tommy Gale | Ford | Sunny King Ford & Honda | 55/0 | 58 | Engine Failure | $1,725 |
| 37 | 29 | #39 | Blackie Wangerin | Mercury | Wangerin | 52/0 | 50 | Lost Oil Pressure | $1,350 |
| 38 | 17 | #7 | Al Holbert | Oldsmobile | Holbert Porsche-Audi | PE | 47 | Engine Failure | $1,175 |
| 39 | 4 | #28 | Buddy Baker | Oldsmobile | W.i.n., Inc. | 46/0 | 41 | Dropped Valve | $1,750 |
| 40 | 41 | #24 | Cecil Gordon | Oldsmobile | Gordon | 43/0 | 40 | Engine Failure | $1,550 |
| 41 | 28 | #87 | Dick May | Oldsmobile | Fast Lane Ltd. | PE | 1 | Lost Oil Pressure | $1,050 |
| * Denotes Rookie | |||||||||