1979 Firecracker 400
{{short description|Auto race held at Daytona International Speedway in 1979}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox NASCAR race report
| Type = CUST
| Description = Race 17 of 31 in the 1979 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season
| Race Name = Firecracker 400
| Details ref =
| Fulldate = {{Start date|1979|07|4}}
| Year = 1979
| Race_No = 17
| Season_No = 31
| Image = 1979_Firecracker_400_program_cover.png
| Caption = The 1979 Firecracker 400 program cover. "We Are America Day"
| Official name = Firecracker 400
| Location = Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, Florida
| Course_mi = 2.500
| Course_km = 4.023
| Distance_laps = 160
| Distance_mi = 400
| Distance_km = 643
| Avg = {{convert|172.89|mi/h}}
| Weather = Hot with temperatures of {{convert|93.9|F|C}}; wind speeds of {{convert|12|mph|km/h}} with {{convert|0.28|in|mm}} of rain reported within 24 hours of the racing event[http://www.almanac.com/weather/history/FL/Daytona%20Beach/1979-07-04 Weather information for the 1979 Firecracker 400] at The Old Farmer's Almanac
| Attendance = 45,000
| Pole_Driver = Buddy Baker
| Pole_Team = Ranier Racing
| Most_Driver = Neil Bonnett
| Most_Team = Wood Brothers Racing
| Most_laps = 77
| Car = 21
| First_Driver = Neil Bonnett
| First_Team = Wood Brothers Racing
| Network = ABC's Wide World Of Sports
| Announcers = Bill Flemming & Sam Posey
| Radio = Motor Racing Network
| Booth_Ann = Jack Arute & Barney Hall
| Turn_Ann = Turns 1 & 2: Mike Joy
Backstreatch: Hal Hamrick
Turns 3 & 4: Eli Gold
Pit Reporter: Ned Jarrett
}}
File:Daytona International Speedway.png, the venue where the race was held.]]
The 1979 Firecracker 400 was a NASCAR Winston Cup Series racing event that took place on July 4, 1979, at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida.
Race report
There were 41 drivers on the starting grid of this race; Bruce Hill was credited with the last-place finish due to an engine problem on the first lap.[http://www.racing-reference.info/race/1979_Firecracker_400/W 1979 Firecracker 400] racing information at Racing-Reference Fifteen drivers would fail to finish the race with problems varying from engine trouble, blown tires, and crashes. Claude Ballot-Léna from France would make his final NASCAR Cup Series appearance here; winning $1,130. (${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|1130|1979|r=2}}}} when adjusted for inflation).[http://www.race-database.com/results/results.php?year=1979&race=17&series_id=2 1979 Firecracker 400] racing results at Race-Database His race ended on lap 83 of 160 with engine problems.
Forty-five thousand fans were in attendance. The average speed was a record {{convert|172.89|mph|km/h}}. The green flag waved at 10 a.m. Buddy Baker earned the pole position during qualifying with a speed of {{convert|193.196|mph|km/h}}. Darrell Waltrip would become a frequent contender for the first-place position along with Buddy Baker and Neil Bonnett. Bonnett would go on to defeat Benny Parsons by a single second.
Terry Labonte went head on into the outside wall in one of the corners just past the halfway point and was sliding back down the track when Bobby Allison suddenly spun sideways and clobbered the #44 right in the door. Neither driver was hurt but the heavy crash put both drivers out of the race.
Notable crew chiefs who participated in the race include Buddy Parrott, Joey Arrington, Kirk Shelmerdine, Darrell Bryant, Dale Inman, Harry Hyde, Waddell Wilson, Bud Moore, Tim Brewer, and Jake Elder.[https://www.racing-reference.info/entrylist/1979-17/W/C 1979 Firecracker 400 crew chiefs] at Racing Reference
A souvenir program was sold for $3 USD (${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|3|1979|r=2}}}} when adjusted for inflation). Kyle Petty attempted to qualify for this race, but crashed during qualifying with the consequence of having to work on his father's pit crew. He would make his NASCAR debut at Talladega.
Qualifying
Buddy Baker would score the pole, averaging {{Convert|193.196|mph|km/h}}, a new track record at the time.
| class="wikitable" |
| Grid
! {{Tooltip|No.|Car number}} ! Driver ! Manufacturer ! Team/Owner !Time !Avg. Speed (mph) |
|---|
| 1
| 28 || Buddy Baker || Oldsmobile || Ranier-Lundy Racing |46.585 |193.196 |
| 2
| 21 || Neil Bonnett || Mercury || Wood Brothers Racing |46.730 |192.596 |
| 3
| 27 || Benny Parsons || Oldsmobile || M. C. Anderson Racing |46.803 |192.296 |
| 4
| 41 || Grant Adcox || Oldsmobile || Adcox Racing |46.864 |192.046 |
| 5
| 11 || Cale Yarborough || Oldsmobile || Junior Johnson & Associates |46.889 |191.943 |
| 6
| 88 || Darrell Waltrip || Oldsmobile || DiGard Motorsports |47.067 |191.205 |
| 7
| 67 || Buddy Arrington || Dodge || Arrington Racing |47.091 |191.120 |
| 8
| 51 || A.J. Foyt || Oldsmobile || A. J. Foyt Enterprises |47.147 |190.893 |
| 9
| 30 || Tighe Scott || Buick || Ballard Racing |47.154 |190.864 |
| 10
| 44 || Terry Labonte || Buick || Hagan Racing |47.255 |190.457 |
| 11
|43 |47.324 |190.179 |
| 12
|68 |47.392 |189.906 |
| 13
|12 |47.578 |189.164 |
| 14
|79 |47.713 |188.628 |
| 15
|47 |47.765 |188.423 |
| 16
|3 |47.930 |187.774 |
| 17
|17 |47.960 |187.657 |
| 18
|7 |47.988 |187.547 |
| 19
|90 |48.036 |187.360 |
| 20
|15 |Ford |48.046 |187.321 |
| 21
|2 |47.881 |187.966 |
| 22
|71 |48.022 |187.415 |
| 23
|1 |48.116 |187.048 |
| 24
|72 |48.144 |186.940 |
| 25
|50 |48.206 |186.699 |
| 26
|87 |48.300 |186.336 |
| 27
|9 |48.398 |185.959 |
| 28
|14 |48.603 |185.174 |
| 29
|38 |48.793 |184.453 |
| 30
|48 |48.860 |184.200 |
| 31
|6 |48.479 |185.648 |
| 32
|70 |48.574 |185.285 |
| 33
|39 |48.981 |183.745 |
| 34
|32 |48.987 |183.723 |
| 35
|40 |49.125 |183.207 |
| 36
|64 |Ford |49.156 |183.091 |
| 37
|05 |49.255 |182.723 |
| 38
|52 |49.350 |182.371 |
| 39
|46 |49.351 |182.368 |
| 40
|20 |49.411 |182.146 |
| 41 (FIA)
|24 |50.654 |177.676 |
| colspan="7" |Withdrew |
| WD
|42 |0.000 |0.000 |
Finishing order
| class="wikitable sortable"
!Fin !St !# !Driver !Make !Team/Owner !Sponsor !Laps !Led !Status !Pts !Winnings |
| 1
|2 |21 |Purolator |160 |77 |running |185 |$21,705 |
|---|
| 2
|3 |27 |Griffin Marine |160 |6 |running |175 |$16,875 |
| 3
|21 |2 |Rod Osterlund |160 |1 |running |170 |$14,980 |
| 4
|6 |88 |Gatorade |159 |54 |running |165 |$12,280 |
| 5
|11 |43 |STP |158 |2 |running |160 |$9,480 |
| 6
|12 |68 |Kings Mountain Truck Plaza |157 |0 |running |150 |$4,990 |
| 7
|15 |47 |Race Hill Farm |157 |0 |running |146 |$4,240 |
| 8
|24 |72 |Appliance Wheels |156 |0 |running |142 |$7,540 |
| 9
|37 |05 |Sub-Tropic |156 |0 |running |138 |$5,575 |
| 10
|8 |51 |Valvoline |156 |3 |running | |$3,140 |
| 11
|27 |9 |Yandle, Thermol King, Dahlonega Ford Sales |156 |0 |running |130 |$2,960 |
| 12
|23 |1 |Hawaiian Tropic |155 |0 |running |127 |$2,935 |
| 13
|19 |90 |Truxmore |155 |0 |running |124 |$5,075 |
| 14
|9 |30 |Russ Togs |154 |0 |running |121 |$4,865 |
| 15
|7 |67 |Rossmeyer |154 |0 |running |118 |$4,555 |
| 16
|26 |87 |Fast Lane Ltd. |154 |0 |running | |$1,750 |
| 17
|22 |71 |Shoney's |151 |0 |running |112 |$3,635 |
| 18
|35 |40 |U.S. Army |151 |0 |running |109 |$3,775 |
| 19
|30 |48 |Palatine Automotive Parts |151 |1 |running |111 |$3,415 |
| 20
|5 |11 |Busch Beer |149 |0 |running |103 |$6,960 |
| 21
|32 |70 |Bailey Excavating |146 |0 |running |100 |$2,855 |
| 22
|38 |52 |Mr. Transmission |146 |0 |running |97 |$2,645 |
| 23
|40 |20 |MARS Inc. |145 |0 |running |94 |$1,410 |
| 24
|33 |39 |Wangerin Inc. |144 |0 |blew tire |91 |$1,385 |
| 25
|28 |14 |Cunningham-Kelley |138 |0 |engine |88 |$1,360 |
| 26
|17 |17 |Kings Inn |137 |0 |running |85 |$2,260 |
| 27
|36 |64 |Ford |Sunny King Ford & Honda |121 |0 |rear end |82 |$2,225 |
| 28
|13 |12 |Burger King |105 |0 |engine |79 |$1,285 |
| 29
|10 |44 |Stratagraph |89 |0 |crash |76 |$2,165 |
| 30
|20 |15 |Ford |Hodgdon, Moore |89 |0 |crash |73 |$4,925 |
| 31
|31 |6 |Lady & Son Auction |83 |0 |engine | |$1,130 |
| 32
|18 |7 |Holbert Porsche-Audi |82 |0 |spindle | |$895 |
| 33
|4 |41 |Adcox-Kirby |81 |0 |engine |64 |$1,180 |
| 34
|1 |28 |W.I.N. |57 |16 |ignition |66 |$4,225 |
| 35
|41 |24 |Gordon Barnical Racing |50 |0 |engine |58 |$1,915 |
| 36
|39 |46 |Ring Enterprises |46 |0 |engine |55 |$1,025 |
| 37
|16 |3 |CRC Chemicals |28 |0 |engine |52 |$1,520 |
| 38
|29 |38 |Copper Kettle Marina |18 |0 |crash |49 |$1,015 |
| 39
|34 |32 |Vita Fresh, Pharis Chevy |17 |0 |crash |46 |$1,010 |
| 40
|14 |79 |Native Tan |7 |0 |engine |43 |$1,505 |
| 41
|25 |50 |Global Heat Exchanger |1 |0 |engine |40 |$1,035 |
| colspan="12" |Withdrew |
| WD
| |42 |STP ! colspan="5" | |
Standings after the race
| class="wikitable" |
| Pos
! Driver ! Differential |
|---|
| 1 10px
| style="text-align:center;"| 2720 | 0 |
| 2 10px
| style="text-align:center;"| 2587 | -133 |
| 3 {{Increase}}
| style="text-align:center;"| 2522 | -198 |
| 4 {{Decrease}}
| style="text-align:center;"| 2500 | -220 |
| 5 10px
| style="text-align:center;"| 2342 | -378 |
| 6 {{Increase}}
| style="text-align:center;"| 2237 | -483 |
| 7 {{Decrease}}
| style="text-align:center;"| 2221 | -499 |
| 8 10px
| style="text-align:center;"| 2009 | -711 |
| 9 {{Increase}}
| style="text-align:center;"| 1997 | -723 |
| 10 {{Decrease}}
| style="text-align:center;"| 1983 | -737 |
References
{{reflist}}
{{s-start}}
{{succession box |
before = 1979 Gabriel 400 |
after = 1979 Busch Nashville 420|
title = NASCAR Winston Cup Series Season|
years = 1979 |
}}
{{s-end}}
{{s-start}}
{{succession box
|before = 1978
|after = 1980
|title = Firecracker 400 races
|years = 1979
}}
{{s-end}}
{{1979 Winston Cup}}
{{authority control}}