1979 Virginia 500
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox NASCAR race report|Type=NASWINSTON|Scheduled_laps=500|Scheduled_km=423.5|Distance_km=423.5|Course_mi=0.525|Scheduled_mi=262.5|Pole_Team=DiGard Motorsports|Date=April 22|Most_Driver=Richard Petty|Most_laps=247|Pole_Driver=Darrell Waltrip|Most_Team=Petty Enterprises|First_Driver=Richard Petty|Location=Martinsville Speedway, Martinsville, Virginia|First_Team=Petty Enterprises|Attendance=35,500|Car=43|Distance_laps=500|Distance_mi=262.5|Caption=The 1979 Virginia 500 program cover, parodying the Star Wars film.|Season_No=31|Race_No=9|Race_Name=Virginia 500|Year=1979|Course_km=0.847|Image=1979_Virginia_500_program_cover.png}}
The 1979 Virginia 500 was the 9th stock car race of the 1979 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season. The race took place at Martinsville Speedway in Martinsville, Virginia on April 22, 1979 before a crowd of 35,500. Richard Petty, driving for his team Petty Enterprises would win the race by 4 seconds, leading 247 laps. Buddy Baker of Ranier-Lundy Racing and Darrell Waltrip of DiGard Motorsports would finish 2nd and 3rd, respectively.
File:Martinsville Speedway track map.png, the venue where the race was held.]]
Background
Qualifying
| class="wikitable"
|+ !Pos. !# !Driver !Team !Make !Time !Speed |
| 1
|88 | | |
|---|
| 2
|43 | | |
| 3
|15 |Ford | | |
| 4
|28 | | |
| 5
|11 | | |
| 6
|12 | | |
| 7
|68 | | |
| 8
|72 | | |
| 9
|21 | | |
| 10
|70 | | |
| 11
|2 | | |
| 12
|1 | | |
| 13
|27 | | |
| 14
|48 | | |
| 15
|40 | | |
| 16
|3 | | |
| 17
|90 |Ford | | |
| 18
|67 | | |
| 19
|44 | | |
| 20
|79 | | |
| 21
|47 | | |
| 22
|30 | | |
| 23
|19 | | |
| 24
|02 | | |
| 25
|64 |Ford | | |
| 26
|25 | | |
| 27
|05 | | |
| 28
|52 | | |
| 29
|45 | | |
| 30
|24 | | |
Race results
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Fin{{Cite web|title=1979 Virginia 500 - The Third Turn|url=https://www.thethirdturn.com/wiki/1979_Virginia_500|access-date=2021-09-06|website=www.thethirdturn.com|language=en}}{{Cite web|title=Virginia 500|url=http://www.ultimateracinghistory.com/race.php?raceid=10023|access-date=2021-09-06|website=www.ultimateracinghistory.com}}
!St !# !Driver !Team !Make !Laps !Led !Status !Pts !Winnings |
|---|
| 1
|2 |43 |500 |247 |running |185 |$23,400 |
| 2
|4 |28 |500 |196 |running |175 |$14,700 |
| 3
|1 |88 |499 |49 |running |170 |$10,200 |
| 4
|3 |15 |Ford |498 |1 |running |165 |$7,100 |
| 5
|8 |72 |497 |0 |running |155 |$6,550 |
| 6
|21 |47 |497 |0 |running |150 |$2,500 |
| 7
|14 |48 |495 |7 |engine |151 |$4,200 |
| 8
|11 |2 |495 |0 |running |142 |$4,200 |
| 9
|19 |44 |494 |0 |running |138 |$3,350 |
| 10
|10 |70 |493 |0 |running |134 |$3,080 |
| 11
|5 |11 |492 |0 |running |130 |$5,050 |
| 12
|17 |90 |Ford |489 |0 |running |127 |$2,470 |
| 13
|22 |30 |488 |0 |running |124 |$2,300 |
| 14
|16 |3 |485 |0 |running |121 |$2,140 |
| 15
|15 |40 |476 |0 |running |118 |$1,980 |
| 16
|25 |64 |Ford |476 |0 |running |115 |$1,820 |
| 17
|30 |24 |474 |0 |running |112 |$1,685 |
| 18
|20 |79 |472 |0 |running |109 |$1,500 |
| 19
|13 |27 |458 |0 |running |106 |$675 |
| 20
|26 |25 |454 |0 |running |103 |$2,150 |
| 21
|27 |05 |437 |0 |running |100 |$640 |
| 22
|18 |67 |312 |0 |engine |97 |$1,130 |
| 23
|7 |68 |263 |0 |engine | |$620 |
| 24
|29 |45 |247 |0 |engine |91 |$860 |
| 25
|9 |21 |207 |0 |engine |88 |$850 |
| 26
|24 |02 |167 |0 |engine |85 |$590 |
| 27
|12 |1 |137 |0 |engine |82 |$3,030 |
| 28
|28 |52 |132 |0 |overheating |79 |$820 |
| 29
|6 |12 |10 |0 |engine |76 |$810 |
| 30
|23 |19 |0 |0 |engine | |$800 |
References
{{reflist}}
{{s-start}}
{{succession box
| title = NASCAR Winston Cup Series Season
| years = 1979
| before = 1979 CRC Chemicals Rebel 500
| after = 1979 Winston 500
}}
{{s-end}}
{{1979 Winston Cup}}
Category:1979 NASCAR Winston Cup Series
Category:1979 in sports in Virginia