1979 Gabriel 400

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1979 Gabriel 400
Race details[1][2]
Race 16 of 31 in the 1979 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season
1979 Gabriel 400 program cover
1979 Gabriel 400 program cover
Date June 17, 1979 (1979-June-17)
Official name Gabriel 400
Location Michigan International Speedway (Brooklyn, Michigan, USA)
Course Permanent racing facility
2.000 mi (3.218 km)
Distance 200 laps, 400 mi (643 km)
Weather Hot with temperatures of 90.9 °F (32.7 °C); wind speeds of 15 miles per hour (24 km/h)
Average speed 135.798 miles per hour (218.546 km/h)
Attendance 62,000[3]
Pole position
Driver
Wood Brothers Racing
Most laps led
Driver Buddy Baker Ranier Racing
Laps 121
Winner
No. 28 Buddy Baker Ranier Racing
Television in the United States
Network ABC
Announcers Al Michaels
Jackie Stewart

The 1979 Gabriel 400 was a NASCAR Winston Cup Series race that took place on June 17, 1979, at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Michigan.

Roger Hamby's vehicle (driven by Steve Pfeiffer) crashes while racing at the 1979 Gabriel 400.

The NASCAR Winston Cup Series races that were being shown at Michigan International Speedway between the late-1970s and the late-1980s were exceptionally good by modern standards.

Background

Michigan International Speedway is a four-turn superspeedway that is 2 miles (3.2 km) long.[4] Opened in 1968, the track's turns are banked at eighteen degrees, while the 3,600-foot-long front stretch, the location of the finish line, is banked at twelve degrees.[4] The back stretch, has a five degree banking and is 2,242 feet long.[4]

Race report

Two hundred laps were done on a paved oval track spanning 2.000 miles (3.219 km).[3][2] The total time of the race was two hours, fifty-six minutes, and forty-four seconds.[3][2] There were six cautions for thirty-three laps with the race finishing under caution.[3][2] Speeds were: 135.798 miles per hour (218.546 km/h) as the average and 162.371 miles per hour (261.311 km/h) as the pole position speed.[3][2]

Sixty-two thousand fans managed to see Buddy Baker defeat Donnie Allison under caution.[3][2] The race was also Bill Seifert's final start in addition to being Bill Elliott's 33rd start in the NASCAR Cup Series; Elliott would lead the first lap of his NASCAR Cup Series career during this event. Other famous drivers like Darrell Waltrip (who retained the championship points lead after this race[3] but lost it at the 1979 running of the Los Angeles Times 500 by 11 points[5]), Richard Childress (now the owner of Richard Childress Racing), Benny Parsons, and Terry Labonte have participated in this race.[3]

This was Marty Robbins' last race in his signature #42.[3] He would switch to using a variety of different numbers from here on out, normally the #6. He changed numbers to free up the #42 for young Kyle Petty to use it, reviving his family's use of the digit his grandfather Lee Petty had made so famous.

Engine problems took out Bill Seifert on lap 32 in addition to Marty Robbins on lap 64 and Bill Green on lap 76. Problems with the vehicle's shocks eliminated Tommy Gale from the race on lap 84. Lap 97 would be very unkind to Paul Fess and Benny Parsons; whose vehicles would suffer from faulty engines. Joe Millikan would notice that his vehicle's engine stopped working on lap 103 while Roger Hamby would inflict terminal vehicle damage on lap 122. Further engine problems knocked David Sosebee out of the race on lap 135 and Ronnie Thomas on lap 150. Dave Marcis would inflict terminal vehicle damage on lap 173. Bob Burcham noticed that his vehicle's engine stopped working on lap 184. Frank Warren inflicted terminal vehicle damage on lap 186 while Darrell Waltrip had to leave the race due to a faulty engine on lap 197.[3]

While substituting for Roger Hamby during the middle of this racing event, Steve Pfieffer lost control of his car during a caution period and injured a couple of spectators on the pit wall while attempting to stop his vehicle for maintenance. He would be later sent to Foote West Hospital in nearby Jackson; where the doctors gave him a good prognosis and eventually released him with cuts on his right knee and chest.[6]

The lead changed 47 times among 11 drivers.[2] Dale Earnhardt was criticized by Darrell Waltrip and Richard Petty when he nearly spun out trying to pass Neil Bonnett late in the race in front of both ("He nearly took us all out in the third turn," Waltrip said after the race).

Notable crew chiefs to actively participate in the race were Buddy Parrott, Tex Powell, Joey Arrington, Kirk Shelmerdine, Darrell Bryant, Dale Innman, Harry Hyde, Bud Moore, Tim Brewer, and Jake Elder.[7] The total winnings of this race were $148,505 ($623,435.02 when adjusted for inflation). Buddy Baker earned $16,780 in cash prizes for his win ($70,443.69 when adjusted for inflation) while Bill Seifert walked away only $960 wealthier ($4,030.15 when adjusted for inflation).[8]

Qualifying

Grid[3] No. Driver Manufacturer Owner
1 21 Neil Bonnett Mercury Wood Brothers
2 1 Donnie Allison Chevrolet Hoss Ellington
3 28 Buddy Baker Chevrolet Harry Ranier
4 72 Joe Millikan Chevrolet L.G. DeWitt
5 11 Cale Yarborough Oldsmobile Junior Johnson
6 15 Bobby Allison Ford Bud Moore
7 44 Terry Labonte Chevrolet Billy Hagan
8 90 Ricky Rudd Mercury Junie Donlavey
9 88 Darrell Waltrip Chevrolet DiGard Racing
10 43 Richard Petty Chevrolet Petty Enterprises
11 9 Bill Elliott Mercury George Elliott
12 30 Tighe Scott Buick Walter Ballard
13 2 Dale Earnhardt Chevrolet Rod Osterlund
14 49 Bill Green Chevrolet Charles Dean
15 71 Dave Marcis Chevrolet Dave Marcis

Finishing order

Section reference:[9]

POS ST # DRIVER SPONSOR / OWNER CAR LAPS MONEY STATUS LED PTS
1 3 28   Buddy Baker Spectra   (Harry Ranier) Chevrolet 200 16870 running 121 185
2 2 1   Donnie Allison Hawaiian Tropic   (Hoss Ellington) Chevrolet 200 12970 running 25 175
3 5 11   Cale Yarborough Busch   (Junior Johnson) Oldsmobile 200 12620 running 4 170
4 1 21   Neil Bonnett Purolator   (Wood Brothers) Mercury 200 7410 running 9 165
5 10 43   Richard Petty STP   (Petty Enterprises) Chevrolet 200 8325 running 23 160
6 13 2   Dale Earnhardt Rod Osterlund Chevrolet 200 7540 running 1 155
7 6 15   Bobby Allison Hodgdon / Moore   (Bud Moore) Ford 200 6830 running 1 151
8 8 90   Ricky Rudd Truxmore   (Junie Donlavey) Mercury 199 5665 running 0 142
9 12 30   Tighe Scott Russ Togs   (Walter Ballard) Buick 199 5480 running 0 138
10 34 05   Dick Brooks Bearfinder   (Nelson Malloch) Chevrolet 199 4650 running 0
11 19 12   Lennie Pond Kencoal Mining   (Kennie Childers) Chevrolet 199 2425 running 0 130
12 11 9   Bill Elliott Knutsons Ski-Doo   (George Elliott) Mercury 198 2315 running 1 132
13 9 88   Darrell Waltrip Gatorade   (DiGard Racing) Chevrolet 197 5655 engine 8 129
14 22 70   J.D. McDuffie Bailey Excavating   (J.D. McDuffie) Chevrolet 196 4060 running 0 121
15 30 67   Buddy Arrington Reid Trailer Sales   (Buddy Arrington) Dodge 196 3865 running 0 118
16 26 52   Jimmy Means Mr. Transmission   (Jimmy Means) Chevrolet 193 3625 running 0 115
17 24 47   Harry Gant Race Hill Farm   (Jack Beebe) Chevrolet 193 1440 running 0 112
18 27 0   John Kennedy Avanti CB   (John Kennedy) Chevrolet 192 1385 running 0 109
19 36 38   Sandy Satullo Copper Kettle Marina   (Sandy Satullo) Buick 192 1345 running 0 106
20 21 48   James Hylton Palatine Automotive Parts   (James Hylton) Chevrolet 190 3125 running 0 103
21 31 40   D.K. Ulrich Midwestern Farm Lines   (D.K. Ulrich) Buick 190 2830 running 0 100
22 20 79   Frank Warren Native Tan   (Frank Warren) Dodge 186 2585 crash 0 97
23 23 3   Richard Childress CRC Chemicals   (Richard Childress) Oldsmobile 186 2380 running 0 94
24 25 19   Bob Burcham Belden Asphalt   (Henley Gray) Chevrolet 184 2085 engine 0 91
25 7 44   Terry Labonte Stratagraph   (Billy Hagan) Chevrolet 184 2050 running 0 88
26 15 71   Dave Marcis Transmissions Unlimited   (Dave Marcis) Chevrolet 173 1765 crash 4 90
27 17 25   Ronnie Thomas Stone's Cafeteria   (Don Robertson) Chevrolet 150 2970 engine 1 87
28 35 81   David Sosebee Gober Sosebee Chevrolet 135 1060 engine 0
29 18 17   Roger Hamby Kings Inn   (Roger Hamby) Chevrolet 122 1545 crash 0 76
30 4 72   Joe Millikan Appliance Wheels   (L.G. DeWitt) Chevrolet 103 4725 engine 0 73
31 16 27   Benny Parsons Griffin Marine   (M.C. Anderson) Chevrolet 97 1510 engine 0 70
32 28 82   Paul Fess Lasky Construction   (Stan Lasky) Oldsmobile 97 1000 engine 0 67
33 32 64   Tommy Gale Sunny King Ford & Honda   (Elmo Langley) Ford 84 1490 shocks 0 64
34 14 49   Bill Green A.K. Cartage   (Charles Dean) Chevrolet 76 980 engine 2
35 29 42   Marty Robbins Robbins Racing   (Marty Robbins) Dodge 64 970 engine 0 58
36 33 09   Bill Seifert CRC Chemicals   (Nelson Oswald) Oldsmobile 32 960 engine 0 55

† signifies that the driver is known to be deceased
* Driver failed to finish race

Standings after the race

Pos Driver Points[3]
1 Darrell Waltrip 2555
2 Bobby Allison 2514
3 Cale Yarborough 2397
4 Richard Petty 2362
5 Dale Earnhardt 2172
6 Joe Millikan 2079
7 Benny Parsons 2069
8 Terry Labonte 1933
9 Richard Childress 1931
10 J.D. McDuffie 1897

References

  1. ^ "1979 Gabriel 400 weather information". The Old Farmers' Almanac. Retrieved 2012-08-03.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "1979 Gabriel 400 racing results (third reference)". Ultimate Racing History. Retrieved 2010-12-11.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "1979 Gabriel 400 racing results". Racing Reference. Retrieved 2010-11-20.
  4. ^ a b c "Michigan International Speedway". CBS Sports. Retrieved 2013-06-11.
  5. ^ "Darrell Waltrip's Lost Championship Hopes". Racing Reference. Retrieved 2010-12-12.
  6. ^ "Baker Garners Gabriel 400". Retrieved 2012-09-18.
  7. ^ "1979 Gabriel 400 crew chiefs information". Racing Reference. Retrieved 2018-08-26.
  8. ^ "1979 Gabriel 400 racing results (second reference)". Fantasy Racing Cheat Sheet. Retrieved 2012-09-18.
  9. ^ "Race Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved 2021-05-28.
Preceded by NASCAR Winston Cup Series Season
1979 		Succeeded by
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