1978 Winston 500

The 1978 Winston 500 was a NASCAR Winston Cup Series race that took place on May 14, 1978, at Alabama International Motor Speedway (now Talladega Superspeedway) in Talladega, Alabama. The tenth of 30 races of the 1978 Winston Cup Grand National season, the Winston 500 started 41 cars.

The race's pole was won by Cale Yarborough, driving a racecar. His pole speed was 191.904 mph. A. J. Foyt qualified second while the race's defending champion Bill Elliott timed in 20th. Darrell Waltrip qualified 18th a month following a breakthrough win in the Southeastern 500 at Martinsville; it was the only time all season a Cup driver started outside the top-8 and ended up in victory lane.

Background
Talladega Superspeedway, originally known as Alabama International Motor Superspeedway (AIMS), is a motorsports complex located north of Talladega, Alabama. It is located on the former Anniston Air Force Base in the small city of Lincoln. The track is a Tri-oval and was constructed by International Speedway Corporation, a business controlled by the France Family, in the 1960s. Talladega is most known for its steep banking and the unique location of the start/finish line - located just past the exit to pit road. The track currently hosts the NASCAR series such as the Sprint Cup Series, Xfinity Series, and the Camping World Truck Series. Talladega Superspeedway is the longest NASCAR oval with a length of 2.66 mi, and the track at its peak had a seating capacity of 175,000 spectators.