View source for 1978 NAPA National 500 (lost footage of NASCAR Winston Cup Series race; 1978)

{{InfoboxLost
|title=<center>1978 NAPA National 500</center>
|image=1978napanational5001.jpg
|imagecaption=Program for the race.
|status=<span style="color:red;">'''Lost'''</span>
}}
The '''''1978 NAPA National 500''''' was the 27th race of the 1978 NASCAR Winston Cup Series. Occurring on 8th October at the Charlotte Motor Speedway, the race would ultimately be won by Bobby Allison in a Ford, where he finished over 30 seconds ahead of second place Chevrolet driver Darrell Waltrip.

==Background==
The ''1978 NAPA National 500'' was the 19th running of the event, with the annual race typically lasting 500 miles in length.<ref name="results">[https://www.racing-reference.info/race-results/1978_National_500/W/ ''Racing-Reference'' detailing qualifying and race results for the event.] Retrieved 28 Mar '22</ref> It was one of two 1978 Winston Cup Series races conducted at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the other being the World 600,<ref>[https://www.racing-reference.info/season-stats/1978/W/ ''Racing-Reference'' detailing the 1978 NASCAR Winston Cup Series calendar.] Retrieved 28 Mar '22</ref> which in 1978 occurred on 30th May and was won by Darrell Waltrip in a Chevrolet.<ref>[https://www.racing-reference.info/race-results/1978_World_600/W/ ''Racing-Reference'' detailing the results of the 1978 World 600.] Retrieved 28 Mar '22</ref> The race also has ties to the modern Bank of America Roval 400, having dropped the National name from 1983 onwards and being reduced to 400 miles from 2018.<ref name="stats">[https://nytimes.stats.com/racing/index.asp?page=track&series=NASCAR&track=4 ''The New York Times Stats'' detailing the history of the National 500.] Retrieved 28 Mar '22</ref><ref>[https://www.motorsport.com/nascar-cup/news/nascar-cup-race-on-charlotte-roval-to-see-length-reduced-1055709/3134691/ ''Motorsport'' reporting on the Charlotte Roval being reduced to 400 miles.] Retrieved 28 Mar '22</ref> This was the second instance of the event adding the sponsor NAPA to its official name, with this lasting until the 1979 edition before being dropped from 1980 onwards.<ref name="stats"/>

Prior to the race, qualifying commenced with David Pearson winning the pole position in a Mercury with a speed of 161.355 mph.<ref name="charlottehistory">[https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Charlotte_Motor_Speedway_History/qbV2CQAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=1978+NAPA+National+500&pg=PT141&printsec=frontcover ''Charlotte Motor Speedway History'' providing some race statistics, including the margin of victory.] Retrieved 28 Mar '22</ref><ref name="results"/> Behind him were the Oldsmobiles driver Cale Yarborough and Benny Parsons, who lined up second and third respectively.<ref name="results"/> Bobby Allison ultimately qualified 8th out of 40 competitors.<ref name="results"/> 

==The Race==
With the starting order decided, the 1978 National 500 commenced on 8th October.<ref name="results"/> Pearson led the opening two laps, before Yarborough briefly led on lap 3, only to drop it back to Pearson a lap later.<ref name="results"/> However, starting from lap 20, Yarborough would lead for 49 laps, one of the longest durations of consecutive laps led in the race.<ref name="results"/> Nevertheless, when the race entered its middle stages, it was an open contest, with nobody being able to lead for more than five laps, contributing towards 40 lead changes overall.<ref name="results"/><ref name="charlottehistory"/> Chevrolet's Richard Petty would buck this trend on lap 158, leading the pack for 32 laps.<ref name="results"/> He would ultimately retire from the event on lap 221 however, following an ignition failure.<ref name="results"/>

With Petty out, the race primarily centred upon Pearson, Allison, and Chevrolet's Dave Marcis.<ref name="results"/> On lap 223, Allison passed Pearson to move into the first position, holding it for 30 laps before dropping it back to Pearson.<ref name="results"/> After a duel between Pearson and Marcis occurred over the next 21 laps, Allison would ultimately capitalise, again passing Pearson for the lead on lap 274, which would ultimately prove to be the final leader change.<ref name="results"/> Allison extended his lead from his rivals from there over the final 61 laps, eventually winning with a 30.2 second margin to claim victory and $40,000 in prize money.<ref name="charlottehistory"/><ref name="results"/> In second was Darrell Waltrip, who managed to outpace Marcis, who finished third, and Pearson, who ultimately dropped down a lap by the end in fifth.<ref name="results"/>

==Availability==
According to ''NASCAR on TV'', 30 minutes of footage was televised by ABC on 30th December 1978 as part of its ''Wide World of Sports'', alongside the Men's Downhill Skiing World Cup and World Acrobatics Championships.<ref name="nascarontv">[https://sites.google.com/site/nascarracingontv/home/the-races/monster-energy-cup-series/1978-nascar-winston-cup-series/1978-national-500 ''NASCAR on TV'' detailing the ABC broadcast of the race.] Retrieved 28 Mar '22</ref> Unlike most other races of the era, race footage would not be televised for two months after the event was held, with the reason for this being unknown.<ref name="nascarontv"/> However, this broadcast has yet to resurface, and no footage of the race is currently publicly available.

==See Also==
*[[1960 Daytona 500 (partially found footage of NASCAR Grand National Series race; 1960)]]           
*[[1960 Daytona Races (lost CBS and NBC televised footage of NASCAR prelude events to Daytona 500; 1960)]]           
*[[1961 Firecracker 250 (lost ABC footage of NASCAR Grand National Series race; 1961)]]     
*[[1962 Daytona 500 (partially found footage of NASCAR Grand National Series race; 1962)]]           
*[[1962 Firecracker 250 (lost ABC footage of NASCAR Grand National Series race; 1962)]]           
*[[1963 Firecracker 400 (partially found footage of NASCAR Grand National Series race; 1963)]] 
*[[1963 Richmond 250 (partially found footage of NASCAR Grand National Series qualifying session and race; 1963)]]           
*[[1964 Atlanta 500 (partially found footage of NASCAR Grand National Series race; 1964)]]           
*[[1964 National 400 (lost footage of NASCAR Grand National Series race; 1964)]] 
*[[1964 Richmond 250 (lost footage of NASCAR Grand National Series qualifying session; 1964)]]     
*[[1965 Daytona 500 (partially found footage of NASCAR Grand National Series race; 1965)]]           
*[[1965 Rebel 300 (partially found footage of NASCAR Grand National Series race; 1965)]]           
*[[1966 National 500 (lost footage of NASCAR Grand National Series race; 1966)]]           
*[[1966 Southern 500 (partially found footage of NASCAR Grand National Series race; 1966)]]           
*[[1967 Firecracker 400 (partially found footage of NASCAR Grand National Series race; 1967)]]           
*[[1967 Rebel 400 (partially found footage of NASCAR Grand National Series race; 1967)]]    
*[[1970 Alabama 500 (found footage of NASCAR Grand National Series race; 1970)]]           
*[[1970 National 500 (partially found footage of NASCAR Grand National Series race; 1970)]]           
*[[1970 Wilkes 400 (lost footage of NASCAR Grand National Series race; 1970)]]           
*[[1970 World 600 (lost footage of NASCAR Grand National Series race; 1970)]]           
*[[1971 Atlanta 500 (lost footage of NASCAR Winston Cup Series race; 1971)]]           
*[[1971 Medal of Honor Firecracker 400 (partially found footage of NASCAR Winston Cup Series race; 1971)]]        
*[[1971 Myers Brothers 250 (lost footage and official documents of NASCAR Winston Cup Series race; 1971)]]           
*[[1971 National 500 (lost footage of NASCAR Winston Cup Series race; 1971)]]           
*[[1971 Rebel 400 (partially found footage of NASCAR Winston Cup Series race; 1971)]]           
*[[1971 Twin 125s (lost footage of NASCAR Daytona 500 qualifying races; 1971)]]           
*[[1972 Atlanta 500 (lost footage of NASCAR Winston Cup Series race; 1972)]] 
*[[1972 Bowman-Gray 100 (lost footage of NASCAR Grand American Series race; 1972)]]       
*[[1972 Carolina 500 (lost footage of NASCAR Winston Cup Series race; 1972)]]     
*[[1972 Daytona 500 (partially found footage of NASCAR Winston Cup Series race; 1972)]]           
*[[1972 Firecracker 400 (lost ABC footage of NASCAR Winston Cup Series race; 1972)]]           
*[[1972 National 500 (partially found footage of NASCAR Winston Cup Series race; 1972)]]           
*[[1972 Rebel 400 (lost footage of NASCAR Winston Cup Series race; 1972)]]           
*[[1973 Atlanta 500 (lost footage of NASCAR Winston Cup Series race; 1973)]]           
*[[1973 Medal of Honor Firecracker 400 (partially found footage of NASCAR Winston Cup Series race; 1973)]]           
*[[1974 Mason-Dixon 500 (lost footage of NASCAR Winston Cup Series race; 1974)]]          
*[[1974 National 500 (lost footage of NASCAR Winston Cup Series race; 1974)]]           
*[[1974 Twin 125s (lost footage of NASCAR Daytona 500 qualifying races; 1974)]]         
*[[1975 Champion Spark Plug 400 (lost footage of NASCAR Winston Cup Series race; 1975)]]          
*[[1975 Dixie 500 (lost footage of NASCAR Winston Cup Series race; 1975)]]           
*[[1975 Firecracker 400 (lost footage of NASCAR Winston Cup Series race; 1975)]]           
*[[1975 National 500 (lost footage of NASCAR Winston Cup Series race; 1975)]]           
*[[1975 Twin 125s (lost footage of NASCAR Daytona 500 qualifying races; 1975)]]           
*[[1975 World 600 (partially found footage of NASCAR Winston Cup Series race; 1975)]]           
*[[1976 Atlanta 500 (lost footage of NASCAR Winston Cup Series race; 1976)]]         
*[[1976 Champion Spark Plug 400 (lost footage of NASCAR Winston Cup Series race; 1976)]]           
*[[1976 Dixie 500 (lost CBS footage of NASCAR Winston Cup Series race; 1976)]]           
*[[1976 Firecracker 400 (lost footage of NASCAR Winston Cup Series race; 1976)]]           
*[[1976 National 500 (lost footage of NASCAR Winston Cup Series race; 1976)]]          
*[[1976 Rebel 500 (lost footage of NASCAR Winston Cup Series race; 1976)]]         
*[[1976 Riverside 400 (lost footage of NASCAR Winston Cup Series race; 1976)]]          
*[[1976 Talladega 500 (lost footage of NASCAR Winston Cup Series race; 1976)]]          
*[[1976 Winston 500 (lost footage of NASCAR Winston Cup Series race; 1976)]]           
*[[1976 World 600 (lost footage of NASCAR Winston Cup Series race; 1976)]]           
*[[1979 Daytona ARCA 200 (lost footage of ARCA Racing Series race; 1979)]]           
*[[1979 Dixie 500 (lost ABC footage of NASCAR Winston Cup Series race; existence unconfirmed; 1979)]]           
*[[1979 Southeastern 500 (partially found footage of NASCAR Winston Cup Series race; 1979)]]    
*[[1981 Coca-Cola 500 (partially found footage of NASCAR Winston Cup Series race; 1981)]]    
*[[1981 CRC Chemicals 500 (lost footage of NASCAR Winston Cup Series race; 1981)]]   
*[[1982 CRC Chemicals 500 (lost footage of NASCAR Winston Cup Series race; 1982)]] 
*[[1982 Eastern 150 (lost footage of NASCAR Budweiser Late Model Sportsman Series race; 1982)]] 
*[[1982 Goody's Sportsman 300 (partially found footage of NASCAR Budweiser Late Model Sportsman Series race; 1982)]]           
*[[1982 Twin 125s race 1 (lost footage of NASCAR Daytona 500 qualifying race; existence unconfirmed; 1982)]]   
*[[1982 Winston Western 500 (lost footage of NASCAR Winston Cup Series race; existence unconfirmed; 1982)]] 
*[[1983 Goody's Sportsman 300 (partially found footage of NASCAR Budweiser Late Model Sportsman Series race; 1983)]]  
*[[1983 Mason-Dixon 500 (lost footage of NASCAR Winston Cup Series race; 1983)]]  
*[[1983 Southern 500 (lost footage of NASCAR Winston Cup Series race; existence unconfirmed; 1983)]]           
*[[1984 Delaware 500 (partially found footage of NASCAR Winston Cup Series race; 1984)]] 
*[[1984 Goody's Sportsman 300 (lost footage of NASCAR Busch Grand National Series race; 1984)]]           
*[[1984 Warner W. Hodgdon Carolina 500 (lost footage of NASCAR Winston Cup Series race; existence unconfirmed; 1984)‎]]           
*[[1985 Twin 125s (lost footage of NASCAR Daytona 500 qualifying races; existence unconfirmed; 1985)]]           
*[[1986 Twin 125s (lost footage of NASCAR Daytona 500 qualifying races; existence unconfirmed; 1986)]]  
*[[1989 Busch Clash (lost footage of pre-season NASCAR Winston Cup Series race; 1989)]]
*[[1992 Atlanta 300 (lost footage of NASCAR Busch Grand National Series race; 1992)]]           
*[[1996 DeVilbiss SuperFinish 200 (partially found televised footage of NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race; 1996)]]
*[[Jeff Gordon's 2008 UAW-Dodge 400 crash (lost on-board footage of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race crash; 2008)]]
*[[NASCAR (partially found uncut footage of stock car races; 1960-present)]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Lost recordings of sports events]]
[[Category:Completely lost media]]