| Race details[1][2] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 22 of 30 in the 1978 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season | |||
 1978 Darlington 500 program cover | |||
| Date | September 4, 1978 | ||
| Official name | Southern 500 | ||
| Location | Darlington Raceway, Darlington, South Carolina | ||
| Course |
Permanent racing facility 1.375 mi (2.212 km) | ||
| Distance | 367 laps, 500.5 mi (805.4 km) | ||
| Weather | Temperatures of 88 °F (31 °C); wind speeds of 8.9 miles per hour (14.3 km/h) | ||
| Average speed | 116.828 miles per hour (188.016 km/h) | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Wood Brothers Racing | ||
| Time | 31.998 seconds | ||
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Cale Yarborough | Junior Johnson & Associates | |
| Laps | 203 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 11 | Cale Yarborough | Junior Johnson & Associates | |
| Television in the United States | |||
| Network | ABC | ||
| Announcers |
Keith Jackson Chris Economaki | ||
The 1978 Southern 500, the 29th running of the event, was a NASCAR Winston Cup Series racing event that took place on September 4, 1978, at Darlington Raceway in Darlington, South Carolina.
- ^ Weather information for the 1978 Southern 500 at The Old Farmers' Almanac
- ^ 1978 Southern 500at Racing Reference. Accessed 2012-03-05. 2012-03-07.