| Race details | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 21 of 31 in the 1979 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season | |||
| Date | August 19, 1979 | ||
| Location | Michigan International Speedway (Brooklyn, Michigan, USA) | ||
| Course | Permanent racing facility 2.000 mi (3.218 km) |
||
| Distance | 200 laps, 400 mi (643 km) | ||
| Avg Speed | 130.367 miles per hour (209.805 km/h) | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | David Pearson | Rod Osterlund | |
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Buddy Baker | Harry Ranier | |
| Laps | 115 | ||
| Winner | |||
| 43 |
Richard Petty |
Petty Enterprises | |
| Television | |||
| Network | untelevised | ||
| Announcers | none | ||
The 1979 Champion Spark Plug 400 is a NASCAR Winston Cup Series racing event that took place on August 19, 1979 at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Michigan, U.S..[1][2][3]
There were 36 American-born male drivers on the grid.[1][3] Richard Petty defeated Buddy Baker[3] by one second in front of 60,000 live audience members.[1][2] There were 21 lead changes and five caution flags for 35 laps; making the race three hours and four minutes long.[1][2] David Pearson earned the pole position with a speed of 162.992 miles per hour (262.310 km/h) while the average racing speed was 130.376 miles per hour (209.820 km/h).[1][2] Blackie Wangerin would receive the last-place finish due to a crash with H.B. Bailey on lap 2 out of the 200 regulation laps.[1][2][3] Al Rudd, Jr. would race his only NASCAR event here. The entire racing purse was valued at $142,905 ($432,396.09 in today's money).[4]
| Preceded by 1979 Talledega 500 |
NASCAR Winston Cup Series Season 1979 |
Succeeded by 1979 Volunteer 500 |