1977 NASCAR Winston Cup Series

Season recap

Race Summaries

Round 1: [Winston Western 500]

Top Ten

1. #21 - David Pearson
2. #11 - Cale Yarborough
3. #43 - Richard Petty
4. #2 - Dave Marcis
5. #67 - Sonny Easley
6. #3 - Richard Childress
7. #69 - Hershel McGriff
8. #76 - Hugh Pearson
9. #88 - Darrell Waltrip
10. #09 - Eddie Bradshaw

• David Pearson pounced when Cale Yarborough spun and seized his eleventh race in his last 23 starts, and fourth straight win on a California speedway.

Round 2: [Daytona 500]

Top Ten

1. #11 - Cale Yarborough
2. #72 - Benny Parsons
3. #15 - Buddy Baker
4. #14 - Coo Coo Marlin
5. #90 - Dick Brooks
6. #51 - A.J. Foyt
7. #88 - Darrell Waltrip
8. #52 - Jimmy Means
9. #19 - Bob Burcham
10. #48 - James Hylton

• Cale Yarborough became only the second driver to win the Daytona 500 more than once, edging Benny Parsons.
• Richard Petty nearly lost a lap on the start due to an emergency stop on the pace lap; Bobby Wawak's car caught fire on Lap Four and the yellow allowed Petty to get a lap back; he roared through the field and led but fell out with engine failure, his eleventh engine-related failure in the last 37 races.

Round 3: [Richmond 400]

Top Ten

1. #11 - Cale Yarborough
2. #88 - Darrell Waltrip
3. #72 - Benny Parsons
4. #2 - Dave Marcis
5. #12 - Bobby Allison
6. #43 - Richard Petty
7. #71 - Neil Bonnett
8. #48 - James Hylton
9. #15 - Buddy Baker
10. #3 - Richard Childress

• Yarborough led 161 laps as rain cut the event short at 245 laps; it was Cale's twelfth win in the last 37 races.

Round 4: [Carolina 500]

Top Ten

1. #43 - Richard Petty
2. #88 - Darrell Waltrip
3. #1 - Donnie Allison
4. #15 - Buddy Baker
5. #71 - Neil Bonnett
6. #11 - Cale Yarborough
7. #27 - Sam Sommers
8. #92 - Skip Manning
9. #48 - James Hylton
10. #24 - Cecil Gordon

• North Carolina Motor Speedway was repaved in the off-season and the surface proved slick; the lead changed 30 times amid numerous crashes.
• Richard Petty pounced after halfway and won handily for the first superspeedway race to finish with an average speed under 100 MPH since 1961.

Round 5: [Atlanta 500]

Top Ten

1. #43 - Richard Petty
2. #21 - David Pearson
3. #11 - Cale Yarborough
4. #1 - Donnie Allison
5. #15 - Buddy Baker
6. #2 - Dave Marcis
7. #88 - Darrell Waltrip
8. #14 - Coo Coo Marlin
9. #54 - Lennie Pond
10. #47 - Bruce Hill

• Petty, Pearson, and Cale had the entire race to themselves and finished 1-2-3 as only two cautions interrupted the 500-miler.

Round 6: [Gwyn Staley 400]

Top Ten

1. #11 - Cale Yarborough
2. #43 - Richard Petty
3. #72 - Benny Parsons
4. #15 - Buddy Baker
5. #12 - Bobby Allison
6. #90 - Dick Brooks
7. #88 - Darrell Waltrip
8. #3 - Richard Childress
9. #48 - James Hylton
10. #67 - Buddy Arrington

• On his 38th birthday, Yarborough led 320 laps en route to victory.

Round 7: [Rebel 500]

Top Ten

1. #88 - Darrell Waltrip
2. #1 - Donnie Allison
3. #43 - Richard Petty
4. #21 - David Pearson
5. #72 - Benny Parsons
6. #2 - Dave Marcis
7. #15 - Buddy Baker
8. #49 - G.C. Spencer
9. #90 - Dick Brooks
10. #47 - Bruce Hill

• Darrell Waltrip first served notice for the season as a two-car crash with six laps to go brought out the yellow; Waltrip surged as Bobby Allison and Petty were racing to the line; all three hit the line abreast and Waltrip was declared the winner by inches as the race ended under yellow.

Round 8: [Southeastern 500]

Top Ten

1. #11 - Cale Yarborough
2. #90 - Dick Brooks
3. #43 - Richard Petty
4. #71 - Neil Bonnett
5. #72 - Benny Parsons
6. #12 - Bobby Allison
7. #48 - James Hylton
8. #3 - Richard Childress
9. #52 - Jimmy Means
10. #22 - Ricky Rudd

• Yarborough annihilated the field at Bristol International Raceway as he led all but five laps and was seven laps ahead of runner-up Dick Brooks, this thanks in part to only two brief yellows.

Round 9: [Virginia 500]

Top Ten

1. #11 - Cale Yarborough
2. #72 - Benny Parsons
3. #43 - Richard Petty
4. #54 - Lennie Pond
5. #21 - David Pearson
6. #90 - Dick Brooks
7. #47 - Bruce Hill
8. #52 - Jimmy Means
9. #70 - J.D. McDuffie
10. #3 - Richard Childress

• Darrell Waltrip led 51 laps in challenging Cale and also Benny Parsons but fell out with brake failure.
• Parsons led 83 laps but was no match for Cale; the win was Yarborough's fifth of the season and 15th of the last 43 races.

Round 10: Winston 500">Aarons 499">Winston 500

Top Ten

1. #88 - Darrell Waltrip
2. #11 - Cale Yarborough
3. #72 - Benny Parsons
4. #1 - Donnie Allison
5. #2 - Dave Marcis
6. #36 - Ron Hutcherson
7. #90 - Dick Brooks
8. #14 - Coo Coo Marlin
9. #80 - Terry Bivins
10. #27 - Sam Sommers

• The race lead changed 63 times among 11 drivers as Donnie Allison led over 70 laps.
• Richard Petty exploded from ninth to the lead on Lap Six but fell out on Lap 153 with engine failure.
• On the final lap Darrell Waltrip led with Allison second, Cale Yarborough third, and Benny Parsons fourth; Waltrip swung low in Turn Two to break the draft, and a mad scramble ensued where Cale rocketed to the high side in Three but was sideswiped by Waltrip and Parsons tried to shoot the gap; Cale edged Parsons for second as Waltrip broke away to the win.

Round 11: [Music City 420]

Top Ten

1. #72 - Benny Parsons
2. #11 - Cale Yarborough
3. #88 - Darrell Waltrip
4. #2 - Dave Marcis
5. #43 - Richard Petty
6. #15 - Buddy Baker
7. #12 - Bobby Allison
8. #14 - Coo Coo Marlin
9. #52 - Jimmy Means
10. #22 - Ricky Rudd

• Benny Parsons ended Yarborough's streak of short track wins when he grabbed the lead with 38 laps to go after Cale had led 275 straight laps; it was the first win for Parsons in the season.

Round 12: Mason-Dixon 500">FedEx 400">Mason-Dixon 500

Top Ten

1. #11 - Cale Yarborough
2. #21 - David Pearson
3. #43 - Richard Petty
4. #88 - Darrell Waltrip
5. #90 - Dick Brooks
6. #72 - Benny Parsons
7. #54 - Lennie Pond
8. #12 - Bobby Allison
9. #15 - Buddy Baker
10. #84 - Morgan Shepherd

• For the second straight Dover race Cale Yarborough lost multiple laps, this time getting his damaged rear bumper repaired; Junior Johnson tore it off by hand and sent Cale back out; Cale erased his deficit and after a lap-after-lap battle with David Pearson broke away to the win, his sixth of the season, increasing his point lead to 202 over third-place finisher Richard Petty.

Round 13: [World 600]

Top Ten

1. #43 - Richard Petty
2. #21 - David Pearson
3. #72 - Benny Parsons
4. #54 - Lennie Pond
5. #15 - Buddy Baker
6. #88 - Darrell Waltrip
7. #71 - Neil Bonnett
8. #90 - Dick Brooks
9. #27 - Sam Sommers
10. #92 - Skip Manning

• Before Petty Enterprises left for the Charlotte Motor Speedway engine builder Maurice Petty created a race motor that had the same horsepower as their qualifying motor; Richard unleashed that horsepower leading 311 laps and winning by over half a lap; he broke away from early battles with Pearson and Donnie Allison and past halfway executed a risky three-abreast pass in the trioval around Pearson and Bobby Allison driving Benny Parsons' Chevrolet in relief with Coo Coo Marlin's lapped car involved.
• Cale Yarborough broke a water pump and lost 50 laps getting repairs; his point lead was thus sliced nearly in half, to 108 points.

Round 14: NAPA 400

Top Ten

1. #43 - Richard Petty
2. #21 - David Pearson
3. #11 - Cale Yarborough
4. #51 - Jimmy Insolo
5. #15 - Buddy Baker
6. #93 - Norm Palmer
7. #68 - Sonny Easley
8. #3 - Richard Childress
9. #24 - Cecil Gordon
10. #92 - Skip Manning

• Petty broke away from the field for the final 63 laps and beat Pearson and Cale for his fourth win of the year; Petty and Pearson finished together in the top two for the 63rd and final time.

Round 15: CAM 2 Motor Oil 400">Michigan 400">CAM 2 Motor Oil 400

Top Ten

1. #11 - Cale Yarborough
2. #43 - Richard Petty
3. #72 - Benny Parsons
4. #2 - Dave Marcis
5. #21 - David Pearson
6. #15 - Buddy Baker
7. #90 - Dick Brooks
8. #27 - Sam Sommers
9. #75 - Butch Hartman
10. #12 - Bobby Allison

• Cale Yarborough got back on track with a dominant win at Michigan International Speedway, his first there since 1970. He was critical of the track's surface, which had buckled in spots due to a hard winter: "My car jumped out of gear three times."

Round 16: [Firecracker 400]

Top Ten

1. #43 - Richard Petty
2. #88 - Darrell Waltrip
3. #72 - Benny Parsons
4. #21 - David Pearson
5. #51 - A.J. Foyt
6. #1 - Donnie Allison
7. #15 - Buddy Baker
8. #5 - Neil Bonnett
9. #90 - Dick Brooks
10. #27 - Sam Sommers

• Neil Bonnett's team wrenched by Harry Hyde was purchased by mysterious coal-miner J.D. Stacy; the former K&K Insurance #71 was renumbered and painted white with red lettering; a cylinder faltered on the start and Bonnett limped home eighth.
• After Cale and Bobby Allison fought for the lead in the first 49 laps with A. J. Foyt and Darrell Waltrip Richard Petty took over, leading 92 of the last 111 laps.
• Waltrip who finished second would say: "I wish people would stop complaining about the Chevrolets. A Dodge won the pole here and Petty's Dodge blew my doors off."
• Cale's transmission broke and after replacing the transmission he finished 14 laps down in 23rd, saying, "When Old Blue wanted to go, he went." Petty cut Cale's point lead to 17.

Round 17: Nashville 420

Top Ten

1. #88 - Darrell Waltrip
2. #12 - Bobby Allison
3. #43 - Richard Petty
4. #11 - Cale Yarborough
5. #90 - Dick Brooks
6. #15 - Buddy Baker
7. #92 - Skip Manning
8. #70 - J.D. McDuffie
9. #67 - Buddy Arrington
10. #22 - Ricky Rudd

• Darrell Waltrip led the last 251 laps for an easy win, but scoring headaches left second and third place in dispute; Bobby Allison finished a lap down in second and Richard Petty finished third.

Round 18: Coca-Cola 500">Pennsylvania 400">Coca-Cola 500

Top Ten

1. #72 - Benny Parsons
2. #43 - Richard Petty
3. #88 - Darrell Waltrip
4. #12 - Bobby Allison
5. #90 - Dick Brooks
6. #11 - Cale Yarborough
7. #22 - Ricky Rudd
8. #92 - Skip Manning
9. #75 - Butch Hartman
10. #48 - James Hylton

• NASCAR mandated cylinder changes for Ford/Mercury engines that gave them some 20 extra horsepower, though David Pearson believed "we need 40" to battle the Chevrolets.
• The race lead changed hands 47 times officially as Benny Parsons flexed the most muscle he'd shown in the season to that point.
• Darrell Waltrip won his first superspeedway pole, and photos from this Pocono race were used in an October story on Waltrip in Sports Illustrated.
• Richard Petty rallied from a flat tire in the first twenty laps; he closed on Parsons in the final laps but finished a close second.
• Parsons led 118 laps for his second win of the year, while Cale Yarborough finished sixth with damage from a crash with Buddy Baker at lap 120; Petty thus took the point lead by eight points over Cale and Junior Johnson stated the car simply wasn't strong enough.

Round 19: Talladega 500">AMP Energy 500">Talladega 500

Top Ten

1. #1 - Donnie Allison/Darrell Waltrip*
2. #11 - Cale Yarborough
3. #92 - Skip Manning
4. #22 - Ricky Rudd
5. #54 - Lennie Pond
6. #15 - Buddy Baker
7. #12 - Bobby Allison
8. #70 - J.D. McDuffie
9. #48 - James Hylton
10. #79 - Frank Warren

• Once again Alabama International Motor Speedway witnessed one of the most bizarre weekends in NASCAR history. Following qualifying NASCAR confiscated the fuel cell of one of the race's entrants and Bill Gazaway announced he was cracking down on illegal fuel cells following this plus several bouts of unusually good mileage at Pocono; he stationed an official near the garage pay phones and the names of crewmen frantically telephoning to order new fuel cells were taken down. Thus were Junior Johnson, Hoss Ellington, Bud Moore, M.C. Anderson, and DiGard Racing caught with illegal fuel cells and fined.
• Donnie Allison fought for the lead as it changed 49 times on a brutally hot day; he fell ill after drinking a bottle of soda and needed a relief driver; Darrell Waltrip arrived in the Hoss Ellington pit and drove the final 40 laps, beating Cale Yarborough and Skip Manning for the win, the final time entering the 2025 season a relief driver got the win.
• Cale was second despite complaining afterward that his car was stuck in fourth gear and was "the sorriest Chevrolet on the track"; with Petty finishing 11th with a burned valve, Cale retook the point lead and would never look back.

Round 20: [Champion Spark Plug 400]

Top Ten

1. #88 - Darrell Waltrip
2. #21 - David Pearson
3. #72 - Benny Parsons
4. #27 - Sam Sommers
5. #11 - Cale Yarborough
6. #90 - Dick Brooks
7. #22 - Ricky Rudd
8. #43 - Richard Petty
9. #81 - Terry Ryan
10. #68 - Janet Guthrie

• This was the first Grand National race run following the passing of 1970 champion Bobby Isaac.
• With just ten races remaining in the season, Yarborough held a 50 point lead over Richard Petty.

Round 21: [Volunteer 500]

Top Ten

1. #11 - Cale Yarborough
2. #88 - Darrell Waltrip
3. #72 - Benny Parsons
4. #90 - Dick Brooks
5. #30 - Tighe Scott
6. #68 - Janet Guthrie
7. #92 - Skip Manning
8. #3 - Richard Childress
9. #48 - James Hylton
10. #67 - Buddy Arrington

• Yarborough grabbed his eighth win of the season, edging Darrell Waltrip under caution.
• Yarborough with 9 races left in the season now held a 133 point lead over Richard Petty who crashed out of the race after completing 118 laps of 500 finishing 22nd.

Round 22: [Southern 500]

Top Ten

1. #21 - David Pearson
2. #1 - Donnie Allison
3. #15 - Buddy Baker
4. #43 - Richard Petty
5. #11 - Cale Yarborough
6. #88 - Darrell Waltrip
7. #22 - Ricky Rudd
8. #3 - Richard Childress
9. #47 - Bruce Hill
10. #52 - Bill Elliott

• The surging seasons of Yarborough and Waltrip collided hard in the Southern 500. Waltrip won the pole and Cale started fourth, and the two battled hard for first; the lead had changed hands 28 times by Lap 236 when the leaders came into lapped traffic; Waltrip slammed into Yarborough and the wreck wiped out Janet Guthrie, D.K. Ulrich, and Terry Bivins. Waltrip limped home sixth and Yarborough salvaged fourth as David Pearson pounced to the win, only his second of the season. Following the race Ulrich confronted Yarborough about the wreck, and Cale responded, "I didn't hit you, Jaws did. Jaws Waltrip." Ulrich started laughing upon recognizing the reference and it became a catchphrase for fans about Waltrip.
• With just 8 races remaining in the season, Yarborough held a 128 point lead over Richard Petty.

Round 23: Capital City 400">Cook Out 400 (Richmond)">Capital City 400

Top Ten

1. #5 - Neil Bonnett
2. #43 - Richard Petty
3. #72 - Benny Parsons
4. #11 - Cale Yarborough
5. #54 - Lennie Pond
6. #12 - Bobby Allison
7. #88 - Darrell Waltrip
8. #90 - Dick Brooks
9. #48 - James Hylton
10. #52 - Jimmy Means

• Dodge Chargers finished 1-2 as Neil Bonnett, heavily coached by crew chief Harry Hyde, edged Richard Petty for his first Grand National win and the first for team owner J.D. Stacy.
• With 7 races remaining in the season, Cale Yarborough held a 118 point lead over Richard Petty.

Round 24: [Delaware 500]

1. #72 - Benny Parsons
2. #21 - David Pearson
3. #11 - Cale Yarborough
4. #1 - Donnie Allison
5. #88 - Darrell Waltrip
6. #15 - Buddy Baker
7. #3 - Richard Childress
8. #90 - Dick Brooks
9. #12 - Bobby Allison
10. #27 - Sam Sommers

• Benny Parsons and Donnie Allison combined to lead 470 of 500 laps as Parsons grabbed his third win of the season and Donnie finished fourth.
• Neil Bonnett, fresh off his first career win, won the pole and led 20 laps before finishing 17th but not running as his engines water pump failed after completing 469 of 500 laps.
• Cale Yarborough finished third and added 77 points to his lead as Richard Petty fell out with engine failure.
• Yarborough now held a 194 point lead over Petty with just 6 races left in the season.

Round 25: [Old Dominion 500]

Top Ten

1. #11 - Cale Yarborough
2. #72 - Benny Parsons
3. #21 - David Pearson/Donnie Allison
4. #43 - Richard Petty/Bobby Allison
5. #27 - Sam Sommers
6. #63 - Jimmy Hensley
7. #67 - Buddy Arrington
8. #48 - James Hylton
9. #52 - Jimmy Means
10. #88 - Darrell Waltrip

• Yarborough grabbed his ninth win of the season on a very hot day, so hot an exhausted Yarborough in a post race interview with the Motor Racing Network's reporter Ned Jarrett, called for the track to shorten the distance of its races, which earned an angry rebuke from H. Clay Earles.
• The Allison brothers after falling out early relief drove for the 21 & 43.
• Yarborough now led Petty by 219 points with just 5 races left in the season.

Round 26: [Wilkes 400]

Top Ten

1. #88 - Darrell Waltrip
2. #11 - Cale Yarborough
3. #5 - Neil Bonnett
4. #12 - Bobby Allison
5. #72 - Benny Parsons
6. #3 - Richard Childress
7. #22 - Ricky Rudd
8. #90 - Dick Brooks
9. #15 - Buddy Baker
10. #67 - Buddy Arrington

• Richard Petty's fading title hopes took another blow at North Wilkesboro Speedway. Petty led 199 laps from the pole but crashed after being sideswiped by the lapped car of Bobby Allison.
• Darrell Waltrip took the win and in postrace interviews said the race was easy according to what he called "The Cale Scale," a mocking reference to Yarborough's complaint about fatigue the week earlier.
• Yarborough now led Petty by 293 points with 4 races remaining.

Round 27: [NAPA National 500]

Top Ten

1. #72 - Benny Parsons
2. #11 - Cale Yarborough
3. #21 - David Pearson
4. #15 - Buddy Baker
5. #88 - Darrell Waltrip
6. #90 - Dick Brooks
7. #51 - A.J. Foyt
8. #5 - Neil Bonnett
9. #68 - Janet Guthrie
10. #9 - Bill Elliott

• Benny Parsons authored his most dominant run of the season as he led 250 laps and wasn't slowed despite running out of gas and losing a lap; he easily rebounded and ran down Yarborough for the win.
• Richard Petty led 25 laps but the suspension collapsed while leading; Petty's Dodge slowed off of turn four and David Pearson and Bobby Allison spun behind him. The DNF effectively ended Petty's title hopes.
• Dave Marcis finished 23rd in Penske Racing's Chevrolet, and following the race the Chevy equipment was sold to businessman Rod Osterlund and Marcis was tabbed as the new team's driver; the Mercury racecars of the Penske team meanwhile were sold to Georgia youngster Bill Elliott.
• With 3 races left to run, Yarborough now held a 378 point lead over Benny Parsons, Petty fell to third now 396 points behind Cale.

Round 28: [American 500]

Top Ten

1. #1 - Donnie Allison
2. #43 - Richard Petty
3. #88 - Darrell Waltrip
4. #11 - Cale Yarborough
5. #90 - Dick Brooks
6. #12 - Bobby Allison
7. #72 - Benny Parsons
8. #92 - Skip Manning
9. #68 - Janet Guthrie
10. #70 - J.D. McDuffie

• Donnie Allison dominated the weekend for his second win of the year and ninth career Winston Cup Grand National win.
• Cale Yarborough clinched the championship despite a runner-up finish by Petty. Cale clinched the title with Petty working his way back up to 2nd in points but 386 points behind Cale. Benny Parsons fell back to 3rd in points but only 9 points behind Petty so Benny still had a chance for 2nd in points with 2 races remaining.
• Darrell Waltrip raced despite incurring injuries at Riverside International Raceway and also after being kicked by a mule during a parade days before the race. "I ran into a wall and got stepped on by a mule," Waltrip said afterward.

Round 29: [Dixie 500]

Top Ten

1. #88 - Darrell Waltrip
2. #21 - David Pearson
3. #72 - Benny Parsons
4. #1 - Donnie Allison
5. #11 - Cale Yarborough
6. #43 - Richard Petty
7. #15 - Buddy Baker
8. #22 - Ricky Rudd
9. #12 - Bobby Allison
10. #14 - Coo Coo Marlin

• Rain delayed the race to the doorstep of darkness and cut its distance from 328 laps to 268 laps.
• On the final lap with darkness close to enveloping the track, Darrell Waltrip, using the lapped car of James Hylton as a pick, stormed past Donnie Allison and stole the win; Donnie crashed with Cale Yarborough at the stripe, finishing fourth.
• With one race left to run, Cale Yarborough had already clinched the championship with a total of 4830 points, and had a real chance to score 5000 points over the whole season. The battle for 2nd in points however was far from decided with it now being a three way fight between Richard Petty, Benny Parsons, and a resurgent Darrell Waltrip. Petty held a 1 point advantage over Parsons, and a 22 point advantage over Waltrip.

Round 30: [Los Angeles Times 500]

Top Ten

1. #5 - Neil Bonnett
2. #43 - Richard Petty
3. #11 - Cale Yarborough
4. #15 - Buddy Baker
5. #21 - David Pearson
6. #90 - Dick Brooks
7. #12 - Bobby Allison
8. #22 - Ricky Rudd
9. #48 - James Hylton
10. #3 - Richard Childress

• 1974 Dodge Chargers swept the front row and Petty and Neil Bonnett battled for the lead all 500 miles; the lead changed 37 official times and numerous additional times, particularly in the opening laps as Petty and Bonnett battled Pearson, A. J. Foyt, and Waltrip.
• Waltrip fell out and Pearson lost a lap late as Petty came up short of Bonnett at the stripe despite skidding through Turn Four to try to catch him. The win was Bonnett's first on a superspeedway and the 45th Winston Cup Grand National win for crew chief Harry Hyde.
• Cale Yarborough recovered from a late spin to finish third; his winning point total was 5,000, the highest point total recorded under the point system developed by Bob Latford.
• Dave Marcis finished 14th in his first race with Rod Osterlund.
• For 5 laps under caution Janet Guthrie led laps which was the first time a woman led laps in NASCAR, and would not be done by a woman in the NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series until the 2013 Daytona 500 when Danica Patrick would lead laps.
• The three way fight for second in points was decided with Petty taking it by 44 points over Parsons, and 116 over Waltrip.

Full Drivers’ Championship