The 1977 Firecracker 400, held on Monday, July 4th, at Daytona International Speedway was the 16th race of the 1977 season and drew a competitive 41‑car field to the 2.5‑mile superspeedway. Neil Bonnett won the pole position with a speed of 187.191 mph, placing his Dodge at the front, and the first part of the race saw multiple leaders including Bonnett, Cale Yarborough, Richard Petty, A.J. Foyt, and Darrell Waltrip as they traded the top spot in the early going. After about halfway, Petty began to assert control, ultimately leading the final 92 of the last 111 laps as mechanical attrition thinned the field. The race was slowed by two caution periods for 26 laps, and the average speed over the 160‑lap, 400‑mile distance was approximately 142.716 mph. In front of an enthusiastic crowd of about 65,000 spectators, Richard Petty drove his Dodge to victory, defeating Darrell Waltrip by about 18 seconds and securing what would be the final win for his 1974 Dodge Charger model, as well as a key triumph in his 1977 season. The event also featured an unusual entry list that included three women drivers — Janet Guthrie, Christine Beckers, and Lella Lombardi — although all three retired early with mechanical issues.
