The Atlanta 500, the fifth race of the NASCAR Winston Cup Series season, was held on March 20, 1977, at Atlanta International Raceway in Hampton, Georgia. The event ran the full scheduled distance of 328 laps on the 1.5-mile high-banked oval. Richard Petty, driving the #43 Dodge for Petty Enterprises, dominated and secured the victory from the pole position, leading 112 laps in a race where he, David Pearson, and Cale Yarborough essentially controlled the entire event, combining to lead all 328 laps. There were only two cautions for 11 laps that interrupted the action which resulted in an average speed of 144.093 mph. This win was Petty’s sixth and final win at Atlanta. He was followed by David Pearson, Cale Yarborough, Donnie Allison, and Buddy Baker.
