The Southern 500, held on September 5, 1977, at Darlington Raceway in Darlington, South Carolina. This was the 22nd race of the 30-event NASCAR Winston Cup Series season. This iconic 500-mile classic covered 367 laps on the 1.366-mile egg-shaped oval, with Darrell Waltrip starting on the pole for the 40-car field. David Pearson claimed victory in the #21 Purolator Mercury for Wood Brothers Racing after starting fifth and leading 60 laps. Pearson held off Donnie Allison by 2.5 seconds in a race that featured intense battles and a notable late-race incident between frontrunners.
The top three finishers were David Pearson in first, Donnie Allison in second (driving the #1 Hawaiian Tropic Chevrolet, leading 109 laps), and Buddy Baker in third (in the #15 Norris Industries Chevrolet). Cale Yarborough (in the #11 Holly Farms Chevrolet, finished fifth after a controversial crash with Waltrip while battling for the lead with under 100 laps remaining. This sparked a famous feud between the two drivers but did not derail Yarborough’s path to a second consecutive championship. The race had an average speed of 106.797 mph and included 32 lead changes with six cautions. This Labor Day tradition at “The Lady in Black” exemplified the raw, high-stakes competition and dramatic moments that defined the 1970s stock car era.
