The 1979 Winston Western 500, the season-opening race of the NASCAR Winston Cup Series, took place on January 14 at Riverside International Raceway in California. A field of 35 cars contested 119 laps on the 2.62-mile road course before a crowd of 68,000. David Pearson earned the pole in the Wood Brothers Mercury with a qualifying speed of 113.659 mph.
In a rare caution-free race featuring 13 lead changes among five drivers, Darrell Waltrip dominated in the No. 88 DiGard Gatorade Chevrolet, leading a race-high 87 laps en route to victory. He crossed the finish line 3.27 seconds ahead of Pearson, with Cale Yarborough third, followed by Bill Schmitt and Donnie Allison. The race lasted 2 hours, 53 minutes, and 30 seconds at an average speed of 107.820 mph. The win was Waltrip’s 16th career Cup victory, his first on a road course, and paid $21,150.
