On July 30, 1978, the Coca-Cola 500 was held at Pocono Raceway as the 18th race of the 30-race 1978 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season, drawing an estimated attendance of 70,000 for a 40-car field contesting 200 laps on the 2.5-mile track.
Benny Parsons captured the pole with a qualifying speed of 149.235 mph in the #72 1st National City Travelers Checks Chevrolet for L.G. DeWitt. Darrell Waltrip, starting fourth in the #88 Gatorade Chevrolet for DiGard Motorsports, scored the victory by 0.7 seconds over David Pearson. Bobby Allison finished third, followed by Dave Marcis and Buddy Baker. Waltrip collected $20,890 for the win—his fifth of the season—and led a race-high 125 laps. He averaged 142.540 mph in a race that featured 37 lead changes and was slowed by one caution for 3 laps.
