On a pleasant mid-September Sunday in 1978, Dover Downs International Speedway welcomed a crowd of 30,000 fans to watch the Delaware 500. A competitive 37-car field lined up for the 500-mile NASCAR Winston Cup event on the tough one-mile concrete oval.
J.D. McDuffie surprised many by grabbing the pole position in his No. 70 Chevrolet with McCreary Tires, turning a lap at 135.480 mph. It was a strong qualifying effort for the independent driver. However, it was Bobby Allison who stole the show once the green flag dropped.
The race featured three caution periods for a total of just 18 laps, meaning long stretches of green-flag racing. Allison, driving the Bud Moore Engineering Ford, methodically worked his way to the front and proved to be the strongest car on the day. He pulled away late in the race and cruised to victory, beating Cale Yarborough by a comfortable 19.7 seconds.
Buddy Baker finished third, followed by David Pearson in fourth and Darrell Waltrip in fifth.
The win was worth $19,500 to Allison. It marked his third victory of the 1978 season and his 50th career NASCAR Winston Cup win — a significant milestone for the veteran driver from Hueytown, Alabama.
