On May 14, 1978, the Winston 500 was held at Alabama International Motor Speedway (Talladega) as the tenth race of the 30-race 1978 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season, with a field of 40 cars contesting 188 laps on the 2.66-mile track.
Cale Yarborough captured the pole with a qualifying speed of 191.904 mph in the #11 Oldsmobile for Junior Johnson & Associates. The race was competitive with 44 lead changes among eight different drivers. Yarborough scored the victory by two car lengths over Buddy Baker, the only two cars on the lead lap. A.J. Foyt finished third, followed by Skip Manning and Grant Adcox. Yarborough collected $27,100 for the win—his second of the season—and led 81 laps. He averaged 155.699 mph in a race slowed by five cautions for 30 laps.
