The 1979 American 500 was held on October 21 at North Carolina Motor Speedway in Rockingham before an estimated 45,000 fans as the 29th race of the NASCAR Winston Cup season. A 37-car field contested 492 laps on the 1.017-mile track with Buddy Baker on the pole with a speed of 141.315 mph.
Richard Petty started seventh in the #43 STP Chevrolet, led 139 laps, and held off Benny Parsons by 0.170 seconds for the victory and a $20,960 payday. Cale Yarborough finished third followed by Donnie Allison in fourth and Dale Earnhardt in fifth. Petty averaged 108.356 mph through 12 cautions for 82 laps in a race that featured 23 lead changes. The win, combined with Darrell Waltrip’s sixth-place finish, gave Petty his first points lead of the year—an eight-point advantage with two races remaining.
