The 1979 USAC Coors 200 was a 100-lap (200-mile) Championship Car race held on the high-banked 2-mile paved oval at Texas World Speedway in College Station, Texas, on April 8, 1979. It was the second race of the 1979 USAC season, which was running in the shadow of the CART/USAC split that had divided American open-wheel racing, leaving USAC with significantly smaller fields composed largely of veteran drivers and loyal teams.
A.J. Foyt started on the pole in his #14 Gilmore Coyote-Foyt and led 83 of the 100 laps to score a commanding victory. Gary Bettenhausen finished second, just a little over three seconds behind, followed by Larry Dickson in third, Cliff Hucul in fourth, and George Snider in fifth. The race saw 5 cautions that slowed the event for 26 laps. Foyt earned $13,610 for the win.
Only 16 cars started the race, reflecting the impact of the split. This victory was part of A.J. Foyt’s strong campaign that helped him secure the 1979 USAC National Championship.
