1977 NASCAR Winston Cup Series facts for kids

Get ready for some high-speed action! The 1977 NASCAR Winston Cup Series was a super exciting year for professional stock car racing in the United States. It was the 29th season ever and the 6th in the modern era of NASCAR's top series. The races kicked off on Sunday, January 16, and wrapped up on Sunday, November 20.

A legendary driver named Cale Yarborough, driving the #11 Holly Farms Chevrolet for Junior Johnson's team, won his second straight NASCAR Winston Cup Championship! It was a huge achievement. Also, a new talent, Ricky Rudd, was named the NASCAR Rookie of the Year. This was also the last season before Terry Labonte joined the series, who would become a big name later on.

Season Highlights

The 1977 season had 30 thrilling races! Here's a quick look at each one:

Donnie Allison is officially credited with the win, but Darrell Waltrip actually finished the race for him because Donnie was feeling unwell. Even when a different driver finishes, the points always go to the driver who started the race.

Exciting Race Moments

• Winston Western 500: David Pearson took the win when Cale Yarborough spun out. It was David's fourth straight win on a California track!
• Daytona 500: Cale Yarborough made history by becoming only the second driver to win the Daytona 500 more than once. He just barely beat Benny Parsons.
• Richmond 400: Rain cut this race short, but Cale Yarborough was already way ahead, leading 161 laps to grab another win.
• Carolina 500: The newly paved track was super slippery! The lead changed 30 times, and there were lots of crashes. Richard Petty took the win, making it the first big track race since 1961 to finish with a slower average speed.
• Atlanta 500: Petty, Pearson, and Cale dominated this race, finishing 1-2-3 with very few interruptions.
• Gwyn Staley 400: Yarborough led most of this race, staying ahead for 320 laps to win.
• Rebel 500: Darrell Waltrip showed he was a force to be reckoned with! He won by just inches in a super close finish that ended under a yellow flag.
• Southeastern 500: Cale Yarborough absolutely crushed the competition at Bristol International Raceway. He led almost every lap and finished seven laps ahead of the second-place driver!
• Virginia 500: Cale Yarborough kept his winning streak going, taking his fifth win of the season.
• Winston 500: This race was wild! The lead changed 63 times among 11 different drivers. On the very last lap, Darrell Waltrip made a daring move to break away and win.
• Music City 420: Benny Parsons finally broke Cale Yarborough's winning streak on short tracks, taking the lead with just 38 laps to go.
• Mason-Dixon 500: Even after having to fix his car's damaged bumper, Cale Yarborough came back strong! He battled David Pearson lap after lap and then pulled away for his sixth win of the season.
• World 600: Richard Petty had an amazing car for this race, leading 311 laps and winning by more than half a lap! Cale Yarborough had some car trouble, which cut his points lead.
• Riverside 400: Petty pulled away from the rest of the field for the last 63 laps to win his fourth race of the year.
• Cam 2 Motor Oil 400: Cale Yarborough got back to his winning ways with a big win at Michigan International Speedway.
• Firecracker 400: Richard Petty took over this race, leading 92 of the last 111 laps. Cale Yarborough had transmission issues, finishing far behind.
• Nashville 420: Darrell Waltrip had an easy win, leading the last 251 laps.
• Coca-Cola 500: This race saw 47 lead changes! Benny Parsons showed incredible strength and won his second race of the year. Richard Petty finished a close second.
• Talladega 500: This race was full of drama! It was a very hot day, and Donnie Allison felt unwell, so Darrell Waltrip stepped in to finish the race for him, winning! This was the last time a relief driver won a NASCAR Cup Series race for many years.
• Champion Spark Plug 400: This race was moved to Monday because of rain. Darrell Waltrip took the win.
• Volunteer 400: Yarborough earned his eighth win of the season, just beating Darrell Waltrip under a caution flag.
• Southern 500: Cale Yarborough and Darrell Waltrip had a big battle, but a crash involving them and other drivers changed things. David Pearson took advantage and won. After the race, Cale joked about Waltrip, calling him "Jaws Waltrip," which became a funny nickname for fans.
• Capital City 400: Neil Bonnett got his first ever NASCAR Cup Series win, beating Richard Petty!
• Delaware 500: Benny Parsons won his third race of the season, leading most of the laps. Cale Yarborough finished third, adding to his points lead.
• Old Dominion 500: Yarborough got his ninth win of the season on a very hot day.
• Wilkes 400: Richard Petty crashed out of this race after leading many laps, hurting his chances for the championship. Darrell Waltrip won and joked about Cale's earlier complaints about being tired.
• National 500: Benny Parsons had a dominant performance, leading 250 laps and winning easily. Richard Petty had car trouble, which ended his hopes for the championship.
• American 500: Donnie Allison won this race, and Cale Yarborough officially clinched the championship!
• Dixie 500: This race was shortened due to rain and darkness. On the very last lap, Darrell Waltrip made a last-second move to win, with Donnie Allison and Cale Yarborough crashing at the finish line.
• Los Angeles Times 500: This final race was a close battle between Richard Petty and Neil Bonnett, with the lead changing 37 times! Bonnett won his first big track race. Cale Yarborough finished third, and his total points for the season, 5,000, were the highest ever recorded under the points system at that time. Also, Janet Guthrie led laps under caution, which was the first time a woman led laps in NASCAR!