The final laps would become a battle between Donnie Allison, Darrell Waltrip, and Benny Parsons.

Waltrip would eventually defeat Donnie Allison by two seconds in his 1978 Chevrolet Monte Carlo.

Earnhardt was given the #98 car ride when Willy T. Ribbs was arrested for reckless driving and fired.

[4] Willy T. Ribbs was expected to be at this NASCAR Cup Series event, being a popular African-American race car driver of the time.

[5] Many traditionalists chided the opportunities that Ribbs received, such as entering higher levels of NASCAR simply because he was black.