May 10, 1980 - 250 Miles - Purse $86,665

Race winner Richard Petty with the trophy for capturing the Music City 420.  The win would be his 192nd career Winston Cup Victory. 

Petty would go on to capture a record 200 wins in the series. His final victory would come at the 1984 Firecracker 400 at Daytona.

 With nine victories to his credit, Petty is the all-time Winston Cup race winner at Fairgrounds Speedway

 

 

Prior to the race, NASCAR implemented a change to the rulebook which would impose a two-lap penalty on any team which changes one or more tires under a yellow flag.  “The tire rule probably won for me tonight,” admitted race winner Richard Petty. “I’m not sold on this rule. It confuses me. More importantly it confuses the fans.”

Cale Yarborough's 106.591 mph pole speed would stand as the fastest recorded since the track's reconfiguration in 1973. 

Cale Yarborough had the dominant car for the event but finished third due to the new rule “I had a tire losing air and I couldn’t change it under the yellow (18 laps from the finish),” stated a disgruntled Yarborough.  

Chevrolet recorded its 100th NASCAR Winston Cup victory. Though the Winston Cup (Grand National) series would begin in 1949, Chevrolet would not claim its first victory until 1956.  Paul Goldsmith would pilot his Smokey Yunick prepared 1956 Chevrolet to a dominating win at Langhorne Speedway, in Langhorne, Pennsylvania. Lee Petty, Richard's father, would finish second in a Dodge.

A record 25 cars were running at the checkered flag, an incredible 83% of the field.


The Chevrolet Monte Carlo of Richard Petty during qualifying.

Hometown favorite Darrell Waltrip and his father LeRoy, prior to the start of the race. (Photo: Bill Easly The Tennessean)


Cale Yarborough paces the field in his Junior Johnson Chevrolet Monte Carlo.  He would lead 279 laps but would finish third. (Photo: Ricky Rogers The Tennessean)


This would be the first Winston Cup start for Franklin, Tennessee's Mike Alexander.  He would start 74 races during his seven year career.  His best finish would be a third place in the 1988 Atlanta Journal 500 at Atlanta International Raceway. 
 
Average Speed:    89:471 mph Time of Race:        2:47:52 Margin:       car length
Pole Winner:         Cale Yarborough  106.591 Attendance:         17,000 Cautions:   4 for 29
Lap Leaders:        Yarbrough 1-90, Waltrip 91, Earnhardt 92-118, Yarborough 119-154, Petty 155-170, Yarborough 171-203, Petty 204-234, Yarborough 235-311, Petty 312-315, Yarborough 316-358, Waltrip 359-375, Petty 376-420
 
Driver Fin Str Car Team  /  Owner Car Laps Money Status Led
Richard Petty 1 6 43 STP -  Petty Enterprises Chevrolet 420 15,350 Running 96
Benny Parsons 2 2 27 Melling Tool  -
M.C. Anderson
Chevrolet 420 10,310 Running 0
Cale Yarborough 3 1 11 Busch -
Junior Johnson & Assoc
Chevrolet 420 8,660 Running 279

Darrell Waltrip 4 5 88 Gatorade -
DiGard Racing
Chevrolet 419 5,750 Running 18
Bobby Allison 5 3 15 Hodgon  -  Bud Moore Ford 418 5,130 Running 0
Dale Earnhardt 6 7 2 Mike Curb -
Rod Osterlund
Chevrolet 418 5,825 Running 27
Terry Labonte 7 11 44 Stratagraph -
Billy Hagan
Chevrolet 414 4,035 Running 0
Jody Ridley 8 17 90 Truxmore / Sunny King Junie Donlavey Ford 413 4,185 Running 0
Harry Gant 9 4 47 Race Hill Farm -
Jack Beebe
Chevrolet 411 3,315 Running 0
Mike Alexander 10 12 40 Midwestern Farm Lines D.K. Ulrich Chevrolet 409 3,130 Running 0
Dave Marcis 11 8 71 Buck Stove / Hudson Transmission   - Dave Marcis Chevrolet 405 2,735 Running 0
Jimmy Means 12 22 52 Thompson Industries   -Jimmy Means Chevrolet 401 2,775 Running 0
James Hylton 13 23 48 Palatine Auto Parts    -  James Hylton Chevrolet 399 1,940 Running 0
Don Sprouse 14 24 37 Rogers Auto Leasing   - Bob Rogers Chevrolet 399 750 Running 0
Tommy Gale 15 21 64 Sunny King Ford & Honda   -
Elmo Langley
Ford 396 1,680 Running 0
Junior Miller 16 28 79 Miller Roofing -
Junior Miller
Chevrolet 392 1,520 Running 0
  Dick May 17 29 99 Hollar Auto Parts   -
Bill Hollar
Chevrolet 382 520 Running 0
Bobby Wawak 18 25 74 Bobb Wawak Chevrolet 382 500 Running 0
Cecil Gordon 19 30 24 Sadler Motors / Smith Used Cars   -
Cecil Gordon
Oldsmobile 380 1,340 Running 0
J.D. McDuffie 20 14 70 Bailey Excavating   -
J D McDuffie
Chevrolet 376 1,215 Running 0
Ronnie Thomas 21 27 25 Stone's Cafeteria  -   Don Robertson Chevrolet 374 1,100 Running 0
Baxter Price 22 19 45 Iron Peddlers-
Baxter Price
Chevrolet 373 440 Running 0
Roger Hamby 23 15 17 Kings Inn - Daytona  Roger Hamby Chevrolet 370 430 Running 0
John Anderson 24 9 75 RahMoc Enterprises Chevrolet 367 420 Running 0
Slick Johnson 25 16 53 Johnson Racing -
J.D. Johnson
Chevrolet 348 660 Crash 0
Rick Newsom 26 18 20 Louise Smith -
Don Robertson
Oldsmobile 326 400 Running 0
Buddy Arrington 27 20 67 Reid Trailer Sales  -  Buddy Arrington Dodge 295 645 Transmssn 0
Steve Spencer 28 26 19 Belden Asphalt-
Henley Gray
Chevrolet 153 640 Engine 0
Richard Childress 29 13 3 CRC Chemicals  -  Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 148 635 Engine 0
Dick Brooks 30 10 7 Sanyo - Nelson Malloch Chevrolet 46 630 Rear end 0