| Race details[1][2] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 20 of 31 in the1980 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season | |||
 Layout of Talladega Superspeedway | |||
| Date | August 3, 1980 (1980-08-03) | ||
| Official name | Talladega 500 | ||
| Location | Alabama International Motor Speedway,Talladega, Alabama | ||
| Course | Permanent racing facility | ||
| Course length | 2.660 miles (4.280 km) | ||
| Distance | 188 laps, 500.1 mi (804.8 km) | ||
| Weather | 97.9 °F (36.6 °C); wind speeds of 11.8 miles per hour (19.0 km/h) | ||
| Average speed | 166.894 miles per hour (268.590 km/h) | ||
| Attendance | 70,000[3] | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Ranier Racing | ||
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Buddy Baker | Ranier Racing | |
| Laps | 56 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 21 | Neil Bonnett | Wood Brothers Racing | |
| Television in the United States | |||
| Network | CBS | ||
| Announcers | Ken Squier Ned Jarrett | ||
The1980 Talladega 500 was aNASCARWinston Cup Series race that took place on August 3, 1980, atAlabama International Motor Speedway inTalladega,Alabama, USA.
Talladega Superspeedway, originally known asAlabama International Motor Superspeedway (AIMS), is amotorsports complex located north ofTalladega, Alabama. It is located on the formerAnniston Air Force Base in the small city ofLincoln. The track is aTri-oval and was constructed byInternational Speedway Corporation, a business controlled by theFrance Family, in the 1960s. Talladega is most known for its steep banking and the unique location of the start/finish line - located just past the exit to pit road. The track currently hosts theNASCAR series such as theSprint Cup Series,Xfinity Series, and theCamping World Truck Series. Talladega Superspeedway is the longestNASCAR oval with a length of 2.66 miles (4.28 km), and the track at its peak had aseating capacity of 175,000 spectators.[4]
The race consisted of 188 laps for a total of 500.1 miles (804.8 km).[3][2] The race took two hours and fifty-nine minutes in complete.[3][5]Neil Bonnett defeatedCale Yarborough by six car lengths in front of 70000 spectators.[3] Five cautions slowed the field for 25 laps while the average speed was 166.894 miles per hour (268.590 km/h).[3][2][5]
Buddy Baker would qualify for the pole with a speed of 198.545 miles per hour (319.527 km/h).[3]Bruce Hill would finish last due to anengine issue on lap 12. There were a lot of failures in the race as seven of the top ten starters all blew engines; the last top ten starting driver would end his day on lap 174.[3]
Hill would make $1,050 in race winnings ($4,007 when adjusted for inflation) while Bonnett would earn $35,675 ($136,144 when adjusted for inflation).[6]
Mercury would score its last NASCAR Cup victory in this race.Coo Coo Marlin would retire from NASCAR after this race while Tennessee'sHarry Dinwiddle would make his only NASCAR Cup Series appearance here.Country music singing legend and NASCAR Cup Series driverMarty Robbins would start 37th and finish the race in 13th while driving his 1978Dodge Magnum number 6.[7]
| Grid[3] | No. | Driver | Manufacturer | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 28 | Buddy Baker | Oldsmobile | Harry Ranier |
| 2 | 21 | Neil Bonnett | Mercury | Wood Brothers |
| 3 | 11 | Cale Yarborough | Oldsmobile | Junior Johnson |
| 4 | 30 | Tighe Scott | Oldsmobile | Walter Ballard |
| 5 | 43 | Richard Petty | Oldsmobile | Petty Enterprises |
| 6 | 68 | Lennie Pond | Oldsmobile | Jim Testa |
| 7 | 88 | Darrell Waltrip | Oldsmobile | DiGard |
| 8 | 27 | Benny Parsons | Oldsmobile | M.C. Anderson |
| 9 | 12 | Donnie Allison | Oldsmobile | Kennie Childers |
| 10 | 1 | David Pearson | Oldsmobile | Hoss Ellington |
Section reference:[3]
† signifies that the driver is known to be deceased
* Driver failed to finish race
| Pos | Driver | Points[3] | Differential |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dale Earnhardt | 3072 | 0 |
| 2 | Cale Yarborough | 2902 | -150 |
| 3 | Richard Petty | 2872 | -200 |
| 4 | Benny Parsons | 2787 | -285 |
| 5 | Darrell Waltrip | 2709 | -363 |
| Preceded by | NASCAR Winston Cup Series Season 1980 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Talladega 500 races 1980 | Succeeded by |