Today In NASCAR History

 
1978: Pole-starter David Pearson passes Darrell Waltrip on the final lap to win the Champion Spark Plug 400 at Michigan International Speedway, clinching the last of 43 wins with the legendary Wood Brothers team. Pearson, who led 56 of the 200 laps in a Mercury, then held off runner-up Cale Yarborough by .32 seconds at the finish as Waltrip faded to third. There were 34 lead changes, including three in the final six laps on the 2-mile oval.

Greg Engle
About Greg Engle 7421 Articles
Greg is a published award winning sportswriter who spent 23 years combined active and active reserve military service, much of that in and around the Special Operations community. Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.