The Dale Jr. Download - Becoming Earnhardt Vol. 8 - The Race To The Finish

Episode Date: December 20, 2025

After 27 grueling weeks, it comes down to the final four races. Somehow, after all the roster changes, crashes, fights and calamity, there are two tight points races to be decided. As the NASCAR Cup contingent prepares for the last stretch, the season points championship and the Rookie of the Year battles have never been closer. Dale Earnhardt surely had the rookie crown locked up after his stunning victory at Bristol in April, but the trusty DeWitt team and their unproven chauffeur Joe Millikan have kept him in sight. After Dale’s disastrous crash and time on the sideline, Millikan took full advantage and strung together a series of top-10 finishes to take over the top spot in the standings.In the Grand National points race, Darrell Waltrip jumped out to an early lead and never looked back for most of the season. But after a catastrophic sequence of engine failures and crashes, the DiGard team seems to have begun to crumble under the pressure of winning their first season championship. Even worse, the King Richard Petty has been steadily getting closer in the rearview mirror, and he has his sights set on an unprecedented seventh Cup crown. Join us as we go down to the wire in the greatest NASCAR Cup season in history. We’ll unpack the final four events: North Wilkesboro, Rockingham, Atlanta and Ontario. By the end of it, we will have decided two incredible points contests, with winners who represent NASCAR’s past and future.FanDuel: Must be 21+ and present in select states (for Kansas, in affiliation with Kansas Star Casino) or 18+ and present in D.C. First online real money wager only. $5 first deposit required. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable bonus bets, which expire 7 days after receipt. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG. Call 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat in Connecticut, or visit mdgamblinghelp.org in Maryland. Hope is here. Visit GamblingHelpLineMA.org or call [phone] for 24/7 support in Massachusetts or call 1-877-8HOPE-NY or text HOPENY in New York. Check out Dirty Mo Media on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DirtyMoMedia  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The following is a production of Dirtymo Media. In a year that has seen upset victories, driver swaps, and in my dad's case, painful injury, it's all come down to four races to decide two cup crowns, the overall points champion, and the rookie of the year. The latter of the two was all but a lock during the first half of the year. Dad had won at Bristol and had epic battles with the best, but it's time away to heal from a vicious Pocono crash

has given Joe Milliken the chance to get back into the conversation. Joe chipped away at Dad's lead with quiet consistency and strong performances in the second half of the schedule. Meanwhile, a massive points lead by Darrell Waltrip in the overall championship vanished. With four races to go, his lead over Richard Petty was just 53 points, and the Petty Enterprise's crew was firing on all cylinders. King Richard had his eyes fixated on an unprecedented 7th Cup championship crown. I'm Dellenhart Jr. And on this episode of Becoming Earnhardt, we conclude the dramatic 1979 NASCAR Cup season.

We travel to North Wilkesboro, Rockingham, Atlanta, and Ontario. And when the dust settles in Southern California, we will have crowned two new NASCAR champions representing the present and the future. of stock car racing. This episode of Becoming Earnhardt is presented by Chevrolet. To keep up with all of Team Chevy's winning racing programs in NASCAR, IndyCar, NHRA, and Emsa, visit Chevrolet.com slash motorsports or follow Team Chevy on all social media platforms. Coming up later, we'll talk more about Chevrolet, but for now, let's get on with Volume 8 of Becoming Earnhardt.

Good afternoon, sportsmen, and a beautiful afternoon it is, and greetings from Wilts County, North Carolina. I'm Dick Jones with the Universal Racing Network team at North Wilkes-Brosby Play, and we're here to bring you the Holly Farm 400. The 28th event of this exciting Major League Soccer Car racing season. We design the crucial stage of the very

close championship battle. All right, welcome back to Becoming Earnhardt, episode 8, and we just got done racing at Charlotte, and now we're going to race number 28 on the season. Just four races remaining in the year, and it's the Holly Farm's 400 at North Wilkesboro.

Now, this race weekend was rain delayed from September 30th, and it's going to happen on October 14th. But before the rains actually flooded the property's parking lots back in September, teams did complete qualifying sessions. And of course, the young man on pole position for the big one. The Holly Farm's 400, a new track record. Dale Earnhardt. Canapalas, North Carolina, the Australon Chevrolet,

at 112.7.83 miles per hour. And that sees Dad? When his fourth pole of the season? Man, he is a rocket in qualifying here late in the year. A new coat of asphalt on the short oval helped Dad turn the first lap in the track's history under 20 seconds. Obviously, with a new track record, Dad was in rare form with the media. Let me tell you something. If it was like politics or making peace, then Jake Elder wouldn't be.

worth a damn. But when it comes to racing, things like springs and gears and how to get into and out of the corners, he can say it all in just a few sentences. Relatively, he can tell you more in a minute than a politician can in an hour. Darrell Waltrop and his crew are going to show up again with that caprice named Dolly after it had it shown solid speed in Martinsville weeks ago. He's going to qualify third. Now, Richard Petty, who's battling Waltrop tooth and nail for the championship, struggled to an 11th place qualifying effort. Things are looking promising for Waltrip to possibly extend his points lead with a solid race here in North Wiltsboro. In a strange set of circumstances, a Chevrolet that was entered with driver and short track legend Butch Lindley crashed during practice with driver Dean Combs at the wheel.

Linley himself was unavailable for practice due to a commitment to a race that same day at another. track. David Pearson was actually scheduled to practice the car for Linley, but Pearson was delayed by storms. Pearson was actually sitting in his street car at the infield gate, waiting to be led in the track when Combs, with a stuck throttle, crashes Lindley's car right in front of Pearson. Man, that must have been something. And the green is out. At Dale Aaron, Hart goes down to the airside, takes leave going into turn one. Bobby Allison on the outside. Darrell Walter comes down. As we get to the race, we're going to drop the green flag,

and Dad's going to lead the first 12 laps before being passed by Darrell Waltrip driving Old Dolly. Dad's never going to lead again for the remainder of the event. Darrell Waltrip and Bobby Allison take command of the race for the next 250 laps. Bobby was really strong, but DW was able to keep him close, and the two hard chargers had a lively exchange on lap 308, which began when Waltrip tapped Allison in turn three, and cause them both to get sideways. Waltrip's going to complete the pass,

but Allison returns the favor down the front straightaway, giving Daryl a bump and sends Waltrip right into the wall. Bobby Allison shoots the juice to it and look out. He and now Walter Tangle and come out of number four. They use what town Waltop is into the wall. He smacks the wall and slides out it sideways, and Bobby Allison holds over and hides it more forward, and keeps it under him,

and he is going to come around to the start, finish line. Darrell Waldrop, hits the wall right on the front stretch, puts it against the wall, bounces with all, pins it against the wall, and slides down, backwards, coming to rest in the start of turn one. The crash causes Waltrip to pit for repairs, and he's going to return to the race 20 laps down. Bobby looking for some passing room. He wants to get around there and do battle with Benny Parsons, and he is having his problem. Dick, they're giving the passing flag to Darrell Walthrop.

He is moving out a little as Bobby tries to get by, and they're giving him the passing flag. And they're talking, NASCAR officials are talking. Bobby Alton now back on the back bumper of Darrylop. And he'll try to move around him on the outside, and they're giving the passing flag out. During the next caution period, Waltrip attempted to position himself between leader Benny Pryl.

Parsons and Bobby Allison, who was running second at the time. But he gets black flag by official Pete Dunbar, instructing him to stay out of the battle for the lead. And NASCAR has an official down in the Darrell Walter Pitts talking to his crew chief, and I think they're probably telling him, you better tell your boy on the radio to move over and quit blocking that far. Well, they just walked down and the flagman has the black flag in his hand. After the black flag, Walter will return to the track, and as Leader Parsons laps him, he's going to position his car in front of Allison's again, this time attracting the ire of NASCAR competition director, Bill Gazzaway. Back at North Wilkes-Braw, the green is not going to come out. They're going to hold them.

They're going to hold them. And NASCAR director, Bill Gazzaway, is pointing to number 88, Darrell Waltrip, and saying, you get down on the bottom of the racetrack. He's going to hold the race up. Dick, apparently they're going to do more than just make Darrell Walter move down on the track. They're telling the flagman to give him the black flag and make him come to the pits for a little consultation. He's going to walk down to the track surface, and Bill Gazzaway is going to personally black flag Walter. He's brought in for a two-lap discussion and eventually allowed to return to the race to finish 13th. Gazzaway would explain, for a driver who is 24 laps down, Waltrop is not giving the leaders any racing room. One of these days, he will be the one in the same position and will expect the same considerations.

We cannot tolerate that style of driving. All year long, we fixed our car and got it back in the race. It didn't matter where it was or what was wrong with it. If it was wrecked, we fixed it where I could drive it. If it blew up, we put another engine in it. That's the name of the game. I think NASCAR was a little bit out of line by black flagging us the two times they did. I was observing the layover flag.

I was running in the lower half of the racetrack. I was leaving the outside lane for the faster cars, and they, you know, they were trying to analyze me. They were like a bunch of psychiatrists up there trying to figure out what I was thinking, and that's not their job. Their job is to run the race, to do what they think is right, and the same way with me on the racetrack. Walter's comments were Bobby intentionally wrecked me, and I won't forget that. I can't believe he'd do something like that, knowing the points race I'm in. Why in the hell would he do this? Allison insisted his innocence, saying that it started when he hit me three times trying to pass me.

He has to learn that when you want to pass somebody, you go around them, not through them. I passed a lot of cars during the race, but I had no trouble with anybody except for Waltrip. Waltrip counters. This costs me the race, maybe the points championship, and a good friend. Going into turn three, Bobby dives down low on the inside. He's up touching her back bumper up, a penny. He's there coming in. Benny closes the door, crosses the start, finish line.

And your winner of the Holly Farms 400, Benny Parsons of Elevinoff, Carolina, and the M.C. Anderson Chevrolet, Bobby Allison, finished second. Benny Parsons will go on to lead the final 92 laps, and he's going to beat Bobby Allison by less than a car length to win the fall race at North Wiltsboro. It would be car owner, M.C. Anderson's first cup victory, and Parsons' first win.

of the season. This win also put the new team on the Winter Circle program. We talked about how that was really helpful to any new team like dads in Bristol earlier in the season. And this win, and being on the Winter Circle program,

is credited with keeping the team on the full schedule for the following 1980 season. Had they gone winless in 1979? They were planning to scale back to 20 races the following year in 1980. And Nick, the finished position of Darrell-Waltrop is not figured exactly, but it was down around 15th NASCAR

scoring things, and that was going to make it very close, possibly just a few points different to one way or another as to who is leading the Grand National Standings. When all the dust settles, Richard Petty's going to finish third, and now he's going to move within 17 points of Darrell Walter for the championship. And when asked his opinion about the confrontation between Darrell Waltrip and Bobby Allison in the race, Richard Petty replied, I'm here to race. not be a referee. But if those guys want to get into it, let them.

Dad's going to go ahead and finish a solid fourth place at Wilkesboro. And the old Ricky Rudd's going to round out the top five. Before we head to the next race, let's take a quick break to hear from our sponsors. Hey everybody, Dale Jr. here. Let's take a minute to talk about Chevrolet. As you know,

the Earnhardt family is a Chevy family. I own a Chevrolet dealership that I'm very proud of. and they're sure to be a Chevy dealership near you. So do me a favor. Before you buy your next new or pre-owned vehicle, check out Chevrolet's lineup of durable, innovative, award-winning, performance-focused models.

You'll be glad you did, and we'd be honored to have you in the team Chevy family. One great option you should check out is Chevy's factory lifted trucks. These lifted trucks help you tackle the trails. The first ever Silverado ZR2 Bison offers the extreme performance and capability you need to make easy work out of the most difficult terrain. Featuring a 13-inch touchscreen display, the versatile multi-flex tailgate, 32-inch mud terrain tires, and multimatic DSSV dampers, this truck allows you to stay connected while taking adventure to a whole new level. Dare to be different with the first ever Silberato ZR2 Bison.

Fison, Chevy, find new roads. Greetings sports fans and from Rockingham, North Carolina, welcome to Universal Racing Network's broadcast to the American 500 stock car race at North Carolina Motor Speedway. The next race on the schedule is Race 29, and it's the American 500 at Rockingham. One interesting thing about a car that entered that race, it's driven by Larry Pearson. That's David Pearson's oldest son. He's going to attempt to qualify for his very first Grand National event in a car. owned by Junie Don Levy, but he crashed in practice.

His father David had just got done chewing his butt about trying too hard during his first laps around the track, and Larry didn't heed the warning, and he hits the turn-two wall in his second timeout, causing serious damage to the car. Late Saturday night before the race, a fan snuck into the banking of the speedway, high up in the turns and spray-painted kale and Dale are still hell. I guess it rhymes, so that's good. Buddy Baker, Charlotte, North Carolina is on the pole and the win Chevrolet. His speed was 141.3.

Baker won the poll for the race, extending his lead in the Bush Pole Award standings to a total of six. Dad's going to qualify 10th. But the story everybody wants to talk about, and we mentioned it earlier on the broadcast, and Kale said he's going to write up a note card, put an explanation hanging around his neck, and he said that way he won't have to answer the car. question. Why no pole position victory so far for his car this year? And we asked Kail, you know, could he believe that he had not won one at all? Well, it's been pretty tough. You know, it's hard to believe that we won more polls than anybody else did last year and can't

win one this year. But, you know, it just happens that way, I guess. We've been trying just as hard. Things just haven't happened. But we still got two more shots at it, and we're going to give it our best effort to win one of those foes for that Bush clash Daytona. Well, now, here you brought a special qualifying engine and a practice engine and a race engine, but what happened? Well, the qualifying engine ran one lap and blew up, so we had to put our race engine in to qualify with, and we didn't get an opportunity to scuff our tires in to qualify on, so we had to qualify on old tires, and, you know, it's just been that kind of year all year long, so I'll just

be glad when this one's over, and we start a brand new, and I think it'll be a whole lot better. Yarborough, who still has not won a Bush Pole Award all season, came with a special hand grenade engine that was built to haul ass for at least one lap. Well, yeah, it did. The motor exploded in practice. Kale's team would have to stuff a practice motor in the car for qualifying and only manage a ninth place starting position. They're waiting, the flagman giving the hold. Hold. Mr. Warner Hudson, the honorary starter waves the green in their often running. Neil Bonnett is going to lead down single-file lead. Neil Bonnet is going to lead early in this race from his fourth place starting position

once the race gets underway. Quite a battle going on the race track between Richard Petty and Darrell Walthup. The men battling for the point championship. They are going at it on the track. We've had reports. Darryl Waltham, car number 88 is smoking. Darrell Walsop is being black flag because of his smoking far. Officials have determined that it's putting some oil on the track, he just dropped the black flag.

Championship hopeful Darrell Waltrip is going to split an oil pan, which is going to put him eight laps down after repairs. More trouble for Darrell and the DiGuard team in the championship battle. We have action here in the back straight, spinning around the turn number 21. Neil Bonnet, we're fishhailing down the back shoe. He bangs. Neil Bonnet's actually going to spin out from a blown engine on lap 238, and he's knocked unconscious by the impact with the retaining wall.

He had a short visit to the infield care center before being released. Our ninth caution flag of the day, Bobby Allison, Ricky Rudd get together going into turn one. Hill over and it's in front of you. Bobby Allison and Ricky Rudd have a horrendous crash. This starts when the two cars get locked up in the third turn. They crash into the wall and Allison's car erupted into flames. Allison was reportedly undoing his seatbelts as he slid down the banking trying to escape the fire. Rudd would get out and collapse on the track, and Allison raced to his aid.

Both drivers would be uninjured, but badly shaken. Richard Petty and Benny Parsons would begin an entertaining battle during the final 25 miles, and Richard Petty's going to lead the final nine laps to win at Rockingham, just a tenth of a second ahead of Parsons. Another great run for Benny. Kale Yarborough was close in third place. Donnie Allison and Dad will round out the top five. Dad never led at any point in the race, and he was actually four laps behind the winner.

He suffered a bit of damage to the nose of his car, avoiding one of the 12 cautions. Darrell Waltrip's going to nurse his sick Monte Carlo home to a sixth place finish, but the finish would leave Petty with now an eight-point lead for the first time in the 79 season. Miraculously, Richard Petty has made up 229 points in just, two months. Good afternoon from Atlanta International Raceway on a beautiful sunny Sunday afternoon at Hampton, Georgia. I'm Dick Jones with the Universal Racing Network team, and we're trackside awaiting the start of the Dixie 500 stock car race just a few minutes away.

It's the 30th and the next to the last event of the most exciting season in the history of Major League Stock Car Racing. As Dad headed to Atlanta for the next to last race of the season, you have to wonder how excited he may have been to return to a track that saw him. compete for Australon in the Cup Series for the very first time just one year ago. A lot's changed for him in 12 months, and a solid run here again would almost surely lock up the rookie of the year battle. Atlanta, as we know, would become an incredible track for Dad in his career. At one time, they used to give away ski-naughtyke boats to the winners, and Dad's

warehouse on the farm currently stores a half a dozen of those boats. But his success at Atlanta began early with a fourth place run. in this race last year. For Neil Bonnet, the weekend started off with an incredible bit of news. The Wood Brothers had decided that keeping Bonnet behind the wheel for 1980 was in their best interest, and they shook hands on an extension with Neil. Donnie Allison and owner Haas Ellington have come to terms to continue their relationship into next year. Fourteen races were on the schedule for 1980.

Haas had sponsorship issues that made any more of a commitment different, difficult. Allison seemed pleased with the deal. Petty and SDP were set for 1980 and also announced 10 STP-sponsored events for son Kyle Petty next season. About next year, I understand you aren't going to be running for a rookie of the year honors, but you're going to run about 10 races. Whose decision was this? Well, really, STPs, though, we're going to run 10 races for them, and we got a sportsman car and we're going to run some sportsmen races.

So we figured if we run a sportsman car and run a sportsman races, we'd run a whole lot more race than just the 31 Grand National races. Kyle Petty and nice talking to you. Back to network control. Darrell Waltrop and Richard Petty are in a tight battle for the championship. Darrell enjoyed that 229 point lead after a victory at Talladega, but Richard has won three races and finished no worse than ninth in the last nine races and now has an eight-point lead with two races remaining. And much has been said and written about the pressure, which might be on Darrell

Walter and Richard Petty and their battle for the Grand National Championship. So we asked Waltrip if he felt the pressure. If somebody asked me that one more time, as I'm getting sick and tired of hearing that, no, it's not getting to us. We've never said anything about pressure. It's everybody around us that's talked about pressure. Every time you talk to Richard Petty or anybody else, they say the pressure's getting to us. We don't, we're not under any pressure.

We don't have anything to prove. We want more races than anybody and more money than anybody. and if we win the championship, then we're going to be absolutely thrilled that that caps off a great season. We just had, you know, go talk to J.D. McDuffie. He's wrecked in about three or four of the last race. He said they hadn't even caused any of them. He just been in the wrong place at the wrong time. It happens in this business. And everybody going around and dramatizing the whole situation has really gotten on my nerves. All I hear is it's getting to you. The pressure is getting to you. I'm not under any pressure. I'm a race driver. I take a win. I'll take a lose.

I can't predict what's going to happen. I can't project what's going to happen. We're here to do what we know how to do best, and that's win the race. We build our team on racing and winning, and that's the way we're going to continue. Buddy Baker and his Lanier team would win another poll, and this is their seventh on the year,

and that wraps up the Bush Poll Award money for the season. Unfortunately, during the race, a broken cam would put them out at lap 88. But between the money for each poll position throughout the year, and the $50,000 from winning the February Bush clash and the 25,000 for the most polls, Baker has taken $100,000 from the Bush Beer Marketing Funds in 1979.

We asked, buddy, what has made him such a good qualifier this season? A good race car. That's 90% of it. I've got Waddell Wilson building engines and Zumer and all the guys that work on the car just doing a super job for us this year, and I'm just pleased with everything right now. Kelly Yarborough, who is sponsored by the beer brand, is still yet to win a poll this season,

a fact his competitors have not let him forget. During the race, both of our championship contenders would find multiple problems. Darrell Walter was leading the race, trying to come in for a pit stop, overshied his area, NASCAR official would not let him back up, send him around the racetrack once again,

and that right front tire, Dave, it's flat. Walter pitted once with two flat tires after a misunderstanding on pit road with Dave Marcus. Both Petty and Walter would be black flagged at one point for passing the leader during one of the five cautions. Back at Atlanta International Raceway, we're under the green, and look out, we got Richard Petty sideways up and turned for. And then Petty would go for a spin after contact with Ty Scott,

but escape undamaged. These incidents left them both a lap down from the leaders at the end. Cale is on the high side. Dale Earnhardt right behind him, Neil Bannon on the bottom of the racetrack, able to get around, Dale. And now Neil Bonnet is up side by side with Cale Yawbor coming down the front chute. And they're side by side across the finish line dead even into turn one. You can put the proverbial blanket over those first three automobiles.

During the last 50 miles of the race, the lead changed hands multiple times in a fascinating, battle between Dad, Neil Bonnet, and Kale Yarbril. Dale Earnhardt moves to the outside. He's up equal with Neil Bonnet. Neal Bonnet and Dale Earnhard are side by side coming out of turn four. The Intertrobate asks for the start finish line and it's going to be Neobot. The winner of the Dixie 500 by half a Carlint, a half a carlint over Dale Earnhardt. Neil Arnardt. Neil Bonnet made a pass on Dad in the final four laps and he's going to hang on and win the rest. by just one car length.

Kale Yarbril, Bobby Allison, and Darrell Walchup are going to round out the top five. Richard Petty is going to come home in sixth place. That one position difference, along with Waltrip's ability to lead a lap in the race, allows him to return to the points lead by just two points. Man, I really miss those bonus points for leading a lap in the race. Waltrip said of the points battle, when we go to California, I'll be racing one car. The number 43 will be the only car on the track.

Petty responded to the two-point deficit by saying, That means I got to beat Darrell by just one position. With Dad's runner-up finish in the race, he gained 17 points on Joe Milliken in the Rookie of the Year battle. His season performance, including his win at Bristol, assures he has the on-track portion of the Rookie of the Year award locked up, but there's still that panel of judges with the final decision at the conclusion of the year. Dad had this to say after his second place finish in Atlanta.

Neil was simply too good off the turns for me. I felt it could come down to the last lap. Neil was running so good low, I figured I would try him high. My only chance was to get back to the gas real fast, and I just couldn't do it. I hoped the outside challenge might rattle, Neil, but it didn't. He was just as determined as I was. I just got beat. I do think this will help a lot towards the rookie of the year.

that's what we've been shooting for all season. It's been so close. Me and Joe haven't had much breathing room. Bonnets' check for the win was $20,000. Dad got $16,700 for second place. And Kale Yarborough got $13,000 for third, but he got an additional $10,000 for leading the most laps. So Kale takes home the most money of the three drivers.

More becoming Earnhardt, coming right up. As the teams loaded up to begin a Western Hall to California for the season's final race, Tolkien the Garage wasn't about the championship battle between Walter Pimpedi. It was about Bill France's public announcement of rule changes coming in the 1981 season. For 1980, the current cars would still be eligible. But beginning in 1981, multiple changes would occur. The maximum wheelbase would shrink from 115 to 110 inches. The engine size would reduce from 358 to 315 cubic inches.

Overall car weight would reduce several hundred pounds from the current rule of 3,700. Chains was coming, but the teams were really relieved. They would have just over a year for such a monumental adjustment. Speaking of manufacturers, Chevy has the Manufacture Championship wrapped up. With one race to go in the season, they've won 17 races. Ford has won only five. Oldsmobile also has five wins. Mercury has three.

Buick and Dodge are winless. Good morning, everyone, from Ontario Motor Speedway in Southern California. Well, the curtain comes down today on the 1979 Winston Cup racing season here at Ontario Motor Speedway. All right, so here we are. Race 31, the final race of the season. It's been a long year, but we're headed to Ontario for the Los Angeles Times 500. Ontario Track GM Race Marts is advising the press about rumors on the sale of the facility. Foreclosure had been filed against the track.

Racing in 1980 was very much in doubt for the track. Several groups wanted to purchase the property and not all of them wanted racing to continue. The crowd for arguably the most important race of the season was underwhelming. This really speaks to the challenges in 1979 to expand the footprint of the sports. beyond the southeastern routes. The race wasn't even televised, leaving fans only the radio broadcast to keep up with the championship battle. And today, Richard Petty and Darrell Walthrop will decide among themselves,

which one becomes the nation's number one stock car driver for 1979. Richard Petty said it best yesterday talking to the riders here in Ontario, California. For himself and Waltrip, it's the seventh game of the World Series, and today will decide it all. How will these two run today's race? Well, I guess millions of people around the world would like to know their strategy for finishing ahead of each other here this afternoon. We'll just have to wait and see.

After a fierce points battle that saw possession of the points lead swapped several times in the waning weeks of the schedule, Darrell Waltrip's going to enter the year's final race with a two-point lead over Richard Petty. Petty was quoted as saying that he was going to Ontario to win the race. We're going to run hard all day. We are not going to play it safe. Walter reported that the DIGAR team made a unanimous decision to play it safe

and just finished the race, despite Richard's declaration of chasing victory. Petty's going to qualify fourth. Darrell, qualifying 10th. Cale Yarborough, who picked up the pole. That in itself is a story. It took Cail 30 races to get to this point, and it looked like he wouldn't be in the Bush clash for 1980 at Daytona Beach. Qualifying on the Bush Beer pole,

for the final race of the season. For the very first time this year is the Bush Beer-sponsored car of Kale Yarborough. Finally, Kale is going to avoid the humiliation of going the entire year failing to win the award marketed by his own sponsor.

I wonder how legal that engine was. Chip Warren giving the indication to hold it down a bit of it and they drop the green and they move across the start-beddie slide of the time 500 and other way. Keel Jarborough, Benny Parsons. So we're going to get the race underway, and after Benny Parsons and Buddy Baker swapped the lead early in the contest.

Keel Yarborough is holding it very tight in three, and Petty is going to try to make a move up in three. Petty is making a move, and he has moved into first place. Richard Petty's going to take over the lead on lap six, all right? So that awards him five bonus points, and it sends him into a mid-race points lead. We have an accident in the heart of turn three coming out of three in three. to turn four, and it looks like there's a car sitting right in the middle of turn three, and guess who else was involved in that little fracas, Darrowe-Waltrip? Disaster's going to strike for Waltrip, though, on lap 38.

He's going to spin out trying to avoid a stalled John Rezick. Have become a line single file, we've verified Daryl Waltrop is indeed. One lap in rears to the leaders. He lost the lap there back in sitting late under caution. Walter retreats to the pits immediately, but since the pace car had not yet caught the field, the leaders are going to race around and put him a lap down. He is never able to make up

that lost lap, the entire race. This seals his fate in the points championship. Green flag waves again at Ontario Motor Speedway as they come flying down across the start finish line and Earnhardt, waste no time and going after the lead on Bobby Allison. Dad would lead a handful of

laps past a 50 lap mark, but he too would lose a lap to the leaders at some point. Some articles state that he lost all but fourth gear. in his transmission with around 65 miles to go. Here's the leader right now, heading across the start-finish line, Cale Yarborough, a very healthy margin over second place, Richard Petty. Now with 15 laps to go, Cale Yarbril is in a commanding lead

and look to be on his way to victory when James Hilton blows an engine. This caution allows Benny Parsons and Bobby Allison to close the gap. Out of turn number four, 51,000 fans are on their feet. It's petty draft. Yarbrough to the line, free wide at the stripe. anchor on the inside. Bobby Allison's forward in the middle of the sandwich outside as Benny Parsons. They hit turn one. And when the green comes out with 10 laps left, the race resumes. Benny and Bobby easily pass kale. And Benny is going to go on to win the race

over Bobby Allison by half a second. Now Benny and his MC Anderson team have been on a tear. In the final four events, they've won two and finished second once. That's how you finish a season strong. Richard Petty's going to go on to finish 5th and earn 160 points. Darrell Walchrop comes home in eighth place, one lap down, only netting 147 points. Richard will finish 5th, but it will clinch his 7th Winston Cup driving title for Richard Petty. And give Petty all the credit in the world, Mike Joy, because all he had to do was just ease it around the speedway, and he's just not that kind of a race driver.

He tried as hard as it's possible to win this afternoon. This would award King Richard his seventh and final Cup championship. He's going to win by 11 points, and it's the closest margin of victory to date. After going winless in 1978 and experiencing the lowest point of his NASCAR Cup career, Richard Petty said from that standpoint, winning the title again is satisfying. But really, to me, seven is just a number one higher than six. Now, if I'd have won the race, I'd be sky high. I wanted to take the title by winning.

Now, that's how it should be done. I imagine that the king is real happy these days because winning that final race is usually what it takes to win the title. Darrell was quoted as saying, It's hard to swallow. I ain't never going to figure it out. Never, never, never, never. I came here with all my hopes,

and I'm leaving with a broken heart. It's very depressing. Very, very depressing. Dad's final result in the last race of the year will be ninth place. His closest challenger in the rookie of the year, Joe Milliken came home in 12th. After the completion of the event, NASCAR is going to announce that Dad had indeed won the 1979 Rookie of the Year. The voting panel of three NASCAR officials, along with last year's champion, Kale Yarborough, met before the race, but they produced no change to the actual standings.

Any details of the panel's meeting were not disclosed. Dad would win the 1979 First City Travelers Checks Rookie of the Year award over the last year award over. Joe Milliken by 17 points. Joe would finish sixth in the final point standings. Dad would finish seventh. But the rookie of the year was based off of a driver's best 15

results. Milliken and Dad had traded the rookie of the year lead multiple times during the year. Milliken claims the lead during Dad's absence due to his injuries and Dad's going to reclaim the lead after a top five run at Wilkesboro late in the season, and

he never looked back. you talk about rookie records come during the month of December and first part of January, they've got to rewrite the record book because Dale Earnhard has set so many records. He won at Bristol on April 1st. He's won four pole positions.

He's won more money than any rookie ever, $215,675. And you could just go on and on and on naming the new records now established by Dale Earnhardt. And you have to think about something else to a shoulder injury sustained in a row Black guy at Pocono put him out of action during the late summer,

so he had a great deal of catching up to do to latch on to that rookie leave. Dad's going to finish the year with one win, 11 top 5s, and 17 top 10 finishes, winning a total of $274,000. Milliken was winless, and he only captured five top five finishes during the year. But he made the rookie of the year battle a compelling one all season long with his consistency. Texas Terry Labani is going to finish third in the rookie of the year standings.

Now, during each of the 1979 races, the top finishing rookie was awarded $500. And in claiming the overall title, Dad was given a check for $10,000 from First City Travelers' Checks. And going further, this is really interesting to me, First City Travelers Checks would give Dad an additional $1,000 for every race he enters during the 1980 Cup. season. So he's guaranteed some money if he continues to race next year. And even with Dad missing four races, he set a record for money won by a rookie in NASCAR's history. And with that, the 1979 NASCAR Cup season has come to a close. Standing on top of the mountain of Stock Car Racing is once again King Richard Petty. But this time, he will share the spotlight with his successor. This scrappy 28-year-old rookie from Canapolis

Dale Earnhardt. But before we conclude our story, we'll take some time to ponder the impact of the year and why it truly is the greatest NASCAR season in history. To help bring our season to a conclusion, we'll sit down with some of our guests from past episodes and deep dive into all that we've learned on our journey through the historic 1979 NASCAR Cup year. Join us next time for the conclusion of Becoming Earnhardt. Becoming Earnhardt is a podcast series by Dirtymo Media.

It is written and produced by myself, Dellenhart Jr., with Bobby Marcos and Mike Davis. Sound design by Ben Potts. Production assistance by Tiff Powers, Michael Caldwell, Dustin Lee, James Brossan, Andrew Curlin, and Alex Thames. This project is in partnership with NASCAR, NASCAR productions, and the Motor Racing Network. For full replays of classic races, visit the Motor Racing Network's website at mrn.com. Race broadcast audio for this episode was from Universal Racing Network and provided to us by the Hank Schoolfield Universal Racing Network Collection, now part of the Stock Car Collection at Appalachian State University.

Special thanks to Cadence 13 and Silver Tribe Media. For additional content on Becoming Earnhardt, including exclusive video, Visit Dirtymo Media's YouTube page and follow us on all major social media platforms.