1979 Winchester 400
Encyclopedia
American Speed Association
The American Speed Association is a sanctioning body of motorsports in the United States formed in 1968. The Association was based in Pendleton, Indiana and currently is headquarters in Daytona Beach, Florida. ASA was most famous for a national touring series which began in 1973 but was...
sanction on October 7, 1979, at the Winchester Speedway
Winchester Speedway
Winchester Speedway is a half-mile paved oval motor racetrack in White River Township, Randolph County, just outside Winchester, Indiana, approximately northeast of Indianapolis. It seats 4000 spectators. It is also known as the "World's Fastest 1/2 mile"....
, in Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
(USA).
For the first time since 1974, the Winchester 400
Winchester 400
The Winchester 400 is a 400-lap short-track stock car race held each fall at the Winchester Speedway, approximately east of Indianapolis, Indiana. Held annually since 1970, the race has served as a launching point for the careers of several young drivers including former winners Rusty Wallace and...
had a new winner, as Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
driver Don Gregory collected the biggest victory of his career over a star-studded field. Driving the Jeg’s Hi Performance Oldsmobile, Gregory inherited the lead on lap 320 when five-time defending race winner Bob Senneker was forced to pit after hitting the outside wall.
Driving the Obie-Baker Chevrolet, Randy Sweet turned in a track record lap of 16.142 seconds (111.510 MPH) to be the fastest qualifier of the 51 cars that attempted to make the 36-car field. At the start, Sweet jumped ahead of the field and into a comfortable lead. Despite shortening the field from 40 to 36 cars, the race still suffered from an early, multi-car incident when Mickey Flora lost an engine on lap 32, triggering a pileup that collected the cars of Doug Klein, John Martin
John Martin (driver)
John Martin , is a former driver in the USAC and CART Championship Car series. He raced in the 1970-1977 and 1979-1980 seasons, with 52 career starts, including the 1972-1976 Indianapolis 500 races. He finished in the top ten 17 times, with his best finish in 5th position at Ontario Motor...
, Dick Trickle
Dick Trickle
Richard "Dick" Trickle is a retired American race car driver. He raced for decades around the short tracks of Wisconsin, winning many championships along the way. Trickle has competed in the ASA, ARTGO, ARCA, All Pro, IMCA, NASCAR, and USAC.In more than an estimated 2,200 races, Trickle has logged...
, Ed Cooper, and Moose Myers.
Sweet led the initial 80 laps with Senneker then taking control of the field until pitting on lap 90. Dave Roahrig then moved to the point with Ray Young, Mark Martin, Gregory, L.J. Lines, Mike Eddy
Mike Eddy
Mike Eddy is a stock car auto racer. He is most notable for racing in the now defunct American Speed Association . He was a seven time ASA National Champion, which is the most in ASA history. During his run in ASA Eddy drove the number 88 car.-ASA:Eddy won his 7 championships in 1974, 1976,...
, and Senneker close behind. Roahrig remained out front until stopping in the pits on lap 152, giving the lead to the veteran Lines for the first time in his "400" career. Lines would remain in front until he too headed down pit road on lap 192 and handed the lead to Eddy. Senneker would reassume the lead on lap 247 and hold it for the next 56 laps. Passing the 300-lap mark, things heated up at the front of the field as M. Martin, Senneker, and Eddy all took turns leading over an eight-lap period before Senneker settled back in front on lap 311.
Poised for a sixth consecutive win, Senneker saw his hopes slip away as he slid into the outside wall while leading on lap 320 allowing Gregory to charge by for the lead. The final 100 laps proved to be the undoing for many competitors. Along with Senneker’s trip into the wall, M. Martin suffered engine problems and Eddy was forced to make a green-flag stop for fuel. Leading the final 81 laps, Gregory held on to collect only the second win of his long ASA career and a "400" record $10,025 winner’s check. Ray Young came home second with Eddy, Trickle, and Butch Miller
Butch Miller (racing driver)
Butch Miller is a racecar driver. He drives the #07 Toyota Tundra part time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series on a limited basis, and is also a crew chief for SS-Green Light Racing. He is a multiple champion in the now-defunct American Speed Association stock car series...
rounding out the top-five.
Table of results
| Results of the 10th Annual DRI-POWER Winchester 400 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pos | Start | Car # | Driver/Hometown | Sponsor/Make | Laps | Winnings (in US$ United States dollar The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies.... ) |
Status | |
| 1 | 14 | 7 |  Don Gregory / Columbus, OH |
Jeg’s Hi Performance / Oldsmobile | 400 | $10,025 | running | |
| 2 | 9 | 99 |  Ray Young / Dolton, IL |
Jam’s Truck Stop / Chevrolet | 400 | $5,550 | running | |
| 3 | 4 | 88 |  Mike EddyMike Eddy Mike Eddy is a stock car auto racer. He is most notable for racing in the now defunct American Speed Association . He was a seven time ASA National Champion, which is the most in ASA history. During his run in ASA Eddy drove the number 88 car.-ASA:Eddy won his 7 championships in 1974, 1976,... / Midland, MI |
Moenning Brothers / Chevrolet | 399 | $3,775 | running | |
| 4 | 5 | 99 |  Dick TrickleDick Trickle Richard "Dick" Trickle is a retired American race car driver. He raced for decades around the short tracks of Wisconsin, winning many championships along the way. Trickle has competed in the ASA, ARTGO, ARCA, All Pro, IMCA, NASCAR, and USAC.In more than an estimated 2,200 races, Trickle has logged... / Wisconsin Rapids, WI |
Superamerica / Pontiac | 391 | $3,000 | running | |
| 5 | 13 | 52 | Butch Miller Butch Miller (racing driver) Butch Miller is a racecar driver. He drives the #07 Toyota Tundra part time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series on a limited basis, and is also a crew chief for SS-Green Light Racing. He is a multiple champion in the now-defunct American Speed Association stock car series... / Lawton, MI |
Lane Automotive / Chevrolet | 382 | $2,000 | stalled | |
| 6 | 22 | 32 |  Denny Nyari / South Bend, IN |
Hop-Cap / Chevrolet | 381 | $1,800 | engine | |
| 7 | 31 | 96 | Harold Scott / New Castle, IN |
Scott Racing / Chevrolet | 378 | $2,100 | running | |
| 8 | 16 | 43 | Bill Noel / Anderson, IN |
B-K Machine / Oldsmobile | 368 | $1,400 | running | |
| 9 | 32 | 18 | Kenny St. John / Indianapolis, IN |
M & M Automotive / Chevrolet | 365 | $1,200 | running | |
| 10 | 15 | 88 | Bob Strait / Flossmoor, IL |
Bee Line Towing / Chevrolet | 359 | $1,100 | running | |
| 11 | 26 | 25 | Ted Johnson / Columbus, OH |
Cantley Auto Salvage / AMC | 357 | $1,000 | running | |
| 12 | 10 | 37 | Terry Senneker / Wayland, MI |
Anastor Racing / Chevrolet | 348 | $900 | ignition | |
| 13 | 6 | 24 | Dave Roahrig / Plymouth, IN |
Hop-Cap / Chevrolet | 347 | $1,300 | engine | |
| 14 | 8 | 2 |  Mark Martin / Batesville, AR |
Howe/Baker Engineering / Chevrolet | 347 | $1,250 | running | |
| 15 | 28 | 88 | Doug Hanna / Goshen, IN |
Jackson Tire Co. / Chevrolet | 347 | $700 | running | |
| 16 | 29 | 10 | Buddy Cole / Indianapolis, IN |
Dill Brothers / Chevrolet | 346 | $650 | running | |
| 17 | 1 | 84 | Bob Senneker / Dorr, MI |
Baker Engineering/Howe / Chevrolet | 336 | $1,100 | accident | |
| 18 | 17 | 0 | Lonnie Breedlove / Indianapolis, IN |
M & M Automotive / Chevrolet | 334 | $550 | running | |
| 19 | 27 | 64 | Ray Barnard / Ypsilanti, MI |
K & M Engineering / Chevrolet | 323 | $500 | engine | |
| 20 | 11 | 00 | L.J. Lines / Indianapolis, IN |
Davis Racing / Chevrolet | 278 | $450 | engine | |
| 21 | 36 | 0 | Moose Myers / Fort Wayne, IN |
R.W. Kain, Inc. / Chevrolet | 233 | $425 | oil leak | |
| 22 | 3 | 3 | Rick Knotts / Paw Paw, MI |
M & M Automotive / Chevrolet | 232 | $400 | head gasket | |
| 23 | 30 | 15 | Larry Gorman / Brownsburg, IN |
Exacto Corp./South Bend / Chevrolet | 221 | $390 | broken piston | |
| 24 | 33 | 75 | Ken Adams / Cleveland, OH |
Hutter Racing Eng. / Chevrolet | 199 | $380 | accident | |
| 25 | 20 | 1 | Marvin Smith / Columbus, OH |
Riverside Auto Parts / Oldsmobile | 193 | $370 | water pump | |
| 26 | 34 | 77 | Ken Harrison / Indianapolis, IN |
Love’s Body Shop / AMC | 170 | $360 | running | |
| 27 | 18 | 2 | Carl Smith / West Jefferson, OH |
Riverside Auto Parts / Chevrolet | 166 | $350 | engine | |
| 28 | 2 | 17 | Randy Sweet / Edwardsburg, MI |
Obie-Baker / Chevrolet | 161 | $850 | clutch | |
| 29 | 7 | 5 | Ed Cooper / Clark Lake, MI |
National Serv-All / Chevrolet | 90 | $350 | alternator | |
| 30 | 25 | 74 | Richard Craig / Cowan, IN |
Holt Muffler / Chevrolet | 78 | $350 | engine | |
| 31 | 19 | 12 | Bob Sensiba / Middleville, MI |
T & H Enterprises / Chevrolet | 69 | $800 | rear end | |
| 32 | 24 | 34 | Johnny Ziegler / Madison, WI |
Howe/Richards Tire, Co. / Chevrolet | 59 | $300 | rear end | |
| 33 | 21 | 38 | Jeep Pflum / Cincinnati, OH |
Don’s Crankshaft / Chevrolet | 37 | $300 | engine | |
| 34 | 12 | 39 |  John MartinJohn Martin (driver) John Martin , is a former driver in the USAC and CART Championship Car series. He raced in the 1970-1977 and 1979-1980 seasons, with 52 career starts, including the 1972-1976 Indianapolis 500 races. He finished in the top ten 17 times, with his best finish in 5th position at Ontario Motor... / Irvine, CA |
Martin Auto Parts / Chevrolet | 31 | $300 | accident | |
| 35 | 32 | 10 | Doug Klein / Fairview Heights, IL |
Thompson-Klein Racing / Chevrolet | 30 | $250 | accident | |
| 36 | 23 | 30 | Mickey Flora / Anderson, IN |
D & F Racing Equipment / Chevrolet | 28 | $250 | accident | |
Race statistics
- Average Speed: 86.582 mi/h
- Margin of Victory: ½ lap
- Time of Race: Two hours, 18 minutes and 35.799 seconds
- Lead Changes: 10 among 7 drivers
- Lap Leaders: Randy Sweet 1-79; Bob Senneker 80-90; Dave Roahrig 91-152; L.J. Lines 153-192; Mike Eddy 193-246; B. Senneker 247-302; Mark Martin 303; B. Senneker 304-306; Eddy 307-310; B. Senneker 311-319; Don Gregory 320-400.
- Cautions: 10 for 80 laps
- Entries: 58 Qualifiers: 51