| Official Race Results | |||||||||
| SouthEastern 500 | Bristol International Speedway | |||||||||
| August 26, 1978 | Race 21 of 30 | |||||||||
| Average Speed: 88.628 mph | |||||||||
| Margin of Victory: 16 seconds | Time of Race: 03:00:25 | ||||||||
| Lead Changes: 16 | |||||||||
| Cautions: 10 for 59 laps. | |||||||||
| Fin | St | Car | Driver | Make | Sponsor | Pts / Bonus | Laps | Status | Winnings |
| 1 | 4 | #11 | Cale Yarborough | Oldsmobile | 1st Nat'l City Trav. Cks. | 185/10 | 500 | Running | $13,760 |
| 2 | 3 | #72 | Benny Parsons | Oldsmobile | 1st Nat'l City Trav. Cks. | 175/5 | 500 | Running | $7,300 |
| 3 | 2 | #88 | Darrell Waltrip | Chevrolet | Gatorade | 170/5 | 499 | Running | $6,500 |
| 4 | 12 | #90 | Dick Brooks | Ford | Truxmore | 160/0 | 497 | Running | $3,950 |
| 5 | 11 | #43 | Richard Petty | Chevrolet | STP | 160/5 | 495 | Running | $4,350 |
| 6 | 9 | #2 | Dave Marcis | Chevrolet | Osterlund | 150/0 | 495 | Running | $2,650 |
| 7 | 13 | #3 | Richard Childress | Oldsmobile | Kansas Jack | 151/5 | 494 | Running | $2,530 |
| 8 | 5 | #70 | J.D. McDuffie | Chevrolet | Bailey Excavating | 142/0 | 481 | Running | $2,220 |
| 9 | 10 | #40 | D.k. Ulrich | Chevrolet | Midwestern Farm Lines | 138/0 | 477 | Running | $2,050 |
| 10 | 15 | #17 | Roger Hamby | Chevrolet | Hamby/Ellis Automotive | 134/0 | 477 | Running | $1,350 |
| 11 | 7 | #25 | Ronnie Thomas * | Chevrolet | Louise Smith | 130/0 | 476 | Running | $1,840 |
| 12 | 21 | #67 | Buddy Arrington | Dodge | Falls Radiator | 127/0 | 475 | Running | $1,680 |
| 13 | 26 | #24 | Cecil Gordon | Chevrolet | Transmissions Unlimited | 124/0 | 469 | Running | $1,520 |
| 14 | 19 | #4 | Gary Myers | Chevrolet | Spencer's Baby Wear | 121/0 | 465 | Running | $675 |
| 15 | 24 | #79 | Frank Warren | Dodge | Native Tan | 118/0 | 458 | Running | $1,360 |
| 16 | 22 | #45 | Baxter Price | Chevrolet | Price Racing | 115/0 | 453 | Running | $1,140 |
| 17 | 16 | #48 | James Hylton | Chevrolet | Palatine Automotive | 112/0 | 438 | Running | $820 |
| 18 | 8 | #8 | Ferrel Harris | Chevrolet | Autowize | 109/0 | 425 | Running | $790 |
| 19 | 23 | #52 | Jimmy Means | Chevrolet | Means Racing | 106/0 | 353 | Ignition | $770 |
| 20 | 14 | #5 | Neil Bonnett | Chevrolet | Armor All | 103/0 | 287 | Engine Failure | $2,950 |
| 21 | 20 | #64 | Tommy Gale | Ford | Sunny King Ford & Honda | 100/0 | 279 | Engine Failure | $715 |
| 22 | 6 | #15 | Bobby Allison | Ford | Norris Industries | 102/5 | 253 | Engine Failure | $3,155 |
| 23 | 17 | #30 | Tighe Scott | Chevrolet | Russ Togs | 94/0 | 232 | Broken Spindle | $895 |
| 24 | 29 | #09 | Nelson Oswald | Chevrolet | Oswald | 91/0 | 195 | Running Too Slow | $435 |
| 25 | 18 | #19 | Dick May | Chevrolet | Belden Asphalt | 88/0 | 123 | Accident | $675 |
| 26 | 1 | #54 | Lennie Pond | Oldsmobile | W.i.n. | 90/5 | 103 | Not Handling | $3,870 |
| 27 | 25 | #97 | Ralph Jones | Ford | Jones | 82/0 | 37 | Engine Failure | $415 |
| 28 | 27 | #74 | Bobby Wawak | Chevrolet | Booher Farms | 79/0 | 13 | Transmission | $410 |
| 29 | 30 | #7 | Ed Negre | Dodge | Sam Dell | 76/0 | 3 | Clutch | $405 |
| 30 | 28 | #36 | Bill Green | Chevrolet | B&G | 73/0 | 0 | Accident | $400 |
| * Denotes Rookie | |||||||||