1978 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 1, 1978, 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).
The 1978 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...
marked a milestone in the short history of the event, as Michigan short-track legends 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 Bob Senneker engaged in a race-long battle over the 400-lap distance on the "World's Fastest Half Mile". Despite Eddy's best efforts, Senneker (Dorr, Michigan) once again came out on top as he won the fall-classic for the fifth consecutive year.
Senneker served notice early that he was a threat to win again as he set fast time in qualifying for the third straight year. At the green, fellow front-row starter Bob Sensiba shot to the lead, but suffered early tire problems giving the lead to Mike Eddy on lap nine. Although followed closely by Senneker and Sensiba most of the time, the Midland, Michigan
Midland, Michigan
Midland is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan in the Tri-Cities region of the state. It is the county seat of Midland County. The city's population was 41,863 as of the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Midland Micropolitan Statistical Area....
veteran dominated the first half event, as he would lead all the way until lap 234 when he pitted for tires. Sensiba won the race off pit road and would pace the field until Eddy again took over the top spot on lap 257.
Despite starting from the pole, Senneker grabbed the lead for the first time on lap 305 when Eddy took advantage of a caution to make his final pit stop. Once the green flag reappeared, the battle began between race leaders Senneker and Eddy. The two leaders dueled through lapped traffic as Eddy attempted to retake the lead in quest of his first Dri-Power 400 win. Sensiba who, was desperately attempting to regain a lost lap, joined the lead duo as they sliced through traffic. Sensiba was able to work his way past Senneker on two occasions, but the caution never came out and Senneker was able to move back around and keep his rival down a lap. At the finish, Senneker was able to hold off Eddy for his fifth-straight win and collect $8,035 for his efforts. Eddy settled for second on the lead lap followed by Sensiba, rookie Ed Cooper, and Terry Bivins.
Table of results
| Results of the 9th Annual DRI-POWER Winchester 400 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pos | Start | Car # | Driver/Hometown | Sponsor/Make | Laps | Winnings (in US$ 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 | 1 | 84 |  Bob Senneker / Dorr, MI |
Baker Engineering / Chevrolet | 400 | $8,035 | running | |
| 2 | 3 | 88 | 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,... / Midland, MI |
Moenning Brothers / Chevrolet | 400 | $5,950 | running | |
| 3 | 2 | 48 | Bob Sensiba / Middleville, MI |
Collier Chevrolet / Chevrolet | 399 | $3,365 | running | |
| 4 | 13 | 4 | Ed Cooper / Clark Lake, MI |
National Serv-All / Chevrolet | 392 | $2,400 | running | |
| 5 | 30 | 53 |  Terry Bivins / Wellsville, KS |
Miller Construction / Chevrolet | 387 | $2,000 | running | |
| 6 | 22 | 2 |  Carl Smith / West Jefferson, OH Marvin Smith / Columbus, OH |
Competition Parts / Chevrolet | 383 | $1,800 | running | |
| 7 | 38 | 41 | Tom Harrington / Loveland, OH |
BFI Garbage / Chevrolet | 383 | $1,600 | running | |
| 8 | 29 | 38 |  Jeep Pflum / Cincinnati, OH |
Don’s Crankshaft / Chevrolet | 380 | $1,400 | running | |
| 9 | 33 | 75 |  Warren Howard / Fort Wayne, IN |
Howard Racing / Chevrolet | 375 | $1,200 | running | |
| 10 | 28 | 46 | Ellis Herbert / Rushville, IN |
Tony’s Body Shop / Chevrolet | 373 | $1,100 | running | |
| 11 | 8 | 0 | Lonnie Breedlove / Indianapolis, IN |
M & M Automotive / Chevrolet | 373 | $1,000 | engine | |
| 12 | 19 | Denny Miles / Muncie, IN |
H & R Auto Sales / Chevrolet | 373 | $900 | running | ||
| 13 | 20 | 94 | Robbie Dean / Grove City, OH |
Able Auto Body / Chevrolet | 364 | $800 | running | |
| 14 | 12 | 76 | L.J. Lines / Greensboro, IN |
Miller Tire Co. / Chevrolet | 359 | $725 | running | |
| 15 | 24 | 30 | Mickey Flora / Anderson, IN |
Flora Racing / Dodge | 355 | $675 | running | |
| 16 | 31 | 10 | Vern Schrock / Goshen, IN |
Coachman RV / Chevrolet | 336 | $625 | radiator | |
| 17 | 37 | 11 | Buddy Cole / Indianapolis, IN |
Dill’s Auto Parts / Chevrolet | 335 | $575 | running | |
| 18 | 27 | 12 | Wayne Arnold / Indianapolis, IN |
Milam Used Cars / Chevrolet | 328 | $525 | running | |
| 19 | 40 | 19 | Roger Gillespie / Urbana, OH |
Belmont Catering / Ford | 320 | $475 | running | |
| 20 | 26 | 8 | Jim Cushman / Mt. Vernon, OH |
Murphy Oil / Dodge | 315 | $450 | running | |
| 21 | 7 | 24 | Dave Roahrig / Plymouth, IN |
Hop-Cap / Chevrolet | 311 | $430 | lost wheel | |
| 22 | 36 | 24 | Don Johnson / Hilliard, OH |
Johnson Auto Service / Chevrolet | 266 | $400 | wheel bearing | |
| 23 | 39 | 15 | Larry Gorman / Indianapolis, IN |
Dale’s Family Center / Dodge | 261 | $390 | running | |
| 24 | 30 | 43 | Ted Johnson / Columbus, OH |
Cantley Auto Salvage / AMC | 246 | $380 | rear end | |
| 25 | 11 | 1 | Bob Coffey / Indianapolis, IN |
M & M Automotive / Chevrolet | 226 | $370 | accident | |
| 26 | 34 | 5 | Billy Marvel / Indianapolis, IN |
Bill’s Freight / Chevrolet | 210 | $360 | accident | |
| 27 | 9 | 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... / Kalamazoo, MI |
Port City Racing / Chevrolet | 172 | $350 | accident | |
| 28 | 32 | 69 | Dave Lewis / Indianapolis, IN |
Lewis Towing / Chevrolet | 151 | $350 | accident | |
| 29 | 16 | 43 | Gene Christie / Gaston, IN |
Nave Body Shop / Oldsmobile | 149 | $350 | engine | |
| 30 | 10 | 32 | Denny Nyari / South Bend, IN |
Hop-Cap / Chevrolet | 142 | $350 | accident | |
| 31 | 18 | 27 | Don Wilbur / West Carrollton, OH |
Jessie Hair Fashions / Chevrolet | 136 | $350 | accident | |
| 32 | 6 | 2 |  Mark Martin / Batesville, AR |
Howe/Baker Engineering / Chevrolet | 118 | $350 | accident | |
| 33 | 35 | 82 | Dave Brandenburg / Springfield, OH |
Joe’s Radiator / Chevrolet | 85 | $350 | accident | |
| 34 | 14 | 28 |  Everett DeWitt / Janesville, WI |
Quality Auto Body / Chevrolet | 18 | $350 | accident | |
| 35 | 5 | 7 | Don Gregory / Columbus, OH |
Jeg’s Hi Performance / Chevrolet | 53 | $350 | rear end | |
| 36 | 25 | 17 | Denny Breedlove / Indianapolis, IN |
M & M Automotive / Chevrolet | 51 | $350 | accident | |
| 37 | 17 | 68 | Terry Senneker / Grand Rapids, MI |
Dantuma / Chevrolet | 47 | $300 | broken piston | |
| 38 | 4 | 2 | Ed Baer / Middlebury, IN |
Jackson Tire Co. / Chevrolet | 40 | $300 | accident | |
| 39 | 21 | 96 | Harold Scott / New Castle, IN |
CarQuest / Chevrolet | 25 | $250 | accident | |
| 40 | 15 | 80 |  James Cox / Louisville, KY |
Marshall / Pontiac | 9 | $250 | accident | |
Race statistics
- Average Speed: 70.823 mi/h
- Margin of Victory: N/A
- Time of Race: Two hours, 49 minutes and 26.169 seconds
- Lead Changes: 7 among 4 drivers
- Lap Leaders: Bob Sensiba 1-8; Mike Eddy 9-234; Bob Senneker 235; Dave Roahrig 236; Sensiba 237-256; Eddy 257-304; B. Senneker 305-400
- Cautions: 18 for 126 laps
- Entries: 49 Qualifiers: 47