Indianapolis 500
Race Results for the 1978 Indianapolis 500
| Finish | Start | Car Num. | Driver | Car Name/Entrant* | Make/Model | Status | Laps | Led | Prize Money |
| 1 | 5 | 2 | Al Unser (W) | 1st National City Travelers Checks | Lola/Cosworth | 161.363 | 200 | 121 | $290,364 |
| 2 | 1 | 1 | Tom Sneva | Norton Spirit | Penske/Cosworth | 161.244 | 200 | 3 | $112,704 |
| 3 | 6 | 20 | Gordon Johncock (W) | North American Van Lines | Wildcat/DGS | Running | 199 | 0 | $61,769 |
| 4 | 13 | 40 | Steve Krisiloff | Foreman Industries | Wildcat/DGS | Running | 198 | 5 | $39,504 |
| 5 | 7 | 6 | Wally Dallenbach | Sugaripe Prune | McLaren/Cosworth | Running | 195 | 0 | $35,632 |
| 6 | 19 | 48 | Bobby Unser (W) | ARCO Graphite | Eagle/Cosworth | Running | 195 | 0 | $29,478 |
| 7 | 20 | 14 | A.J. Foyt (W) | Gilmore Racing/Citicorp | Coyote/Foyt | Running | 191 | 0 | $29,628 |
| 8 | 23 | 84 | George Snider | Gilmore Racing/Citicorp | Coyote/Foyt | Running | 191 | 0 | $25,818 |
| 9 | 15 | 51 | Janet Guthrie | Texaco Star | Wildcat/DGS | Running | 190 | 0 | $24,115 |
| 10 | 8 | 16 | Johnny Parsons | 1st National City Travelers Checks | Lightning/Offy | Running | 186 | 0 | $26,129 |
| 11 | 30 | 35 | Larry Rice (R) | Bryant Heating/WIBC | Lightning/Offy | Engine | 186 | 0 | $24,276 |
| 12 | 33 | 7 | Mario Andretti (W) | Gould Charge | Penske/Cosworth | Running | 185 | 0 | $23,252 |
| 13 | 4 | 4 | Johnny Rutherford (W) | 1st National City Travelers Checks | McLaren/Cosworth | Running | 180 | 0 | $31,805 |
| 14 | 28 | 88 | Jerry Karl | Machinists Union | McLaren/Offy | Running | 176 | 0 | $20,930 |
| 15 | 24 | 69 | Joe Saldana (R) | Mr. Wize Buys Carpet Shop | Eagle/Offy | Running | 173 | 0 | $20,691 |
| 16 | 31 | 98 | Gary Bettenhausen | Oberdorfer | Kingfish/Offy | Engine | 147 | 0 | $20,130 |
| 17 | 25 | 78 | Mike Mosley | Alex XLNT Foods | Lightning/Offy | Turbocharger | 146 | 0 | $20,247 |
| 18 | 2 | 25 | Danny Ongais | Interscope Racing | Parnelli/Cosworth | Blown engine | 145 | 71 | $33,242 |
| 19 | 10 | 17 | Dick Simon | La Machine | Vollstedt/Offy | Wheel bearing | 138 | 0 | $18,516 |
| 20 | 26 | 26 | Jim McElreath | Circle City Coal | Eagle/Offy | Engine | 132 | 0 | $19,119 |
| 21 | 18 | 43 | Tom Bigelow | Armstrong Mould | Wildcat/DGS | Rod | 107 | 0 | $18,000 |
| 22 | 9 | 80 | Larry Dickson | Polak/Stay-On Car Glaze | Penske/Cosworth | Oil pressure | 104 | 0 | $22,659 |
| 23 | 3 | 71 | Rick Mears (R) | CAM2 Motor Oil | Penske/Cosworth | Engine | 103 | 0 | $22,396 |
| 24 | 21 | 8 | Pancho Carter | Budweiser | Lightning/Cosworth | Header | 92 | 0 | $20,262 |
| 25 | 11 | 11 | Roger McCluskey | National Engineering Co. | Eagle/AMC | Clutch | 82 | 0 | $18,707 |
| 26 | 17 | 39 | John Mahler | Tibon | Eagle/Offy | Timing gear | 58 | 0 | $16,330 |
| 27 | 14 | 22 | Tom Bagley (R) | Kent Oil | Watson/Offy | Oil leak | 25 | 0 | $16,281 |
| 28 | 22 | 77 | Salt Walther | Dayton-Walther | McLaren/Cosworth | Clutch | 24 | 0 | $16,560 |
| 29 | 16 | 19 | Spike Gehlhausen | Hubler Chevrolet/WIRE Radio | Eagle/Offy | Accident | 23 | 0 | $15,968 |
| 30 | 29 | 47 | Phil Threshie (R) | Circle City Chevrolet/Tutweiler Cadillac | Lightning/Offy | Oil pressure | 22 | 0 | $15,705 |
| 31 | 32 | 30 | Jerry Sneva | Smock Material Handling | McLaren/Offy | Transmission | 18 | 0 | $18,120 |
| 32 | 12 | 24 | Sheldon Kinser | Thermo-King | Watson/Offy | Oil pressure | 15 | 0 | $15,813 |
| 33 | 27 | 29 | Cliff Hucul | Wendy's Hamburgers | McLaren/Offy | Oil line | 4 | 0 | $15,534 |
- * complete car name/entrant data not available for all entries
- (R) - Indicates Rookie
- (W) - Indicates Past Winner