| series | Champcar complete |
| race | Indy 500 |
| year | 1978 |
| team | car | entry | driver | start | finish | chassis | engine | laps led | * | |
| Hall Racing | 2 | 1st National Travel Check | Al Unser | | 5 | 1 | Lola T500 [HU02] | Cosworth DFX | 121 | |
| Penske | 1 | Norton Spirit | Tom Sneva | | 1 | 2 | Penske PC-6/78 [002] | Cosworth DFX | 3 | |
| Patrick | 20 | North American Van Lines | Gordon Johncock | | 6 | 3 | Wildcat Mk.II [4] | DGS | ||
| Patrick | 40 | Foreman Industries | Steve Krisiloff | | 13 | 4 | Wildcat Mk.II [3] | DGS | 5 | |
| O'Connell | 6 | Sugaripe Prune | Wally Dallenbach | | 7 | 5 | McLaren M24 [001] | Cosworth DFX | ||
| All American Racers | 48 | ARCOgraphite | Bobby Unser | | 19 | 6 | Eagle 78 [7801] | Cosworth DFX | ||
| AJ Foyt | 14 | Gilmore/Citicorp | AJ Foyt | | 20 | 7 | Coyote IV [78-1] | Foyt V8 tc | ||
| AJ Foyt | 84 | Gilmore/Citicorp | George Snider | | 23 | 8 | Coyote IV [75-1] | Foyt V8 tc | ||
| Janet Guthrie Racing | 51 | Texaco Star | Janet Guthrie | | 15 | 9 | Wildcat Mk.III [1] | DGS | ||
| Lindsey Hopkins | 16 | 1st National Travel Check | Johnny Parsons Jr | | 8 | 10 | Lightning Mk1/77 [c] | Offy Drake tc | ||
| Patrick Santello | 35 | Bryant Heating & Cooling | Larry Rice | | 30 | 11 | Lightning Mk1/77 [b] | Offy Drake tc | ||
| Penske | 7 | Gould Charge | Mario Andretti | | 33 | 12 | Penske PC-6/78 [003] | Cosworth DFX | ||
| McLaren | 4 | 1st National Travel Check | Johnny Rutherford | | 4 | 13 | McLaren M24 [003] | Cosworth DFX | ||
| Frank Fiore | 88 | Machinists Union | Jerry Karl | | 28 | 14 | McLaren M16C/D [C/D-6] | Offy Drake tc | ||
| Hoffman | 69 | Mr. Wize Buys Carpet | Joe Saldana | | 24 | 15 | Eagle 72 [7221] | Offy Drake tc | ||
| Grant King Racers | 98 | Oberdorfer | Gary Bettenhausen | | 31 | 16 | Kingfish Dragon [10] | Offy Drake tc | ||
| Morales | 78 | Alex Foods | Mike Mosley | | 25 | 17 | Lightning Mk1/77 | Offy Drake tc | ||
| Interscope | 25 | Interscope | Danny Ongais | | 2 | 18 | Parnelli VPJ6C | Cosworth DFX | 71 | |
| Vollstedt | 17 | La Machine | Dick Simon | | 10 | 19 | Vollstedt 77 [14] | Offy Drake tc | ||
| McElreath | 26 | Circle City Coal | Jim McElreath | | 26 | 20 | Eagle 73 [7306] | Offy Drake tc | ||
| AMI Racing | 43 | Armstrong Mould | Tom Bigelow | | 18 | 21 | Wildcat Mk.II [2] | DGS | ||
| Polak Racing | 80 | Polak Racing | Larry Dickson | | 9 | 22 | Penske PC-5/77 [001] | Cosworth DFX | ||
| Penske | 71 | CAM2 | Rick Mears | | 3 | 23 | Penske PC-6/78 [001] | Cosworth DFX | ||
| Fletcher | 8 | Budweiser | Pancho Carter | | 21 | 24 | Lightning Mk1/77 [a] | Cosworth DFX | ||
| Hodgdon | 11 | AMC Experimental | Roger McCluskey | | 11 | 25 | Eagle 74 | AMC 209 V8 tc | ||
| Gehlhausen | 39 | Tibon | John Mahler | | 17 | 26 | Eagle 74 Fletcher | Offy Drake tc | ||
| Leader Card | 22 | Kent Oil | Tom Bagley | | 14 | 27 | Watson 77 [1] | Offy Drake tc | ||
| Dayton-Walther | 77 | Dayton-Walther | Salt Walther | | 22 | 28 | McLaren M24 [004] | Cosworth DFX | ||
| Gehlhausen | 19 | Hubler Chevrolet | Spike Gehlhausen | | 16 | 29 | Eagle 74 Gehlhausen | Offy Drake tc | ||
| Phil Threshie | 47 | Tutwiler/Circle Chevy | Phil Threshie | | 29 | 30 | Lightning Mk1/76 [1] | Offy Drake tc | ||
| Thunder Racing | 30 | Smock Material | Jerry Sneva | | 32 | 31 | McLaren M16C/D [B-3] | Offy Drake tc | ||
| Leader Card | 24 | Thermo King | Sheldon Kinser | | 12 | 32 | Watson 78 [1] | Offy Drake tc | ||
| Hucul Racing | 29 | Wendy's Hamburger | Cliff Hucul | | 27 | 33 | McLaren M16E [E-2] | Offy Drake tc | ||
| AJ Foyt | 14 | Gilmore/Citicorp | George Snider | | DNS | Coyote IV [75-1] | Foyt V8 tc | |||
| AJ Foyt | 14 | Gilmore/Citicorp | George Snider | | DNS | Coyote IV [73-1] | Foyt V8 tc | |||
| All American Racers | 48 | ARCOgraphite | Bobby Unser | | DNS | Lightning Mk1/77 [ROMLIN/7] | Cosworth DFX | |||
| Art Sugai | 90 | Art Sugai | Lee Kunzman | | DNS | Fox 78 [1] | Offy Drake tc | |||
| Beith Racing | 28 | American Kids Racer | John Martin | | DNS | Eagle 72 [7219] | Offy Drake tc | |||
| Bob Olmsted | 62 | Bob Olmsted | Ed Finley | | DNS | Eagle 73 [7303] | Volker Zephyr 159 V12 | |||
| Cannon Racing | 85 | Cannon Racing | Larry Cannon | | DNS | Wildcat Mk.I [1] | DGS | |||
| Dayton-Walther | 34 | Dayton-Walther | Graham McRae | | DNS | McLaren M16C/D [C-5] | DGS | |||
| Dayton-Walther | 77 | Dayton-Walther | Graham McRae | | DNS | McLaren M24 [004] | Cosworth DFX | |||
| Dayton-Walther | 77 | Dayton-Walther | Salt Walther | | DNS | McLaren M24 [002] | Cosworth DFX | |||
| Fletcher | 55 | Budweiser | | DNS | Lightning Mk1/77 [f] | Cosworth DFX | ||||
| Frank Fiore | 87 | Machinists Union | Jerry Karl | | DNS | Rascar Atlanta 72 [2] | Offy Drake tc | |||
| Gene White Racing | 21 | American Racing Wheels | Lloyd Ruby | | DNS | Parnelli VPJ3 [101] | Offy Drake tc | |||
| Grant King Racers | 95 | Dairy Queen | Roger Rager | | DNS | Kingfish 73 | Offy 159 tc | |||
| Grant King Racers | 95 | Dairy Queen | Gary Bettenhausen | | DNS | Kingfish 73 | Offy 159 tc | |||
| Grant King Racers | 97 | Dairy Queen | Roger Rager | | DNS | Kingfish Dragon [9] | Offy Drake tc | |||
| Hodgdon | 11 | AMC Experimental | Roger McCluskey | | DNS | Spirit 78 [1] | AMC 209 V8 tc | |||
| Hurtubise | 52 | Olympia Beer | Jim Hurtubise | | DNS | McLaren M16B [B-1] | Offy 159 tc | |||
| Hurtubise | 54 | S&S Truck Parts | Jim Hurtubise | | DNS | Eagle 68 [404] | Offy 159 tc | |||
| Hurtubise | 56 | Moran Electric | Jim Hurtubise | | DNS | Mallard 71 FE [IV] | Offy 159 tc | |||
| Interscope | 25 | Interscope | Danny Ongais | | DNS | Parnelli VPJ6B [002] | Cosworth DFX | |||
| Janet Guthrie Racing | 51 | Texaco Star | Gordon Johncock | | DNS | Wildcat Mk.III [1] | DGS | |||
| Leader Card | 22 | Kent Oil | Tom Bagley | | DNS | Eagle 74 [7403] | Offy 159 tc | |||
| Leader Card | 24 | Thermo King | Sheldon Kinser | | DNS | Eagle | Offy tc | |||
| Lindsey Hopkins | 16 | 1st National Travel Check | Johnny Parsons Jr | | DNS | Lightning X-15 Laydown [1] | Offy Drake tc | |||
| Longhorn | 18 | Simon Shopping Centers | Bubby Jones | | DNS | Wildcat Mk.I [2] | DGS | |||
| Longhorn | 18 | Simon Shopping Centers | Billy Vukovich | | DNS | Wildcat Mk.I [2] | DGS | |||
| Loquasto Racing | 86 | American Rustproof | Al Loquasto | | DNS | McLaren M16C/D [A-1] | Offy Drake tc | |||
| McLaren | 4 | 1st National Travel Check | Johnny Rutherford | | DNS | McLaren M24B [001] | Cosworth DFX | |||
| Mergard | 42 | Guarantee Auto Stores | Bob Harkey | | DNS | Eagle 72 [7204] | Offy 159 tc | |||
| Morales | 78 | Alex Foods | Pancho Carter | | DNS | Lightning Mk1/77 | Offy Drake tc | |||
| Morales | 78 | Alex Foods | Bobby Olivero | | DNS | Lightning Mk1/77 | Offy Drake tc | |||
| O'Connell | 6 | Sugaripe Prune | Wally Dallenbach | | DNS | Lightning Mk1/77 [e] | Cosworth DFX | |||
| Patrick | 20 | North American Van Lines | Gordon Johncock | | DNS | Wildcat Mk.IV [1] | Offy DT160 V8 | |||
| Patrick Santello | 65 | Bryant Heating & Cooling | Larry Rice | | DNS | Eagle 74 [7405] | Offy Drake tc | |||
| Penske | 7 | Gould Charge | Mike Hiss | | DNS | Penske PC-6/78 [003] | Cosworth DFX | |||
| Penske | 7 | Gould Charge | Mike Hiss | | DNS | Penske PC-6/78 [005] | Cosworth DFX | |||
| Rasmussen | 58 | Rent-A-Racer | Eldon Rasmussen | | DNS | Rascar Atlanta 72 [1] | Foyt V8 tc | |||
| Vatis Enterprises | 92 | McCord Auto Supply | Billy Vukovich | | DNS | Eagle 72 Fleagle [7228] | Offy Drake tc | |||
| Vatis Enterprises | 92 | McCord Auto Supply | Gary Irvin | | DNS | Eagle 72 Fleagle [7228] | Offy Drake tc | |||
| Vatis Enterprises | 92 | McCord Auto Supply | Al Loquasto | | DNS | Eagle 72 Fleagle [7228] | Offy Drake tc | |||
| Vatis Enterprises | 93 | McCord Auto Supply | Billy Vukovich | | DNS | Eagle 72 Fleagle [7224] | Offy Drake tc | |||
| Vollstedt | 27 | Vollstedt Racing | Dick Simon | | DNS | Vollstedt 73 [13] | Offy Drake tc | |||
| Vollstedt | 27 | Vollstedt Racing | Bill Puterbaugh | | DNS | Vollstedt 73 [13] | Offy Drake tc |
