| Race details | |
|---|---|
| Race 11 of 14 in the 1979 SCCA/CART Indy Car Series season | |
 | |
| Date | September 2, 1979 |
| Official name | 1979 California 500 |
| Location | Ontario Motor Speedway, Ontario, California, United States |
| Course | Permanent racing facility 2.500 mi / 4.023 km |
| Distance | 200 laps 500.000 mi / 804.672 km |
| Pole position | |
| Driver |  Rick Mears (Team Penske) |
| Time | 203.046 mph (326.771 km/h) |
| Podium | |
| First | Bobby Unser (Team Penske) |
| Second | Rick Mears (Team Penske) |
| Third | Mario Andretti (Team Penske) |
The 1979 California 500, the tenth running of the event, was held at the Ontario Motor Speedway in Ontario, California, on Sunday, September 2, 1979. The event was race number 11 of 14 in the 1979 SCCA/CART Indy Car Series. The race was won by Bobby Unser, his third California 500 victory. It was the first year of the California 500 under CART sanctioning.