1990 Busch 500

1990 Busch 500
Race details
Race 20 of 29 in the 1990 NASCAR Winston Cup Series
The 1990 Busch 500 program cover, featuring Darrell Waltrip.
The 1990 Busch 500 program cover, featuring Darrell Waltrip.
Date August 25, 1990
Official name 30th Annual Busch 500
Location Bristol, Tennessee, Bristol International Speedway
Course Permanent racing facility
0.533 mi (0.858 km)
Distance 500 laps, 266.5 mi (428.89 km)
Scheduled Distance 500 laps, 266.5 mi (428.89 km)
Average speed 91.782 miles per hour (147.709 km/h)
Attendance 58,200
Pole position
Driver
Richard Childress Racing
Time 16.598
Most laps led
Driver Dale Earnhardt Richard Childress Racing
Laps 350
Winner
No. 4 Ernie Irvan Morgan-McClure Motorsports
Television in the United States
Network ESPN
Announcers Bob Jenkins, Ned Jarrett, Benny Parsons
Radio in the United States
Radio Motor Racing Network

The 1990 Busch 500 was the 20th stock car race of the 1990 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season and the 30th iteration of the event. The race was held on Saturday, August 25, 1990, before an audience of 58,200 in Bristol, Tennessee, at Bristol International Speedway, a 0.533 miles (0.858 km) permanent oval-shaped racetrack. The race took the scheduled 500 laps to complete. In the final laps of the race, Morgan–McClure Motorsports driver Ernie Irvan would manage to hold off Blue Max Racing driver Rusty Wallace to the finish to take his first career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his only victory of the season.[1][2][3] To fill out the top three, the aforementioned Rusty Wallace and Roush Racing driver Mark Martin would finish second and third, respectively.

Background

The layout of Bristol Motor Speedway, the venue where the race was held.

The Bristol Motor Speedway, formerly known as Bristol International Raceway and Bristol Raceway, is a NASCAR short track venue located in Bristol, Tennessee. Constructed in 1960, it held its first NASCAR race on July 30, 1961. Despite its short length, Bristol is among the most popular tracks on the NASCAR schedule because of its distinct features, which include extraordinarily steep banking, an all concrete surface, two pit roads, and stadium-like seating. It has also been named one of the loudest NASCAR tracks.

Entry list

  • (R) denotes rookie driver.
# Driver Team Make Sponsor
1 Terry Labonte Precision Products Racing Oldsmobile Skoal
3 Dale Earnhardt Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet GM Goodwrench Service Plus
4 Ernie Irvan Morgan–McClure Motorsports Oldsmobile Kodak
5 Ricky Rudd Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Levi Garrett
6 Mark Martin Roush Racing Ford Folgers
7 Alan Kulwicki AK Racing Ford Zerex
8 Bobby Hillin Jr. Stavola Brothers Racing Buick Snickers
9 Bill Elliott Melling Racing Ford Coors Light
10 Derrike Cope Whitcomb Racing Chevrolet Purolator Filters
11 Geoff Bodine Junior Johnson & Associates Ford Budweiser
12 Hut Stricklin Bobby Allison Motorsports Buick Raybestos
15 Morgan Shepherd Bud Moore Engineering Ford Motorcraft
17 Greg Sacks Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Tide
19 Chad Little Little Racing Ford Pelco
20 Rob Moroso (R) Moroso Racing Oldsmobile Crown Central Petroleum
21 Dale Jarrett Wood Brothers Racing Ford Citgo
22 Rick Mast U.S. Racing Pontiac Plasti-Kote
25 Ken Schrader Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Kodiak
26 Brett Bodine King Racing Buick Quaker State
27 Rusty Wallace Blue Max Racing Pontiac Miller Genuine Draft
28 Davey Allison Robert Yates Racing Ford Texaco, Havoline
30 Michael Waltrip Bahari Racing Pontiac Country Time
33 Harry Gant Leo Jackson Motorsports Oldsmobile Skoal Bandit
41 Larry Pearson Larry Hedrick Motorsports Chevrolet General Motors Auctions
42 Kyle Petty SABCO Racing Pontiac Peak Antifreeze
43 Richard Petty Petty Enterprises Pontiac STP
52 Jimmy Means Jimmy Means Racing Pontiac Alka-Seltzer
57 Jimmy Spencer Osterlund Racing Pontiac Heinz
66 Dick Trickle Cale Yarborough Motorsports Pontiac Phillips 66 TropArtic
71 Dave Marcis Marcis Auto Racing Chevrolet Big Apple Market
74 Mike Potter Wawak Racing Pontiac Wawak Racing
75 Rick Wilson RahMoc Enterprises Pontiac Dinner Bell Foods
94 Sterling Marlin Hagan Racing Oldsmobile Sunoco
98 Butch Miller Travis Carter Enterprises Chevrolet Food City

Qualifying

Qualifying was split into two rounds. The first round was held on Friday, August 23, at 7:35 PM EST. Each driver would have one lap to set a time. During the first round, the top 15 drivers in the round would be guaranteed a starting spot in the race. If a driver was not able to guarantee a spot in the first round, they had the option to scrub their time from the first round and try and run a faster lap time in a second round qualifying run, held on Saturday, August 24, at 1:00 PM EST. As with the first round, each driver would have one lap to set a time. For this specific race, positions 15-30 would be decided on time,[4] and depending on who needed it, a select amount of positions were given to cars who had not otherwise qualified on time but were high enough in owner's points; up to two provisionals were given.

Dale Earnhardt, driving for Richard Childress Racing, would win the pole, setting a time of 16.598 and an average speed of 115.604 miles per hour (186.047 km/h) in the first round.[5][6]

Two drivers would fail to qualify.

Full qualifying results

Pos. # Driver Team Make Time Speed
1 3 Dale Earnhardt Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 16.598 115.604
2 6 Mark Martin Roush Racing Ford 16.641 115.306
3 66 Dick Trickle Cale Yarborough Motorsports Pontiac 16.764 114.460
4 27 Rusty Wallace Blue Max Racing Pontiac 16.771 114.412
5 42 Kyle Petty SABCO Racing Pontiac 16.775 114.385
6 4 Ernie Irvan Morgan–McClure Motorsports Chevrolet 16.782 114.337
7 5 Ricky Rudd Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 16.796 114.241
8 9 Bill Elliott Melling Racing Ford 16.818 114.092
9 21 Dale Jarrett Wood Brothers Racing Ford 16.829 114.017
10 7 Alan Kulwicki AK Racing Ford 16.832 113.997
11 11 Geoff Bodine Junior Johnson & Associates Ford 16.847 113.896
12 28 Davey Allison Robert Yates Racing Ford 16.882 113.660
13 94 Sterling Marlin Hagan Racing Oldsmobile 16.883 113.653
14 26 Brett Bodine King Racing Buick 16.893 113.586
15 10 Derrike Cope Whitcomb Racing Chevrolet 16.916 113.431
Failed to lock in Round 1
16 1 Terry Labonte Precision Products Racing Oldsmobile 16.918 113.418
17 20 Rob Moroso (R) Moroso Racing Oldsmobile 16.943 113.250
18 71 Dave Marcis Marcis Auto Racing Chevrolet 16.957 113.157
19 25 Ken Schrader Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 16.969 113.077
20 43 Richard Petty Petty Enterprises Pontiac 16.995 112.904
21 33 Harry Gant Leo Jackson Motorsports Oldsmobile 17.031 112.665
22 12 Hut Stricklin Bobby Allison Motorsports Buick 17.050 112.540
23 75 Rick Wilson RahMoc Enterprises Oldsmobile 17.056 112.500
24 22 Rick Mast U.S. Racing Pontiac 17.056 112.500
25 17 Greg Sacks Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 17.065 112.441
26 41 Larry Pearson Larry Hedrick Motorsports Chevrolet 17.082 112.329
27 30 Michael Waltrip Bahari Racing Pontiac 17.100 112.211
28 8 Bobby Hillin Jr. Stavola Brothers Racing Buick 17.117 112.099
29 15 Morgan Shepherd Bud Moore Engineering Ford 17.120 112.079
30 57 Jimmy Spencer Osterlund Racing Pontiac 17.148 111.896
Provisionals
31 98 Butch Miller Travis Carter Enterprises Chevrolet -* -*
32 52 Jimmy Means Jimmy Means Racing Pontiac -* -*
Failed to qualify
33 74 Mike Potter Wawak Racing Pontiac -* -*
34 19 Chad Little Little Racing Ford -* -*
Official first round qualifying results

Race results

Fin St # Driver Team Make Laps Led Status Pts Winnings
1 6 4 Ernie Irvan Morgan–McClure Motorsports Chevrolet 500 120 running 180 $49,600
2 4 27 Rusty Wallace Blue Max Racing Pontiac 500 0 running 170 $32,850
3 2 6 Mark Martin Roush Racing Ford 500 0 running 165 $22,830
4 16 1 Terry Labonte Precision Products Racing Oldsmobile 500 0 running 160 $14,150
5 13 94 Sterling Marlin Hagan Racing Oldsmobile 500 0 running 155 $12,900
6 10 7 Alan Kulwicki AK Racing Ford 500 0 running 150 $10,325
7 9 21 Dale Jarrett Wood Brothers Racing Ford 499 29 running 151 $9,850
8 1 3 Dale Earnhardt Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 499 350 running 152 $30,125
9 27 30 Michael Waltrip Bahari Racing Pontiac 499 0 running 138 $9,157
10 7 5 Ricky Rudd Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 499 0 running 134 $10,100
11 11 11 Geoff Bodine Junior Johnson & Associates Ford 498 1 running 135 $11,750
12 19 25 Ken Schrader Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 497 0 running 127 $9,825
13 8 9 Bill Elliott Melling Racing Ford 497 0 running 124 $11,550
14 26 41 Larry Pearson Larry Hedrick Motorsports Chevrolet 497 0 running 121 $4,100
15 28 8 Bobby Hillin Jr. Stavola Brothers Racing Buick 496 0 running 118 $7,325
16 31 98 Butch Miller Travis Carter Enterprises Chevrolet 495 0 running 115 $5,600
17 3 66 Dick Trickle Cale Yarborough Motorsports Pontiac 494 0 running 112 $7,650
18 30 57 Jimmy Spencer Osterlund Racing Pontiac 493 0 running 109 $6,200
19 18 71 Dave Marcis Marcis Auto Racing Chevrolet 490 0 running 106 $6,050
20 25 17 Greg Sacks Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 485 0 running 103 $12,175
21 22 12 Hut Stricklin Bobby Allison Motorsports Buick 483 0 running 100 $4,275
22 32 52 Jimmy Means Jimmy Means Racing Pontiac 479 0 running 97 $4,175
23 12 28 Davey Allison Robert Yates Racing Ford 474 0 running 94 $10,350
24 24 22 Rick Mast U.S. Racing Pontiac 463 0 running 91 $3,375
25 14 26 Brett Bodine King Racing Buick 396 0 brakes 88 $5,575
26 21 33 Harry Gant Leo Jackson Motorsports Oldsmobile 395 0 running 85 $8,800
27 15 10 Derrike Cope Whitcomb Racing Chevrolet 379 0 rear end 82 $8,775
28 5 42 Kyle Petty SABCO Racing Pontiac 331 0 fatigue 79 $8,750
29 20 43 Richard Petty Petty Enterprises Pontiac 215 0 fatigue 76 $3,800
30 17 20 Rob Moroso (R) Moroso Racing Oldsmobile 188 0 accident 73 $3,900
31 29 15 Morgan Shepherd Bud Moore Engineering Ford 123 0 accident 70 $4,650
32 23 75 Rick Wilson RahMoc Enterprises Oldsmobile 122 0 engine 67 $4,650
Failed to qualify
33 74 Mike Potter Wawak Racing Pontiac
34 19 Chad Little Little Racing Ford
Official race results

Standings after the race

References

  1. ^ Higgins, Tom (August 26, 1990). "Irvan Edges Wallace To Take First Victory (Part 1)". The Charlotte Observer. p. 81. Retrieved April 2, 2023 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  2. ^ Higgins, Tom (August 26, 1990). "Irvan Edges Wallace To Take First Victory (Part 2)". The Charlotte Observer. p. 91. Retrieved April 2, 2023 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  3. ^ Sharp, Tom (August 26, 1990). "Irvan accepts Wallace's gesture". Sun Journal. p. 25. Retrieved April 2, 2023 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  4. ^ "NASCAR today". The Charlotte Observer. August 24, 1990. p. 49. Retrieved April 2, 2023 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  5. ^ Higgins, Tom (August 25, 1990). "Suddenly Speedy Earnhardt Wins Another Pole (Part 1)". The Charlotte Observer. p. 79. Retrieved April 2, 2023 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  6. ^ Higgins, Tom (August 25, 1990). "Suddenly Speedy Earnhardt Wins Another Pole (Part 2)". The Charlotte Observer. p. 83. Retrieved April 2, 2023 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon


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1990 Heinz Southern 500