1987 Daytona 500

Last updated

1987 Daytona 500
Race details
Race 1 of 29 in the 1987 NASCAR Winston Cup Series
1987 Daytona 500 program cover and logo.jpg
The 1987 Daytona 500 program cover, featuring Geoff Bodine.
Date February 15, 1987 (1987-02-15)
Official name 29th Annual Daytona 500
Location Daytona Beach, Florida, Daytona International Speedway
Course Permanent racing facility
Course length 2.5 miles (4.0 km)
Distance 200 laps, 500 mi (804.672 km)
Average speed 137.531 miles per hour (221.335 km/h)
Attendance 130,000
Pole position
Driver Melling Racing
Time 42.783
Most laps led
Driver Bill Elliott Melling Racing
Laps 104
Winner
No. 9 Bill Elliott Melling Racing
Television in the United States
Network CBS
Announcers Ken Squier, Ned Jarrett, David Hobbs, Chris Economaki,
Radio in the United States
Radio Motor Racing Network

The 1987 Daytona 500 was the first stock car race of the 1987 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season and the 29th iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, February 15, 1987, before an audience of 130,000 in Daytona Beach, Florida at Daytona International Speedway, a 2.5 miles (4.0 km) permanent triangular-shaped superspeedway. The race took the scheduled 200 laps to complete.

Contents

Nearing the race's end, Hendrick Motorsports' Geoff Bodine tried to forego a final pitstop but ran out of fuel with three laps to go. Melling Racing's Bill Elliott took the lead and held off Bodine's teammate, Benny Parsons, and owner-driver Richard Petty to take his 18th career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory, his first victory of the season, and his second and final Daytona 500 victory. [1] [2]

Background

The layout of Daytona International Speedway, the venue where the race was held. Daytona International Speedway.svg
The layout of Daytona International Speedway, the venue where the race was held.

Daytona International Speedway is one of three superspeedways to hold NASCAR races, the other two being Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway. The standard track at Daytona International Speedway is a four-turn superspeedway that is 2.5 miles (4.0 km) long. The track's turns are banked at 31 degrees, while the front stretch, the location of the finish line, is banked at 18 degrees.

Entry list

#DriverTeamMakeSponsor
00 Dick McCabe McCabe Racing Chevrolet McCabe Racing
1 Ron Bouchard Ellington Racing Chevrolet Bull's-Eye Barbecue Sauce
02 Joe Booher Booher Racing Pontiac Booher Racing
3 Dale Earnhardt Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet Wrangler
4 Rick Wilson Morgan–McClure Motorsports Oldsmobile Kodak
5 Geoff Bodine Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Levi Garrett
6 Trevor Boys U.S. Racing Chevrolet U.S. Racing
7 Alan Kulwicki AK Racing Ford Zerex
8 Bobby Hillin Jr. Stavola Brothers Racing Buick Miller American
9 Bill Elliott Melling Racing Ford Coors
09 Jeff Swindell Swindell Racing Chevrolet Swindell Racing
10 Rodney Combs (R) DiGard Motorsports Oldsmobile Oberg Filters
11 Terry Labonte Junior Johnson & Associates Chevrolet Budweiser
12 David Sosebee Hamby Racing Chevrolet Hamby Racing
14 A. J. Foyt A. J. Foyt Racing Oldsmobile Copenhagen
15 Ricky Rudd Bud Moore Engineering Ford Motorcraft Quality Parts
17 Darrell Waltrip Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Tide
18 Tommy Ellis Freedlander Motorsports Chevrolet Freedlander Financial
19 Derrike Cope (R) Stoke Racing Ford Stoke Racing
21 Kyle Petty Wood Brothers Racing Ford Citgo
22 Bobby Allison Stavola Brothers Racing Buick Miller American
24 Grant Adcox Adcox Racing Chevrolet Herb Adcox Chevrolet
26 Morgan Shepherd King Racing Buick Quaker State
27 Rusty Wallace Blue Max Racing Pontiac Kodiak
28 Davey Allison (R) Ranier-Lundy Racing Ford Ranier-Lundy Racing
29 Cale Yarborough Cale Yarborough Motorsports Oldsmobile Hardee's
30 Michael Waltrip Bahari Racing Chevrolet Oxford Plains Speedway, Domino's
32 Jonathan Lee Edwards Edwards Racing Chevrolet Edwards Racing
33 Harry Gant Mach 1 Racing Chevrolet Skoal Bandit
35 Benny Parsons Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Folgers
39 Blackie Wangerin Wangerin Racing Ford Wangerin Racing
41 Ronnie Thomas Ronnie Thomas Racing Pontiac Busch Cleaners
43 Richard Petty Petty Enterprises Pontiac STP
44 Sterling Marlin Hagan Racing Oldsmobile Piedmont Airlines
48 Steve Moore Hylton Motorsports Chevrolet Hylton Motorsports
49 Delma Cowart H. L. Waters Racing Chevrolet H. L. Waters Racing
50 Greg Sacks Dingman Brothers Racing Pontiac Valvoline
51 David Simko Simko Racing Chevrolet Mount Steel & Supply, The Tom Company
52 Jimmy Means Jimmy Means Racing Pontiac Turtle Wax
54 Donnie Allison Gray Racing Chevrolet Jerzees
55 Phil Parsons Jackson Bros. Motorsports Oldsmobile Copenhagen
62 Steve Christman (R) Winkle Motorsports Pontiac AC Spark Plug
63 Jocko Maggiacomo [a] Linro Motorsports Chevrolet Linro Motorsports
64 Connie Saylor Langley Racing Ford Sunny King Ford
66 Tom Sneva Jackson Bros. Motorsports Oldsmobile Skoal
67 Eddie Bierschwale Arrington Racing Ford Jim Peacock Ford, Pannill Sweatshirts
70 J. D. McDuffie McDuffie Racing Pontiac Winkle Pontiac
71 Dave Marcis Marcis Auto Racing Chevrolet Lifebuoy
73 Phil Barkdoll Barkdoll Racing Oldsmobile Barkdoll Racing
74 Bobby Wawak Wawak Racing Chevrolet Wawak Racing
75 Neil Bonnett RahMoc Enterprises Pontiac Valvoline
77 Ken Ragan Ragan Racing Ford Southlake Ford
81 Chet Fillip Fillip Racing Ford Marshall Batteries
82 Mark Stahl Stahl Racing Ford Auto Bell Car Wash
83 Lake Speed Speed Racing Oldsmobile Wynn's, Kmart
86 Ronnie Sanders Moss Racing Ford Moss Racing
88 Buddy Baker Baker–Schiff Racing Oldsmobile Crisco
89 Jim Sauter Mueller Brothers Racing Pontiac Evinrude Outboard Motors
90 Ken Schrader Donlavey Racing Ford Red Baron Frozen Pizza
92 Ralph Jones LC Racing Ford Country Boy Waterbeds, K. T. B. Custom Photo Lab
93 Charlie Baker Salmon Racing Chevrolet Salmon Racing
98 Ed Pimm Curb Racing Oldsmobile Sunoco

Qualifying

Qualifying was set by the 1987 7-Eleven Twin 125s. The top two positions were set by qualifying speeds held for the Twin 125 Qualifiers held on Monday, February 9, with the top two qualifiers in the session earning the top two positions for the Daytona 500. The rest of the starting was set in the Twin 125 Qualifiers, held on Thursday, February 12, during two races. The top 14 finishers in the first race, excluding the pole position winner, set the inside row from rows two to 15, and the top 14 finishers in the second race, excluding the outside pole position winner, set the outside row from rows two to 15. The remaining non-qualifiers set positions 31-40 based on qualifying speeds from the first qualifying session held on Saturday. If needed, up to two extra provisionals were given to teams high enough in the previous season's owner's standings that did not qualify for the race by either qualifying speed or from the Twin 125 Qualifiers.

Bill Elliott, driving for Melling Racing, managed to win the pole, setting a time of 42.783 and an average speed of 210.364 miles per hour (338.548 km/h) in Monday's session. [4]

19 drivers failed to qualify.

Full qualifying results

Pos.#DriverTeamMakeReason
19 Bill Elliott Melling Racing Ford Qualified on pole
228 Davey Allison (R) Ranier-Lundy Racing Ford Qualified on outside pole
390 Ken Schrader Donlavey Racing Ford First in Twin 125 #1
435 Benny Parsons Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet First in Twin 125 #2
517 Darrell Waltrip Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Third in Twin 125 #1
622 Bobby Allison Stavola Brothers Racing Buick Second in Twin 125 #2
788 Buddy Baker Baker–Schiff Racing Oldsmobile Fourth in Twin 125 #1
85 Geoff Bodine Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Third in Twin 125 #2
94 Rick Wilson Morgan–McClure Motorsports Oldsmobile Fifth in Twin 125 #1
1044 Sterling Marlin Hagan Racing Oldsmobile Fourth in Twin 125 #2
1143 Richard Petty Petty Enterprises Pontiac Sixth in Twin 125 #1
1233 Harry Gant Mach 1 Racing Chevrolet Fifth in Twin 125 #2
133 Dale Earnhardt Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet Seventh in Twin 125 #1
1411 Terry Labonte Junior Johnson & Associates Chevrolet Seventh in Twin 125 #2
1575 Neil Bonnett RahMoc Enterprises Pontiac Eighth in Twin 125 #1
1671 Dave Marcis Marcis Auto Racing Chevrolet Eighth in Twin 125 #2
171 Ron Bouchard Ellington Racing Chevrolet Ninth in Twin 125 #1
1830 Michael Waltrip Bahari Racing Chevrolet Ninth in Twin 125 #2
1955 Phil Parsons Jackson Bros. Motorsports Oldsmobile Tenth in Twin 125 #1
2021 Kyle Petty Wood Brothers Racing Ford Tenth in Twin 125 #2
218 Bobby Hillin Jr. Stavola Brothers Racing Buick 11th in Twin 125 #1
2229 Cale Yarborough Cale Yarborough Motorsports Oldsmobile 11th in Twin 125 #2
2319 Derrike Cope (R) Stoke Racing Ford 12th in Twin 125 #1
2477 Ken Ragan Ragan Racing Ford 12th in Twin 125 #2
2564 Connie Saylor Langley Racing Ford 13th in Twin 125 #1
2681 Chet Fillip Fillip Racing Ford 13th in Twin 125 #2
2786 Ronnie Sanders Moss Racing Ford 14th in Twin 125 #1
286 Trevor Boys U.S. Racing Chevrolet 14th in Twin 125 #2
2966 Tom Sneva Jackson Bros. Motorsports Oldsmobile 15th in Twin 125 #1
3082 Mark Stahl Stahl Racing Ford 15th in Twin 125 #2
3115 Ricky Rudd Bud Moore Engineering Ford Speed provisional (204.634)
3227 Rusty Wallace Blue Max Racing Pontiac Speed provisional (204.448)
3383 Lake Speed Speed Racing Oldsmobile Speed provisional (204.160)
3467 Eddie Bierschwale Arrington Racing Ford Speed provisional (203.087)
3526 Morgan Shepherd King Racing Buick Speed provisional (202.789)
3610 Rodney Combs (R) DiGard Motorsports Oldsmobile Speed provisional (202.425)
377 Alan Kulwicki AK Racing Ford Speed provisional (201.771)
3870 J. D. McDuffie McDuffie Racing Pontiac Speed provisional (200.929)
3912 David Sosebee Hamby Racing Chevrolet Owner's points provisional
4052 Jimmy Means Jimmy Means Racing Pontiac Owner's points provisional
Forced to start at rear
4114 A. J. Foyt A. J. Foyt Racing Oldsmobile Speed provisional (203.832)
4250 Greg Sacks Dingman Brothers Racing Pontiac Speed provisional (201.428)
Failed to qualify or withdrew
4374 Bobby Wawak Wawak Racing Chevrolet 16th in Twin 125 #1
4451 David Simko Simko Racing Chevrolet 19th in Twin 125 #2
4502 Joe Booher Booher Racing Pontiac 19th in Twin 125 #1
4692 Ralph Jones LC Racing Ford 20th in Twin 125 #2
4793 Charlie Baker Salmon Racing Chevrolet 20th in Twin 125 #1
4839 Blackie Wangerin Wangerin Racing Ford 21st in Twin 125 #2
4924 Grant Adcox Adcox Racing Chevrolet 22nd in Twin 125 #1
5062 Steve Christman (R) Winkle Motorsports Pontiac 23rd in Twin 125 #2
5132 Jonathan Lee Edwards Edwards Racing Chevrolet 23rd in Twin 125 #1
5249 Delma Cowart H. L. Waters Racing Chevrolet 24th in Twin 125 #2
5389 Jim Sauter Mueller Brothers Racing Pontiac 25th in Twin 125 #1
5409 Jeff Swindell Swindell Racing Chevrolet 25th in Twin 125 #2
5518 Tommy Ellis Freedlander Motorsports Chevrolet 27th in Twin 125 #1
5698 Ed Pimm Curb Racing Oldsmobile 27th in Twin 125 #2
5748 Steve Moore Hylton Motorsports Chevrolet 28th in Twin 125 #1
5841 Ronnie Thomas Ronnie Thomas Racing Pontiac 29th in Twin 125 #2
5973 Phil Barkdoll Barkdoll Racing Oldsmobile 30th in Twin 125 #1
6054 Donnie Allison Gray Racing Chevrolet 30th in Twin 125 #2
6100 Dick McCabe McCabe Racing Chevrolet 31st in Twin 125 #2
WD63 Jocko Maggiacomo Linro Motorsports Chevrolet Injuries sustained in a practice crash
Official Twin 125s results
Official starting lineup

Race results

FinSt#DriverTeamMakeLapsLedStatusPtsWinnings
119 Bill Elliott Melling Racing Ford 200104running185$204,150
2435 Benny Parsons Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 2002running175$122,420
31143 Richard Petty Petty Enterprises Pontiac 2002running170$76,040
4788 Buddy Baker Baker–Schiff Racing Oldsmobile 20045running165$74,450
5133 Dale Earnhardt Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 20016running160$64,925
6622 Bobby Allison Stavola Brothers Racing Buick 2000running150$60,475
7390 Ken Schrader Donlavey Racing Ford 20014running151$68,545
8517 Darrell Waltrip Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 2001running147$39,925
93115 Ricky Rudd Bud Moore Engineering Ford 2000running138$38,425
102229 Cale Yarborough Cale Yarborough Motorsports Oldsmobile 2000running134$29,600
111955 Phil Parsons Jackson Bros. Motorsports Oldsmobile 2000running130$26,200
121575 Neil Bonnett RahMoc Enterprises Pontiac 1995running132$29,600
13218 Bobby Hillin Jr. Stavola Brothers Racing Buick 1990running124$29,005
1485 Geoff Bodine Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 19910running126$36,365
15377 Alan Kulwicki AK Racing Ford 1980running118$22,740
163526 Morgan Shepherd King Racing Buick 1980running115$20,660
172477 Ken Ragan Ragan Racing Ford 1970running112$17,085
181411 Terry Labonte Junior Johnson & Associates Chevrolet 1970running109$25,915
193610 Rodney Combs (R) DiGard Motorsports Oldsmobile 1970running106$15,295
204250 Greg Sacks Dingman Brothers Racing Pontiac 1960running103$14,335
212786 Ronnie Sanders Moss Racing Ford 1950running0$13,930
221830 Michael Waltrip Bahari Racing Chevrolet 1930running97$18,110
23286 Trevor Boys U.S. Racing Chevrolet 1910running94$16,795
244052 Jimmy Means Jimmy Means Racing Pontiac 1910running91$14,480
253870 J. D. McDuffie McDuffie Racing Pontiac 1910running88$11,810
263383 Lake Speed Speed Racing Oldsmobile 1880engine85$11,105
27228 Davey Allison (R) Ranier-Lundy Racing Ford 1840running82$14,045
283912 David Sosebee Hamby Racing Chevrolet 1840running79$14,145
292966 Tom Sneva Jackson Bros. Motorsports Oldsmobile 1820engine76$11,135
301044 Sterling Marlin Hagan Racing Oldsmobile 1671clutch78$16,875
311233 Harry Gant Mach 1 Racing Chevrolet 1560transmission70$15,100
32171 Ron Bouchard Ellington Racing Chevrolet 1250engine67$11,370
332319 Derrike Cope (R) Stoke Racing Ford 1240overheating64$10,840
341671 Dave Marcis Marcis Auto Racing Chevrolet 1150oil leak61$13,975
352021 Kyle Petty Wood Brothers Racing Ford 720valve58$13,455
363467 Eddie Bierschwale Arrington Racing Ford 440engine55$12,235
3794 Rick Wilson Morgan–McClure Motorsports Oldsmobile 370clutch52$11,420
383082 Mark Stahl Stahl Racing Ford 360engine49$9,540
392681 Chet Fillip Fillip Racing Ford 190engine46$9,705
402564 Connie Saylor Langley Racing Ford 120engine43$11,470
413227 Rusty Wallace Blue Max Racing Pontiac 100piston40$15,720
424114 A. J. Foyt A. J. Foyt Racing Oldsmobile 100spark plug37$7,870
Failed to qualify or withdrew
4374 Bobby Wawak Wawak Racing Chevrolet
4451 David Simko Simko Racing Chevrolet
4502 Joe Booher Booher Racing Pontiac
4692 Ralph Jones LC Racing Ford
4793 Charlie Baker Salmon Racing Chevrolet
4839 Blackie Wangerin Wangerin Racing Ford
4924 Grant Adcox Adcox Racing Chevrolet
5062 Steve Christman (R) Winkle Motorsports Pontiac
5132 Jonathan Lee Edwards Edwards Racing Chevrolet
5249 Delma Cowart H. L. Waters Racing Chevrolet
5389 Jim Sauter Mueller Brothers Racing Pontiac
5409 Jeff Swindell Swindell Racing Chevrolet
5518 Tommy Ellis Freedlander Motorsports Chevrolet
5698 Ed Pimm Curb Racing Oldsmobile
5748 Steve Moore Hylton Motorsports Chevrolet
5841 Ronnie Thomas Ronnie Thomas Racing Pontiac
5973 Phil Barkdoll Barkdoll Racing Oldsmobile
6054 Donnie Allison Gray Racing Chevrolet
6100 Dick McCabe McCabe Racing Chevrolet
WD63 Jocko Maggiacomo Linro Motorsports Chevrolet
Official race results

Standings after the race

Notes

  1. Maggiacomo suffered a crash during a Wednesday, February 11 practice session. As the team had no backup car, the team withdrew. [3]

References

  1. Higgins, Tom (February 16, 1987). "Elliott Outlasts Daytona Field". The Charlotte Observer . pp. 1B, 4B . Retrieved September 20, 2023 via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  2. Coble, Don (February 16, 1987). "Elliott conquers Daytona 500". Florida Today . pp. 1C, 2C . Retrieved September 20, 2023 via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  3. Chuhran, John (February 13, 1987). "Mamaroneck team can only watch". The Standard-Star . pp. E10. Retrieved September 20, 2023 via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  4. Higgins, Tom (February 12, 1987). "Daytona 500 Pole Goes To Elliott". The Charlotte Observer . pp. 1B, 5B . Retrieved September 20, 2023 via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
Previous race:
1986 Winston Western 500
NASCAR Winston Cup Series
1987 season
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1987 Goodwrench 500