1987 Winston 500

Last updated

1987 Winston 500
Race details
Race 9 of 29 in the 1987 NASCAR Winston Cup Series
1987 Winston 500.jpeg
The 1987 Winston 500 program cover, featuring Bobby Allison.
Date May 3, 1987 (1987-05-03)
Official name 18th Annual Winston 500
Location Lincoln, Alabama, Alabama International Motor Speedway
Course Permanent racing facility
Course length 2.66 miles (4.28 km)
Distance 178 laps, 473.48 mi (761.992 km)
Scheduled distance 188 laps, 500.08 mi (804.801 km)
Average speed 154.228 miles per hour (248.206 km/h)
Attendance 135,000
Pole position
Driver Melling Racing
Time 44.998
Most laps led
Driver Davey Allison Ranier-Lundy Racing
Laps 101
Winner
No. 28 Davey Allison Ranier-Lundy Racing
Television in the United States
Network ESPN
Announcers Bob Jenkins, Larry Nuber
Radio in the United States
Radio Motor Racing Network

The 1987 Winston 500 was the ninth stock car race of the 1987 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season and the 18th iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, May 3, 1987, before an audience of 135,000 in Lincoln, Alabama at Alabama International Motor Speedway, a 2.66-mile (4.28-kilometre) permanent triangle-shaped superspeedway. The race was shortened from its scheduled 188 laps to 178 due to impending darkness that was caused by a lengthy red flag for debris cleanup and catch fence repairs for an earlier accident. [1]

Contents

By race's end, Ranier-Lundy Racing's Davey Allison had managed to dominate a majority of the race, leading 101 laps when the race was called to take his first career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his first victory of the season. [2] [3] To fill out the top three, Junior Johnson & Associates' Terry Labonte and Wood Brothers Racing's Kyle Petty finished second and third, respectively.

The race is considered to be one of the most influential races in terms of the advancement of auto racing safety. On the 21st lap of the race, Stavola Brothers Racing's Bobby Allison lost his engine, with pieces of his engine cutting his right rear tire at speeds of around 210 miles per hour (340 km/h). The car turned backwards and went airborne, hitting the wall and tearing down a wide stretch of protective fencing to protect fans from accidents. After the car hit the fence, the car was described to have spun "round-and-round like an insane top" per The Atlanta Constitution writer Bill Robinson, [4] collecting other cars in the accident and the accident itself injuring four spectators; none of them serious. [5]

The nature of the crash became a source of controversy for NASCAR. In response, NASCAR implemented the mandatory restrictor plate by the start of the 1988 season, which restricted air intake to the engine, made cars considerably slower, and unintentionally ushered in the era of pack racing. [6]

Background

The layout of Alabama International Motor Speedway, the venue where the race was held. Talladega Superspeedway.svg
The layout of Alabama International Motor Speedway, the venue where the race was held.

Talladega Superspeedway, originally known as Alabama International Motor Superspeedway (AIMS), is a motorsports complex located north of Talladega, Alabama. It is located on the former Anniston Air Force Base in the small city of Lincoln. The track is a tri-oval and was constructed in the 1960s by the International Speedway Corporation, a business controlled by the France family. Talladega is most known for its steep banking and the unique location of the start/finish line that's located just past the exit to pit road. The track currently hosts the NASCAR series such as the NASCAR Cup Series, Xfinity Series and the Camping World Truck Series. Talladega is the longest NASCAR oval, a 2.66-mile-long (4.28 km) tri-oval like the Daytona International Speedway, which also is a 2.5-mile-long (4.0 km) tri-oval.

Entry list

#DriverTeamMakeSponsor
1 Ron Bouchard Ellington Racing Buick Bull's-Eye Barbecue Sauce
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 Rick Knoop 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
11 Terry Labonte Junior Johnson & Associates Chevrolet Budweiser
12 Slick Johnson Hamby Racing Chevrolet Hamby Racing
15 Ricky Rudd Bud Moore Engineering Ford Motorcraft Quality Parts
17 Darrell Waltrip Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Tide
18 Dale Jarrett (R) Freedlander Motorsports Chevrolet Freedlander Financial
21 Kyle Petty Wood Brothers Racing Ford Citgo
22 Bobby Allison Stavola Brothers Racing Buick Miller American
26 Morgan Shepherd King Racing Buick Quaker State
27 Rusty Wallace Blue Max Racing Pontiac Kodiak
28 Davey Allison (R) Ranier-Lundy Racing Ford Texaco, Havoline
29 Cale Yarborough Cale Yarborough Motorsports Oldsmobile Hardee's
30 Michael Waltrip Bahari Racing Chevrolet Bahari 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
43 Richard Petty Petty Enterprises Pontiac STP
44 Sterling Marlin Hagan Racing Oldsmobile Piedmont Airlines
50 Greg Sacks Dingman Brothers Racing Pontiac Valvoline
52 Jimmy Means Jimmy Means Racing Pontiac In-Fisherman
55 Phil Parsons Jackson Bros. Motorsports Oldsmobile Copenhagen
62 Steve Christman (R) Winkle Motorsports Pontiac AC Spark Plug
64 Connie Saylor Langley Racing Ford Sunny King Ford
67 Eddie Bierschwale Arrington Racing Ford Pannill Sweatshirts
71 Dave Marcis Marcis Auto Racing Chevrolet Lifebuoy
73 Phil Barkdoll Barkdoll Racing Chevrolet Helen Rae Special
75 Neil Bonnett RahMoc Enterprises Pontiac Valvoline
77 Ken Ragan Ragan Racing Ford Southlake Ford
81 Chet Fillip Fillip Racing Ford Warr Valves
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
90 Ken Schrader Donlavey Racing Ford Red Baron Frozen Pizza
98 Ed Pimm Curb Racing Buick CP-1 Oil Booster
99 Joe Ruttman Ball Motorsports Chevrolet Ball Motorsports

Qualifying

Qualifying was split into two rounds. The first round was held on Thursday, April 30, at 2:00 PM EST. Each driver had one lap to set a time. During the first round, the top 20 drivers in the round were 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 Friday, May 1, at 2:00 PM EST. As with the first round, each driver had one lap to set a time. For this specific race, positions 21-40 were decided on time, [7] and depending on who needed it, a select amount of positions were given to cars who had not otherwise qualified but were high enough in owner's points; up to two were given.

Bill Elliott, driving for Melling Racing, managed to win the pole, setting a time of 44.998 and an average speed of 212.809 miles per hour (342.483 km/h) in the first round. [8] The lap set a new all-time record for the fastest recorded qualifying lap based on average speed; the record still stands as of April 2023. [9]

Two drivers failed to qualify. One of the drivers who failed to qualify, Blackie Wangerin, crashed during his second-round qualifying run, crashing his only car in the process. [10] The other driver, Ronnie Sanders, elected to stand on his time; the time was the slowest out of all drivers who ran a lap in both sessions and he did not have enough owner's points for a provisional. [11]

Full qualifying results

Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed
19 Bill Elliott Melling Racing Ford 44.998212.809
222 Bobby Allison Stavola Brothers Racing Buick 45.213211.797
328 Davey Allison (R) Ranier-Lundy Racing Ford 45.468210.610
417 Darrell Waltrip Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 45.498210.471
53 Dale Earnhardt Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 45.522210.360
621 Kyle Petty Wood Brothers Racing Ford 45.525210.346
744 Sterling Marlin Hagan Racing Oldsmobile 45.558210.194
811 Terry Labonte Junior Johnson & Associates Chevrolet 45.578210.101
955 Phil Parsons Jackson Bros. Motorsports Oldsmobile 45.608209.963
1083 Lake Speed Speed Racing Oldsmobile 45.608209.963
115 Geoff Bodine Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 45.663209.710
1288 Buddy Baker Baker–Schiff Racing Oldsmobile 45.665209.701
131 Ron Bouchard Ellington Racing Buick 45.838208.910
1427 Rusty Wallace Blue Max Racing Pontiac 45.983208.251
1590 Ken Schrader Donlavey Racing Ford 46.003208.160
168 Bobby Hillin Jr. Stavola Brothers Racing Buick 46.007208.142
1715 Ricky Rudd Bud Moore Engineering Ford 46.008208.138
1829 Cale Yarborough Cale Yarborough Motorsports Oldsmobile 46.018208.092
1926 Morgan Shepherd King Racing Buick 46.076207.831
2035 Benny Parsons Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 46.114207.659
Failed to lock in Round 1
2175 Neil Bonnett RahMoc Enterprises Pontiac 46.171207.403
2250 Greg Sacks Dingman Brothers Racing Pontiac 46.206207.246
2399 Joe Ruttman Ball Motorsports Chevrolet 46.280206.914
2430 Michael Waltrip Bahari Racing Chevrolet 46.300206.825
2543 Richard Petty Petty Enterprises Pontiac 46.323206.722
2633 Harry Gant Mach 1 Racing Chevrolet 46.353206.589
274 Rick Wilson Morgan–McClure Motorsports Oldsmobile 46.446206.175
287 Alan Kulwicki AK Racing Ford 46.489205.984
2977 Ken Ragan Ragan Racing Ford 46.527205.816
3098 Ed Pimm Curb Racing Buick 46.635205.339
3181 Chet Fillip Fillip Racing Ford 46.645205.295
3264 Connie Saylor Langley Racing Ford 46.823204.515
3382 Mark Stahl Stahl Racing Ford 46.919204.096
3467 Eddie Bierschwale Arrington Racing Ford 46.939204.009
3571 Dave Marcis Marcis Auto Racing Chevrolet 47.224202.778
3612 Slick Johnson Hamby Racing Chevrolet 47.346202.256
3773 Phil Barkdoll Barkdoll Racing Chevrolet 47.480201.685
3818 Dale Jarrett (R) Freedlander Motorsports Chevrolet 47.542201.422
396 Rick Knoop U.S. Racing Chevrolet 47.561201.341
4062 Steve Christman (R) Winkle Motorsports Pontiac 48.276198.359
Provisional
4152 Jimmy Means Jimmy Means Racing Pontiac --
Failed to qualify
4286 Ronnie Sanders Moss Racing Ford 49.142194.864
4339 Blackie Wangerin Wangerin Racing Ford --
Official first round qualifying results
Official starting lineup

Race results

FinSt#DriverTeamMakeLapsLedStatusPtsWinnings
1328 Davey Allison (R) Ranier-Lundy Racing Ford 178101running185$71,250
2811 Terry Labonte Junior Johnson & Associates Chevrolet 1787running175$47,060
3621 Kyle Petty Wood Brothers Racing Ford 1780running165$30,915
453 Dale Earnhardt Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 17810running165$31,350
5168 Bobby Hillin Jr. Stavola Brothers Racing Buick 1780running155$25,055
61427 Rusty Wallace Blue Max Racing Pontiac 1781running155$21,325
72175 Neil Bonnett RahMoc Enterprises Pontiac 1782running151$16,520
81590 Ken Schrader Donlavey Racing Ford 1784running147$17,050
91083 Lake Speed Speed Racing Oldsmobile 1770running138$9,575
101926 Morgan Shepherd King Racing Buick 1770running134$13,965
11417 Darrell Waltrip Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 1770running130$7,565
122035 Benny Parsons Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 1772running132$16,315
133571 Dave Marcis Marcis Auto Racing Chevrolet 1770running124$11,570
14744 Sterling Marlin Hagan Racing Oldsmobile 1760running121$10,050
153612 Slick Johnson Hamby Racing Chevrolet 1752running123$9,940
162543 Richard Petty Petty Enterprises Pontiac 1730running115$9,030
173382 Mark Stahl Stahl Racing Ford 1730running112$5,395
183467 Eddie Bierschwale Arrington Racing Ford 1720running109$7,900
194062 Steve Christman (R) Winkle Motorsports Pontiac 1670running106$4,495
20274 Rick Wilson Morgan–McClure Motorsports Oldsmobile 1650overheating103$4,845
212977 Ken Ragan Ragan Racing Ford 1580crash100$4,035
2219 Bill Elliott Melling Racing Ford 15048engine102$16,685
233264 Connie Saylor Langley Racing Ford 1340engine94$6,840
24396 Rick Knoop U.S. Racing Chevrolet 1300wheel bearing91$6,470
252430 Michael Waltrip Bahari Racing Chevrolet 1250clutch88$6,460
262250 Greg Sacks Dingman Brothers Racing Pontiac 1090crash0$3,545
273098 Ed Pimm Curb Racing Buick 1031engine87$3,495
283818 Dale Jarrett (R) Freedlander Motorsports Chevrolet 960engine79$6,200
292633 Harry Gant Mach 1 Racing Chevrolet 900crash76$6,130
301715 Ricky Rudd Bud Moore Engineering Ford 890crash73$11,745
31955 Phil Parsons Jackson Bros. Motorsports Oldsmobile 840running70$3,250
321288 Buddy Baker Baker–Schiff Racing Oldsmobile 690engine67$3,225
334152 Jimmy Means Jimmy Means Racing Pontiac 610wheel bearing64$5,200
34287 Alan Kulwicki AK Racing Ford 300engine61$6,175
353773 Phil Barkdoll Barkdoll Racing Chevrolet 270transmission583,150
362399 Joe Ruttman Ball Motorsports Chevrolet 270transmission0$3,125
371829 Cale Yarborough Cale Yarborough Motorsports Oldsmobile 220crash52$3,100
38131 Ron Bouchard Ellington Racing Buick 220crash49$3,075
39222 Bobby Allison Stavola Brothers Racing Buick 210crash46$11,275
40115 Geoff Bodine Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 110engine43$10,000
413181 Chet Fillip Fillip Racing Ford 30engine40$3,000
Failed to qualify
4286 Ronnie Sanders Moss Racing Ford
4339 Blackie Wangerin Wangerin Racing Ford
Official race results

Standings after the race

References

  1. Ingram, Jonathan (January 19, 2023). "How Bobby Allison's 1987 Horrific Talladega Crash Led to Birth of Restrictor Plate Races". Autoweek . Retrieved October 21, 2023.
  2. Higgins, Tom (May 4, 1987). "Davey Allison Takes Wreck-Delayed Race". The Charlotte Observer . pp. 1D, 4D . Retrieved October 21, 2023 via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  3. Webb, Donnie (May 4, 1987). "Davey wins family affair". The Anniston Star . pp. 1B, 4B . Retrieved October 21, 2023 via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  4. Robinson, Bill (May 4, 1987). "Allison walks away a survivor". The Atlanta Constitution . pp. D11. Retrieved October 21, 2023 via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  5. Love, Brian (May 4, 1987). "4 Spectators Injured In Bobby Allison's Crash". The Montgomery Advertiser . pp. 1B. Retrieved October 21, 2023 via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  6. King, Alanis (February 21, 2016). "The Days When Even NASCAR Got Too Fast, And How They Changed The Sport". Jalopnik . Archived from the original on April 5, 2016. Retrieved October 21, 2023.
  7. "NASCAR Today". The Charlotte Observer . April 30, 1987. pp. 3B. Retrieved October 21, 2023 via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  8. Higgins, Tom (May 1, 1987). "Elliott On Pole At Talladega". The Charlotte Observer . pp. 1C, 3C . Retrieved October 21, 2023 via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  9. Hembree, Mike (April 19, 2023). "Fast times at Talladega: The year everyone reached 200 mph". NBC Sports . Retrieved October 21, 2023.
  10. Wickham, Pete (May 2, 1987). "Trials show little". The Commercial Appeal . pp. D1, D2 . Retrieved October 21, 2023 via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  11. Hardesty, Abe (May 2, 1987). "Yarborough: Hot streak won't last". The Greenville News . pp. 1C, 4C . Retrieved October 21, 2023 via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
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1987 Sovran Bank 500
NASCAR Winston Cup Series
1987 season
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1987 Coca-Cola 600