Race details | |||
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Race 28 of 29 in the 1990 NASCAR Winston Cup Series | |||
Date | November 4, 1990 | ||
Official name | 3rd Annual Checker 500 | ||
Location | Avondale, Arizona, Phoenix International Raceway | ||
Course | Permanent racing facility 1 mi (1.6 km) | ||
Distance | 312 laps, 312 mi (502.115 km) | ||
Scheduled Distance | 312 laps, 312 mi (502.115 km) | ||
Average speed | 96.786 miles per hour (155.762 km/h) | ||
Attendance | 75,000 | ||
Pole position | |||
Driver | Blue Max Racing | ||
Time | 28.929 | ||
Most laps led | |||
Driver | Dale Earnhardt | Richard Childress Racing | |
Laps | 262 | ||
Winner | |||
No. 3 | Dale Earnhardt | Richard Childress Racing | |
Television in the United States | |||
Network | ESPN | ||
Announcers | Bob Jenkins, Benny Parsons, Ned Jarrett | ||
Radio in the United States | |||
Radio | Motor Racing Network |
The 1990 Checker 500 was the 28th and penultimate stock car race of the 1990 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season, the ninth and final race of the 1990 NASCAR Winston West Series season, and the third iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, November 4, 1990, before an audience of 75,000 in Avondale, Arizona at Phoenix International Raceway, a 1-mile (1.6 km) permanent low-banked tri-oval race track. The race took the scheduled 312 laps to complete. At race's end, Richard Childress Racing driver Dale Earnhardt would manage to dominate the majority of the race, leading 262 laps of the race en route to his 48th career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his ninth and final victory of the season. [1] [2] [3] [4]
With the victory and a poor finish from championship contender in the driver's championship, Mark Martin, Earnhardt would manage to take the driver's championship lead, leading Martin by six points heading into the final race of the season, the 1990 Atlanta Journal 500. [5] [6]
Phoenix International Raceway – also known as PIR – is a one-mile, low-banked tri-oval race track located in Avondale, Arizona. It is named after the nearby metropolitan area of Phoenix. The motorsport track opened in 1964 and currently hosts two NASCAR race weekends annually. PIR has also hosted the IndyCar Series, CART, USAC and the Rolex Sports Car Series. The raceway is currently owned and operated by International Speedway Corporation.
The raceway was originally constructed with a 2.5 mi (4.0 km) road course that ran both inside and outside of the main tri-oval. In 1991 the track was reconfigured with the current 1.51 mi (2.43 km) interior layout. PIR has an estimated grandstand seating capacity of around 67,000. Lights were installed around the track in 2004 following the addition of a second annual NASCAR race weekend.
Qualifying was split into two rounds. The first round was held on Friday, November 2, at 5:30 PM EST. Each driver would have one lap to set a time. During the first round, the top 25 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, November 3, at 2:00 PM EST. As with the first round, each driver would have one lap to set a time. For this specific race, positions 26-40 would be 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; which was up to two for cars in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series and up to two extra provisionals for the cars in the NASCAR Winston West Series.
Rusty Wallace, driving for Blue Max Racing, would win the pole, setting a time of 28.929 and an average speed of 124.443 miles per hour (200.272 km/h) in the first round. [8] [9]
Six drivers would fail to qualify.
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The 1989 Holly Farms 400 was the 26th stock car race of the 1989 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season and the 40th iteration of the event. The race was originally scheduled to be held on Sunday, October 1, 1989, but due to rain throughout the race's weekend, the race was postponed until Sunday, October 15. The race was held in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina at the North Wilkesboro Speedway, a 0.625 miles (1.006 km) oval short track. The race took the scheduled 400 laps to complete. On the final lap of the race, a battle between Richard Childress Racing driver Dale Earnhardt and King Racing driver Ricky Rudd that had been culminating since the final restart of the race on lap 398 came to a head. Heading into the first turn, Rudd would dive-bomb Earnhardt, which led Rudd into Earnhardt's car, spinning both cars. As a result of the spin, the third place driver at the time, Hendrick Motorsports driver Geoff Bodine, would manage to avoid the wreck and take the victory. The victory was Bodine's seventh career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his only victory of the season. Rudd and Earnhardt would finish ninth and tenth, respectively.
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The 1990 Banquet Frozen Foods 300 was the 12th stock car race of the 1990 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season, the second race of the 1990 NASCAR Winston West Series season, and the second iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, June 10, 1990, before an audience of 62,000 at the Grand Prix layout of Sears Point Raceway, a 2.52 miles (4.06 km) permanent road course layout. The race took the scheduled 74 laps to complete. At race's end, Blue Max Racing driver Rusty Wallace would manage to dominate a majority of the race to take his 18th career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his second and final victory of the season. To fill out the top three, Roush Racing driver Mark Martin and Hendrick Motorsports driver Ricky Rudd would finish second and third, respectively.
The 1990 Heinz Southern 500 was the 21st stock car race of the 1990 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season and the 41st iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, September 2, 1990, in Darlington, South Carolina, at Darlington Raceway, a 1.366 miles (2.198 km) permanent egg-shaped oval racetrack. The race took the scheduled 367 laps to complete. At race's end, Richard Childress Racing driver Dale Earnhardt would manage to dominate the late stages of the race, leading the final 54 laps of the race to take his 46th career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his seventh victory of the season. To fill out the top three, Morgan–McClure Motorsports driver Ernie Irvan and owner-driver Alan Kulwicki would finish second and third, respectively.
The 1989 Heinz Southern 500 was the 21st stock car race of the 1989 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season and the 40th iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, September 2, 1990, before an audience of 80,000 in Darlington, South Carolina, at Darlington Raceway, a 1.366 miles (2.198 km) permanent egg-shaped oval racetrack. The race took the scheduled 367 laps to complete. At race's end, Richard Childress Racing driver Dale Earnhardt would dominate the late stages of the race, leading the final 63 laps of the race to take his 37th career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his third victory of the season. To fill out the top three, Roush Racing driver Mark Martin and King Racing driver Ricky Rudd would finish second and third, respectively.
The 1990 Pontiac Excitement 400 was the second stock car race of the 1990 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season and the 36th iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, February 25, 1990, before an audience of 50,000 in Richmond, Virginia, at Richmond International Raceway, a 0.75 miles (1.21 km) D-shaped oval. The race took the scheduled 400 laps to complete. In the final laps of the race, Roush Racing driver Mark Martin would manage to make a late-race charge to the front, passing for the lead with 16 laps left in the race to take his second career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his first victory of the season. To fill out the top three, Richard Childress Racing driver Dale Earnhardt and Hendrick Motorsports driver Ricky Rudd would finish second and third, respectively.
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