Race details | |||
---|---|---|---|
Race 27 of 36 in the 2001 NASCAR Winston Cup Series | |||
Date | September 23, 2001 | ||
Location | Dover Downs International Speedway | ||
Course | Permanent racing facility 1 mi (1.6 km) | ||
Distance | 400 laps, 400 mi (643.737 km) | ||
Weather | Mild with temperatures of 77 °F (25 °C); wind speeds of 6 miles per hour (9.7 km/h) [1] | ||
Average speed | 101.559 miles per hour (163.443 km/h) | ||
Pole position | |||
Driver | Robert Yates Racing | ||
Most laps led | |||
Driver | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | |
Laps | 193 | ||
Winner | |||
No. 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | |
Television in the United States | |||
Network | NBC | ||
Announcers | Allen Bestwick, Benny Parsons, Wally Dallenbach Jr. | ||
Nielsen Ratings | 4.5 [2] |
The 2001 MBNA Cal Ripken Jr. 400 was a NASCAR Winston Cup Series stock car race held on September 23, 2001, at Dover Downs International Speedway. The race was the 27th of the 2001 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season. The race is notable for being the first NASCAR Cup Series race run after the September 11 attacks.
Dale Jarrett of Robert Yates Racing won the pole position, while Dale Earnhardt, Inc.'s Dale Earnhardt Jr. led the most laps with 193 and won the race.
The race was the also first to be run against the National Football League regular season since the signing of the consolidated NASCAR TV contract which began in 2001. [2]
Following the September 11 attacks, NASCAR moved the previously-upcoming New Hampshire 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway to late November. The Craftsman Truck Series race at Texas Motor Speedway was postponed to early October. [3] This schedule change made the MBNA Cal Ripken Jr. 400 the first race since the attacks. [4]
To honor those killed in the attacks, fans were given American flags. During pre-race ceremonies, Lee Greenwood sang "God Bless the USA", and Tanya Tucker sang "God Bless America" and the national anthem. [4] Greenwood praised the "raw emotion" felt from the fans, who sang along and chanted "U-S-A!" as he performed the song. [5]
Baseball great Cal Ripken Jr. served as the grand marshal and had the race named for him as he was to play in his final game on the evening of the race in nearby Baltimore, Maryland. [4] However, due to the attacks, his final game was postponed and was not on the same day of the race.
In a sense of patriotism, each car featured American flags. Ken Schrader removed every sponsor and decal from his car and completely painted the car as an American flag, [6] a process that sponsor M&M's would recreate ten years later for Kyle Busch in the 2011 Wonderful Pistachios 400 at Richmond Raceway. [5]
As a security measure, coolers, backpacks, and large bags were banned from the track, though concession prices were lowered in compensation. [7] Volunteers from Dover Air Force Base assisted in scanning and inspecting every spectator entering the track, while Dover encouraged teams to not fly to the track. NASCAR on NBC 's helicopters were also prohibited from flying around the track. [5]
Car [8] | Driver | Team | Manufacturer | Sponsor |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Kenny Wallace | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | Pennzoil |
01 | Jason Leffler | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | Cingular Wireless |
2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske Racing South | Ford | Miller Lite/USA |
4 | Kevin Lepage | Morgan-McClure Motorsports | Pontiac | Kodak |
5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | Kellogg's/USA |
6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | Viagra, Pfizer |
7 | Mike Wallace | Ultra Motorsports | Ford | NationsRent |
8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | Budweiser/USA |
9 | Bill Elliott | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | Dodge Dealers, UAW |
10 | Johnny Benson Jr. | MBV Motorsports | Pontiac | Valvoline |
11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | Ralph's, Red Cell Batteries |
12 | Jeremy Mayfield | Penske Racing South | Ford | Mobil 1 |
13 | Hermie Sadler | Peak Performance Motorsports | Chevrolet | Little Trees |
14 | Ron Hornaday Jr. | A.J. Foyt Racing | Chevrolet | Conseco |
15 | Michael Waltrip | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | NAPA Auto Parts/God Bless America |
17 | Matt Kenseth | Roush Racing | Ford | DeWalt New Products/USA |
18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | Interstate Batteries, MBNA, Cal Ripken, Jr. |
19 | Casey Atwood | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | Dodge Dealers, UAW |
20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | Home Depot/God Bless America |
21 | Elliott Sadler | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | Motorcraft/USA |
22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Pontiac | Caterpillar/USA |
24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | DuPont Automotive |
25 | Jerry Nadeau | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | UAW-Delphi |
26 | Jimmy Spencer | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | Kmart School Spirit/God Bless America |
27 | Rick Mast | Eel River Racing | Pontiac | Duke's Mayonnaise/Sauer's |
28 | Ricky Rudd | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | Texaco, Havoline |
29 | Kevin Harvick | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | GM Goodwrench Service Plus/USA |
31 | Mike Skinner | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | Lowe's |
32 | Ricky Craven | PPI Motorsports | Chevrolet | Tide |
33 | Joe Nemechek | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | Oakwood Homes |
36 | Ken Schrader | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | American Red Cross, 1-800-HELP-NOW |
40 | Sterling Marlin | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | Coors Light |
43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | Cheerios |
44 | Buckshot Jones | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | Georgia-Pacific |
45 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Ford | Sprint |
47 | Lance Hooper | Dark Horse Motorsports | Chevrolet | J.J. Baker Custom Homes |
55 | Bobby Hamilton | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | USA/Square D |
66 | Todd Bodine | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | Kmart Blue Light Special |
71 | Dave Marcis | Marcis Auto Racing | Chevrolet | Team Realtree |
77 | Robert Pressley | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | Forever in our Hearts, United We Stand |
88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | UPS/USA |
90 | Hut Stricklin | Donlavey Racing | Ford | Hills Brothers Coffee |
92 | Stacy Compton | Melling Racing | Dodge | Kodiak/God Bless America |
93 | Dave Blaney | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | American Red Cross, Amoco, 1-800-HELP-NOW |
96 | Andy Houston | PPI Motorsports | Ford | McDonald's |
97 | Kurt Busch | Roush Racing | Ford | Sharpie, Rubbermaid, USA |
99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | Citgo Supergard/USA |
Dale Jarrett won the pole for the race with a lap time of 23.238 seconds and speed of 154.919 miles per hour (249.318 km/h), his first pole at Dover, while Bobby Labonte qualified second. [9] Rick Mast, Jason Leffler, Lance Hooper, and Dave Marcis failed to qualify. [10]
Pos. [11] | Car | Driver | Manufacturer | Time | Avg. Speed |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Ford | 23.238 | 154.919 |
2 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Pontiac | 23.245 | 154.872 |
3 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt, Jr. | Chevy | 23.248 | 154.852 |
4 | 28 | Ricky Rudd | Ford | 23.257 | 154.792 |
5 | 32 | Ricky Craven | Ford | 23.321 | 154.367 |
6 | 1 | Kenny Wallace | Chevy | 23.325 | 154.341 |
7 | 12 | Jeremy Mayfield | Ford | 23.368 | 154.057 |
8 | 14 | Ron Hornaday, Jr. | Pontiac | 23.402 | 153.833 |
9 | 66 | Todd Bodine | Ford | 23.427 | 153.669 |
10 | 9 | Bill Elliott | Dodge | 23.432 | 153.636 |
11 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Pontiac | 23.435 | 153.616 |
12 | 92 | Stacy Compton | Dodge | 23.438 | 153.597 |
13 | 36 | Ken Schrader | Pontiac | 23.453 | 153.498 |
14 | 29 | Kevin Harvick | Chevy | 23.461 | 153.446 |
15 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Ford | 23.472 | 153.374 |
16 | 33 | Joe Nemechek | Chevy | 23.482 | 153.309 |
17 | 55 | Bobby Hamilton | Chevy | 23.511 | 153.120 |
18 | 19 | Casey Atwood | Dodge | 23.515 | 153.094 |
19 | 21 | Elliott Sadler | Ford | 23.525 | 153.029 |
20 | 44 | Buckshot Jones | Dodge | 23.526 | 153.022 |
21 | 45 | Kyle Petty | Dodge | 23.531 | 152.990 |
22 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Ford | 23.543 | 152.912 |
23 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Chevy | 23.551 | 152.860 |
24 | 4 | Kevin Lepage | Chevy | 23.554 | 152.840 |
25 | 22 | Ward Burton | Dodge | 23.575 | 152.704 |
26 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Dodge | 23.576 | 152.698 |
27 | 15 | Michael Waltrip | Chevy | 23.584 | 152.646 |
28 | 77 | Robert Pressley | Ford | 23.597 | 152.562 |
29 | 43 | John Andretti | Dodge | 23.633 | 152.329 |
30 | 31 | Mike Skinner | Chevy | 23.633 | 152.329 |
31 | 90 | Hut Stricklin | Ford | 23.641 | 152.278 |
32 | 13 | Hermie Sadler | Chevy | 23.668 | 152.104 |
33 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Chevy | 23.678 | 152.040 |
34 | 7 | Mike Wallace | Ford | 23.678 | 152.040 |
35 | 11 | Brett Bodine | Ford | 23.680 | 152.027 |
36 | 96 | Andy Houston | Ford | 23.704 | 151.873 |
Provisionals | |||||
37 | 10 | Johnny Benson, Jr. | Pontiac | 0.000 | 0.000 |
38 | 6 | Mark Martin | Ford | 0.000 | 0.000 |
39 | 26 | Jimmy Spencer | Ford | 0.000 | 0.000 |
40 | 17 | Matt Kenseth | Ford | 0.000 | 0.000 |
41 | 25 | Jerry Nadeau | Chevy | 0.000 | 0.000 |
42 | 93 | Dave Blaney | Dodge | 0.000 | 0.000 |
43 | 97 | Kurt Busch | Ford | 0.000 | 0.000 |
Failed to qualify | |||||
44 | 27 | Rick Mast | Pontiac | ||
45 | 01 | Jason Leffler | Dodge | ||
46 | 47 | Lance Hooper | Ford | ||
47 | 71 | Dave Marcis | Chevrolet |
Bobby Labonte took the lead from Dale Jarrett on the first lap before Jarrett reclaimed it on lap two. Dale Earnhardt Jr. became the leader on lap three and led until the first caution came out for Labonte and Bill Elliott crashing in turn two. Ricky Craven inherited the lead, which he maintained until Earnhardt retook it on lap 41. On lap 56, [10] Jeremy Mayfield hit the turn two wall after his right front tire went down, causing him to lose consciousness. He was able to walk to the infield care center, suffering only a chipped tooth and minor bruises; NASCAR officials inspected Mayfield's car and found a partially torn left lap seat belt, which was damaged in the same fashion as Dale Earnhardt's in the Daytona 500 earlier that year, a major factor in his death. A Goodyear spokesman later stated Mayfield's tire was too damaged to determine what had happened. [12]
Ricky Rudd led during the nine caution laps following Mayfield's wreck, though Earnhardt became the leader for the restart on lap 65, which he would hold for 104 laps. During Earnhardt's run, three more cautions occurred: Brett Bodine spun on lap 71, oil was found on the track on lap 117, and Mark Martin, Johnny Benson Jr., Ron Hornaday Jr., and Ward Burton all crashed on the front stretch on lap 130. Earnhardt lost the lead to Elliott Sadler during caution laps on lap 169, when Andy Houston had an accident in turn two. Tony Stewart also led three laps under the yellow flag until Earnhardt was cycled back into the lead for the green flag on lap 173. On lap 184, Rudd took the lead, holding it for a race-high 161 laps. Between the start and end of Rudd's lead, three yellow flags were waved: Michael Waltrip wrecked on lap 201, Robert Pressley crashed in turn one, and Dave Blaney fell victim to a broken seat belt on lap 268. [10] [12] With 140 laps remaining, Earnhardt had a slow pit stop and was relegated to eighth. He was able to recover from the error and was in third by lap 329. [13] On lap 345, Rudd spun after making contact with Rusty Wallace, bringing out the caution and making Jarrett the new leader until Earnhardt passed him on lap 362. With 11 laps to go, Jarrett also had problems of his own as he spun on the backstretch for the final yellow of the race. [10] Earnhardt held off Jerry Nadeau on the final restart to take the win. [14] During the final lap, the white flag was not waved to signify the refusal to surrender. [15] Nadeau finished second and Rudd in third, while Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart rounded out the top five. [10]
To honor the victims of the attack, Earnhardt drove a Polish victory lap with a large American flag. The win was described as the third time in 2001 in which Earnhardt had to "carry the emotional burden of the sport", after his father's death at the Daytona 500 and his victorious return to Daytona at the Pepsi 400. [5] In Victory Lane, he stated he would donate $75,000 to relief efforts. [15] [16] Earnhardt added he would pledge $100 a lap and $10,000 for every pit stop under 14 seconds. [17]
Fin [18] [19] | St | # | Driver | Make | Sponsor | Team | Laps | Led | Status | Pts | Winnings |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 3 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt, Jr. | Chevrolet | Budweiser/USA | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | 400 | 193 | running | 185 | 168858 |
2 | 41 | 25 | Jerry Nadeau | Chevrolet | UAW-Delphi | Hendrick Motorsports | 400 | 0 | running | 170 | 104960 |
3 | 4 | 28 | Ricky Rudd | Ford | Texaco, Havoline | Robert Yates Racing | 400 | 169 | running | 170 | 117507 |
4 | 23 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Chevrolet | DuPont Automotive | Hendrick Motorsports | 400 | 0 | running | 160 | 117832 |
5 | 11 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Pontiac | Home Depot/God Bless America | Joe Gibbs Racing | 400 | 3 | running | 160 | 89270 |
6 | 14 | 29 | Kevin Harvick | Chevrolet | GM Goodwrench/USA | Richard Childress Racing | 400 | 0 | running | 150 | 102167 |
7 | 16 | 33 | Joe Nemechek | Chevrolet | Oakwood Homes | Andy Petree Racing | 400 | 0 | running | 146 | 85735 |
8 | 26 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Dodge | Coors Light | Chip Ganassi Racing | 400 | 0 | running | 142 | 73025 |
9 | 18 | 19 | Casey Atwood | Dodge | Dodge Dealers, UAW | Evernham Motorsports | 400 | 0 | running | 138 | 53565 |
10 | 17 | 55 | Bobby Hamilton | Chevrolet | USA/Square D | Andy Petree Racing | 400 | 0 | running | 134 | 66765 |
11 | 15 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Ford | Miller Lite/USA | Penske Racing South | 400 | 0 | running | 130 | 92305 |
12 | 1 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Ford | UPS/USA | Robert Yates Racing | 400 | 18 | running | 132 | 98142 |
13 | 39 | 26 | Jimmy Spencer | Ford | Kmart School Spirit/God Bless America | Haas-Carter Motorsports | 400 | 0 | running | 124 | 65585 |
14 | 19 | 21 | Elliott Sadler | Ford | Motorcraft/USA | Wood Brothers Racing | 400 | 1 | running | 126 | 73576 |
15 | 9 | 66 | Todd Bodine | Ford | Kmart Blue Light Special | Haas-Carter Motorsports | 399 | 0 | running | 118 | 51665 |
16 | 24 | 4 | Kevin Lepage | Chevrolet | Kodak | Morgan-McClure Motorsports | 399 | 0 | running | 115 | 53655 |
17 | 33 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Chevrolet | Kellogg's/USA | Hendrick Motorsports | 398 | 0 | running | 112 | 81095 |
18 | 13 | 36 | Ken Schrader | Pontiac | American Red Cross, 1-800-HELP-NOW | MB2 Motorsports | 398 | 0 | running | 109 | 59125 |
19 | 29 | 43 | John Andretti | Dodge | Cheerios | Petty Enterprises | 398 | 0 | running | 106 | 82792 |
20 | 30 | 31 | Mike Skinner | Chevrolet | Lowe's | Richard Childress Racing | 398 | 0 | running | 103 | 83939 |
21 | 22 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Ford | Citgo Supergard/USA | Roush Racing | 398 | 0 | running | 100 | 90111 |
22 | 6 | 1 | Kenny Wallace | Chevrolet | Pennzoil | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | 397 | 0 | running | 97 | 73358 |
23 | 34 | 7 | Mike Wallace | Ford | NationsRent | Ultra Motorsports | 396 | 0 | running | 94 | 54865 |
24 | 12 | 92 | Stacy Compton | Dodge | Kodiak/God Bless America | Melling Racing | 396 | 0 | running | 91 | 46615 |
25 | 31 | 90 | Hut Stricklin | Ford | Hills Brothers Coffee | Donlavey Racing | 396 | 0 | running | 88 | 44340 |
26 | 5 | 32 | Ricky Craven | Ford | Tide | PPI Motorsports | 395 | 15 | running | 90 | 56290 |
27 | 32 | 13 | Hermie Sadler | Chevrolet | Little Trees | Peak Performance Motorsports | 394 | 0 | running | 43140 | |
28 | 35 | 11 | Brett Bodine | Ford | Ralph's, Red Cell Batteries | Brett Bodine Racing | 391 | 0 | suspension | 79 | 45465 |
29 | 40 | 17 | Matt Kenseth | Ford | DeWalt New Products/USA | Roush Racing | 390 | 0 | running | 76 | 50815 |
30 | 10 | 9 | Bill Elliott | Dodge | Dodge Dealers, UAW | Evernham Motorsports | 383 | 0 | running | 73 | 67888 |
31 | 37 | 10 | Johnny Benson, Jr. | Pontiac | Valvoline | MBV Motorsports | 317 | 0 | running | 70 | 50490 |
32 | 38 | 6 | Mark Martin | Ford | Viagra, Pfizer | Roush Racing | 314 | 0 | running | 67 | 86681 |
33 | 25 | 22 | Ward Burton | Dodge | Caterpillar/USA | Bill Davis Racing | 304 | 0 | crash | 64 | 75315 |
34 | 8 | 14 | Ron Hornaday, Jr. | Pontiac | Conseco | A.J. Foyt Racing | 268 | 0 | crash | 61 | 42005 |
35 | 42 | 93 | Dave Blaney | Dodge | American Red Cross, Amoco, 1-800-HELP-NOW | Bill Davis Racing | 266 | 0 | crash | 58 | 41855 |
36 | 2 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Pontiac | Interstate Batteries, MBNA, Cal Ripken, Jr. | Joe Gibbs Racing | 258 | 1 | running | 60 | 94152 |
37 | 28 | 77 | Robert Pressley | Ford | Forever in our Hearts, United We Stand | Jasper Motorsports | 228 | 0 | crash | 52 | 49600 |
38 | 20 | 44 | Buckshot Jones | Dodge | Georgia-Pacific | Petty Enterprises | 203 | 0 | engine | 49 | 49475 |
39 | 27 | 15 | Michael Waltrip | Chevrolet | NAPA Auto Parts/God Bless America | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | 199 | 0 | crash | 46 | 51350 |
40 | 36 | 96 | Andy Houston | Ford | McDonald's | PPI Motorsports | 165 | 0 | crash | 43 | 41200 |
41 | 43 | 97 | Kurt Busch | Ford | Sharpie, Rubbermaid, USA | Roush Racing | 115 | 0 | engine | 40 | 49075 |
42 | 7 | 12 | Jeremy Mayfield | Ford | Mobil 1 | Penske Racing South | 54 | 0 | crash | 37 | 80234 |
43 | 21 | 45 | Kyle Petty | Dodge | Sprint | Petty Enterprises | 13 | 0 | engine | 34 | 41076 |
Failed to qualify | |||||||||||
44 | 27 | Rick Mast | Pontiac | Duke's Mayonnaise / Sauer's | Eel River Racing | ||||||
45 | 01 | Jason Leffler | Dodge | Cingular Wireless | Chip Ganassi Racing | ||||||
46 | 47 | Lance Hooper | Ford | J.J. Baker Custom Homes | Dark Horse Motorsports | ||||||
47 | 71 | Dave Marcis | Chevrolet | Team Realtree | Marcis Auto Racing |
Pos | Driver | Points | Differential |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Jeff Gordon | 3928 | 0 |
2 | Ricky Rudd | 3716 | -212 |
3 | Tony Stewart | 3521 | -407 |
4 | Dale Jarrett | 3507 | -421 |
5 | Sterling Marlin | 3444 | -484 |
6 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | 3429 | -499 |
7 | Kevin Harvick | 3380 | -548 |
8 | Rusty Wallace | 3355 | -573 |
9 | Bobby Labonte | 3327 | -601 |
10 | Johnny Benson Jr. | 3168 | -760 |
The 2005 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series was the 57th season of professional stock car racing in the United States and the 34th modern-era Cup series. The season began on Saturday, February 12. The ten-race Chase for the Nextel Cup started with the Sylvania 300 on Sunday, September 18, and ended on Sunday, November 20, with the Ford 400.
NASCAR Cup Series stock car races have been held annually at Dover Motor Speedway in Dover, Delaware since 1969. The race is called the Würth 400 due to sponsorship, and is held in the spring.
The 2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series was the 56th season of professional stock car racing in the United States and the 33rd modern-era Cup series season. The season began on Saturday, February 7, and ended on Sunday, November 21. Kurt Busch, who drove a Ford for Roush Racing, was the Nextel Cup champion. It would be the last time until 2012 that the championship would be won by someone other than Tony Stewart or Jimmie Johnson.
The 2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series was the 55th season of professional stock car racing in the United States and the 32nd modern-era Cup Series season. The season began on February 8 at the Daytona International Speedway with the Budweiser Shootout and ended on November 16 at Homestead-Miami Speedway with the Ford 400. Despite only winning one race throughout the whole season, Matt Kenseth, driving the No.17 Ford for Roush Racing, was strongly consistent following the lone win, and was crowned the Winston Cup champion. His only win came in the third race of the 36 race season. Chevrolet took home the NASCAR Manufacturers' Championship after capturing 19 wins and 264 points over second-place finisher Dodge, who had nine wins and 203 points. Ford finished the year third with seven wins and 200 points, and Pontiac finished fourth with one win and 125 points.
The 2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series was the 54th season of professional stock car racing in the United States and the 31st modern-era Cup Series season. It began on February 10, 2002, at Daytona International Speedway, and ended on November 17, 2002, at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Tony Stewart, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, was declared as the Winston Cup champion. Bill Elliott won the 2002 NASCAR's Most Popular Driver Award. He would win it for the 16th and final time in his career. He withdrew from the ballot after receiving the award. The NASCAR Manufacturers' Championship was captured by Ford after winning 14 events and gaining 245 points over second-place finisher Chevrolet, who had 10 wins and 211 points.
The 1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Series was the 50th season of professional stock car racing in the United States and the 27th modern-era cup series. The season included 33 races and three exhibition races, beginning with the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway and ending with the NAPA 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Jeff Gordon won the Driver's Championship, the third of his career, and his third in the last four seasons.
The 1999 NASCAR Winston Cup Series was the 51st season of professional Stock car racing in the United States, the 28th modern-era Cup series, and the last Cup season of the 1990s and the 20th century. The season began on Sunday, February 7, and ended on Sunday, November 21. Dale Jarrett, representing Robert Yates Racing, was crowned the champion, while the NASCAR Manufacturers' Championship was won by the Ford drivers with 13 wins and 231 points over second-place Chevrolet who had 12 wins and 210 points and third place Pontiac who had 9 wins and 205 points.
The 2000 NASCAR Winston Cup Series was the 52nd season of professional stock car racing in the United States, and was the 29th modern-era Cup series. The season began on February 13 and ended on November 20. Joe Gibbs Racing driver Bobby Labonte was crowned champion at season's end. The NASCAR Manufacturers' Championship was won by Ford as they captured 14 wins and 234 points to better Pontiac's 11 wins and 213 points. Chevrolet finished third with nine wins and 199 points.
The 1997 NASCAR Winston Cup Series was the 49th season of professional stock car racing in the United States and the 26th modern-era NASCAR Cup series. It began on February 9 and ended on November 16. Jeff Gordon of Hendrick Motorsports won his second Cup championship at the end of the season.
The 1994 NASCAR Winston Cup Series was the 46th season of NASCAR professional stock car racing in the United States and the 23rd modern-era Cup series. The season began on Sunday, February 20, and ended on Sunday, November 13. Dale Earnhardt of Richard Childress Racing was crowned champion at season's end, winning consecutive Winston Cups for the third time in his career and tying Richard Petty for the record of most top-level NASCAR championships with seven. It was also the 7th and final NASCAR Winston Cup Series Championship for Dale Earnhardt before his death 7 years later in 2001, this was also the final season for 18-time Winston Cup winner Harry Gant.
The 1996 NASCAR Winston Cup Series was the 48th season of professional stock car racing in the United States and the 25th modern-era NASCAR Cup series. The season had been started on February 18 at Daytona International Speedway, and ended on November 10 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The season would be remembered for Terry Labonte pulling off a massive upset and winning his second Winston Cup Championship over teammate Jeff Gordon.
The 2001 NASCAR Winston Cup Series was the 53rd season of professional stock car racing in the United States, the 30th modern-era Cup series. It began on February 11, 2001, at Daytona International Speedway and ended on November 23, 2001, at New Hampshire International Speedway. Jeff Gordon of Hendrick Motorsports was declared as the series champion for the fourth time in seven years.
The 1995 NASCAR Winston Cup Series was the 47th season of professional stock car racing in the United States and the 24th modern-era Cup series season. The season began on February 12 in Daytona Beach and concluded on November 12 at the Atlanta Motor Speedway. Jeff Gordon of Hendrick Motorsports won his first career championship.
The 1993 NASCAR Winston Cup Series was the 45th season of professional stock car racing in the United States and the 22nd modern-era Cup season. The season began on February 7 and ended on November 14. Dale Earnhardt of Richard Childress Racing won the title, the sixth of his career.
The 1991 NASCAR Winston Cup Series was the 43rd of professional stock car racing in the United States and the 20th modern-era Cup Season. It began February 10 and ended November 17. Dale Earnhardt of Richard Childress Racing won his fifth Winston Cup championship at the conclusion of the season. The season was marred by the death of driver and team owner J. D. McDuffie, who was killed in a wreck at Watkins Glen.
The 1989 NASCAR Winston Cup Series was the 41st season of professional stock car racing in the United States and the 18th modern-era Cup season. It began February 12 and ended November 19. Rusty Wallace of Blue Max Racing won the championship. This was the first year that every Winston Cup race had flag to flag coverage, with almost all of them being televised live.
The 2001 edition of The Winston was held on May 19, 2001, at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina. This was the 17th running of the event. The race is mostly remembered for the start, when rain progressed onto the track, causing cars to get loose and crash into the wall. One of the first ones to crash was Kevin Harvick, in his first appearance at the speedway. Then Jeff Gordon got sideways and wrecked after tapping Jeff Burton from behind, then Michael Waltrip wrecked Gordon, destroying his car, at which point the race was stopped. All of the drivers returned with back-up cars. At the end, Gordon came across the line and won his third All-Star race, tying Dale Earnhardt. Drivers Johnny Benson and Todd Bodine advanced from The Winston Open, with Benson winning the Open and Bodine winning the No Bull 5 Sprint race. This was the first Winston event without Darrell Waltrip and Dale Earnhardt. Waltrip retired at the end of 2000 and called the 2001 race from the booth, and Earnhardt was killed earlier in the season at the Daytona 500. Both drivers competed in the first 16 events.
The 2001 MBNA Platinum 400 was a NASCAR Winston Cup Series racing event held on June 3, 2001, at Dover Downs International Speedway in Dover, Delaware.
The 1996 Brickyard 400, the 3rd running of the event, was a NASCAR Winston Cup Series race held on August 3, 1996, at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana. The race was the nineteenth of the 1996 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season. Jeff Gordon of Hendrick Motorsports won the pole position with a speed of 176.419 miles per hour (283.919 km/h), while Robert Yates Racing's Dale Jarrett won the race.
The 2004 MBNA America 400 "A Salute to Heroes" was the 13th stock car race of the 2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series season and the 36th iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, June 6, 2004, before a crowd of 140,000 in Dover, Delaware at Dover International Speedway, a 1-mile (1.6 km) permanent oval-shaped racetrack. The race took the scheduled 400 laps to complete. At race's end, Mark Martin of Roush Racing would survive through a wreck-fest to win his 34th career NASCAR Nextel Cup Series win, his first of the season, and would break a 72-race losing streak. To fill out the podium, Tony Stewart of Joe Gibbs Racing and Dale Earnhardt Jr. of Dale Earnhardt, Inc. would finish second and third, respectively.