Pop Secret Microwave Popcorn 400

Last updated
Pop Secret Microwave Popcorn 400
Popsec400.jpg
Rockingham Speedway.svg
NASCAR Winston Cup Series
Venue North Carolina Speedway
Location Rockingham, North Carolina, United States
Corporate sponsor Pop Secret
First race1965
Last race2003
Distance399.681 miles (643.224 km)
Laps393
Previous namesAmerican 500 (1965–1981)
Walter W. Hodgdon American 500 (1982–1984)
Nationwise 500 (1985–1986)
AC Delco 500 (1987–1994)
AC Delco 400 (1995–1998)
Pop Secret Microwave Popcorn 400 (1999–2003)
Most wins (driver) Richard Petty
Cale Yarborough (4)
Most wins (team) Junior Johnson & Associates (8)
Most wins (manufacturer) Ford (12)
Circuit information
SurfaceAsphalt
Length1.017 mi (1.637 km)
Turns4

The Pop Secret Microwave Popcorn 400 was a NASCAR Winston Cup Series event that took place in November at the North Carolina Motor Speedway from 1965 to 2003. It was the first NASCAR Cup Series victory for three drivers including Mark Martin in 1989, Ward Burton in 1995, and Johnny Benson in 2002. It was the final race win for Bill Elliott in 2003.

Contents

This race, typically run as the penultimate race of the NASCAR season, was dropped from the schedule after the 2003 season. The Pop Secret sponsorship was moved over to the newly acquired Labor Day date at Auto Club Speedway, while the late season date was originally taken over by the Southern 500 at Darlington and is now occupied by the AAA Texas 500 at Texas.

Past winners

YearDateNo.DriverTeamManufacturerRace DistanceRace TimeAverage Speed
(mph)
ReportRef
LapsMiles (km)
1965 October 3141 Curtis Turner Wood Brothers Racing Ford 500500 (804.672)4:54:17101.942 Report [1]
1966 October 3028 Fred Lorenzen Holman-Moody Ford 500500 (804.672)4:47:30104.348 Report [2]
1967 October 2911 Bobby Allison Holman-Moody Ford 500500 (804.672)5:04:4998.42 Report [3]
1968 October 2743 Richard Petty Petty Enterprises Plymouth 500500 (804.672)4:45:33105.06 Report [4]
1969 October 2698 LeeRoy Yarbrough Junior Johnson & Associates Ford 492500.364 (805.257)4:28:12111.938 Report [5]
1970 November 1521 Cale Yarborough Wood Brothers Racing Mercury 492500.364 (805.257)4:14:24117.811 Report [6]
1971 October 2443 Richard Petty Petty Enterprises Plymouth 492500.364 (805.257)4:24:43113.405 Report [7]
1972 October 2212 Bobby Allison Richard Howard Chevrolet 492500.364 (805.257)4:13:49118.275 Report [8]
1973 October 2121 David Pearson Wood Brothers Racing Mercury 492500.364 (805.257)4:14:57117.749 Report [9]
1974 October 2021 David Pearson Wood Brothers Racing Mercury 492500.364 (805.257)4:13:21118.493 Report [10]
1975 October 1911 Cale Yarborough Junior Johnson & Associates Chevrolet 492500.364 (805.257)4:09:54120.129 Report [11]
1976 October 2443 Richard Petty Petty Enterprises Dodge 492500.364 (805.257)4:15:01117.718 Report [12]
1977 October 231 Donnie Allison Ellington Racing Chevrolet 492500.364 (805.257)4:24:18113.584 Report [13]
1978 October 2211 Cale Yarborough Junior Johnson & Associates Oldsmobile 492500.364 (805.257)4:15:58117.288 Report [14]
1979 October 2143 Richard Petty Petty Enterprises Chevrolet 492500.364 (805.257)4:37:04108.356 Report [15]
1980 October 1911 Cale Yarborough Junior Johnson & Associates Chevrolet 492500.364 (805.257)4:22:59114.159 Report [16]
1981 November 111 Darrell Waltrip Junior Johnson & Associates Buick 492500.364 (805.257)4:39:32107.399 Report [17]
1982 October 3111 Darrell Waltrip Junior Johnson & Associates Buick 492500.364 (805.257)4:20:47115.122 Report [18]
1983 October 3044 Terry Labonte Billy Hagan Chevrolet 492500.364 (805.257)4:11:36119.324 Report [19]
1984 October 219 Bill Elliott Melling Racing Ford 492500.364 (805.257)4:26:35112.617 Report [20]
1985 October 2011 Darrell Waltrip Junior Johnson & Associates Chevrolet 492500.364 (805.257)4:13:40118.344 Report [21]
1986 October 1912 Neil Bonnett Junior Johnson & Associates Chevrolet 492500.364 (805.257)3:57:33126.381 Report [22]
1987 October 259 Bill Elliott Melling Racing Ford 492500.364 (805.257)4:13:52118.258 Report [23]
1988 October 2327 Rusty Wallace Blue Max Racing Pontiac 492500.364 (805.257)4:29:07111.557 Report [24]
1989 October 226 Mark Martin Roush Racing Ford 492500.364 (805.257)4:23:10114.079 Report [25]
1990 October 217 Alan Kulwicki AK Racing Ford 492500.364 (805.257)3:57:25126.452 Report [26]
1991 October 2028 Davey Allison Robert Yates Racing Ford 492500.364 (805.257)3:55:51127.292 Report [27]
1992 October 2542 Kyle Petty SABCO Racing Pontiac 492500.364 (805.257)3:49:37130.748 Report [28]
1993 October 242 Rusty Wallace Penske Racing Pontiac 492500.364 (805.257)4:23:16114.036 Report [29]
1994 October 233 Dale Earnhardt Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 492500.364 (805.257)3:57:30126.408 Report [30]
1995 October 2222 Ward Burton Bill Davis Racing Pontiac 393399.681 (643.224)3:28:56114.778 Report [31]
1996 October 2010 Ricky Rudd Rudd Performance
Motorsports
Ford 393399.681 (643.224)3:16:03122.32 Report [32]
1997 October 2743 Bobby Hamilton Petty Enterprises Pontiac 393399.681 (643.224)3:17:00121.73 Report [33]
1998 November 124 Jeff Gordon Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 393399.681 (643.224)3:06:44128.423 Report [34]
1999 October 2499 Jeff Burton Roush Racing Ford 393399.681 (643.224)3:02:55131.103 Report [35]
2000 October 2288 Dale Jarrett Robert Yates Racing Ford 393399.681 (643.224)3:37:11110.418 Report [36]
2001 November 433 Joe Nemechek Andy Petree Racing Chevrolet 393399.681 (643.224)3:05:59128.941 Report [37]
2002 November 310 Johnny Benson Jr. MB2 Motorsports Pontiac 393399.681 (643.224)3:06:35128.526 Report [38]
2003 November 99 Bill Elliott Evernham Motorsports Dodge 393399.681 (643.224)3:34:44111.677 Report [39]

Multiple winners (drivers)

Alan Kulwicki's 1990 winner trophy ACDelco500RockinghamWinnerAlanKulwicki.jpg
Alan Kulwicki's 1990 winner trophy
# WinsDriverYears Won
4 Richard Petty 1968, 1971, 1976, 1979
Cale Yarborough 1970, 1975, 1978, 1980
3 Darrell Waltrip 1981–1982, 1985
Bill Elliott 1984, 1987, 2003
2 Bobby Allison 1967, 1972
David Pearson 1973–1974
Rusty Wallace 1988, 1993

Multiple winners (manufacturers)

# WinsManufacturerYears Won
12 Ford 1965–1967, 1969, 1984, 1987, 1989–1991, 1996, 1999–2000
11 Chevrolet 1972, 1975, 1977, 1979–1980, 1983, 1985–1986, 1994, 1998, 2001
6 Pontiac 1988, 1992–1993, 1995, 1997, 2002
3 Mercury 1970, 1973–1974
2 Plymouth 1968, 1971
Buick 1981–1982
Dodge 1976, 2003

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References

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