1993 Winston 500
| Race details[1][2] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 9 of 30 in the 1993 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season | |||
 Layout of Talladega Superspeedway | |||
| Date | May 2, 1993 | ||
| Official name | Winston 500 | ||
| Location | Alabama International Motor Speedway, Talladega, Alabama | ||
| Course |
Permanent racing facility 2.660 mi (4.280 km) | ||
| Distance | 188 laps, 500.1 mi (804.8 km) | ||
| Weather | Mild with temperatures reaching up to 73.9 °F (23.3 °C); wind speeds reaching speeds up to 9.9 miles per hour (15.9 km/h) | ||
| Average speed | 155.412 miles per hour (250.111 km/h) | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Richard Childress Racing | ||
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Dale Earnhardt | Richard Childres Racing | |
| Laps | 102 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 4 | Ernie Irvan | Morgan-McClure Motorsports | |
| Television in the United States | |||
| Network | ESPN | ||
| Announcers |
Bob Jenkins Ned Jarrett Benny Parsons | ||
The 1993 Winston 500 was held on May 2, 1993, at Talladega Superspeedway and was the 10th race of the 1993 NASCAR Winston Cup Series. Then-current Alabama governor Harold Guy Hunt was the official grand marshal for the event.[3]
Rusty Wallace flipped for the second time that season across the finish line. Dale Earnhardt tapped him into a spin, which caused Rusty's car to get airborne and cross the finish line on its nose. It then landed and flipped 6 times on the grass. He would receive numerous injuries as the result of cracking up his vehicle in this event; allowing Dale Earnhardt to take a 129-point lead over him in the 1993 Winston Cup Championship.[4]
Background
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 by International Speedway Corporation, a business controlled by the France Family, in the 1960s. Talladega is most known for its steep banking and the unique location of the start/finish line - located just past the exit to pit road. The track currently hosts the NASCAR series such as the Sprint Cup Series, Xfinity Series, and the Camping World Truck Series. Talladega Superspeedway is the longest NASCAR oval with a length of 2.66 miles (4.28 km), and the track at its peak had a seating capacity of 175,000 spectators.[5]
Results
The pole position was won by Dale Earnhardt in his # 3 Chevrolet machine. Ernie Irvan defeated Jimmy Spencer by two car lengths. 13% of the race was run under a caution flag while the average green flag run was nearly 33 laps. Accidents and a brief outburst of rain contributed to the yellow flags in the race. All drivers who were involved in this race were born in the United States of America.[2] The entire field drove as if winning the race actually mattered; rather than doing "what's best for business" as seen in the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season.
Ricky Rudd was the last-place finisher for this race due to camshaft problems on lap 12. Mark Martin was penalized for make a pit stop prior to the green flag. Veteran driver Dick Trickle managed to avoid the mechanical problems in this event in order to grab a respectable 31st-place finish. Ritchie Petty would make his NASCAR debut in this race; he would ultimately make a few more Cup starts in what turned out to be a very short NASCAR driving career.[2]
Ford vehicles would make up the majority of the racing grid while Chevrolet and Pontiac drivers had somewhat of an influence over the race. Dick Moroso would have his only "top five" finisher as an owner at this event.[6]
Top ten finishers
| Pos[2] | Grid | No. | Driver | Manufacturer | Laps | Laps led |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 16 | 4 | Ernie Irvan | Chevrolet | 188 | 3 |
| 2 | 2 | 12 | Jimmy Spencer | Ford | 188 | 1 |
| 3 | 3 | 18 | Dale Jarrett | Chevrolet | 188 | 35 |
| 4 | 1 | 3 | Dale Earnhardt | Chevrolet | 188 | 102 |
| 5 | 6 | 20 | Joe Ruttman | Ford | 188 | 0 |
| 6 | 24 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Pontiac | 188 | 38 |
| 7 | 5 | 28 | Davey Allison | Ford | 188 | 3 |
| 8 | 15 | 98 | Derrike Cope | Ford | 188 | 0 |
| 9 | 29 | 7 | Jimmy Hensley | Ford | 188 | 0 |
| 10 | 13 | 30 | Michael Waltrip | Pontiac | 188 | 0 |
Timeline
- Start of race: Jimmy Spencer had the pole position at the start of the first lap
- Lap 12: The camshaft on Ricky Rudd's vehicle developed problems, putting Rudd out of the race
- Lap 23: Ken Bouchard's engine blew up while he was racing
- Lap 32: Jeff Purvis' engine blew up while he was racing
- Lap 64: Dale Earnhardt took over the lead from Dale Jarrett before losing it to Ernie Irvan on lap 91
- Lap 74: The shocks on Rich Bickle's engine couldn't take it anymore, forcing Bickle to leave the race
- Lap 100: Dale Earnhardt took over the lead from Dale Jarrett before losing it back to him on lap 117
- Lap 117: Sterling Marlin and Geoffrey Bodine's accident on turn 4 caused a caution, racing resumed on lap 121
- Lap 123: Dale Earnhardt took over the lead from Dale Jarrett before losing it to Ernie Irvan on lap 134
- Lap 126: Terry Labonte had a terminal crash, forcing him to exit the race
- Lap 130: A multiple car accident forced NASCAR to wave the yellow flag until lap 137
- Lap 138: Greg Sacks had a terminal crash, forcing him out of the race
- Lap 139: Jimmy Means had engine issues, ending his race weekend a bit too soon
- Lap 156: Brett Bodine had a terminal crash, forcing him to exit the race
- Lap 158: Brett Bodine and Hut Stricklin's accident on the backstretch forced the cars to slow down until lap 162
- Lap 174: Geoffrey Bodine had handling issues with his vehicle, forcing him out of the race
- Lap 180: Rain forced the cars not to race at full speed until conditions improved on lap 186
- Finish: Ernie Irvan was officially declared the winner of the race, while Rusty Wallace was tapped from behind by Dale Earnhardt which sent Wallace's car sailing over the finish line on its nose before barrel rolling multiple times.
Standings after the race
| Pos | Driver | Points[2] | Differential |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rusty Wallace | 1452 | 0 |
| 2 | Dale Earnhardt | 1366 | -86 |
| 3 | Davey Allison | 1290 | -162 |
| 4 | Dale Jarrett | 1209 | -243 |
| 5 | Kyle Petty | 1208 | -244 |
| 6 | Mark Martin | 1191 | -261 |
| 7 | Geoffrey Bodine | 1172 | -280 |
| 8 | Morgan Shepherd | 1166 | -286 |
| 9 | Jimmy Spencer | 1107 | -345 |
| 10 | Ernie Irvan | 1100 | -352 |
Failed to qualify: 9-P. J. Jones, 48-James Hylton, 0-Delma Cowart, 31-Steve Kinser, 62-Ben Hess, 71-Dave Marcis, 73-Phil Barkdoll, 65-Jerry O'Neil, 49-Stanley Smith.
References
- ↑ The Old Farmers' Almanac - 1993 Winston 500 Weather Information
- 1 2 3 4 5 Racing Reference - Results for the 1993 Winston 500
- ↑ A Look Back In Talladega History: Unique Dignitaries Visit Talladega at Talladega Superspeedway
- ↑ 1993 Winston 500 information at How Stuff Works
- ↑ "Track Facts". talladegasuperspeedway.com. Talladega Superspeedway. November 1, 2012. Archived from the original on November 1, 2012. Retrieved April 27, 2015.
- ↑ NASCAR Race Results at Talladega - May 2, 1993 at Driver Averages