1989 Miller High Life 500

The 1989 Miller High Life 500 was the 13th stock car race of the 1989 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season and the eighth iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, June 18, 1989, before an audience of 100,000 in Long Pond, Pennsylvania, at Pocono Raceway, a 2.5 miles (4.0 km) triangular permanent course. The race took the scheduled 200 laps to complete. In the final laps of the race, Junior Johnson & Associates driver Terry Labonte would manage to hold off a late-race charge from Jackson Bros. Motorsports driver Harry Gant, leading the final 14 laps of the race to take his 10th career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his first victory of the season.[1][2][3] To fill out the top three, the aforementioned Harry Gant and Richard Childress Racing driver Dale Earnhardt would finish second and third, respectively.

1989 Miller High Life 500
Race details
Race 13 of 29 in the 1989 NASCAR Winston Cup Series
The 1989 Miller High Life 500 program cover, featuring Dick Trickle. Artwork by NASCAR artist Sam Bass.
The 1989 Miller High Life 500 program cover, featuring Dick Trickle. Artwork by NASCAR artist Sam Bass.
Date June 18, 1989
Official name 8th Annual Miller High Life 500
Location Long Pond, Pennsylvania, Pocono Raceway
Course Permanent racing facility
2.5 mi (4.0 km)
Distance 200 laps, 500 mi (804.672 km)
Scheduled Distance 200 laps, 500 mi (804.672 km)
Average speed 131.32 miles per hour (211.34 km/h)
Attendance 100,000
Pole position
Driver Blue Max Racing
Time 57.147
Most laps led
Driver Rusty Wallace Blue Max Racing
Laps 100
Winner
No. 11 Terry Labonte Junior Johnson & Associates
Television in the United States
Network PPV
Announcers Dave Despain, Lyn St. James, Gary Nelson
Radio in the United States
Radio Motor Racing Network

Background

The layout of Pocono International Raceway, the venue where the race was held.

The race was held at Pocono International Raceway, which is a three-turn superspeedway located in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. The track hosts two annual NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races, as well as one Xfinity Series and Camping World Truck Series event. Until 2019, the track also hosted an IndyCar Series race.

Pocono International Raceway is one of a very few NASCAR tracks not owned by either Speedway Motorsports, Inc. or International Speedway Corporation. It is operated by the Igdalsky siblings Brandon, Nicholas, and sister Ashley, and cousins Joseph IV and Chase Mattioli, all of whom are third-generation members of the family-owned Mattco Inc, started by Joseph II and Rose Mattioli.

Outside of the NASCAR races, the track is used throughout the year by the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) and motorcycle clubs as well as racing schools and an IndyCar race. The triangular oval also has three separate infield sections of racetrack – North Course, East Course and South Course. Each of these infield sections use a separate portion of the tri-oval to complete the track. During regular non-race weekends, multiple clubs can use the track by running on different infield sections. Also some of the infield sections can be run in either direction, or multiple infield sections can be put together – such as running the North Course and the South Course and using the tri-oval to connect the two.

Entry list

  • (R) denotes rookie driver.
# Driver Team Make Sponsor
2 Ernie Irvan U.S. Racing Pontiac Kroger
3 Dale Earnhardt Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet GM Goodwrench Service Plus
4 Rick Wilson Morgan–McClure Motorsports Oldsmobile Kodak
5 Geoff Bodine Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Levi Garrett
6 Mark Martin Roush Racing Ford Stroh's Light
06 Terry Byers Byers Racing Chevrolet Byers Racing
7 Alan Kulwicki AK Racing Ford Zerex
8 Bobby Hillin Jr. Stavola Brothers Racing Buick Miller High Life
9 Bill Elliott Melling Racing Ford Coors Light
10 Derrike Cope Whitcomb Racing Pontiac Purolator Filters
11 Terry Labonte Junior Johnson & Associates Ford Budweiser
15 Brett Bodine Bud Moore Engineering Ford Motorcraft
16 Larry Pearson (R) Pearson Racing Buick Chattanooga Chew
17 Darrell Waltrip Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Tide
21 Neil Bonnett Wood Brothers Racing Ford Citgo
25 Ken Schrader Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Folgers
26 Ricky Rudd King Racing Buick Quaker State
27 Rusty Wallace Blue Max Racing Pontiac Kodiak
28 Davey Allison Robert Yates Racing Ford Texaco, Havoline
29 Dale Jarrett Cale Yarborough Motorsports Pontiac Hardee's
30 Michael Waltrip Bahari Racing Pontiac Country Time
33 Harry Gant Jackson Bros. Motorsports Oldsmobile Skoal Bandit
43 Richard Petty Petty Enterprises Pontiac STP
49 Trevor Boys Hylton Motorsports Buick Hylton Motorsports
52 Jimmy Means Jimmy Means Racing Pontiac Alka-Seltzer
55 Phil Parsons Jackson Bros. Motorsports Oldsmobile Skoal, Crown Central Petroleum
57 Hut Stricklin (R) Osterlund Racing Pontiac Heinz
63 Randy LaJoie Rosenblum Racing Chevrolet Rosenblum Racing
65 Tommie Crozier Leonard Racing Chevrolet Leonard Racing
71 Dave Marcis Marcis Auto Racing Chevrolet Lifebuoy
75 Morgan Shepherd RahMoc Enterprises Pontiac Valvoline
80 Jimmy Horton S&H Racing Pontiac S&H Racing
83 Lake Speed Speed Racing Oldsmobile Bull's-Eye Barbecue Sauce
84 Dick Trickle (R) Stavola Brothers Racing Buick Miller High Life
85 Bobby Gerhart Bobby Gerhart Racing Oldsmobile James Chevrolet
88 Jimmy Spencer (R) Baker–Schiff Racing Oldsmobile Crisco
94 Sterling Marlin Hagan Racing Oldsmobile Sunoco
99 Norm Benning O'Neil Racing Chevrolet O'Neil Racing

Qualifying

Qualifying was split into two rounds. The first round was held on Friday, June 16, at 3:00 PM EST. Each driver would have one lap to set a time. During the first round, the top 15 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, June 17, at 10:30 AM EST. As with the first round, each driver would have one lap to set a time. For this specific race, positions 16-40 would be decided on time,[4] 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 provisionals were given.

Rusty Wallace, driving for Blue Max Racing, would win the pole, setting a time of 57.147 and an average speed of 157.489 miles per hour (253.454 km/h) in the first round.[5][6]

No drivers would fail to qualify.

Full qualifying results

Pos. # Driver Team Make Time Speed
1 27 Rusty Wallace Blue Max Racing Pontiac 57.147 157.489
2 17 Darrell Waltrip Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 57.234 157.249
3 6 Mark Martin Roush Racing Ford 57.300 157.068
4 83 Lake Speed Speed Racing Oldsmobile 57.355 156.917
5 4 Rick Wilson Morgan–McClure Motorsports Oldsmobile 57.453 156.650
6 94 Sterling Marlin Hagan Racing Oldsmobile 57.482 156.571
7 3 Dale Earnhardt Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 57.500 156.522
8 9 Bill Elliott Melling Racing Ford 57.502 156.516
9 21 Neil Bonnett Wood Brothers Racing Ford 57.555 156.372
10 25 Ken Schrader Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 57.631 156.166
11 33 Harry Gant Jackson Bros. Motorsports Oldsmobile 57.658 156.093
12 30 Michael Waltrip Bahari Racing Pontiac 57.710 155.952
13 26 Ricky Rudd King Racing Buick 57.825 155.642
14 29 Dale Jarrett Cale Yarborough Motorsports Pontiac 57.863 155.540
15 7 Alan Kulwicki AK Racing Ford 57.912 155.408
Failed to lock in Round 1
16 5 Geoff Bodine Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 57.129 157.538
17 75 Morgan Shepherd RahMoc Enterprises Pontiac 57.764 155.806
18 10 Derrike Cope Whitcomb Racing Pontiac 57.933 155.352
19 43 Richard Petty Petty Enterprises Pontiac 57.934 155.349
20 55 Phil Parsons Jackson Bros. Motorsports Oldsmobile 57.937 155.341
21 2 Ernie Irvan U.S. Racing Pontiac 58.135 154.812
22 15 Brett Bodine Bud Moore Engineering Ford 58.188 154.671
23 11 Terry Labonte Junior Johnson & Associates Ford 58.234 154.549
24 16 Larry Pearson (R) Pearson Racing Buick 58.396 154.120
25 80 Jimmy Horton S&H Racing Pontiac 58.399 154.112
26 88 Jimmy Spencer (R) Baker–Schiff Racing Oldsmobile 58.413 154.075
27 28 Davey Allison Robert Yates Racing Ford 58.426 154.041
28 84 Dick Trickle (R) Stavola Brothers Racing Buick 58.577 153.644
29 52 Jimmy Means Jimmy Means Racing Pontiac 58.717 153.278
30 8 Bobby Hillin Jr. Stavola Brothers Racing Buick 59.007 152.524
31 71 Dave Marcis Marcis Auto Racing Chevrolet 59.247 151.906
32 63 Randy LaJoie Rosenblum Racing Chevrolet 59.270 151.847
33 49 Trevor Boys Hylton Motorsports Buick 59.529 151.187
34 57 Hut Stricklin (R) Osterlund Racing Pontiac 59.586 151.042
35 06 Terry Byers Byers Racing Chevrolet 59.685 150.792
36 99 Norm Benning O'Neil Racing Chevrolet 1:00.916 147.744
37 85 Bobby Gerhart Bobby Gerhart Racing Oldsmobile 1:01.012 147.512
38 65 Tommie Crozier Leonard Racing Chevrolet 1:05.905 136.560
Official first round qualifying results
Official starting lineup

Race results

Fin St # Driver Team Make Laps Led Status Pts Winnings
1 23 11 Terry Labonte Junior Johnson & Associates Ford 200 39 running 180 $54,807
2 11 33 Harry Gant Jackson Bros. Motorsports Oldsmobile 200 12 running 175 $33,875
3 7 3 Dale Earnhardt Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 200 12 running 170 $29,250
4 10 25 Ken Schrader Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 200 2 running 165 $20,600
5 17 75 Morgan Shepherd RahMoc Enterprises Pontiac 200 0 running 155 $21,850
6 6 94 Sterling Marlin Hagan Racing Oldsmobile 200 0 running 150 $14,925
7 14 29 Dale Jarrett Cale Yarborough Motorsports Pontiac 200 1 running 151 $11,150
8 9 21 Neil Bonnett Wood Brothers Racing Ford 200 2 running 147 $10,125
9 24 16 Larry Pearson (R) Pearson Racing Buick 200 2 running 143 $8,325
10 22 15 Brett Bodine Bud Moore Engineering Ford 199 0 running 134 $11,650
11 4 83 Lake Speed Speed Racing Oldsmobile 199 5 running 135 $8,650
12 20 55 Phil Parsons Jackson Bros. Motorsports Oldsmobile 199 0 running 127 $8,350
13 30 8 Bobby Hillin Jr. Stavola Brothers Racing Buick 199 0 running 124 $7,950
14 12 30 Michael Waltrip Bahari Racing Pontiac 199 1 running 126 $7,450
15 3 6 Mark Martin Roush Racing Ford 198 0 running 118 $7,650
16 27 28 Davey Allison Robert Yates Racing Ford 197 0 running 115 $12,250
17 34 57 Hut Stricklin (R) Osterlund Racing Pontiac 197 0 running 112 $5,000
18 31 71 Dave Marcis Marcis Auto Racing Chevrolet 197 0 running 109 $6,600
19 35 06 Terry Byers Byers Racing Chevrolet 197 0 running 106 $3,525
20 13 26 Ricky Rudd King Racing Buick 197 0 running 103 $11,225
21 8 9 Bill Elliott Melling Racing Ford 197 0 running 100 $14,250
22 1 27 Rusty Wallace Blue Max Racing Pontiac 194 100 running 107 $16,825
23 37 85 Bobby Gerhart Bobby Gerhart Racing Oldsmobile 193 0 running 94 $2,975
24 28 84 Dick Trickle (R) Stavola Brothers Racing Buick 190 0 running 91 $5,775
25 19 43 Richard Petty Petty Enterprises Pontiac 189 0 running 88 $3,775
26 21 2 Ernie Irvan U.S. Racing Pontiac 189 0 running 85 $3,525
27 5 4 Rick Wilson Morgan–McClure Motorsports Oldsmobile 185 0 running 82 $5,450
28 32 63 Randy LaJoie Rosenblum Racing Chevrolet 178 0 crash 79 $2,725
29 29 52 Jimmy Means Jimmy Means Racing Pontiac 153 0 crash 76 $2,675
30 36 99 Norm Benning O'Neil Racing Chevrolet 151 0 engine 73 $2,675
31 33 49 Trevor Boys Hylton Motorsports Buick 118 2 engine 0 $2,575
32 2 17 Darrell Waltrip Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 104 22 engine 72 $11,875
33 26 88 Jimmy Spencer (R) Baker–Schiff Racing Oldsmobile 104 0 engine 0 $5,100
34 15 7 Alan Kulwicki AK Racing Ford 96 0 engine 61 $5,025
35 16 5 Geoff Bodine Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 78 0 crash 58 $10,850
36 18 10 Derrike Cope Whitcomb Racing Pontiac 44 0 engine 55 $2,900
37 25 80 Jimmy Horton S&H Racing Pontiac 29 0 engine 52 $2,250
38 38 65 Tommie Crozier Leonard Racing Chevrolet 16 0 transmission 49 $2,850
Official race results

Standings after the race

References

  1. Higgins, Tom (June 19, 1989). "Labonte Charges From 23rd To Pocono Win (Part 1)". The Charlotte Observer. p. 19. Retrieved May 9, 2023 via Newspapers.com. open access
  2. Higgins, Tom (June 19, 1989). "Labonte Charges From 23rd To Pocono Win (Part 2)". The Charlotte Observer. p. 22. Retrieved May 9, 2023 via Newspapers.com. open access
  3. Bruton, Mike (June 19, 1989). "Labonte captures 500 for his first victory at Pocono". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. 38. Retrieved May 9, 2023 via Newspapers.com. open access
  4. "NASCAR today". The Charlotte Observer. June 16, 1989. p. 62. Retrieved May 9, 2023 via Newspapers.com. open access
  5. Higgins, Tom (June 17, 1989). "Wallace, Waltrip On Sunday's Front Row (Part 1)". The Charlotte Observer. p. 29. Retrieved May 9, 2023 via Newspapers.com. open access
  6. Higgins, Tom (June 17, 1989). "Wallace, Waltrip On Sunday's Front Row (Part 2)". The Charlotte Observer. p. 38. Retrieved May 9, 2023 via Newspapers.com. open access
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