1991 AC Delco 500

The 1991 AC Delco 500 was the 27th stock car race of the 1991 NASCAR Winston Cup Series and the 17th iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, October 20, 1991, before an audience of 57,700 in Rockingham, North Carolina, at North Carolina Speedway, a 1.017 miles (1.637 km) permanent high-banked racetrack. The race took the scheduled 492 laps to complete. In the final laps of the race, Leo Jackson Motorsports driver Harry Gant would suffer a faulty final pit-stop on lap 452, leading towards Robert Yates Racing driver Davey Allison to take the lead for the final 17 laps of the race. The victory was Allison's 12th career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his fourth victory of the season.[1][2][3][4] To fill out the top three, the aforementioned Harry Gant and Roush Racing driver Mark Martin would finish second and third, respectively.

1991 AC Delco 500
Race details
Race 27 of 29 in the 1991 NASCAR Winston Cup Series
The 1991 AC Delco 500 program cover, featuring Dale Earnhardt.
The 1991 AC Delco 500 program cover, featuring Dale Earnhardt.
Date October 20, 1991
Official name 17th Annual AC Delco 500
Location Rockingham, North Carolina, North Carolina Motor Speedway
Course Permanent racing facility
1.017 mi (1.636 km)
Distance 492 laps, 500.364 mi (805.257 km)
Scheduled Distance 492 laps, 500.364 mi (805.257 km)
Average speed 127.292 miles per hour (204.857 km/h)
Attendance 57,700
Pole position
Driver SABCO Racing
Time 24.496
Most laps led
Driver Harry Gant Leo Jackson Motorsports
Laps 258
Winner
No. 28 Davey Allison Robert Yates Racing
Television in the United States
Network TNN
Announcers Mike Joy, Buddy Baker, Neil Bonnett
Radio in the United States
Radio Motor Racing Network

With a 19-point increase over competitor Ricky Rudd in the driver's championship standings, Dale Earnhardt was considered the heavy favorite to win the championship, having a 157-point lead over Rudd.[5]

Background

The layout of North Carolina Speedway, the venue where the race was held.

North Carolina Speedway was opened as a flat, one-mile oval on October 31, 1965. In 1969, the track was extensively reconfigured to a high-banked, D-shaped oval just over one mile in length. In 1997, North Carolina Motor Speedway merged with Penske Motorsports, and was renamed North Carolina Speedway. Shortly thereafter, the infield was reconfigured, and competition on the infield road course, mostly by the SCCA, was discontinued. Currently, the track is home to the Fast Track High Performance Driving School.[6]

Entry list

  • (R) denotes rookie driver.
# Driver Team Make Sponsor
1 Rick Mast Precision Products Racing Oldsmobile Skoal
2 Rusty Wallace Penske Racing South Pontiac Miller Genuine Draft
3 Dale Earnhardt Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet GM Goodwrench Service Plus
4 Ernie Irvan Morgan–McClure Motorsports Chevrolet Kodak
5 Ricky Rudd Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Tide
6 Mark Martin Roush Racing Ford Folgers
7 Alan Kulwicki AK Racing Ford Hooters
8 Rick Wilson Stavola Brothers Racing Buick Snickers
9 Bill Elliott Melling Racing Ford Coors Light
10 Derrike Cope Whitcomb Racing Chevrolet Purolator Filters
11 Geoff Bodine Junior Johnson & Associates Ford Budweiser
12 Hut Stricklin Bobby Allison Motorsports Buick Raybestos
15 Morgan Shepherd Bud Moore Engineering Ford Motorcraft
17 Darrell Waltrip Darrell Waltrip Motorsports Chevrolet Western Auto
19 Chad Little Little Racing Ford Bull's-Eye Barbecue Sauce
20 Ricky Craven Moroso Racing Oldsmobile SpeeDee Oil & Auto Service
21 Dale Jarrett Wood Brothers Racing Ford Citgo
22 Sterling Marlin Junior Johnson & Associates Ford Maxwell House
24 Jimmy Hensley Team III Racing Pontiac Team III Racing
25 Ken Schrader Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Kodiak
26 Brett Bodine King Racing Buick Quaker State
28 Davey Allison Robert Yates Racing Ford Texaco, Havoline
30 Michael Waltrip Bahari Racing Pontiac Pennzoil
33 Harry Gant Leo Jackson Motorsports Oldsmobile Skoal Bandit
35 Keith Van Houten Van Houten Racing Pontiac Van Houten Racing
42 Kyle Petty SABCO Racing Pontiac Mello Yello
43 Richard Petty Petty Enterprises Pontiac STP
47 Greg Sacks Close Racing Oldsmobile Kanawha Insurance
48 James Hylton Hylton Motorsports Buick Hylton Motorsports
52 Jimmy Means Jimmy Means Racing Pontiac Alka-Seltzer
55 Ted Musgrave (R) U.S. Racing Pontiac Jasper Engines & Transmissions
56 Jerry Hill Hill Motorsports Pontiac Hill Motorsports
66 Randy LaJoie Cale Yarborough Motorsports Pontiac Phillips 66 TropArtic
68 Bobby Hamilton (R) TriStar Motorsports Oldsmobile Country Time
71 Dave Marcis Marcis Auto Racing Chevrolet Big Apple Market
75 Joe Ruttman RahMoc Enterprises Oldsmobile Dinner Bell Foods
77 Gary Brooks Brooks Racing Oldsmobile Brooks Racing
82 Mark Stahl Stahl Racing Ford Auto Bell Car Wash
94 Terry Labonte Hagan Racing Oldsmobile Sunoco
98 Jimmy Spencer Travis Carter Enterprises Chevrolet Banquet Foods

Qualifying

Qualifying was split into two rounds. The first round was held on Thursday, October 17, at 2:30 PM EST. Each driver would have one lap to set a time. During the first round, the top 20 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 Friday, October 18, 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 21-40 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; up to two were given. If needed, a past champion who did not qualify on either time or provisionals could use a champion's provisional, adding one more spot to the field.

Kyle Petty, driving for SABCO Racing, would win the pole, setting a time of 24.496 and an average speed of 149.461 miles per hour (240.534 km/h) in the first round.[8][9]

No drivers would fail to qualify.

Full qualifying results

Pos. # Driver Team Make Time Speed
1 42 Kyle Petty SABCO Racing Pontiac 24.496 149.461
2 4 Ernie Irvan Morgan–McClure Motorsports Chevrolet 24.604 148.805
3 6 Mark Martin Roush Racing Ford 24.757 147.885
4 3 Dale Earnhardt Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 24.768 147.820
5 5 Ricky Rudd Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 24.893 147.077
6 25 Ken Schrader Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 24.899 147.042
7 71 Dave Marcis Marcis Auto Racing Chevrolet 24.930 146.859
8 21 Dale Jarrett Wood Brothers Racing Ford 24.961 146.677
9 2 Rusty Wallace Penske Racing South Pontiac 24.963 146.665
10 28 Davey Allison Robert Yates Racing Ford 24.972 146.612
11 11 Geoff Bodine Junior Johnson & Associates Ford 24.991 146.501
12 9 Bill Elliott Melling Racing Ford 25.003 146.430
13 33 Harry Gant Leo Jackson Motorsports Oldsmobile 25.012 146.378
14 47 Greg Sacks Close Racing Oldsmobile 25.015 146.360
15 10 Derrike Cope Whitcomb Racing Chevrolet 25.038 146.226
16 7 Alan Kulwicki AK Racing Ford 25.055 146.127
17 17 Darrell Waltrip Darrell Waltrip Motorsports Chevrolet 25.058 146.109
18 30 Michael Waltrip Bahari Racing Pontiac 25.091 145.917
19 15 Morgan Shepherd Bud Moore Engineering Ford 25.109 145.812
20 26 Brett Bodine King Racing Buick 25.114 145.783
Failed to lock in Round 1
21 68 Bobby Hamilton (R) TriStar Motorsports Oldsmobile 25.148 145.586
22 94 Terry Labonte Hagan Racing Oldsmobile 25.163 145.499
23 66 Randy LaJoie Cale Yarborough Motorsports Pontiac 25.178 145.413
24 22 Sterling Marlin Junior Johnson & Associates Ford 25.199 145.291
25 8 Rick Wilson Stavola Brothers Racing Buick 25.297 144.729
26 75 Joe Ruttman RahMoc Enterprises Chevrolet 25.300 144.711
27 1 Rick Mast Precision Products Racing Oldsmobile 25.315 144.626
28 98 Jimmy Spencer Travis Carter Enterprises Chevrolet 25.336 144.506
29 24 Jimmy Hensley Team III Racing Pontiac 25.351 144.420
30 12 Hut Stricklin Bobby Allison Motorsports Buick 25.356 144.392
31 43 Richard Petty Petty Enterprises Pontiac 25.413 144.068
32 55 Ted Musgrave (R) U.S. Racing Pontiac 25.414 144.062
33 19 Chad Little Little Racing Ford 25.694 142.492
34 20 Ricky Craven Moroso Racing Oldsmobile 25.905 141.332
35 52 Jimmy Means Jimmy Means Racing Pontiac 25.975 140.951
36 82 Mark Stahl Stahl Racing Ford 26.545 137.924
37 56 Jerry Hill Hill Motorsports Pontiac 27.630 132.508
38 48 James Hylton Hylton Motorsports Buick 27.852 131.452
39 35 Keith Van Houten Van Houten Racing Pontiac 28.339 129.193
40 77 Gary Brooks Brooks Racing Oldsmobile 30.092 121.667
Official first round qualifying results
Official starting lineup

Race results

Fin St # Driver Team Make Laps Led Status Pts Winnings
1 10 28 Davey Allison Robert Yates Racing Ford 492 100 running 180 $66,050
2 13 33 Harry Gant Leo Jackson Motorsports Oldsmobile 492 258 running 180 $34,675
3 3 6 Mark Martin Roush Racing Ford 492 28 running 170 $29,350
4 11 11 Geoff Bodine Junior Johnson & Associates Ford 492 27 running 165 $26,450
5 6 25 Ken Schrader Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 491 15 running 160 $17,325
6 21 68 Bobby Hamilton (R) TriStar Motorsports Oldsmobile 490 0 running 150 $11,650
7 4 3 Dale Earnhardt Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 490 0 running 146 $19,250
8 24 22 Sterling Marlin Junior Johnson & Associates Ford 490 0 running 142 $10,000
9 1 42 Kyle Petty SABCO Racing Pontiac 490 64 running 143 $22,950
10 12 9 Bill Elliott Melling Racing Ford 490 0 running 134 $18,500
11 9 2 Rusty Wallace Penske Racing South Pontiac 489 0 running 130 $9,000
12 5 5 Ricky Rudd Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 489 0 running 127 $13,800
13 30 12 Hut Stricklin Bobby Allison Motorsports Buick 486 0 running 124 $11,000
14 29 24 Jimmy Hensley Team III Racing Pontiac 486 0 running 121 $8,700
15 15 10 Derrike Cope Whitcomb Racing Chevrolet 485 0 running 118 $15,050
16 31 43 Richard Petty Petty Enterprises Pontiac 485 0 running 115 $9,700
17 19 15 Morgan Shepherd Bud Moore Engineering Ford 485 0 running 112 $22,400
18 27 1 Rick Mast Precision Products Racing Oldsmobile 485 0 running 109 $8,900
19 18 30 Michael Waltrip Bahari Racing Pontiac 484 0 running 106 $11,000
20 25 8 Rick Wilson Stavola Brothers Racing Buick 484 0 running 103 $9,200
21 32 55 Ted Musgrave (R) U.S. Racing Pontiac 483 0 running 100 $6,100
22 28 98 Jimmy Spencer Travis Carter Enterprises Chevrolet 482 0 running 97 $7,650
23 33 19 Chad Little Little Racing Ford 481 0 running 94 $6,025
24 23 66 Randy LaJoie Cale Yarborough Motorsports Pontiac 479 0 running 91 $7,300
25 8 21 Dale Jarrett Wood Brothers Racing Ford 479 0 running 88 $7,275
26 7 71 Dave Marcis Marcis Auto Racing Chevrolet 479 0 running 85 $7,050
27 26 75 Joe Ruttman RahMoc Enterprises Chevrolet 473 0 running 82 $6,925
28 22 94 Terry Labonte Hagan Racing Oldsmobile 471 0 running 79 $6,850
29 14 47 Greg Sacks Close Racing Oldsmobile 470 0 running 76 $4,200
30 20 26 Brett Bodine King Racing Buick 401 0 engine 73 $9,250
31 2 4 Ernie Irvan Morgan–McClure Motorsports Chevrolet 365 0 accident 70 $12,700
32 17 17 Darrell Waltrip Darrell Waltrip Motorsports Chevrolet 362 0 engine 67 $3,900
33 16 7 Alan Kulwicki AK Racing Ford 318 0 engine 64 $10,750
34 34 20 Ricky Craven Moroso Racing Oldsmobile 221 0 engine 61 $3,750
35 35 52 Jimmy Means Jimmy Means Racing Pontiac 203 0 ignition 58 $3,600
36 36 82 Mark Stahl Stahl Racing Ford 16 0 handling 55 $3,525
37 39 35 Keith Van Houten Van Houten Racing Pontiac 13 0 handling 0 $3,475
38 37 56 Jerry Hill Hill Motorsports Pontiac 13 0 handling 49 $3,475
39 40 77 Gary Brooks Brooks Racing Oldsmobile 11 0 handling 46 $3,425
40 38 48 James Hylton Hylton Motorsports Buick 7 0 engine 43 $3,400
Official race results

Standings after the race

References

  1. Higgins, Tom (October 21, 1991). "Allison out of Gant's reach at The Rock (Part 1)". The Charlotte Observer. p. 9. Retrieved March 10, 2023 via Newspapers.com. open access
  2. Higgins, Tom (October 21, 1991). "Allison out of Gant's reach at The Rock (Part 2)". The Charlotte Observer. p. 13. Retrieved March 10, 2023 via Newspapers.com. open access
  3. McLaurin, Jim (October 21, 1991). "Allison turns Gant's late pit problem into win (Part 1)". The State. p. 17. Retrieved March 10, 2023 via Newspapers.com. open access
  4. McLaurin, Jim (October 21, 1991). "Allison turns Gant's late pit problem into win (Part 2)". The State. p. 23. Retrieved March 10, 2023 via Newspapers.com. open access
  5. Higgins, Tom (October 21, 1991). "Earnhardt pads his lead". The Charlotte Observer. p. 13. Retrieved March 10, 2023 via Newspapers.com. open access
  6. "Fast Track High Performance Driving School, Inc". Fasttrackracing.com. Retrieved July 16, 2012.
  7. "NASCAR today". The Charlotte Observer. October 17, 1991. p. 11. Retrieved March 9, 2023 via Newspapers.com. open access
  8. Higgins, Tom (October 18, 1991). "Pole keeps K. Petty rolling at 'The Rock' (Part 1)". The Charlotte Observer. p. 15. Retrieved March 10, 2023 via Newspapers.com. open access
  9. Higgins, Tom (October 18, 1991). "Pole keeps K. Petty rolling at 'The Rock' (Part 2)". The Charlotte Observer. p. 21. Retrieved March 10, 2023 via Newspapers.com. open access
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