1995 Dura Lube 500

The 1995 Dura Lube 500 was the 30th and penultimate stock car race of the 1995 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, the 15th and final race of the 1995 NASCAR Winston West Series, and the eighth iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, October 29, 1995, in Avondale, Arizona at Phoenix International Raceway, a 1-mile (1.6 km) permanent low-banked tri-oval race track. The race took the scheduled 312 laps to complete. On the final restart with six to go, Ricky Rudd, driving for his own Rudd Performance Motorsports team, would manage to defend the field to take his 16th career NASCAR Winston Cup Series season, his only victory of the season, and with the win, maintaining a streak of 13 straight seasons with a victory.[1][2] To fill out the top three, Bobby Allison Motorsports driver Derrike Cope and Richard Childress Racing driver Dale Earnhardt would finish second and third, respectively.

1995 Dura Lube 500
Race details
Race 30 of 31 in the 1995 NASCAR Winston Cup Series
The 1995 Dura Lube 500 program cover.
The 1995 Dura Lube 500 program cover.
Date October 29, 1995
Official name 8th Annual Dura Lube 500
Location Avondale, Arizona, Phoenix International Raceway
Course Permanent racing facility
1 mi (1.6 km)
Distance 312 laps, 312 mi (502.115 km)
Scheduled Distance 312 laps, 312 mi (502.115 km)
Average speed 102.128 miles per hour (164.359 km/h)
Pole position
Driver Elliott-Hardy Racing
Time 27.688
Most laps led
Driver Ernie Irvan Robert Yates Racing
Laps 111
Winner
No. 10 Ricky Rudd Rudd Performance Motorsports
Television in the United States
Network TNN
Announcers Mike Joy, Buddy Baker, Dick Berggren
Radio in the United States
Radio Motor Racing Network

Heading into the final race of the season, the 1995 NAPA 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Hendrick Motorsports driver Jeff Gordon was the heavy favorite to win the championship, only needing a finish of 41st or better to clinch his first NASCAR Winston Cup Series championship. The second-place driver, Richard Childress Racing driver Dale Earnhardt, was 147 points behind Gordon.[3]

Background

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

Phoenix International Raceway – also known as PIR – is a one-mile, low-banked tri-oval race track located in Avondale, Arizona. It is named after the nearby metropolitan area of Phoenix. The motorsport track opened in 1964 and currently hosts two NASCAR race weekends annually. PIR has also hosted the IndyCar Series, CART, USAC and the Rolex Sports Car Series. The raceway is currently owned and operated by International Speedway Corporation.

The raceway was originally constructed with a 2.5 mi (4.0 km) road course that ran both inside and outside of the main tri-oval. In 1991 the track was reconfigured with the current 1.51 mi (2.43 km) interior layout. PIR has an estimated grandstand seating capacity of around 67,000. Lights were installed around the track in 2004 following the addition of a second annual NASCAR race weekend.

Entry list

  • (R) denotes rookie driver.
# Driver Team Make Sponsor
00W Scott Gaylord Oliver Racing Ford Oliver Gravity Separators
1 Rick Mast Precision Products Racing Pontiac Skoal
2 Rusty Wallace Penske Racing South Ford Miller Genuine Draft
3 Dale Earnhardt Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet GM Goodwrench Service Plus
4 Sterling Marlin Morgan–McClure Motorsports Chevrolet Kodak
5 Terry Labonte Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Kellogg's Frosted Flakes
6 Mark Martin Roush Racing Ford Valvoline
7 Geoff Bodine Geoff Bodine Racing Ford Exide
7W L. J. Pryor Red Eagle Racing Chevrolet Red Eagle Racing
07 Doug George Olson Technology Racing Ford Olson Technology
8 Jeff Burton Stavola Brothers Racing Ford Raybestos
08 Mike Bliss Ultra Motorsports Ford Ultra Custom Wheels
9 Lake Speed Melling Racing Ford Spam
10 Ricky Rudd Rudd Performance Motorsports Ford Tide
11 Brett Bodine Junior Johnson & Associates Ford Lowe's
12 Derrike Cope Bobby Allison Motorsports Ford Mane 'n Tail
15 Dick Trickle Bud Moore Engineering Ford Ford Quality Care
16 Ted Musgrave Roush Racing Ford The Family Channel
17 Darrell Waltrip Darrell Waltrip Motorsports Chevrolet Western Auto
18 Bobby Labonte Joe Gibbs Racing Chevrolet Interstate Batteries
19 Ernie Cope Lew Miller Racing Chevrolet Mane 'n Tail
21 Morgan Shepherd Wood Brothers Racing Ford Citgo
22 Ward Burton Bill Davis Racing Pontiac MBNA
23 Jimmy Spencer Haas-Carter Motorsports Ford Smokin' Joe's
24 Jeff Gordon Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet DuPont
25 Ken Schrader Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Budweiser
26 Hut Stricklin King Racing Ford Quaker State
27 Elton Sawyer Junior Johnson & Associates Ford Hooters
28 Dale Jarrett Robert Yates Racing Ford Texaco, Havoline
29 Steve Grissom Diamond Ridge Motorsports Chevrolet Meineke
30 Michael Waltrip Bahari Racing Pontiac Pennzoil
32 Greg Sacks Active Motorsports Chevrolet Active Motorsports
33 Robert Pressley (R) Leo Jackson Motorsports Chevrolet Skoal Bandit
36W Rich Woodland Jr. Gilliland Racing Chevrolet Gilliland Racing
37 John Andretti Kranefuss-Haas Racing Ford Little Caesars, Kmart
40 Shane Hall Dick Brooks Racing Pontiac Kendall
41 Ricky Craven (R) Larry Hedrick Motorsports Chevrolet Kodiak
42 Kyle Petty Team SABCO Pontiac Coors Light The Great Pumpkin
43 Bobby Hamilton Petty Enterprises Pontiac STP
45 Ron Hornaday Jr. JTC Racing Chevrolet TootsieToy
50 A. J. Foyt A. J. Foyt Racing Ford Motorola
58W Wayne Jacks Jacks Motorsports Pontiac Imperial Palace, Southwest Paving
71 Dave Marcis Marcis Auto Racing Chevrolet Prodigy
75 Todd Bodine Butch Mock Motorsports Ford Factory Stores of America
77 Bobby Hillin Jr. Jasper Motorsports Ford US Airways, Jasper Engines & Transmissions
81 Kenny Wallace FILMAR Racing Ford TIC Financial Systems
87 Joe Nemechek NEMCO Motorsports Chevrolet Burger King
88 Ernie Irvan Robert Yates Racing Ford Texaco, Havoline
90 Mike Wallace Donlavey Racing Ford Heilig-Meyers
94 Bill Elliott Elliott-Hardy Racing Ford McDonald's
97 Chad Little Mark Rypien Motorsports Ford Bayer
98 Jeremy Mayfield Cale Yarborough Motorsports Ford RCA

Qualifying

Qualifying was split into two rounds. The first round was held on Friday, October 27, at 4:00 PM EST. Each driver would have one lap to set a time. During the first round, the top 25 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, October 28, at 3:00 PM EST.[4] As with the first round, each driver would have one lap to set a time. For this specific race, positions 26-38 would be decided on time, and four spots would be determined by NASCAR Winston Cup Series provisionals, while two more additional provisionals would be given to teams in the Winston West Series.

Bill Elliott, driving for Elliott-Hardy Racing, would win the pole, setting a time of 27.688 and an average speed of 130.020 miles per hour (209.247 km/h) in the first round.[5]

Eight drivers would fail to qualify.

Full qualifying results

Pos. # Driver Team Make Time Speed
1 94 Bill Elliott Elliott-Hardy Racing Ford 27.688 130.020
2 3 Dale Earnhardt Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 27.700 129.964
3 24 Jeff Gordon Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 27.738 129.786
4 1 Rick Mast Precision Products Racing Ford 27.741 129.772
5 6 Mark Martin Roush Racing Ford 27.779 129.594
6 2 Rusty Wallace Penske Racing South Ford 27.795 129.520
7 11 Brett Bodine Junior Johnson & Associates Ford 27.806 129.468
8 43 Bobby Hamilton Petty Enterprises Pontiac 27.865 129.190
9 21 Morgan Shepherd Wood Brothers Racing Ford 27.889 129.083
10 42 Kyle Petty Team SABCO Pontiac 27.891 129.074
11 33 Robert Pressley (R) Leo Jackson Motorsports Chevrolet 27.930 128.894
12 16 Ted Musgrave Roush Racing Ford 27.968 128.719
13 37 John Andretti Kranefuss-Haas Racing Ford 27.971 128.705
14 88 Ernie Irvan Robert Yates Racing Ford 27.983 128.650
15 25 Ken Schrader Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 27.984 128.645
16 5 Terry Labonte Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 27.994 128.599
17 98 Jeremy Mayfield Cale Yarborough Motorsports Ford 27.994 128.599
18 12 Derrike Cope Bobby Allison Motorsports Ford 27.999 128.576
19 26 Hut Stricklin King Racing Ford 28.005 128.548
20 4 Sterling Marlin Morgan–McClure Motorsports Chevrolet 28.012 128.516
21 17 Darrell Waltrip Darrell Waltrip Motorsports Chevrolet 28.017 128.493
22 32 Greg Sacks Active Motorsports Chevrolet 28.027 128.448
23 18 Bobby Labonte Joe Gibbs Racing Chevrolet 28.056 128.315
24 27 Elton Sawyer Junior Johnson & Associates Ford 28.058 128.306
25 8 Jeff Burton Stavola Brothers Racing Ford 28.064 128.278
Failed to lock in Round 1
26 28 Dale Jarrett Robert Yates Racing Ford 28.067 128.265
27 81 Kenny Wallace FILMAR Racing Ford 28.073 128.237
28 23 Jimmy Spencer Travis Carter Enterprises Ford 28.092 128.150
29 10 Ricky Rudd Rudd Performance Motorsports Ford 28.097 128.128
30 71 Dave Marcis Marcis Auto Racing Chevrolet 28.097 128.128
31 9 Lake Speed Melling Racing Ford 28.099 128.118
32 15 Dick Trickle Bud Moore Engineering Ford 28.102 128.105
33 29 Steve Grissom Diamond Ridge Motorsports Chevrolet 28.182 127.741
34 22 Ward Burton Bill Davis Racing Pontiac 28.193 127.691
35 87 Joe Nemechek NEMCO Motorsports Chevrolet 28.264 127.371
36 45 Ron Hornaday Jr. JTC Racing Chevrolet 28.337 127.042
37 30 Michael Waltrip Bahari Racing Pontiac 28.344 127.011
38 77 Bobby Hillin Jr. Jasper Motorsports Ford 28.360 126.939
Winston Cup provisionals
39 7 Geoff Bodine Geoff Bodine Racing Ford -* -*
40 41 Ricky Craven (R) Larry Hedrick Motorsports Chevrolet -* -*
41 75 Todd Bodine Butch Mock Motorsports Ford -* -*
42 90 Mike Wallace Donlavey Racing Ford -* -*
Winston West provisionals
43 07 Doug George Olson Technology Racing Ford -* -*
44 19 Ernie Cope Lew Miller Racing Chevrolet -* -*
Failed to qualify
45 50 A. J. Foyt A. J. Foyt Racing Ford -* -*
46 97 Chad Little Mark Rypien Motorsports Ford -* -*
47 08 Mike Bliss Ultra Motorsports Ford -* -*
48 40 Shane Hall Dick Brooks Racing Pontiac -* -*
49 00W Scott Gaylord Oliver Racing Ford -* -*
50 58W Wayne Jacks Jacks Motorsports Pontiac -* -*
51 7W L. J. Pryor Red Eagle Racing Chevrolet -* -*
52 36W Rich Woodland Jr. Gilliland Racing Chevrolet -* -*
Official first round qualifying results
Official starting lineup

Race results

Fin St # Driver Team Make Laps Led Status Pts Winnings
1 29 10 Ricky Rudd Rudd Performance Motorsports Ford 312 63 running 180 $78,260
2 18 12 Derrike Cope Bobby Allison Motorsports Ford 312 34 running 175 $52,205
3 2 3 Dale Earnhardt Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 312 71 running 170 $49,105
4 6 2 Rusty Wallace Penske Racing South Ford 312 22 running 165 $36,118
5 3 24 Jeff Gordon Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 312 0 running 155 $33,580
6 12 16 Ted Musgrave Roush Racing Ford 312 0 running 150 $25,420
7 9 21 Morgan Shepherd Wood Brothers Racing Ford 312 0 running 146 $23,670
8 5 6 Mark Martin Roush Racing Ford 312 0 running 142 $28,670
9 4 1 Rick Mast Precision Products Racing Ford 312 0 running 138 $22,270
10 15 25 Ken Schrader Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 312 0 running 134 $24,270
11 26 28 Dale Jarrett Robert Yates Racing Ford 312 0 running 130 $26,070
12 20 4 Sterling Marlin Morgan–McClure Motorsports Chevrolet 312 0 running 127 $24,170
13 16 5 Terry Labonte Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 312 0 running 124 $25,670
14 1 94 Bill Elliott Elliott-Hardy Racing Ford 312 9 running 126 $19,870
15 13 37 John Andretti Kranefuss-Haas Racing Ford 312 0 running 118 $15,370
16 39 7 Geoff Bodine Geoff Bodine Racing Ford 312 0 running 115 $24,570
17 7 11 Brett Bodine Junior Johnson & Associates Ford 312 0 running 112 $22,870
18 35 87 Joe Nemechek NEMCO Motorsports Chevrolet 311 0 running 109 $13,745
19 11 33 Robert Pressley (R) Leo Jackson Motorsports Chevrolet 311 0 running 106 $19,445
20 17 98 Jeremy Mayfield Cale Yarborough Motorsports Ford 311 0 running 103 $11,110
21 38 77 Bobby Hillin Jr. Jasper Motorsports Ford 311 0 running 100 $9,335
22 31 9 Lake Speed Melling Racing Ford 311 0 running 97 $13,010
23 25 8 Jeff Burton Stavola Brothers Racing Ford 311 0 running 94 $17,885
24 40 41 Ricky Craven (R) Larry Hedrick Motorsports Chevrolet 311 1 running 96 $13,235
25 41 75 Todd Bodine Butch Mock Motorsports Ford 311 0 running 88 $17,810
26 27 81 Kenny Wallace FILMAR Racing Ford 309 0 running 85 $9,185
27 36 45 Ron Hornaday Jr. JTC Racing Chevrolet 307 0 running 82 $9,660
28 30 71 Dave Marcis Marcis Auto Racing Chevrolet 306 0 running 79 $12,435
29 32 15 Dick Trickle Bud Moore Engineering Ford 304 0 running 76 $17,310
30 24 27 Elton Sawyer Junior Johnson & Associates Ford 298 0 crash 73 $17,085
31 8 43 Bobby Hamilton Petty Enterprises Pontiac 293 0 running 70 $12,160
32 33 29 Steve Grissom Diamond Ridge Motorsports Chevrolet 289 0 running 67 $11,785
33 28 23 Jimmy Spencer Travis Carter Enterprises Ford 288 0 running 64 $11,760
34 37 30 Michael Waltrip Bahari Racing Pontiac 277 0 running 61 $16,235
35 19 26 Hut Stricklin King Racing Ford 243 0 spoiler 58 $13,710
36 42 90 Mike Wallace Donlavey Racing Ford 240 1 engine 60 $8,685
37 23 18 Bobby Labonte Joe Gibbs Racing Chevrolet 235 0 running 52 $21,665
38 21 17 Darrell Waltrip Darrell Waltrip Motorsports Chevrolet 231 0 oil belt 49 $13,605
39 10 42 Kyle Petty Team SABCO Pontiac 230 0 crash 46 $14,605
40 14 88 Ernie Irvan Robert Yates Racing Ford 197 111 engine 53 $20,605
41 43 07 Doug George Olson Technology Racing Ford 178 0 crash 40 $8,605
42 34 22 Ward Burton Bill Davis Racing Pontiac 116 0 engine 37 $13,605
43 22 32 Greg Sacks Active Motorsports Chevrolet 38 0 brakes 34 $8,605
44 44 19 Ernie Cope Lew Miller Racing Chevrolet 19 0 engine 31 $8,605
Failed to qualify
45 50 A. J. Foyt A. J. Foyt Racing Ford
46 97 Chad Little Mark Rypien Motorsports Ford
47 08 Mike Bliss Ultra Motorsports Ford
48 40 Shane Hall Dick Brooks Racing Pontiac
49 00W Scott Gaylord Oliver Racing Ford
50 58W Wayne Jacks Jacks Motorsports Pontiac
51 7W L. J. Pryor Red Eagle Racing Chevrolet
52 36W Rich Woodland Jr. Gilliland Racing Chevrolet
Official race results

References

  1. Harris, Mike (October 30, 1995). "Rudd takes Dura-Lube victory; Earnhardt stays alive in points battle". The Times and Democrat. p. 13. Retrieved November 17, 2022 via Newspapers.com. open access
  2. Armijo, Mark (October 30, 1995). "Rudd captures Dura-Lube 500". Arizona Republic. p. 24. Retrieved November 17, 2022 via Newspapers.com. open access
  3. Higgins, Tom (October 30, 1995). "Rudd wins race; Gordon closes in on Winston title". Sun-News. p. 9. Retrieved November 17, 2022 via Newspapers.com. open access
  4. "Dura-Lube 500". The Charlotte Observer. October 27, 1995. p. 31. Retrieved November 17, 2022 via Newspapers.com. open access
  5. Harris, Mike (October 28, 1995). "Elliott claims pole, despite hardships". Wausau Daily Herald. p. 12. Retrieved November 17, 2022 via Newspapers.com. open access
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