1987 Atlanta Journal 500 Explained

Type:NASWINSTON
Avg:139.047mph
Radio:Motor Racing Network
Caption:The 1987 Atlanta Journal 500 program cover, featuring Dale Earnhardt.
Official Name:28th Annual Atlanta Journal 500
Pole Driver:Bill Elliott
Pole Time:31.428
First Team:Melling Racing
Most Team:Melling Racing
First Driver:Bill Elliott
Most Driver:Bill Elliott
Most Laps:168
Car:9
Pole Team:Melling Racing
Date:November 22
Location:Hampton, Georgia, Atlanta International Raceway
Season No:29
Race No:29
Network:ESPN
Race Name:Atlanta Journal 500
Year:1987
Scheduled Laps:328
Distance Laps:328
Distance Km:803.41
Scheduled Mi:499.216
Scheduled Km:803.41
Course Km:2.449
Course Mi:1.522
Distance Mi:499.216
Announcers:Bob Jenkins, Larry Nuber
Attendance:70,000

The 1987 Atlanta Journal 500 was the 29th and final stock car race of the 1987 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season and the 28th iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, November 22, 1987, before an audience of 70,000 in Hampton, Georgia, at Atlanta International Raceway, a 1.522miles permanent asphalt quad-oval intermediate speedway. The race took the scheduled 328 laps to complete.

By race's end, Melling Racing's Bill Elliott, with the assistance of a makeshift pit crew, managed to dominate the late stages of the race, leading the final 82 laps to take his 23rd career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his sixth and final victory of the season.[1] [2] To fill out the top three, Richard Childress Racing's Dale Earnhardt and Bud Moore Engineering's Ricky Rudd finished second and third, respectively.

Background

Atlanta International Raceway is a 1.522-mile race track in Hampton, Georgia, United States, 20 miles (32 km) south of Atlanta. It has annually hosted NASCAR Winston Cup Series stock car races since its inauguration in 1960.

The venue was bought by Speedway Motorsports in 1990. In 1994, 46 condominiums were built over the northeastern side of the track. In 1997, to standardize the track with Speedway Motorsports' other two intermediate ovals, the entire track was almost completely rebuilt. The frontstretch and backstretch were swapped, and the configuration of the track was changed from oval to quad-oval, with a new official length of 1.54miles where before it was 1.522miles. The project made the track one of the fastest on the NASCAR circuit.

Entry list

DriverTeamMakeSponsor
1Brett BodineEllington RacingChevroletBull's-Eye Barbecue Sauce
3Dale EarnhardtRichard Childress RacingChevroletWrangler
4Rick WilsonMorgan–McClure MotorsportsOldsmobileKodak
5Geoff BodineHendrick MotorsportsChevroletLevi Garrett
6Larry PollardU.S. RacingChevroletU.S. Racing
7Alan KulwickiAK RacingFordZerex
8Bobby Hillin Jr.Stavola Brothers RacingBuickMiller American
08Butch MillerThroop RacingChevroletThroop Racing
9Bill ElliottMelling RacingFordCoors
11Terry LabonteJunior Johnson & AssociatesChevroletBudweiser
12Trevor BoysHamby RacingChevroletHamby Racing
14A. J. FoytA. J. Foyt RacingOldsmobileCopenhagen
15Ricky RuddBud Moore EngineeringFordMotorcraft Quality Parts
16Larry PearsonPearson RacingChevroletChattanooga Chew
17Darrell WaltripHendrick MotorsportsChevroletTide
18Dale Jarrett (R)Freedlander MotorsportsChevroletCoats & Clark
21Kyle PettyWood Brothers RacingFordCitgo
22Bobby AllisonStavola Brothers RacingBuickMiller American
26Morgan ShepherdKing RacingBuickQuaker State
27Rusty WallaceBlue Max RacingPontiacKodiak
28Davey Allison (R)Ranier-Lundy RacingFordTexaco, Havoline
29Cale YarboroughCale Yarborough MotorsportsOldsmobileHardee's
30Michael WaltripBahari RacingChevroletAll Pro Auto Parts
31Brad TeagueBob Clark MotorsportsOldsmobileSlender You Figure Salons
33Harry GantMach 1 RacingChevroletSkoal Bandit
34Eddie BierschwaleAAG RacingChevroletAllen's Glass
35Benny ParsonsHendrick MotorsportsChevroletFolgers Decaf
36H. B. BaileyBailey RacingPontiacAlmeda Auto Parts
43Richard PettyPetty EnterprisesPontiacSTP
44Sterling MarlinHagan RacingOldsmobilePiedmont Airlines
48Ron EsauHylton MotorsportsChevroletHylton Motorsports
50Greg SacksDingman Brothers RacingPontiacValvoline
52Jimmy MeansHendrick MotorsportsChevroletEureka
55Phil ParsonsJackson Bros. MotorsportsOldsmobileSkoal Classic
62Steve Christman (R)Winkle MotorsportsPontiacAC Spark Plug
64Curtis MarkhamLangley RacingFordSunny King Ford
67Buddy ArringtonArrington RacingFordPannill Sweatshirts
70J. D. McDuffieMcDuffie RacingPontiacRumple Furniture
71Dave MarcisMarcis Auto RacingChevroletLifebuoy
75Joe RuttmanRahMoc EnterprisesPontiacValvoline
76Hut StricklinJaehne MotorsportsOldsmobileJaehne Motorsports
77Ken RaganRagan RacingFordSouthlake Ford
80Jimmy HortonS&H RacingFordS&H Racing
82Mark StahlStahl RacingFordAuto Bell Car Wash
83Lake SpeedSpeed RacingOldsmobileKmart, Wynn's
85Bobby GerhartBobby Gerhart RacingChevroletJ. Omar Landis Enterprises
86Rick JeffreyJeffrey RacingChevroletJeffrey Racing
87Randy BakerBuck Baker RacingChevroletSony
88Buddy BakerBaker–Schiff RacingOldsmobileCrisco
90Ken SchraderDonlavey RacingFordRed Baron Frozen Pizza
91Philip DuffieDuffie RacingChevroletDuffie Racing
93Charlie BakerSalmon RacingPontiacSalmon Racing
98Ed PimmCurb RacingBuickSunoco

Qualifying

Qualifying was split into two rounds. The first round was held on Friday, November 20, at 2:00 PM EST. Each driver had one lap to set a time. During the first round, the top 20 drivers in the round were 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, November 21, at 10:30 AM EST. As with the first round, each driver had one lap to set a time. For this specific race, positions 21-40 were decided on time,[3] 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.

Bill Elliott, driving for Melling Racing, managed to win the pole, setting a time of 31.428 and an average speed of 174.341mph in the first round.[4]

11 drivers failed to qualify.

Full qualifying results

Pos.DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed
19Bill ElliottMelling RacingFord31.428174.341
23Dale EarnhardtRichard Childress RacingChevrolet31.578173.513
383Lake SpeedSpeed RacingOldsmobile31.797172.318
433Harry GantMach 1 RacingChevrolet31.817172.210
528Davey Allison (R)Ranier-Lundy RacingFord31.838172.096
629Cale YarboroughCale Yarborough MotorsportsOldsmobile31.845172.058
726Morgan ShepherdKing RacingBuick31.857171.994
84Rick WilsonMorgan–McClure MotorsportsOldsmobile31.913171.692
990Ken SchraderDonlavey RacingFord31.933171.584
1050Greg SacksDingman Brothers RacingPontiac31.952171.482
1135Benny ParsonsHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet31.966171.407
1211Terry LabonteJunior Johnson & AssociatesChevrolet31.969171.391
137Alan KulwickiAK RacingFord32.041171.006
1415Ricky RuddBud Moore EngineeringFord32.054170.937
1522Bobby AllisonStavola Brothers RacingBuick32.060170.905
1627Rusty WallaceBlue Max RacingPontiac32.077170.814
175Geoff BodineHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet32.090170.745
1888Buddy BakerBaker–Schiff RacingOldsmobile32.093170.729
1976Hut StricklinJaehne MotorsportsOldsmobile32.177170.283
2055Phil ParsonsJackson Bros. MotorsportsOldsmobile32.188170.225
Failed to lock in Round 1
2117Darrell WaltripHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet32.020171.118
2244Sterling MarlinHagan RacingOldsmobile32.057170.921
2377Ken RaganRagan RacingFord32.228170.014
2431Brad TeagueBob Clark MotorsportsOldsmobile32.234169.982
2571Dave MarcisMarcis Auto RacingChevrolet32.253169.882
2630Michael WaltripBahari RacingChevrolet32.264169.824
2714A. J. FoytA. J. Foyt RacingOldsmobile32.267169.808
281Brett BodineEllington RacingChevrolet32.339169.430
2921Kyle PettyWood Brothers RacingFord32.370169.268
3043Richard PettyPetty EnterprisesPontiac32.397169.127
3175Joe RuttmanRahMoc EnterprisesPontiac32.414169.038
3216Larry PearsonPearson RacingChevrolet32.414169.038
3318Dale Jarrett (R)Freedlander MotorsportsChevrolet32.418169.017
3464Curtis MarkhamLangley RacingFord32.435168.929
3552Jimmy MeansJimmy Means RacingPontiac32.444168.882
3682Mark StahlStahl RacingFord32.460168.799
3736H. B. BaileyBailey RacingPontiac32.495168.617
3887Randy BakerBuck Baker RacingChevrolet32.498168.601
3998Ed PimmCurb RacingBuick32.501168.586
4093Charlie BakerMcDuffie RacingPontiac32.550168.332
Provisionals
418Bobby Hillin Jr.Stavola Brothers RacingBuick32.747167.319
4267Buddy ArringtonArrington RacingFord32.643167.852
Failed to qualify
436Larry PollardU.S. RacingChevrolet-*-*
4486Rick JeffreyJeffrey RacingChevrolet-*-*
4570J. D. McDuffieMcDuffie RacingPontiac-*-*
4634Eddie BierschwaleAAG RacingChevrolet-*-*
4712Trevor BoysHamby RacingFord-*-*
4891Philip DuffieDuffie RacingChevrolet-*-*
4985Bobby GerhartBobby Gerhart RacingChevrolet-*-*
5008Butch MillerThroop RacingChevrolet-*-*
5148Ron EsauHylton MotorsportsChevrolet-*-*
5280Jimmy HortonS&H RacingFord-*-*
5362Steve Christman (R)Winkle MotorsportsPontiac-*-*
Official first round qualifying results
Official starting lineup

Race results

FinStDriverTeamMakeLapsLedStatusPtsWinnings
119Bill ElliottMelling RacingFord328168running185$74,200
223Dale EarnhardtRichard Childress RacingChevrolet328133running175$35,350
31415Ricky RuddBud Moore EngineeringFord32819running170$22,585
41522Bobby AllisonStavola Brothers RacingBuick3280running160$16,725
5528Davey Allison (R)Ranier-Lundy RacingFord3273running160$9,985
6137Alan KulwickiAK RacingFord3270running150$14,110
71135Benny ParsonsHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet3272running151$14,440
82055Phil ParsonsJackson Bros. MotorsportsOldsmobile3270running142$5,675
92244Sterling MarlinHagan RacingOldsmobile3270running138$8,605
101888Buddy BakerBaker–Schiff RacingOldsmobile3270running134$5,080
113175Joe RuttmanRahMoc EnterprisesPontiac3270running0$7,375
121627Rusty WallaceBlue Max RacingPontiac3260running127$10,965
132921Kyle PettyWood Brothers RacingFord3260running124$9,835
14418Bobby Hillin Jr.Stavola Brothers RacingBuick3250running121$9,700
15281Brett BodineEllington RacingChevrolet3240running118$2,925
161976Hut StricklinJaehne MotorsportsOldsmobile3220running115$2,460
172431Brad TeagueBob Clark MotorsportsOldsmobile3200running112$2,345
182117Darrell WaltripHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet3171running114$6,300
193736H. B. BaileyBailey RacingPontiac3160running106$2,120
203887Randy BakerBuck Baker RacingChevrolet3150running103$2,560
213682Mark StahlStahl RacingFord3110running100$1,925
224267Buddy ArringtonArrington RacingFord3110running97$5,795
232377Ken RaganRagan RacingFord2810wheel bearing94$1,755
24433Harry GantMach 1 RacingChevrolet2800engine91$5,505
253216Larry PearsonPearson RacingChevrolet2680crash88$1,605
261050Greg SacksDingman Brothers RacingPontiac2201oil pan90$1,575
2784Rick WilsonMorgan–McClure MotorsportsOldsmobile2190crash82$1,525
281211Terry LabonteJunior Johnson & AssociatesChevrolet2030flywheel79$10,295
293552Jimmy MeansJimmy Means RacingPontiac1710vibration76$5,140
303043Richard PettyPetty EnterprisesPontiac1540crash73$5,600
31175Geoff BodineHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet1540crash70$8,410
322571Dave MarcisMarcis Auto RacingChevrolet1500crank67$4,585
334093Charlie BakerMcDuffie RacingPontiac1470crash64$1,350
343464Curtis MarkhamLangley RacingFord1260engine0$4,375
35990Ken SchraderDonlavey RacingFord1101engine63$4,090
363318Dale Jarrett (R)Freedlander MotorsportsChevrolet840clutch55$4,065
372714A. J. FoytA. J. Foyt RacingOldsmobile760handling52$1,285
382630Michael WaltripBahari RacingChevrolet750engine49$4,025
39726Morgan ShepherdKing RacingBuick490engine46$3,990
40629Cale YarboroughCale Yarborough MotorsportsOldsmobile320crash43$1,235
41383Lake SpeedSpeed RacingOldsmobile320crash40$1,235
423998Ed PimmCurb RacingBuick300crash37$1,235
Failed to qualify
436Larry PollardU.S. RacingChevrolet
4486Rick JeffreyJeffrey RacingChevrolet
4570J. D. McDuffieMcDuffie RacingPontiac
4634Eddie BierschwaleAAG RacingChevrolet
4712Trevor BoysHamby RacingFord
4891Philip DuffieDuffie RacingChevrolet
4985Bobby GerhartBobby Gerhart RacingChevrolet
5008Butch MillerThroop RacingChevrolet
5148Ron EsauHylton MotorsportsChevrolet
5280Jimmy HortonS&H RacingFord
5362Steve Christman (R)Winkle MotorsportsPontiac
Official race results

Standings after the race

Drivers' Championship standings
PosDriverPoints
1Dale Earnhardt4,696
2Bill Elliott4,207 (-489)
3Terry Labonte4,002 (-694)
4Darrell Waltrip3,916 (–780)
5Rusty Wallace3,818 (–878)
26Ricky Rudd3,742 (–954)
7Kyle Petty3,737 (–959)
28Richard Petty3,708 (–988)
9Bobby Allison3,525 (–1,171)
110Ken Schrader3,405 (–1,291)
Official driver's standings

Notes

  1. News: Higgins . Tom . November 23, 1987 . Elliott Surges To Impressive Win . 1B, 5B . . November 23, 2023 . Newspapers.com.
  2. News: Hinton . Ed . November 23, 1987 . Elliott wins it for his crew . 1B, 10B . . November 23, 2023 . Newspapers.com.
  3. News: November 20, 1987 . NASCAR Today . 3C . . November 23, 2023 . Newspapers.com.
  4. News: Higgins . Tom . November 21, 1987 . Elliott Delights Fans, Overtakes Earnhardt To Take Pole . 7B . . November 23, 2023 . Newspapers.com.