1987 Talladega 500 Explained

Type:NASWINSTON
Course Km:4.28
Caption:The 1987 Talladega 500 program cover, featuring Bobby Hillin Jr.
Pole Time:46.981
First Team:Melling Racing
First Driver:Bill Elliott
Attendance:105,000
Announcers:Ken Squier, Ned Jarrett
Radio:Motor Racing Network
Network:CBS
Most Team:Ranier-Lundy Racing
Car:9
Most Laps:77
Most Driver:Davey Allison
Pole Driver:Bill Elliott
Avg:171.293mph
Location:Lincoln, Alabama, Alabama International Motor Speedway
Pole Team:Melling Racing
Scheduled Km:804.8
Distance Km:804.8
Distance Laps:188
Scheduled Laps:188
Scheduled Mi:500.08
Season No:29
Race No:17
Race Name:Talladega 500
Course Mi:2.66
Date:July 26
Year:1987
Distance Mi:500.08
Official Name:19th Annual Talladega 500

The 1987 Talladega 500 was the 17th stock car race of the 1987 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season and the 19th iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, July 26, 1987, before an audience of 105,000 in Lincoln, Alabama at Alabama International Motor Speedway, a 2.66 miles (4.28 km) permanent triangle-shaped superspeedway. The race took the scheduled 188 laps to complete.

By race's end, Melling Racing's Bill Elliott managed to fend off a late-race charge by Ranier-Lundy Racing's Davey Allison in the final laps of the race to take his 19th career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his second victory of the season.[1] [2] To fill out the top three, the aforementioned Davey Allison and Richard Childress Racing's Dale Earnhardt finished second and third, respectively.

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 in the 1960s by the International Speedway Corporation, a business controlled by the France family. Talladega is most known for its steep banking and the unique location of the start/finish line that's located just past the exit to pit road. The track currently hosts the NASCAR series such as the NASCAR Cup Series, Xfinity Series and the Camping World Truck Series. Talladega is the longest NASCAR oval, a 2.66-longNaN-long tri-oval like the Daytona International Speedway, which also is a 2.5-longNaN-long tri-oval.

Entry list

DriverTeamMakeSponsor
0Delma CowartH. L. Waters RacingChevroletHeyward Grooms Construction
1Brett BodineEllington RacingChevroletBull's-Eye Barbecue Sauce
01Dave Pletcher Sr.Weaver RacingFordErnie Haire Ford
3Dale EarnhardtRichard Childress RacingChevroletWrangler
4Rick WilsonMorgan–McClure MotorsportsOldsmobileKodak
5Geoff BodineHendrick MotorsportsChevroletLevi Garrett
6Connie SaylorU.S. RacingChevroletU.S. Racing
7Alan KulwickiAK RacingFordZerex
8Bobby Hillin Jr.Stavola Brothers RacingBuickMiller American
9Bill ElliottMelling RacingFordCoors
11Terry LabonteJunior Johnson & AssociatesChevroletBudweiser
12Jeff SwindellHamby RacingChevroletHamby Racing
14A. J. FoytA. J. Foyt RacingOldsmobileCopenhagen
15Ricky RuddBud Moore EngineeringFordMotorcraft Quality Parts
17Darrell WaltripHendrick MotorsportsChevroletTide
18Dale Jarrett (R)Freedlander MotorsportsChevroletCoats & Clark
21Kyle PettyWood Brothers RacingFordCitgo
22Bobby AllisonStavola Brothers RacingBuickMiller American
25Tim RichmondHendrick MotorsportsChevroletFolgers
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
33Harry GantMach 1 RacingChevroletSkoal Bandit
35Benny ParsonsHendrick MotorsportsChevroletFolgers Decaf
43Richard PettyPetty EnterprisesPontiacSTP
44Sterling MarlinHagan RacingOldsmobilePiedmont Airlines
48Jerry HoldenHylton MotorsportsChevroletHylton Motorsports
52Jimmy MeansJimmy Means RacingPontiacEureka
55Phil ParsonsJackson Bros. MotorsportsOldsmobileSkoal Classic
62Steve Christman (R)Winkle MotorsportsPontiacAC Spark Plug
64Rodney CombsLangley RacingFordSunny King Ford
67Chet FillipArrington RacingFordPannill Sweatshirts
70J. D. McDuffieMcDuffie RacingPontiacRumple Furniture
71Dave MarcisMarcis Auto RacingChevroletLifebuoy
75Neil BonnettRahMoc EnterprisesPontiacValvoline
82Mark StahlStahl RacingFordAuto Bell Car Wash
83Lake SpeedSpeed RacingOldsmobileWynn's, Kmart
88Buddy BakerBaker–Schiff RacingOldsmobileCrisco
90Ken SchraderDonlavey RacingFordRed Baron Frozen Pizza

Qualifying

Qualifying was split into two rounds. The first round was held on Thursday, July 23, 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 Friday, July 24, at 2:00 PM 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 provisionals were given.

Bill Elliott, driving for Melling Racing, managed to win the pole, setting a time of 46.981 and an average speed of 203.827mph in the first round.[4]

Connie Saylor was the only driver to fail to qualify.

Full qualifying results

Pos.DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed
19Bill ElliottMelling RacingFord46.981203.827
23Dale EarnhardtRichard Childress RacingChevrolet47.066203.459
328Davey Allison (R)Ranier-Lundy RacingFord47.154203.079
417Darrell WaltripHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet47.295202.474
511Terry LabonteJunior Johnson & AssociatesChevrolet47.304202.435
626Morgan ShepherdKing RacingBuick47.347202.251
722Bobby AllisonStavola Brothers RacingBuick47.352202.230
821Kyle PettyWood Brothers RacingFord47.376202.128
927Rusty WallaceBlue Max RacingPontiac47.397202.038
1044Sterling MarlinHagan RacingOldsmobile47.471201.723
115Geoff BodineHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet47.537201.443
1288Buddy BakerBaker–Schiff RacingOldsmobile47.647200.978
137Alan KulwickiAK RacingFord47.770200.461
1483Lake SpeedSpeed RacingOldsmobile47.803200.322
1555Phil ParsonsJackson Bros. MotorsportsOldsmobile47.805200.314
1625Tim RichmondHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet47.888199.967
1775Neil BonnettRahMoc EnterprisesPontiac48.022199.409
1814A. J. FoytA. J. Foyt RacingOldsmobile48.055199.272
1935Benny ParsonsHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet48.055199.272
208Bobby Hillin Jr.Stavola Brothers RacingBuick48.069199.214
Failed to lock in Round 1
2130Michael WaltripBahari RacingChevrolet47.977199.596
2229Cale YarboroughCale Yarborough MotorsportsOldsmobile48.049199.297
231Brett BodineEllington RacingChevrolet48.088199.135
2401Dave Pletcher Sr.Weaver RacingFord48.098199.094
2571Dave MarcisMarcis Auto RacingChevrolet48.114199.027
2690Ken SchraderDonlavey RacingFord48.121198.998
2715Ricky RuddBud Moore EngineeringFord48.197198.685
2843Richard PettyPetty EnterprisesPontiac48.208198.639
2933Harry GantMach 1 RacingChevrolet48.474197.549
3082Mark StahlStahl RacingFord48.601197.033
3164Rodney CombsLangley RacingFord48.689196.677
324Rick WilsonMorgan–McClure MotorsportsOldsmobile48.796196.246
3312Jeff SwindellHamby RacingChevrolet49.206194.610
3467Chet FillipArrington RacingFord49.288194.287
3570J. D. McDuffieMcDuffie RacingPontiac49.302194.231
3652Jimmy MeansJimmy Means RacingChevrolet49.352194.035
3718Dale Jarrett (R)Freedlander MotorsportsChevrolet49.535193.318
380Delma CowartH. L. Waters RacingChevrolet49.540193.298
3962Steve Christman (R)Winkle MotorsportsPontiac49.742192.513
4048Jerry HoldenHylton MotorsportsChevrolet49.748192.490
Failed to qualify
416Connie SaylorU.S. RacingChevrolet49.860192.058
Official first round qualifying results
Official starting lineup

Race results

FinStDriverTeamMakeLapsLedStatusPtsWinnings
119Bill ElliottMelling RacingFord18872running180$70,920
2328Davey Allison (R)Ranier-Lundy RacingFord18877running180$39,115
323Dale EarnhardtRichard Childress RacingChevrolet1888running170$35,050
4417Darrell WaltripHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet1880running160$19,120
52229Cale YarboroughCale Yarborough MotorsportsOldsmobile1884running160$13,465
6511Terry LabonteJunior Johnson & AssociatesChevrolet18822running155$19,445
71483Lake SpeedSpeed RacingOldsmobile1880running146$8,845
8927Rusty WallaceBlue Max RacingPontiac1881running147$14,645
9821Kyle PettyWood Brothers RacingFord1881running143$12,695
101288Buddy BakerBaker–Schiff RacingOldsmobile1880running134$8,720
111625Tim RichmondHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet1880running130$5,065
12722Bobby AllisonStavola Brothers RacingBuick1880running127$11,795
13115Geoff BodineHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet1870running124$11,575
141044Sterling MarlinHagan RacingOldsmobile1870running121$9,900
152715Ricky RuddBud Moore EngineeringFord1870running118$12,975
16324Rick WilsonMorgan–McClure MotorsportsOldsmobile1870running115$4,115
172130Michael WaltripBahari RacingChevrolet1860running112$8,930
182690Ken SchraderDonlavey RacingFord1850running109$7,910
193164Rodney CombsLangley RacingFord1840running106$7,690
203467Chet FillipArrington RacingFord1840running103$7,965
213718Dale Jarrett (R)Freedlander MotorsportsChevrolet1830running100$7,210
222571Dave MarcisMarcis Auto RacingChevrolet1832running102$6,865
23137Alan KulwickiAK RacingFord1800running94$7,445
24380Delma CowartH. L. Waters RacingChevrolet1800running0$3,130
253570J. D. McDuffieMcDuffie RacingPontiac1770running88$3,120
263962Steve Christman (R)Winkle MotorsportsPontiac1760running85$2,955
272401Dave Pletcher Sr.Weaver RacingFord1450crash82$2,895
284048Jerry HoldenHylton MotorsportsChevrolet1330engine79$2,850
291555Phil ParsonsJackson Bros. MotorsportsOldsmobile1320engine76$2,765
301935Benny ParsonsHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet1310engine73$11,905
312933Harry GantMach 1 RacingChevrolet1240engine70$5,690
321775Neil BonnettRahMoc EnterprisesPontiac1160running67$6,110
333082Mark StahlStahl RacingFord1150engine64$2,525
343312Jeff SwindellHamby RacingChevrolet1020fatigue61$5,230
351814A. J. FoytA. J. Foyt RacingOldsmobile911handling63$2,505
363652Jimmy MeansJimmy Means RacingChevrolet600engine55$5,120
372843Richard PettyPetty EnterprisesPontiac470engine52$5,040
38231Brett BodineEllington RacingChevrolet320crash49$2,240
39626Morgan ShepherdKing RacingBuick100engine46$4,180
40208Bobby Hillin Jr.Stavola Brothers RacingBuick20engine43$9,115
Failed to qualify
416Connie SaylorU.S. RacingChevrolet
Official race results

Standings after the race

Drivers' Championship standings
PosDriverPoints
1Dale Earnhardt2,824
12Bill Elliott2,394 (-430)
13Terry Labonte2,318 (-506)
24Neil Bonnett2,312 (–512)
5Kyle Petty2,254 (–570)
16Darrell Waltrip2,232 (–592)
17Ken Schrader2,198 (–626)
8Ricky Rudd2,154 (–670)
19Rusty Wallace2,130 (–694)
110Richard Petty2,067 (–757)
Official driver's standings

Notes and References

  1. News: Higgins . Tom . July 27, 1987 . Elliott Captures Talladega . 1D, 3D . . November 1, 2023 . Newspapers.com.
  2. News: Webb . Donnie . July 27, 1987 . Elliott doesn't tire in victory . 1C, 4C . . November 1, 2023 . Newspapers.com.
  3. News: July 23, 1987 . NASCAR Today . 4D . . November 1, 2023 . Newspapers.com.
  4. News: Higgins . Tom . July 24, 1987 . Elliott Takes Pole . 1D, 4D . . November 1, 2023 . Newspapers.com.