| Type: | NASWINSTON |
| Avg: | 122.864mph |
| Official Name: | 25th Annual GM Goodwrench 500 |
| Announcers: | Bob Jenkins, Benny Parsons, Ned Jarrett |
| Network: | ESPN |
| Radio: | Motor Racing Network |
| Most Laps: | 433 |
| Most Driver: | Kyle Petty |
| First Driver: | Kyle Petty |
| Most Team: | SABCO Racing |
| First Team: | SABCO Racing |
| Car: | 42 |
| Pole Team: | SABCO Racing |
| Pole Driver: | Kyle Petty |
| Date: | March 4 |
| Location: | Rockingham, North Carolina, North Carolina Speedway |
| Course Km: | 1.637 |
| Course Mi: | 1.017 |
| Distance Km: | 805.257 |
| Scheduled Km: | 805.257 |
| Scheduled Mi: | 500.364 |
| Scheduled Laps: | 492 |
| Distance Laps: | 492 |
| Season No: | 29 |
| Race No: | 3 |
| Race Name: | GM Goodwrench 500 |
| Year: | 1990 |
| Pole Time: | 24.613 |
| Distance Mi: | 500.364 |
| Caption: | The 1990 GM Goodwrench 500 program cover, featuring Dale Earnhardt. |
| Attendance: | 52,700 |
The 1990 GM Goodwrench 500 was the third stock car race of the 1990 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season and the 25th iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, March 4, 1990, before an audience of 52,700 in Rockingham, North Carolina, at North Carolina Speedway, a 1.017miles permanent high-banked racetrack. At race's end, SABCO Racing driver Kyle Petty would manage to dominate a majority of the race to take his third career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his only victory of the season.[1] [2] [3] [4] To fill out the top three, Junior Johnson & Associates driver Geoff Bodine and Hendrick Motorsports driver Ken Schrader would finish second and third, respectively.
Terri O'Connell, driving a second car for Donlavey Racing, is credited with being the only openly transgender driver to ever race in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series to date, finishing last in a 38-car field.[5]
North Carolina Motor 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.
Qualifying was originally scheduled to be split into two rounds. The first round was held on Thursday, March 1, at 2:30 PM EST. Originally, the first 20 positions were going to be determined by first round qualifying, with positions 21-40 meant to be determined the following day on Friday, March 2.[6] However, due to rain, the second round was cancelled. As a result, the rest of the starting lineup was set using the results from the first round. 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.[7] [8]
Kyle Petty, driving for SABCO Racing, would win the pole, setting a time of 24.613 and an average speed of 148.751mph in the first round.[9] [10]
No drivers would fail to qualify.
| Pos | Driver | Points | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dale Earnhardt | 474 | |||||||
| 2 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | 466 (-8) | ||||||
| 3 | 3 | Morgan Shepherd | 426 (-48) | ||||||
| 2 | 4 | Ricky Rudd | 410 (–64) | ||||||
| 11 | 5 | Kyle Petty | 406 (–68) | ||||||
| 1 | 6 | Jimmy Spencer | 403 (–71) | ||||||
| 4 | 7 | Bill Elliott | 399 (–75) | ||||||
| 2 | 8 | Darrell Waltrip | 398 (–76) | ||||||
| 4 | 9 | Sterling Marlin | 395 (–79) | ||||||
| 9 | 10 | Geoff Bodine | 387 (–87) | ||||||
| Official driver's standings | |||||||||