1991 Miller Genuine Draft 400 (Michigan) Explained

Type:NASWINSTON
Distance Laps:200
Caption:The 1991 Miller Genuine Draft 400 program cover, featuring Rusty Wallace. Artwork by NASCAR artist Sam Bass.
Pole Time:41.296
Official Name:23rd Annual Miller Genuine Draft 400
Radio:Motor Racing Network
Avg:160.912mph
Date:June 23
Season No:29
Race No:14
Scheduled Km:643.737
Scheduled Laps:200
Scheduled Mi:400
Distance Km:643.737
Course Km:3.2
Location:Brooklyn, Michigan, Michigan International Speedway
Course Mi:2
Race Name:Miller Genuine Draft 400
Network:CBS
First Team:Robert Yates Racing
First Driver:Davey Allison
Pole Driver:Michael Waltrip
Pole Team:Bahari Racing
Most Team:Robert Yates Racing
Most Driver:Davey Allison
Most Laps:107
Car:28
Year:1991
Distance Mi:400
Announcers:Ken Squier, Ned Jarrett, Chris Economaki
Attendance:90,000

The 1991 Miller Genuine Draft 400 was the 14th stock car race of the 1991 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season and the 23rd iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, June 23, 1991, before an audience of 90,000 in Brooklyn, Michigan, at Michigan International Speedway, a two-mile (3.2 km) moderate-banked D-shaped speedway. The race took the scheduled 200 laps to complete. At race's end, Robert Yates Racing driver Davey Allison would manage to dominate the late stages of the race to take his 11th NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his third victory of the season.[1] [2] [3] To fill out the top three, Bobby Allison Motorsports driver Hut Stricklin and Roush Racing driver Mark Martin would finish second and third, respectively.

Background

The race was held at Michigan International Speedway, a two-mile (3.2 km) moderate-banked D-shaped speedway located in Brooklyn, Michigan. The track is used primarily for NASCAR events. It is known as a "sister track" to Texas World Speedway as MIS's oval design was a direct basis of TWS, with moderate modifications to the banking in the corners, and was used as the basis of Auto Club Speedway. The track is owned by International Speedway Corporation. Michigan International Speedway is recognized as one of motorsports' premier facilities because of its wide racing surface and high banking (by open-wheel standards; the 18-degree banking is modest by stock car standards).

Entry list

DriverTeamMakeSponsor
1Rick MastPrecision Products RacingOldsmobileSkoal
2Rusty WallacePenske Racing SouthPontiacMiller Genuine Draft
3Dale EarnhardtRichard Childress RacingChevroletGM Goodwrench Service Plus
4Ernie IrvanMorgan–McClure MotorsportsChevroletKodak
5Ricky RuddHendrick MotorsportsChevroletTide
6Mark MartinRoush RacingFordFolgers
7Alan KulwickiAK RacingFordHooters
8Rick WilsonStavola Brothers RacingBuickSnickers
9Bill ElliottMelling RacingFordCoors Light
10Derrike CopeWhitcomb RacingChevroletPurolator Filters
11Geoff BodineJunior Johnson & AssociatesFordBudweiser
12Hut StricklinBobby Allison MotorsportsBuickRaybestos
15Morgan ShepherdBud Moore EngineeringFordMotorcraft
17Darrell WaltripDarrell Waltrip MotorsportsChevroletWestern Auto
19Chad LittleLittle RacingFordTyson Foods
20Buddy BakerMoroso RacingOldsmobileRob Moroso Memorial
21Dale JarrettWood Brothers RacingFordCitgo
22Sterling MarlinJunior Johnson & AssociatesFordMaxwell House
23Eddie BierschwaleB&B RacingOldsmobileAuto Finders
24Mickey GibbsTeam III RacingPontiacTeam III Racing
25Ken SchraderHendrick MotorsportsChevroletKodiak
26Brett BodineKing RacingBuickQuaker State
28Davey AllisonRobert Yates RacingFordTexaco, Havoline
30Michael WaltripBahari RacingPontiacPennzoil
33Harry GantLeo Jackson MotorsportsOldsmobileSkoal Bandit
35Bill VenturiniVenturini MotorsportsChevroletRain-X
36H. B. BaileyBailey RacingPontiacAlmeda Auto Parts
41Larry PearsonLarry Hedrick MotorsportsChevroletKellogg's Frosted Flakes
42Bobby Hillin Jr.SABCO RacingPontiacMello Yello
43Richard PettyPetty EnterprisesPontiacSTP
49Stanley Smith (R)BS&S MotorsportsBuickInterstate Batteries
52Jimmy MeansJimmy Means RacingPontiacAlka-Seltzer
55Ted Musgrave (R)U.S. RacingPontiacU.S. Racing
66Lake SpeedCale Yarborough MotorsportsPontiacPhillips 66 TropArtic
68Bobby Hamilton (R)TriStar MotorsportsOldsmobileCountry Time
70J. D. McDuffieMcDuffie RacingPontiacSon's Auto Supply, Classic Trophies
71Dave MarcisMarcis Auto RacingChevroletBig Apple Market
75Joe RuttmanRahMoc EnterprisesOldsmobileDinner Bell Foods
79Donny PaulPaul RacingOldsmobilePaul Racing
89Jim SauterMueller Brothers RacingPontiacEvinrude Outboard Motors
90Wally Dallenbach Jr. (R)Donlavey RacingFordAction Drugs
94Terry LabonteHagan RacingOldsmobileSunoco
98Jimmy SpencerTravis Carter EnterprisesChevroletBanquet Foods

Qualifying

Qualifying was split into two rounds. The first round was held on Friday, June 21, at 3:30 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 Saturday, June 22, at 11:00 AM 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,[4] 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.

Michael Waltrip, driving for Bahari Racing, would win the pole, setting a time of 41.296 and an average speed of 174.351mph in the first round.[5]

Two drivers would fail to qualify.

Full qualifying results

Pos.DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed
130Michael WaltripBahari RacingPontiac41.296174.351
211Geoff BodineJunior Johnson & AssociatesFord41.466173.636
36Mark MartinRoush RacingFord41.479173.582
428Davey AllisonRobert Yates RacingFord41.555173.264
57Alan KulwickiAK RacingFord41.590173.119
63Dale EarnhardtRichard Childress RacingChevrolet41.788172.298
75Ricky RuddHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet41.797172.261
825Ken SchraderHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet41.809172.212
912Hut StricklinBobby Allison MotorsportsBuick41.828172.133
1022Sterling MarlinJunior Johnson & AssociatesFord41.878171.928
1110Derrike CopeWhitcomb RacingChevrolet41.934171.698
121Rick MastPrecision Products RacingOldsmobile41.973171.539
1317Darrell WaltripDarrell Waltrip MotorsportsChevrolet41.982171.502
1421Dale JarrettWood Brothers RacingFord42.043171.253
1515Morgan ShepherdBud Moore EngineeringFord42.058171.192
1671Dave MarcisMarcis Auto RacingChevrolet42.082171.095
1742Bobby Hillin Jr.SABCO RacingPontiac42.104171.005
1826Brett BodineKing RacingBuick42.117170.952
194Ernie IrvanMorgan–McClure MotorsportsChevrolet42.134170.883
209Bill ElliottMelling RacingFord42.154170.802
Failed to lock in Round 1
2166Lake SpeedCale Yarborough MotorsportsPontiac41.584173.144
2233Harry GantLeo Jackson MotorsportsOldsmobile41.760172.414
232Rusty WallacePenske Racing SouthPontiac41.816172.183
2498Jimmy SpencerTravis Carter EnterprisesChevrolet41.860172.002
2541Larry PearsonLarry Hedrick MotorsportsChevrolet41.980171.510
2694Terry LabonteHagan RacingOldsmobile42.002171.420
278Rick WilsonStavola Brothers RacingBuick42.024171.331
2820Buddy BakerMoroso RacingOldsmobile42.067171.156
2968Bobby Hamilton (R)TriStar MotorsportsOldsmobile42.103171.009
3024Mickey GibbsTeam III RacingPontiac42.107170.993
3175Joe RuttmanRahMoc EnterprisesOldsmobile42.131170.895
3289Jim SauterMueller Brothers RacingPontiac42.156170.794
3390Wally Dallenbach Jr. (R)Donlavey RacingFord42.161170.774
3455Ted Musgrave (R)U.S. RacingPontiac42.168170.746
3535Bill VenturiniVenturini MotorsportsChevrolet42.179170.701
3643Richard PettyPetty EnterprisesPontiac42.260170.374
3749Stanley Smith (R)BS&S MotorsportsBuick42.301170.209
3819Chad LittleLittle RacingFord42.351170.008
3923Eddie BierschwaleB&B RacingOldsmobile42.542169.245
4036H. B. BaileyBailey RacingPontiac42.770168.342
Provisional
4152Jimmy MeansJimmy Means RacingPontiac43.094167.077
Failed to qualify
4270J. D. McDuffieMcDuffie RacingPontiac-*-*
4379Donny PaulPaul RacingOldsmobile-*-*
Official first round qualifying results
Official starting lineup

Race results

FinStDriverTeamMakeLapsLedStatusPtsWinnings
1428Davey AllisonRobert Yates RacingFord200107running185$90,650
2912Hut StricklinBobby Allison MotorsportsBuick20027running175$41,925
336Mark MartinRoush RacingFord20012running170$37,650
463Dale EarnhardtRichard Childress RacingChevrolet20014running165$30,950
5194Ernie IrvanMorgan–McClure MotorsportsChevrolet2004running160$24,725
6825Ken SchraderHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet20012running155$23,550
71317Darrell WaltripDarrell Waltrip MotorsportsChevrolet20012running151$15,300
875Ricky RuddHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet2002running147$18,600
91515Morgan ShepherdBud Moore EngineeringFord1990running138$18,750
102233Harry GantLeo Jackson MotorsportsOldsmobile1991running139$17,450
11209Bill ElliottMelling RacingFord1990running130$17,300
121421Dale JarrettWood Brothers RacingFord1990running127$12,825
131022Sterling MarlinJunior Johnson & AssociatesFord1990running124$10,275
143024Mickey GibbsTeam III RacingPontiac1980running121$9,725
151742Bobby Hillin Jr.SABCO RacingPontiac1980running118$15,175
161671Dave MarcisMarcis Auto RacingChevrolet1980running115$10,750
17232Rusty WallacePenske Racing SouthPontiac1980running112$6,925
182166Lake SpeedCale Yarborough MotorsportsPontiac1980running109$10,500
193175Joe RuttmanRahMoc EnterprisesOldsmobile1970running106$9,585
202541Larry PearsonLarry Hedrick MotorsportsChevrolet1970running103$7,270
213455Ted Musgrave (R)U.S. RacingPontiac1970running100$7,800
222968Bobby Hamilton (R)TriStar MotorsportsOldsmobile1970running97$7,135
233749Stanley Smith (R)BS&S MotorsportsBuick1960running94$5,925
2457Alan KulwickiAK RacingFord1960running91$12,715
252694Terry LabonteHagan RacingOldsmobile1960running88$8,555
263819Chad LittleLittle RacingFord1960running85$5,435
274152Jimmy MeansJimmy Means RacingPontiac1950running82$5,385
283390Wally Dallenbach Jr. (R)Donlavey RacingFord1950running79$5,325
29121Rick MastPrecision Products RacingOldsmobile1940running76$7,965
302820Buddy BakerMoroso RacingOldsmobile1930running73$5,150
31278Rick WilsonStavola Brothers RacingBuick1920running70$7,720
322498Jimmy SpencerTravis Carter EnterprisesChevrolet1880engine67$7,625
334036H. B. BaileyBailey RacingPontiac1870running64$4,870
34130Michael WaltripBahari RacingPontiac1851valve66$10,450
353643Richard PettyPetty EnterprisesPontiac1660valve58$7,360
361826Brett BodineKing RacingBuick1210engine55$7,290
373289Jim SauterMueller Brothers RacingPontiac1040piston52$4,680
383923Eddie BierschwaleB&B RacingOldsmobile860rocker arm49$4,635
39211Geoff BodineJunior Johnson & AssociatesFord708oil pan51$17,910
403535Bill VenturiniVenturini MotorsportsChevrolet640camshaft43$4,550
411110Derrike CopeWhitcomb RacingChevrolet20engine40$12,950
Failed to qualify
4270J. D. McDuffieMcDuffie RacingPontiac
4379Donny PaulPaul RacingOldsmobile
Official race results

Standings after the race

Drivers' Championship standings
PosDriverPoints
1Dale Earnhardt2,202
2Ricky Rudd2,064 (-138)
3Darrell Waltrip1,993 (-209)
14Ernie Irvan1,974 (–228)
15Ken Schrader1,972 (–230)
6Davey Allison1,954 (–248)
7Harry Gant1,906 (–296)
8Mark Martin1,855 (–347)
19Morgan Shepherd1,713 (–489)
110Michael Waltrip1,697 (–505)
Official driver's standings

Notes and References

  1. News: Higgins . Tom . June 24, 1991 . Allison wins impressively in Michigan (Part 1) . 23 . . February 19, 2023 . Newspapers.com.
  2. News: Higgins . Tom . June 24, 1991 . Allison wins impressively in Michigan (Part 2) . 27 . . February 19, 2023 . Newspapers.com.
  3. News: Harris . Mike . June 24, 1991 . Davey Allison sets track record to win Miller 400 . 9 . . February 19, 2023 . Newspapers.com.
  4. News: June 21, 1991 . NASCAR today . 34 . . February 19, 2023 . Newspapers.com.
  5. News: Higgins . Tom . June 22, 1991 . M. Waltrip takes pole; Bodine bounces back (Part 1) . 12 . . February 19, 2023 . Newspapers.com.