1991 Miller Genuine Draft 400 (Richmond) Explained

Type:NASWINSTON
Location:Richmond, Virginia, Richmond International Raceway
Distance Mi:300
Pole Time:22.390
Most Laps:150
Most Driver:Davey Allison
Pole Driver:Rusty Wallace
Car:33
First Driver:Harry Gant
Most Team:Robert Yates Racing
First Team:Leo Jackson Motorsports
Pole Team:Penske Racing South
Network:TBS
Radio:Motor Racing Network
Announcers:Ken Squier, Neil Bonnett, Ken Stabler
Scheduled Laps:400
Distance Laps:400
Scheduled Mi:300
Scheduled Km:482.803
Distance Km:482.803
Course Mi:0.75
Course Km:1.21
Year:1991
Race No:22
Season No:29
Caption:The 1991 Miller Genuine Draft 400 program cover, featuring Rusty Wallace. Artwork by NASCAR artist Sam Bass.
Date:September 7
Avg:101.361mph
Race Name:Miller Genuine Draft 400
Official Name:34th Annual Miller Genuine Draft 400
Attendance:65,000

The 1991 Miller Genuine Draft 400 was the 22nd stock car race of the 1991 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season and the 34th iteration of the event. The race was held on Saturday, September 7, 1991, before an audience of 69,000 in Richmond, Virginia, at Richmond International Raceway, a 0.75 miles (1.21 km) D-shaped oval. The race took the scheduled 400 laps to complete. In the final laps of the race, Leo Jackson Motorsports driver Harry Gant would manage to make a late-race charge for the lead, passing for the lead with 19 to go in the race to take his 14th career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory, his third victory of the season, and his second straight victory.[1] [2] [3] To fill out the top three, Robert Yates Racing driver Davey Allison and Penske Racing South driver Rusty Wallace would finish second and third, respectively.

Background

Richmond International Raceway (RIR) is a 3/4-mile (1.2 km), D-shaped, asphalt race track located just outside Richmond, Virginia in Henrico County. It hosts the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and Xfinity Series. Known as "America's premier short track", it formerly hosted a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race, an IndyCar Series race, and two USAC sprint car races.

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
21Dale JarrettWood Brothers RacingFordCitgo
22Sterling MarlinJunior Johnson & AssociatesFordMaxwell House
24Kenny WallaceTeam III RacingPontiacTeam III Racing
25Ken SchraderHendrick MotorsportsChevroletKodiak
26Brett BodineKing RacingBuickQuaker State
28Davey AllisonRobert Yates RacingFordTexaco, Havoline
30Michael WaltripBahari RacingPontiacPennzoil
33Harry GantLeo Jackson MotorsportsOldsmobileSkoal Bandit
41Larry PearsonLarry Hedrick MotorsportsChevroletKellogg's Frosted Flakes
42Kyle PettySABCO RacingPontiacMello Yello
43Richard PettyPetty EnterprisesPontiacSTP
47Greg SacksClose RacingOldsmobileUkrop's Food Group
52Jimmy MeansJimmy Means RacingPontiacAlka-Seltzer
55Ted Musgrave (R)U.S. RacingPontiacJasper Engines & Transmissions
66Lake SpeedCale Yarborough MotorsportsPontiacPhillips 66 TropArtic
68Bobby Hamilton (R)TriStar MotorsportsOldsmobileCountry Time
71Dave MarcisMarcis Auto RacingChevroletBig Apple Market
73Dale FischleinBarkdoll RacingOldsmobileBarkdoll Racing
75Joe RuttmanRahMoc EnterprisesOldsmobileDinner Bell Foods
90Wally Dallenbach Jr. (R)Donlavey RacingFordDonlavey Racing
94Terry LabonteHagan RacingOldsmobileSunoco
98Jimmy SpencerTravis Carter EnterprisesChevroletBanquet Foods

Qualifying

Qualifying was split into two rounds. The first round was held on Friday, September 11, at 5:30 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, September 12, at 3:00 PM EST. As with the first round, each driver would have one lap to set a time. For this specific race, positions 21-34 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 on time 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.

Rusty Wallace, driving for Penske Racing South, would win the pole, setting a time of 22.390 and an average speed of 120.59mph in the first round.[5] [6]

Dale Fischlein was the only driver to fail to qualify.

Full qualifying results

Pos.DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed
12Rusty WallacePenske Racing SouthPontiac22.390120.590
27Alan KulwickiAK RacingFord22.434120.353
328Davey AllisonRobert Yates RacingFord22.451120.262
46Mark MartinRoush RacingFord22.453120.251
568Bobby Hamilton (R)TriStar MotorsportsOldsmobile22.501119.995
64Ernie IrvanMorgan–McClure MotorsportsChevrolet22.512119.936
75Ricky RuddHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet22.561119.676
842Kyle PettySABCO RacingPontiac22.567119.644
917Darrell WaltripDarrell Waltrip MotorsportsChevrolet22.587119.538
1025Ken SchraderHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet22.669119.105
1112Hut StricklinBobby Allison MotorsportsBuick22.717118.854
121Rick MastPrecision Products RacingOldsmobile22.755118.655
1333Harry GantLeo Jackson MotorsportsOldsmobile22.759118.634
149Bill ElliottMelling RacingFord22.779118.530
1522Sterling MarlinJunior Johnson & AssociatesFord22.825118.291
163Dale EarnhardtRichard Childress RacingChevrolet22.827118.281
1798Jimmy SpencerTravis Carter EnterprisesChevrolet22.844118.193
1811Geoff BodineJunior Johnson & AssociatesFord22.862118.100
1943Richard PettyPetty EnterprisesPontiac22.874118.038
2094Terry LabonteHagan RacingOldsmobile22.880118.007
Failed to lock in Round 1
2126Brett BodineKing RacingBuick22.881118.002
2210Derrike CopeWhitcomb RacingChevrolet22.907117.868
2347Greg SacksClose RacingOldsmobile22.921117.796
2441Larry PearsonLarry Hedrick MotorsportsChevrolet22.940117.698
2521Dale JarrettWood Brothers RacingFord22.964117.575
2690Wally Dallenbach Jr. (R)Donlavey RacingFord22.972117.534
278Rick WilsonStavola Brothers RacingBuick22.980117.493
2866Lake SpeedCale Yarborough MotorsportsPontiac23.004117.371
2924Kenny WallaceTeam III RacingPontiac23.005117.366
3019Chad LittleLittle RacingFord23.016117.310
3130Michael WaltripBahari RacingPontiac23.027117.254
3215Morgan ShepherdBud Moore EngineeringFord23.038117.198
3371Dave MarcisMarcis Auto RacingChevrolet23.040117.188
3475Joe RuttmanRahMoc EnterprisesOldsmobile23.118116.792
Provisionals
3555Ted Musgrave (R)U.S. RacingPontiac23.411115.330
3652Jimmy MeansJimmy Means RacingPontiac23.916112.895
Failed to qualify
3773Dale FischleinBarkdoll RacingOldsmobile-*-*
Official first round qualifying results
Official starting lineup

Race results

FinStDriverTeamMakeLapsLedStatusPtsWinnings
11333Harry GantLeo Jackson MotorsportsOldsmobile40027running180$63,650
2328Davey AllisonRobert Yates RacingFord400150running180$39,425
312Rusty WallacePenske Racing SouthPontiac400124running170$21,700
464Ernie IrvanMorgan–McClure MotorsportsChevrolet40080running165$20,800
575Ricky RuddHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet4001running160$18,125
627Alan KulwickiAK RacingFord40010running155$13,550
7917Darrell WaltripDarrell Waltrip MotorsportsChevrolet4000running146$9,750
81025Ken SchraderHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet4002running147$8,750
9149Bill ElliottMelling RacingFord4000running138$11,950
101522Sterling MarlinJunior Johnson & AssociatesFord3990running134$9,700
11163Dale EarnhardtRichard Childress RacingChevrolet3985running135$13,750
12568Bobby Hamilton (R)TriStar MotorsportsOldsmobile3980running127$6,400
13278Rick WilsonStavola Brothers RacingBuick3970running124$7,000
141811Geoff BodineJunior Johnson & AssociatesFord3970running121$11,500
151798Jimmy SpencerTravis Carter EnterprisesChevrolet3970running118$7,350
162210Derrike CopeWhitcomb RacingChevrolet3970running115$10,925
172866Lake SpeedCale Yarborough MotorsportsPontiac3970running112$6,425
182126Brett BodineKing RacingBuick3960running109$5,175
192094Terry LabonteHagan RacingOldsmobile3960running106$6,000
202521Dale JarrettWood Brothers RacingFord3960running103$6,925
211112Hut StricklinBobby Allison MotorsportsBuick3960running100$5,800
223555Ted Musgrave (R)U.S. RacingPontiac3950running97$4,475
233215Morgan ShepherdBud Moore EngineeringFord3940running94$9,175
241943Richard PettyPetty EnterprisesPontiac3931running96$5,550
252690Wally Dallenbach Jr. (R)Donlavey RacingFord3910running88$3,500
26842Kyle PettySABCO RacingPontiac3880running85$9,075
27121Rick MastPrecision Products RacingOldsmobile3770running82$5,480
283475Joe RuttmanRahMoc EnterprisesOldsmobile3740running79$5,325
293371Dave MarcisMarcis Auto RacingChevrolet3700running76$4,800
303130Michael WaltripBahari RacingPontiac3610engine73$4,750
312924Kenny WallaceTeam III RacingPontiac3480rear end70$3,200
322347Greg SacksClose RacingOldsmobile2560overheating67$3,175
3346Mark MartinRoush RacingFord2530running64$11,870
343019Chad LittleLittle RacingFord550crash61$3,150
353652Jimmy MeansJimmy Means RacingPontiac360engine58$3,150
362441Larry PearsonLarry Hedrick MotorsportsChevrolet90crash55$3,150
Failed to qualify
3773Dale FischleinBarkdoll RacingOldsmobile
Official race results

Standings after the race

Drivers' Championship standings
PosDriverPoints
1Dale Earnhardt3,277
2Ricky Rudd3,213 (-64)
3Ernie Irvan3,144 (-133)
4Davey Allison3,120 (–157)
15Ken Schrader2,973 (–304)
16Mark Martin2,965 (–312)
7Sterling Marlin2,869 (–408)
8Darrell Waltrip2,865 (–412)
9Harry Gant2,836 (–441)
10Rusty Wallace2,760 (–517)
Official driver's standings

Notes and References

  1. News: Higgins . Tom . September 8, 1991 . Gant makes it 2 straight with victory at Richmond (Part 1) . 65 . . February 24, 2023 . Newspapers.com.
  2. News: Higgins . Tom . September 8, 1991 . Gant makes it 2 straight with victory at Richmond (Part 2) . 79 . . February 24, 2023 . Newspapers.com.
  3. News: Macenka . Joe . September 8, 1991 . Gant captures second consecutive NASCAR victory . 31 . . February 24, 2023 . Newspapers.com.
  4. News: September 6, 1991 . NASCAR today . 38 . . February 24, 2023 . Newspapers.com.
  5. News: Higgins . Tom . September 7, 1991 . Wallace gets a boost from Richmond track (Part 1) . 35 . . February 24, 2023 . Newspapers.com.
  6. News: Higgins . Tom . September 7, 1991 . Wallace gets a boost from Richmond track (Part 2) . 42 . . February 24, 2023 . Newspapers.com.