1992 Budweiser 500 Explained

Type:NASWINSTON
Scheduled Km:804.672
Official Name:24th Annual Budweiser 500
Caption:The 1992 Budweiser 500 program cover, featuring Bill Elliott, Junior Johnson. and Tim Brewer.
Radio:Motor Racing Network
Network:TNN
First Team:Leo Jackson Motorsports
Most Team:Darrell Waltrip Motorsports
First Driver:Harry Gant
Most Driver:Darrell Waltrip
Pole Team:King Racing
Pole Driver:Brett Bodine
Most Laps:104
Car:33
Distance Km:804.672
Location:Dover, Delaware, Dover Downs International Speedway
Scheduled Laps:500
Scheduled Mi:500
Distance Laps:500
Avg:109.456mph
Date:May 31
Pole Time:24.422
Course Km:1.6
Course Mi:1
Race Name:Budweiser 500
Year:1992
Season No:29
Race No:11
Distance Mi:500
Announcers:Mike Joy, Buddy Baker, Neil Bonnett
Attendance:77,000

The 1992 Budweiser 500 was the 11th stock car race of the 1992 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season and the 24th iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, May 31, 1992, before an audience of 77,000 in Dover, Delaware at Dover Downs International Speedway, a 1-mile (1.6 km) permanent oval-shaped racetrack. The race took the scheduled 500 laps to complete. Running on fumes, Leo Jackson Motorsports driver Harry Gant would manage to save enough fuel to coast to the finish to take his 17th career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his first victory of the season.[1] [2] To fill out the top three, Richard Childress Racing driver Dale Earnhardt and Penske Racing South driver Rusty Wallace would finish second and third, respectively.

Background

Dover Downs International Speedway is an oval race track in Dover, Delaware, United States that has held at least two NASCAR races since it opened in 1969. In addition to NASCAR, the track also hosted USAC and the NTT IndyCar Series. The track features one layout, a 1-mile (1.6 km) concrete oval, with 24° banking in the turns and 9° banking on the straights. The speedway is owned and operated by Dover Motorsports.

The track, nicknamed "The Monster Mile", was built in 1969 by Melvin Joseph of Melvin L. Joseph Construction Company, Inc., with an asphalt surface, but was replaced with concrete in 1995. Six years later in 2001, the track's capacity moved to 135,000 seats, making the track have the largest capacity of sports venue in the mid-Atlantic. In 2002, the name changed to Dover International Speedway from Dover Downs International Speedway after Dover Downs Gaming and Entertainment split, making Dover Motorsports. From 2007 to 2009, the speedway worked on an improvement project called "The Monster Makeover", which expanded facilities at the track and beautified the track. After the 2014 season, the track's capacity was reduced to 95,500 seats.

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 RacingFordValvoline
7Alan KulwickiAK RacingFordHooters
8Dick TrickleStavola Brothers RacingFordSnickers
9Chad LittleMelling RacingFordMelling Racing
10Derrike CopeWhitcomb RacingChevroletPurolator Filters
11Bill ElliottJunior Johnson & AssociatesFordBudweiser
12Hut StricklinBobby Allison MotorsportsChevroletRaybestos
15Geoff BodineBud Moore EngineeringFordMotorcraft
16Wally Dallenbach Jr.Roush RacingFordKeystone
17Darrell WaltripDarrell Waltrip MotorsportsChevroletWestern Auto
18Dale JarrettJoe Gibbs RacingChevroletInterstate Batteries
21Morgan ShepherdWood Brothers RacingFordCitgo
22Sterling MarlinJunior Johnson & AssociatesFordMaxwell House
25Ken SchraderHendrick MotorsportsChevroletKodiak
26Brett BodineKing RacingFordQuaker State
28Davey AllisonRobert Yates RacingFordTexaco, Havoline
30Michael WaltripBahari RacingPontiacPennzoil
32Jimmy HortonActive MotorsportsChevroletActive Trucking
33Harry GantLeo Jackson MotorsportsOldsmobileSkoal Bandit
41Greg SacksLarry Hedrick MotorsportsChevroletKellogg's Frosted Flakes
42Kyle PettySABCO RacingPontiacMello Yello
43Richard PettyPetty EnterprisesPontiacSTP
48James HyltonHylton MotorsportsPontiacRumple Furniture
52Jimmy MeansJimmy Means RacingPontiacJimmy Means Racing
53Graham TaylorJimmy Means RacingPontiacJimmy Means Racing
55Ted MusgraveRaDiUs MotorsportsOldsmobileJasper Engines & Transmissions
56Jerry HillHill MotorsportsPontiacBell Motors
59Andy Belmont (R)Pat Rissi RacingFordFDP Brakes
65Jerry O'NeilAroneck RacingOldsmobileAroneck Racing
66Jimmy Hensley (R)Cale Yarborough MotorsportsFordPhillips 66 TropArtic
68Bobby HamiltonTriStar MotorsportsOldsmobileCountry Time
71Dave MarcisMarcis Auto RacingChevroletMaxx Race Cards
77Mike PotterBalough RacingChevroletKenova Golf Course Construction
85D. K. UlrichAroneck RacingOldsmobileAroneck Racing
94Terry LabonteHagan RacingFordSunoco

Qualifying

Qualifying was originally scheduled to be split into two rounds. The first round was held on Friday, May 29, at 3:00 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 Saturday, May 30.[3] 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.[4]

Brett Bodine, driving for King Racing, would win the pole, setting a time of 24.422 and an average speed of 147.408mph.[5]

No drivers would fail to qualify.

Full qualifying results

Pos.DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed
126Brett BodineKing RacingFord24.422147.408
26Mark MartinRoush RacingFord24.490146.999
330Michael WaltripBahari RacingPontiac24.498146.951
417Darrell WaltripDarrell Waltrip MotorsportsChevrolet24.565146.550
515Geoff BodineBud Moore EngineeringFord24.584146.437
625Ken SchraderHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet24.589146.407
721Morgan ShepherdWood Brothers RacingFord24.596146.365
811Bill ElliottJunior Johnson & AssociatesFord24.610146.282
94Ernie IrvanMorgan–McClure MotorsportsChevrolet24.665145.956
1022Sterling MarlinJunior Johnson & AssociatesFord24.682145.855
1110Derrike CopeWhitcomb RacingChevrolet24.703145.731
1266Jimmy Hensley (R)Cale Yarborough MotorsportsFord24.727145.590
135Ricky RuddHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet24.757145.413
142Rusty WallacePenske Racing SouthPontiac24.776145.302
1533Harry GantLeo Jackson MotorsportsOldsmobile24.779145.284
1642Kyle PettySABCO RacingPontiac24.786145.243
1743Richard PettyPetty EnterprisesPontiac24.813145.085
1894Terry LabonteHagan RacingOldsmobile24.818145.056
1971Dave MarcisMarcis Auto RacingChevrolet24.837144.945
208Dick TrickleStavola Brothers RacingFord24.852144.858
2128Davey AllisonRobert Yates RacingFord24.856144.834
221Rick MastPrecision Products RacingOldsmobile24.871144.747
2312Hut StricklinBobby Allison MotorsportsChevrolet24.933144.387
243Dale EarnhardtRichard Childress RacingChevrolet24.967144.190
259Chad LittleMelling RacingFord24.980144.115
2655Ted MusgraveRaDiUs MotorsportsFord24.992144.046
2741Greg SacksLarry Hedrick MotorsportsChevrolet25.044143.747
2818Dale JarrettJoe Gibbs RacingChevrolet25.073143.581
2968Bobby HamiltonTriStar MotorsportsOldsmobile25.077143.558
3016Wally Dallenbach Jr.Roush RacingFord25.131143.249
3132Jimmy HortonActive MotorsportsChevrolet25.619140.521
3252Jimmy MeansJimmy Means RacingPontiac25.916138.910
3377Mike PotterBalough RacingChevrolet26.084138.016
3465Jerry O'NeilAroneck RacingOldsmobile26.091137.979
3559Andy Belmont (R)Pat Rissi RacingFord26.490135.900
3656Jerry HillHill MotorsportsPontiac27.418131.301
Provisionals
377Alan KulwickiAK RacingFord--
3853Graham TaylorJimmy Means RacingPontiac--
3948James HyltonHylton MotorsportsPontiac--
4085D. K. UlrichAroneck RacingOldsmobile--
Official first round qualifying results
Official starting lineup

Race results

FinStDriverTeamMakeLapsLedStatusPtsWinnings
11533Harry GantLeo Jackson MotorsportsOldsmobile50041running180$65,145
2243Dale EarnhardtRichard Childress RacingChevrolet50052running175$43,720
3142Rusty WallacePenske Racing SouthPontiac4990running165$25,795
494Ernie IrvanMorgan–McClure MotorsportsChevrolet49946running165$29,445
5417Darrell WaltripDarrell Waltrip MotorsportsChevrolet499104running165$25,140
6135Ricky RuddHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet49858running155$21,215
72312Hut StricklinBobby Allison MotorsportsChevrolet49858running151$26,490
81266Jimmy Hensley (R)Cale Yarborough MotorsportsFord4980running142$13,140
9208Dick TrickleStavola Brothers RacingFord4980running138$14,340
10721Morgan ShepherdWood Brothers RacingFord49852running139$18,040
112128Davey AllisonRobert Yates RacingFord4970running130$17,090
12377Alan KulwickiAK RacingFord4973running132$14,590
13811Bill ElliottJunior Johnson & AssociatesFord4960running124$14,290
141022Sterling MarlinJunior Johnson & AssociatesFord4960running121$11,890
15330Michael WaltripBahari RacingPontiac4950running118$11,690
162655Ted MusgraveRaDiUs MotorsportsFord4950running115$11,390
17515Geoff BodineBud Moore EngineeringFord4940running112$10,940
182968Bobby HamiltonTriStar MotorsportsOldsmobile4940running109$11,525
192741Greg SacksLarry Hedrick MotorsportsChevrolet4910running106$7,240
201743Richard PettyPetty EnterprisesPontiac4890running103$10,790
211894Terry LabonteHagan RacingOldsmobile4744engine105$9,990
223132Jimmy HortonActive MotorsportsChevrolet4740running97$5,090
23625Ken SchraderHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet4700running94$14,040
2426Mark MartinRoush RacingFord47064running96$13,890
251971Dave MarcisMarcis Auto RacingChevrolet4350crash88$6,690
26259Chad LittleMelling RacingFord4120transmission85$7,890
272818Dale JarrettJoe Gibbs RacingChevrolet3080engine82$6,490
283377Mike PotterBalough RacingChevrolet2660valve79$4,790
291642Kyle PettySABCO RacingPontiac2520crash76$9,340
30126Brett BodineKing RacingFord24718engine78$12,765
313252Jimmy MeansJimmy Means RacingPontiac2010engine70$4,640
32221Rick MastPrecision Products RacingOldsmobile1900crash67$9,140
331110Derrike CopeWhitcomb RacingChevrolet1450crash64$6,065
343016Wally Dallenbach Jr.Roush RacingFord1430crash61$5,990
353948James HyltonHylton MotorsportsPontiac1180handling58$4,290
363465Jerry O'NeilAroneck RacingOldsmobile590brakes55$4,265
373559Andy Belmont (R)Pat Rissi RacingFord590oil leak52$4,490
383656Jerry HillHill MotorsportsPontiac390ignition49$4,190
394085D. K. UlrichAroneck RacingOldsmobile210vibration46$4,165
403853Graham TaylorJimmy Means RacingPontiac140vibration43$4,140
Official race results

Standings after the race

Drivers' Championship standings
PosDriverPoints
1Davey Allison1,694
12Harry Gant1,624 (-70)
23Dale Earnhardt1,595 (-99)
24Bill Elliott1,577 (–117)
15Alan Kulwicki1,564 (–130)
6Terry Labonte1,483 (–211)
7Morgan Shepherd1,472 (–222)
18Dick Trickle1,383 (–311)
19Geoff Bodine1,360 (–334)
110Ricky Rudd1,346 (–348)
Official driver's standings

Notes and References

  1. News: Higgins . Tom . June 1, 1992 . Gant literally coasts to Bud 500 title . 22 . The Rock Island Argus . January 28, 2023 . Newspapers.com.
  2. News: Owen . Mike . June 1, 1992 . Ageless Gant coasts to Budweiser win . 16 . Alabama Journal . January 28, 2023 . Newspapers.com.
  3. News: May 29, 1992 . NASCAR today . 42 . . January 28, 2023 . Newspapers.com.
  4. News: Higgins . Tom . May 31, 1992 . Rain postpones Grand National, threatens today's Winston Cup race . 37 . The Charlotte Observer . January 28, 2023 . Newspapers.com.
  5. News: Harris . Mike . May 30, 1992 . Brett Bodine stays out of troubles, zips to top spot at Dover . 11 . Messenger-Inquirer . January 28, 2023 . Newspapers.com.