1992 Champion Spark Plug 500 Explained

Type:NASWINSTON
Date:June 14
Network:ESPN
Most Driver:Alan Kulwicki
Most Laps:58
First Driver:Alan Kulwicki
Most Team:AK Racing
First Team:AK Racing
Car:7
Pole Team:Hendrick Motorsports
Pole Driver:Ken Schrader
Pole Time:55.499
Avg:144.023mph
Radio:Motor Racing Network
Official Name:11th Annual Champion Spark Plug 500
Location:Long Pond, Pennsylvania, Pocono Raceway
Distance Laps:200
Scheduled Laps:200
Race Name:Champion Spark Plug 500
Year:1992
Season No:29
Race No:13
Course Km:4.0
Course Mi:2.5
Scheduled Mi:500
Scheduled Km:804.672
Distance Km:804.672
Distance Mi:500
Announcers:Bob Jenkins, Ned Jarrett, Benny Parsons
Attendance:100,000

The 1992 Champion Spark Plug 500 was the 13th stock car race of the 1992 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season and the 11th iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, June 13, 1992, before an audience of 100,000 in Long Pond, Pennsylvania, at Pocono Raceway, a 2.5 miles (4.0 km) triangular permanent course. The race took the scheduled 200 laps to complete. In the final laps of the race, owner-driver Alan Kulwicki would manage to make a late-race pass for the lead with 11 to go to take his fifth and final career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory, his second and final victory of the season, and enough points to move him into third in the driver's championship standings, 58 points behind the leader.[1] [2] To fill out the top three, Roush Racing driver Mark Martin and Junior Johnson & Associates driver Bill Elliott would finish second and third, respectively.

Background

The race was held at Pocono International Raceway, which is a three-turn superspeedway located in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. The track hosts two annual NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races, as well as one Xfinity Series and Camping World Truck Series event. Until 2019, the track also hosted an IndyCar Series race.

Pocono International Raceway is one of a very few NASCAR tracks not owned by either Speedway Motorsports, Inc. or International Speedway Corporation. It is operated by the Igdalsky siblings Brandon, Nicholas, and sister Ashley, and cousins Joseph IV and Chase Mattioli, all of whom are third-generation members of the family-owned Mattco Inc, started by Joseph II and Rose Mattioli.

Outside of the NASCAR races, the track is used throughout the year by Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) and motorcycle clubs as well as racing schools and an IndyCar race. The triangular oval also has three separate infield sections of racetrack – North Course, East Course and South Course. Each of these infield sections use a separate portion of the tri-oval to complete the track. During regular non-race weekends, multiple clubs can use the track by running on different infield sections. Also some of the infield sections can be run in either direction, or multiple infield sections can be put together – such as running the North Course and the South Course and using the tri-oval to connect the two.

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 MotorsportsPontiacValtrol Steam Traps
52Jimmy MeansJimmy Means RacingPontiacJimmy Means Racing
55Ted MusgraveRaDiUs MotorsportsOldsmobileJasper Engines & Transmissions
56Jerry HillHill MotorsportsPontiacBell Motors
59Andy Belmont (R)Pat Rissi RacingFordFDP Brakes
62Mark ThompsonGray RacingFordPhoenix Air
65Jerry O'NeilAroneck RacingOldsmobileAroneck Racing
66Jimmy Hensley (R)Cale Yarborough MotorsportsFordPhillips 66 TropArtic
68Bobby HamiltonTriStar MotorsportsOldsmobileCountry Time
71Dave MarcisMarcis Auto RacingChevroletBig Apple Market
77Mike PotterBalough RacingChevroletKenova Golf Course Construction
85Bobby GerhartBobby Gerhart RacingChevroletThomas Chevrolet
94Terry LabonteHagan RacingFordSunoco

Qualifying

Qualifying was split into two rounds. The first round was held on Friday, June 12, at 3:00 PM EST. Each driver would have one lap to set a time. During the first round, the top 15 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 13, at 10:30 AM EST. As with the first round, each driver would have one lap to set a time. For this specific race, positions 16-40 would be 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. 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.

Ken Schrader, driving for Hendrick Motorsports, would win the pole, setting a time of 55.499 and an average speed of 162.165mph in the first round.[4]

No drivers would fail to qualify.

Full qualifying results

Pos.DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed
125Ken SchraderHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet55.499162.165
221Morgan ShepherdWood Brothers RacingFord55.686161.621
311Bill ElliottJunior Johnson & AssociatesFord55.720161.522
46Mark MartinRoush RacingFord55.748161.441
542Kyle PettySABCO RacingPontiac55.812161.256
67Alan KulwickiAK RacingFord55.939160.890
718Dale JarrettJoe Gibbs RacingChevrolet55.939160.890
826Brett BodineKing RacingFord55.992160.737
95Ricky RuddHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet56.241160.026
102Rusty WallacePenske Racing SouthPontiac56.245160.014
1112Hut StricklinBobby Allison MotorsportsChevrolet56.270159.943
1294Terry LabonteHagan RacingOldsmobile56.281159.912
1316Wally Dallenbach Jr.Roush RacingFord56.334159.761
1410Derrike CopeWhitcomb RacingChevrolet56.373159.651
1530Michael WaltripBahari RacingPontiac56.402159.569
Failed to lock in Round 1
164Ernie IrvanMorgan–McClure MotorsportsChevrolet55.756161.418
173Dale EarnhardtRichard Childress RacingChevrolet56.152160.279
1828Davey AllisonRobert Yates RacingFord56.204160.131
1922Sterling MarlinJunior Johnson & AssociatesFord56.294159.875
208Dick TrickleStavola Brothers RacingFord56.428159.495
2143Richard PettyPetty EnterprisesPontiac56.432159.484
2255Ted MusgraveRaDiUs MotorsportsFord56.436159.473
2366Jimmy Hensley (R)Cale Yarborough MotorsportsFord56.487159.329
2417Darrell WaltripDarrell Waltrip MotorsportsChevrolet56.535159.193
259Chad LittleMelling RacingFord56.600159.011
2641Greg SacksLarry Hedrick MotorsportsChevrolet56.781158.504
2715Geoff BodineBud Moore EngineeringFord56.792158.473
2833Harry GantLeo Jackson MotorsportsOldsmobile56.903158.164
2968Bobby HamiltonTriStar MotorsportsOldsmobile56.972157.972
301Rick MastPrecision Products RacingOldsmobile57.213157.307
3177Mike PotterBalough RacingChevrolet58.139154.801
3271Dave MarcisMarcis Auto RacingChevrolet58.265154.467
3352Jimmy MeansJimmy Means RacingPontiac58.505153.833
3432Jimmy HortonActive MotorsportsChevrolet58.692153.343
3565Jerry O'NeilAroneck RacingOldsmobile59.016152.501
3659Andy Belmont (R)Pat Rissi RacingFord59.199152.030
3785Bobby GerhartBobby Gerhart RacingChevrolet59.283151.814
3862Mark ThompsonGray RacingFord1:00.092149.770
3948James HyltonHylton MotorsportsPontiac1:01.497146.349
4056Jerry HillHill MotorsportsPontiac1:03.939140.759
Official first round qualifying results
Official starting lineup

Race results

FinStDriverTeamMakeLapsLedStatusPtsWinnings
167Alan KulwickiAK RacingFord20058running185$74,255
246Mark MartinRoush RacingFord20051running175$39,480
3311Bill ElliottJunior Johnson & AssociatesFord20012running170$32,355
4125Ken SchraderHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet20015running165$32,980
51828Davey AllisonRobert Yates RacingFord20034running160$27,175
6542Kyle PettySABCO RacingPontiac2000running150$18,150
71922Sterling MarlinJunior Johnson & AssociatesFord2000running146$15,750
8826Brett BodineKing RacingFord2001running147$14,650
92366Jimmy Hensley (R)Cale Yarborough MotorsportsFord2005running143$11,800
101294Terry LabonteHagan RacingOldsmobile2000running134$15,600
112641Greg SacksLarry Hedrick MotorsportsChevrolet1990running130$10,000
121410Derrike CopeWhitcomb RacingChevrolet1990running127$9,650
132417Darrell WaltripDarrell Waltrip MotorsportsChevrolet1991running129$16,150
142715Geoff BodineBud Moore EngineeringFord1990running121$12,050
151530Michael WaltripBahari RacingPontiac1990running118$11,550
162143Richard PettyPetty EnterprisesPontiac1980running115$11,400
172968Bobby HamiltonTriStar MotorsportsOldsmobile1980running112$12,050
183271Dave MarcisMarcis Auto RacingChevrolet1960running109$7,900
19164Ernie IrvanMorgan–McClure MotorsportsChevrolet19420running111$16,000
203177Mike PotterBalough RacingChevrolet1910running103$6,475
213565Jerry O'NeilAroneck RacingOldsmobile1880running100$5,750
22718Dale JarrettJoe Gibbs RacingChevrolet1870running97$10,150
232833Harry GantLeo Jackson MotorsportsOldsmobile1862engine99$15,300
24102Rusty WallacePenske Racing SouthPontiac1851running96$13,250
25221Morgan ShepherdWood Brothers RacingFord1800running88$9,860
263948James HyltonHylton MotorsportsPontiac1780running85$5,150
271316Wally Dallenbach Jr.Roush RacingFord1770clutch82$5,100
28173Dale EarnhardtRichard Childress RacingChevrolet1480engine79$16,600
29208Dick TrickleStavola Brothers RacingFord1460engine76$6,600
30301Rick MastPrecision Products RacingOldsmobile1410engine73$9,525
311112Hut StricklinBobby Allison MotorsportsChevrolet1160engine70$9,450
323785Bobby GerhartBobby Gerhart RacingChevrolet1130engine67$4,850
332255Ted MusgraveRaDiUs MotorsportsFord1020engine64$9,275
343432Jimmy HortonActive MotorsportsChevrolet490crash61$4,675
353352Jimmy MeansJimmy Means RacingPontiac330head gasket58$7,100
3695Ricky RuddHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet220engine55$12,515
37259Chad LittleMelling RacingFord150piston52$4,445
384056Jerry HillHill MotorsportsPontiac100engine49$4,405
393862Mark ThompsonGray RacingFord80engine46$4,370
403659Andy Belmont (R)Pat Rissi RacingFord30engine43$4,295
Official race results

Standings after the race

Drivers' Championship standings
PosDriverPoints
1Davey Allison1,933
12Bill Elliott1,912 (-21)
23Alan Kulwicki1,875 (-58)
4Harry Gant1,840 (–93)
35Dale Earnhardt1,824 (–109)
6Terry Labonte1,792 (–141)
47Mark Martin1,658 (–275)
18Morgan Shepherd1,636 (–297)
9Geoff Bodine1,615 (–318)
10Ernie Irvan1,599 (–334)
Official driver's standings

Notes and References

  1. News: McKee . Sandra . June 15, 1992 . In one respect, Kulwicki gets big win . 19 . The Baltimore Sun . January 29, 2023 . Newspapers.com.
  2. News: Higgins . Tom . June 15, 1992 . Patient Kulwicki takes Pocono win . 9 . The Anniston Star . January 29, 2023 . Newspapers.com.
  3. News: June 12, 1992 . NASCAR today . 21 . . January 29, 2023 . Newspapers.com.
  4. News: Higgins . Tom . June 13, 1992 . Painful... Schrader isn't slowed by injury . 17 . Evansville Press . January 29, 2023 . Newspapers.com.