1995 Goody's 500 (Bristol) Explained

Type:NASWINSTON
Location:Bristol, Tennessee, Bristol Motor Speedway
Distance Mi:266.5
Pole Time:15.339
Most Laps:99
Most Driver:Dale Jarrett
Pole Driver:Mark Martin
Car:5
First Driver:Terry Labonte
Most Team:Robert Yates Racing
First Team:Hendrick Motorsports
Pole Team:Roush Racing
Network:ESPN
Radio:Performance Racing Network
Announcers:Bob Jenkins, Ned Jarrett, Benny Parsons
Scheduled Laps:500
Distance Laps:500
Scheduled Mi:266.5
Scheduled Km:428.89
Distance Km:428.89
Course Mi:0.533
Course Km:0.858
Year:1995
Race No:22
Season No:31
Caption:The 1995 Goody's 500 program cover, featuring Jeff Gordon.
Date:August 26
Avg:81.979mph
Race Name:Goody's 500
Official Name:35th Annual Goody's 500

The 1995 Goody's 500 was the 22nd stock car race of the 1995 NASCAR Winston Cup Series and the 35th iteration of the event. The race was held on Saturday, August 26, 1995, in Bristol, Tennessee at Bristol Motor Speedway, a 0.533 miles (0.858 km) permanent oval-shaped racetrack. The race took the scheduled 500 laps to complete. On the final lap of the race, Hendrick Motorsports driver Terry Labonte and Richard Childress Racing driver Dale Earnhardt were battling for the lead. On the final turn of the race, Earnhardt would bump Labonte, sending him into a slide. Labonte would try to get the car straightened up, but would turn the other direction straight into the wall, crossing the finish line while hitting the wall. Earnhardt was not able to pass Labonte while Labonte was wrecking his car. The win therefore went to Labonte; although he had a wrecked car as he crossed the finish line first.[1] [2] The win was Labonte's 17th career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his third and final victory of the season. To fill out the top three, the aforementioned Dale Earnhardt and Robert Yates Racing driver Dale Jarrett would finish second and third, respectively.

Background

The Bristol Motor Speedway, formerly known as Bristol International Raceway and Bristol Raceway, is a NASCAR short track venue located in Bristol, Tennessee. Constructed in 1960, it held its first NASCAR race on July 30, 1961. Despite its short length, Bristol is among the most popular tracks on the NASCAR schedule because of its distinct features, which include extraordinarily steep banking, an all concrete surface, two pit roads, and stadium-like seating. It has also been named one of the loudest NASCAR tracks.

Entry list

DriverTeamMakeSponsor
1Rick MastPrecision Products RacingPontiacSkoal
2Rusty WallacePenske Racing SouthFordMiller Genuine Draft
3Dale EarnhardtRichard Childress RacingChevroletGM Goodwrench Service Plus
4Sterling MarlinMorgan–McClure MotorsportsChevroletKodak
5Terry LabonteHendrick MotorsportsChevroletKellogg's Frosted Flakes
6Mark MartinRoush RacingFordValvoline
7Geoff BodineGeoff Bodine RacingFordExide
8Jeff BurtonStavola Brothers RacingFordRaybestos
9Lake SpeedMelling RacingFordSpam
10Ricky RuddRudd Performance MotorsportsFordTide
11Brett BodineJunior Johnson & AssociatesFordLowe's
12Derrike CopeBobby Allison MotorsportsFordMane 'n Tail
15Dick TrickleBud Moore EngineeringFordFord Quality Care
16Ted MusgraveRoush RacingFordThe Family Channel
17Darrell WaltripDarrell Waltrip MotorsportsChevroletWestern Auto
18Bobby LabonteJoe Gibbs RacingChevroletInterstate Batteries
21Morgan ShepherdWood Brothers RacingFordCitgo
22Ward BurtonBill Davis RacingPontiacMBNA
23Jimmy SpencerHaas-Carter MotorsportsFordSmokin' Joe's
24Jeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevroletDuPont
25Ken SchraderHendrick MotorsportsChevroletBudweiser
26Hut StricklinKing RacingFordQuaker State
27Elton SawyerJunior Johnson & AssociatesFordHooters
28Dale JarrettRobert Yates RacingFordTexaco, Havoline
29Steve GrissomDiamond Ridge MotorsportsChevroletMeineke
30Michael WaltripBahari RacingPontiacPennzoil
31Greg SacksA.G. Dillard MotorsportsChevroletHardee's
32Jimmy HensleyActive MotorsportsChevroletFINA
33Robert Pressley (R)Leo Jackson MotorsportsChevroletSkoal Bandit
37John AndrettiKranefuss-Haas RacingFordLittle Caesars, Kmart
40Rich BickleDick Brooks RacingPontiacKendall
41Ricky Craven (R)Larry Hedrick MotorsportsChevroletKodiak
42Kyle PettyTeam SABCOPontiacCoors Light Silver Bullet
43Bobby HamiltonPetty EnterprisesPontiacSTP
71Dave MarcisMarcis Auto RacingChevroletOlive Garden
75Todd BodineButch Mock MotorsportsFordFactory Stores of America
77Bobby Hillin Jr.Jasper MotorsportsFordUS Airways, Jasper Engines & Transmissions
81Kenny WallaceFILMAR RacingFordTIC Financial Systems
87Joe NemechekNEMCO MotorsportsChevroletBurger King
90Mike WallaceDonlavey RacingFordHeilig-Meyers
94Bill ElliottElliott-Hardy RacingFordMcDonald's
95Joe RuttmanSadler Brothers RacingFordShoney's Inn
98Jeremy MayfieldCale Yarborough MotorsportsFordRCA

Qualifying

Qualifying was split into two rounds. The first round was held on Friday, August 25, at 5:30 PM EST. Each driver would have one lap to set a time. During the first round, the top 25 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, August 26, at 1:00 PM EST. As with the first round, each driver would have one lap to set a time. For this specific race, positions 26-34 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.

Mark Martin, driving for Roush Racing, would win the pole, setting a time of 15.339 and an average speed of 125.093mph in the first round.[4]

Seven drivers would fail to qualify.

Full qualifying results

Pos.DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed
16Mark MartinRoush RacingFord15.339125.093
25Terry LabonteHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet15.392124.662
330Michael WaltripBahari RacingPontiac15.438124.291
424Jeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet15.472124.018
52Rusty WallacePenske Racing SouthFord15.476123.986
641Ricky CravenLarry Hedrick MotorsportsChevrolet15.478123.970
73Dale EarnhardtRichard Childress RacingChevrolet15.496123.826
810Ricky RuddRudd Performance MotorsportsFord15.513123.690
916Ted MusgraveRoush RacingFord15.517123.658
1012Derrike CopeBobby Allison MotorsportsFord15.524123.602
1126Hut StricklinKing RacingFord15.527123.578
1287Joe NemechekNEMCO MotorsportsChevrolet15.530123.554
137Geoff BodineGeoff Bodine RacingFord15.532123.539
1433Robert Pressley (R)Leo Jackson MotorsportsChevrolet15.537123.499
1540Rich Bickle (R)Dick Brooks RacingPontiac15.542123.459
1628Dale JarrettRobert Yates RacingFord15.578123.174
1722Ward BurtonBill Davis RacingPontiac15.588123.095
188Jeff BurtonStavola Brothers RacingFord15.593123.055
194Sterling MarlinMorgan–McClure MotorsportsChevrolet15.594123.047
2017Darrell WaltripDarrell Waltrip MotorsportsChevrolet15.594123.047
Failed to lock in Round 1
2131Greg SacksA.G. Dillard MotorsportsChevrolet15.536123.507
2294Bill ElliottElliott-Hardy RacingFord15.595123.039
2329Steve GrissomDiamond Ridge MotorsportsChevrolet15.596123.032
241Rick MastPrecision Products RacingFord15.608122.937
2525Ken SchraderHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet15.621122.835
2623Jimmy SpencerTravis Carter EnterprisesFord15.621122.835
2790Mike WallaceDonlavey RacingFord15.627122.787
2818Bobby LabonteJoe Gibbs RacingChevrolet15.630122.764
2921Morgan ShepherdWood Brothers RacingFord15.639122.693
3098Jeremy MayfieldCale Yarborough MotorsportsFord15.651122.599
3143Bobby HamiltonPetty EnterprisesPontiac15.659122.537
3271Dave MarcisMarcis Auto RacingChevrolet15.660122.529
Provisionals
3311Brett BodineJunior Johnson & AssociatesFord-*-*
3437John AndrettiKranefuss-Haas RacingFord-*-*
3515Dick TrickleBud Moore EngineeringFord-*-*
369Lake SpeedMelling RacingFord-*-*
Failed to qualify
3742Kyle PettyTeam SABCOPontiac-*-*
3895Joe RuttmanSadler Brothers RacingFord-*-*
3981Kenny WallaceFILMAR RacingFord-*-*
4032Jimmy HensleyActive MotorsportsChevrolet-*-*
4177Bobby Hillin Jr.Jasper MotorsportsFord-*-*
4275Todd BodineButch Mock MotorsportsFord-*-*
4327Elton SawyerJunior Johnson & AssociatesFord-*-*
Official first round qualifying results
Official starting lineup

Race results

FinStDriverTeamMakeLapsLedStatusPtsWinnings
125Terry LabonteHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet50069running180$66,940
273Dale EarnhardtRichard Childress RacingChevrolet50081running175$66,890
31628Dale JarrettRobert Yates RacingFord50099running175$39,390
42017Darrell WaltripDarrell Waltrip MotorsportsChevrolet5002running165$32,780
516Mark MartinRoush RacingFord50057running160$41,775
6424Jeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet50086running155$27,865
7194Sterling MarlinMorgan–McClure MotorsportsChevrolet5000running146$26,140
82790Mike WallaceDonlavey RacingFord5000running142$14,840
9188Jeff BurtonStavola Brothers RacingFord5000running138$22,515
101012Derrike CopeBobby Allison MotorsportsFord49933running139$20,565
112818Bobby LabonteJoe Gibbs RacingChevrolet4990running130$25,015
12137Geoff BodineGeoff Bodine RacingFord4990running127$26,415
13916Ted MusgraveRoush RacingFord4970running124$21,065
142525Ken SchraderHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet4970running121$20,815
15330Michael WaltripBahari RacingPontiac4970running118$21,960
161287Joe NemechekNEMCO MotorsportsChevrolet4960running115$15,260
172921Morgan ShepherdWood Brothers RacingFord4950running112$20,110
182623Jimmy SpencerTravis Carter EnterprisesFord4940running109$14,860
193437John AndrettiKranefuss-Haas RacingFord4760running106$14,750
203143Bobby HamiltonPetty EnterprisesPontiac4660running103$16,360
2152Rusty WallacePenske Racing SouthFord4540running100$26,110
222329Steve GrissomDiamond Ridge MotorsportsChevrolet4540running97$14,360
232294Bill ElliottElliott-Hardy RacingFord4530running94$14,210
241433Robert Pressley (R)Leo Jackson MotorsportsChevrolet4380running91$20,035
252131Greg SacksA.G. Dillard MotorsportsChevrolet4220running88$14,590
26241Rick MastPrecision Products RacingFord4120crash85$18,760
273271Dave MarcisMarcis Auto RacingChevrolet4040crash82$13,637
283311Brett BodineJunior Johnson & AssociatesFord4040running79$23,585
29369Lake SpeedMelling RacingFord39117crash81$14,560
303098Jeremy MayfieldCale Yarborough MotorsportsFord38255running78$13,010
311540Rich Bickle (R)Dick Brooks RacingPontiac3680crash70$15,510
32641Ricky CravenLarry Hedrick MotorsportsChevrolet3061crash72$11,010
331126Hut StricklinKing RacingFord2530crash64$15,510
341722Ward BurtonBill Davis RacingPontiac2500crash61$15,510
353515Dick TrickleBud Moore EngineeringFord2330crash58$15,510
36810Ricky RuddRudd Performance MotorsportsFord1380crash55$23,510
Failed to qualify
3742Kyle PettyTeam SABCOPontiac
3895Joe RuttmanSadler Brothers RacingFord
3981Kenny WallaceFILMAR RacingFord
4032Jimmy HensleyActive MotorsportsChevrolet
4177Bobby Hillin Jr.Jasper MotorsportsFord
4275Todd BodineButch Mock MotorsportsFord
4327Elton SawyerJunior Johnson & AssociatesFord
Official race results

Notes and References

  1. News: Harris . Mike . August 28, 1995 . Labonte wins fender bender . 21 . The Times . November 9, 2022 . Newspapers.com.
  2. News: August 27, 1995 . Labonte edges Earnhardt, captures wild Goody's 500 . 46 . . November 9, 2022 . Newspapers.com.
  3. News: August 25, 1996 . Goody's 500 . 26 . . November 9, 2022 . Newspapers.com.
  4. News: August 27, 1995 . Martin rolls to record; Craven qualifies in 6th . 25 . The Bangor Daily News . November 9, 2022.