1995 Miller Genuine Draft 500 (Pocono) Explained

Type:NASWINSTON
First Team:Robert Yates Racing
Season No:31
Race No:17
Announcers:Ken Squier, Buddy Baker, Chad Little
Most Laps:74
Network:TBS
Radio:Motor Racing Network
Avg:134.038mph
Pole Driver:Bill Elliott
First Driver:Dale Jarrett
Most Driver:Rusty Wallace
Most Team:Penske Racing South
Pole Team:Elliott-Hardy Racing
Car:28
Location:Long Pond, Pennsylvania, Pocono Raceway
Scheduled Km:804.672
Distance Km:804.672
Scheduled Mi:500
Scheduled Laps:200
Distance Laps:200
Course Km:4.0
Course Mi:2.5
Official Name:23rd Annual Miller Genuine Draft 500
Race Name:Miller Genuine Draft 500
Pole Time:55.386
Year:1995
Distance Mi:500
Date:July 16

The 1995 Miller Genuine Draft 500 was the 17th stock car race of the 1995 NASCAR Winston Cup Series and the 23rd iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, July 16, 1995, 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. Depending on fuel mileage, Robert Yates Racing driver Dale Jarrett would manage to stretch his last fuel run for 41 laps to take his fourth career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his only victory of the season.[1] [2] To fill out the top three, Hendrick Motorsports driver Jeff Gordon and Rudd Performance Motorsports driver Ricky Rudd would finish second and third, respectively.

Background

The race was held at Pocono 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 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 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
14Randy MacDonaldHagan RacingPontiacBig V Drug Stores
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
22Jimmy HensleyBill 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
31Ward BurtonA.G. Dillard MotorsportsChevroletHardee's
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 RacingChevroletProdigy
75Todd BodineButch Mock MotorsportsFordFactory Stores of America
77Bobby Hillin Jr.Jasper MotorsportsFordUS Airways, Jasper Engines & Transmissions
81Kenny WallaceFILMAR RacingFordTIC Financial Systems
82Terry ByersByers RacingFordByers Racing
87Joe NemechekNEMCO MotorsportsChevroletBurger King
90Mike WallaceDonlavey RacingFordHeilig-Meyers
94Bill ElliottElliott-Hardy RacingFordMcDonald's
98Jeremy MayfieldCale Yarborough MotorsportsFordRCA

Qualifying

Qualifying was split into two rounds. The first round was held on Friday, July 7, at 4:00 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, July 8, 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 21-38 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.

Bill Elliott, driving for Elliott-Hardy Racing, would win the pole, setting a time of 55.386 and an average speed of 162.496mph.[4]

Two drivers would fail to qualify.

Full qualifying results

Pos.DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed
194Bill ElliottElliott-Hardy RacingFord55.386162.496
26Mark MartinRoush RacingFord55.558161.993
321Morgan ShepherdWood Brothers RacingFord55.749161.438
425Ken SchraderHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet55.795161.305
53Dale EarnhardtRichard Childress RacingChevrolet55.806161.273
64Sterling MarlinMorgan–McClure MotorsportsChevrolet55.824161.221
716Ted MusgraveRoush RacingFord55.825161.218
843Bobby HamiltonPetty EnterprisesPontiac55.877161.068
987Joe NemechekNEMCO MotorsportsChevrolet55.884161.048
101Rick MastPrecision Products RacingFord55.894161.019
1124Jeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet55.917160.953
1217Darrell WaltripDarrell Waltrip MotorsportsChevrolet55.946160.869
1310Ricky RuddRudd Performance MotorsportsFord55.981160.769
1431Ward BurtonA.G. Dillard MotorsportsChevrolet55.983160.763
1528Dale JarrettRobert Yates RacingFord56.041160.597
1611Brett BodineJunior Johnson & AssociatesFord56.105160.414
1742Kyle PettyTeam SABCOPontiac56.174160.216
1826Hut StricklinKing RacingFord56.196160.154
1912Derrike CopeBobby Allison MotorsportsFord56.208160.120
2022Jimmy HensleyBill Davis RacingPontiac56.219160.088
2130Michael WaltripBahari RacingPontiac56.248160.006
222Rusty WallacePenske Racing SouthFord56.281159.912
238Jeff BurtonStavola Brothers RacingFord56.296159.869
245Terry LabonteHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet56.305159.844
2515Dick TrickleBud Moore EngineeringFord56.317159.810
2629Steve GrissomDiamond Ridge MotorsportsChevrolet56.325159.787
277Geoff BodineGeoff Bodine RacingFord56.449159.436
2833Robert Pressley (R)Leo Jackson MotorsportsChevrolet56.466159.388
299Lake SpeedMelling RacingFord56.475159.363
3040Rich BickleDick Brooks RacingPontiac56.481159.346
3123Jimmy SpencerTravis Carter EnterprisesFord56.573159.086
3218Bobby LabonteJoe Gibbs RacingChevrolet56.631158.924
3377Bobby Hillin Jr.Jasper MotorsportsFord56.639158.901
3481Kenny WallaceFILMAR RacingFord56.741158.615
3590Mike WallaceDonlavey RacingFord56.834158.356
3637John AndrettiKranefuss-Haas RacingFord56.976157.961
3771Dave MarcisMarcis Auto RacingChevrolet56.992157.917
3898Jeremy MayfieldCale Yarborough MotorsportsFord57.062157.723
Provisionals
3941Ricky Craven (R)Larry Hedrick MotorsportsChevrolet-*-*
4075Todd BodineButch Mock MotorsportsFord-*-*
4127Elton SawyerJunior Johnson & AssociatesFord-*-*
Failed to qualify
4214Randy MacDonaldHagan RacingPontiac-*-*
4382Terry ByersByers RacingFord-*-*
Official first round qualifying results
Official starting lineup

Race results

FinStDriverTeamMakeLapsLedStatusPtsWinnings
11528Dale JarrettRobert Yates RacingFord20026running180$72,970
21124Jeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet20018running175$48,520
31310Ricky RuddRudd Performance MotorsportsFord2000running165$41,010
4716Ted MusgraveRoush RacingFord2001running165$32,135
5194Bill ElliottElliott-Hardy RacingFord20015running160$32,780
6277Geoff BodineGeoff Bodine RacingFord2001running155$29,180
726Mark MartinRoush RacingFord20041running151$38,760
83898Jeremy MayfieldCale Yarborough MotorsportsFord2000running142$19,080
9987Joe NemechekNEMCO MotorsportsChevrolet2000running138$12,080
102515Dick TrickleBud Moore EngineeringFord2000running134$23,780
111431Ward BurtonA.G. Dillard MotorsportsChevrolet2000running130$15,530
123377Bobby Hillin Jr.Jasper MotorsportsFord2000running127$10,980
13101Rick MastPrecision Products RacingFord2000running124$19,980
14245Terry LabonteHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet2000running121$25,380
151611Brett BodineJunior Johnson & AssociatesFord2000running118$24,480
16222Rusty WallacePenske Racing SouthFord20074running125$30,480
173123Jimmy SpencerTravis Carter EnterprisesFord2002running117$19,280
1864Sterling MarlinMorgan–McClure MotorsportsChevrolet2000running109$23,080
19843Bobby HamiltonPetty EnterprisesPontiac1990running106$13,930
2053Dale EarnhardtRichard Childress RacingChevrolet1990running103$31,555
212130Michael WaltripBahari RacingPontiac1990running100$18,380
22299Lake SpeedMelling RacingFord1990running97$13,180
234075Todd BodineButch Mock MotorsportsFord1990running94$17,980
24321Morgan ShepherdWood Brothers RacingFord1990running91$17,830
253941Ricky Craven (R)Larry Hedrick MotorsportsChevrolet1992running93$13,880
263590Mike WallaceDonlavey RacingFord1980running85$12,530
27238Jeff BurtonStavola Brothers RacingFord1982running87$17,355
281742Kyle PettyTeam SABCOPontiac1980running79$17,205
294127Elton SawyerJunior Johnson & AssociatesFord1960running76$17,055
303040Rich BickleDick Brooks RacingPontiac1960running73$14,005
312629Steve GrissomDiamond Ridge MotorsportsChevrolet1960running70$11,955
322022Jimmy HensleyBill Davis RacingPontiac1940running67$16,905
333771Dave MarcisMarcis Auto RacingChevrolet1862engine69$11,305
342833Robert Pressley (R)Leo Jackson MotorsportsChevrolet1660running61$14,230
353218Bobby LabonteJoe Gibbs RacingChevrolet1621running63$21,655
361217Darrell WaltripDarrell Waltrip MotorsportsChevrolet1560engine55$13,580
373481Kenny WallaceFILMAR RacingFord1490crash52$8,515
383637John AndrettiKranefuss-Haas RacingFord1360engine49$8,390
391912Derrike CopeBobby Allison MotorsportsFord1080engine46$8,390
40425Ken SchraderHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet9315engine48$14,390
411826Hut StricklinKing RacingFord380engine40$13,390
Failed to qualify
4214Randy MacDonaldHagan RacingPontiac
4382Terry ByersByers RacingFord
Official race results

Notes and References

  1. News: Higgins . Tom . July 17, 1995 . Yates team proves it's resourceful . 17 . . November 6, 2022 . Newspapers.com.
  2. News: Huneke . Bill . July 17, 1995 . Jarrett bounces back in Miller Genuine Draft 500 . 26 . The Central New Jersey Home News . November 6, 2022 . Newspapers.com.
  3. News: July 14, 1995 . Miller Genuine Draft 500 . 26 . . November 6, 2022 . Newspapers.com.
  4. News: Brinster . Dick . July 15, 1995 . Elliott wins Miller 500 pole; roof flaps controversy . 11 . The Daily American . November 6, 2022 . Newspapers.com.