1989 Autoworks 500

The 1989 Autoworks 500 was a NASCAR Winston Cup Series race that took place on November 5, 1989, at Phoenix International Raceway in Avondale, Arizona.

1989 Autoworks 500
Race details[1][2]
Race 28 of 29 in the 1989 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season
The view from outside the 4th turn at Phoenix International Raceway in 1989
Date November 5, 1989 (1989-November-05)
Official name Autoworks 500
Location Phoenix International Raceway, Avondale, Arizona
Course Permanent racing facility
1.000 mi (1.609 km)
Distance 312 laps, 312 mi (502 km)
Weather Hot with temperatures of 90 °F (32 °C); wind speeds of 8 miles per hour (13 km/h)
Average speed 105.683 miles per hour (170.080 km/h)
Pole position
Driver
Hendrick Motorsports
Most laps led
Driver Alan Kulwicki Alan Kulwicki Racing
Laps 96
Winner
No. 9 Bill Elliott Melling Racing
Television in the United States
Network ESPN
Announcers Bob Jenkins
Ned Jarrett
Benny Parsons

Race report

Five of the most dominant drivers of the 1989 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season were Dale Earnhardt (average finish 10th place), Rusty Wallace (average finish 10th place), Mark Martin (average finish 11th place), Darrell Waltrip (average finish 12th place), and Bill Elliott (average finish of 13th place).

The first caution was for a dog on the track on lap 48.[2]

Bill Elliott defeated Terry Labonte by six car lengths in front of 63,000 spectators.[2] Three hundred and twelve laps were run on the paved oval spanning 1 mile or 1.6 kilometres in two hours and fifty-seven minutes.[2][3] Ken Schrader would qualify for the pole position with a speed of 124.645 miles per hour (200.597 km/h) while the average speed at the actual race was 105.683 miles per hour (170.080 km/h).[2][3] Five cautions occurred for 24 laps.[2][3] Forty-three drivers competed in this race; the only foreign competitor was Canadian Roy Smith.[2] Butch Miller would finish last due to an engine problem on lap 16.[2][3][4]

Richard Petty only finished 42nd once, in this race.[2] He did finish worse on two occasions in races with larger fields (55th at Charlotte in 1960 due to being disqualified and 57th at Daytona in 1959 due to an early engine failure).

An incident occurred during this race that sparked some controversy.[5] Wallace was leading and coming up on the lapped car of #90 Stan Barrett on lap 254.[5] Barrett’s car made contact with Wallace in turn one, causing it to veer right and slam into the outside wall.[5] Wallace’s car was damaged but still in racing condition.[5] He would lose a lap.[5] The next week the Missouri native won his first and only championship over Dale Earnhardt.[5]

Alan Kulwicki led the most laps in the race. Bobby Hamilton would make his Winston Cup debut in this race and was performing astoundingly, taking the lead from Geoff Bodine on lap 209. Five laps after he took the lead going into turn 3. However, the engine let go, spraying oil and parts all over the track, ending his day. He was possibly heading toward winning in his debut.[6] Hamilton qualified in fifth place using a "movie car" from the 1990 motion picture Days of Thunder,[2][4] which was sponsored by Exxon[2][3] and driven by the fictional driver Rowdy Burns (Michael Rooker).

This was the final career race for car owner Leroy Throop.[2][4]

Qualifying
Grid No. Driver Manufacturer Owner
1 25Ken SchraderChevroletRick Hendrick
2 11Terry LabonteFordJunior Johnson
3 7Alan KulwickiFordAlan Kulwicki
4 10Derrike CopePontiacBob Whitcomb
5 51Bobby HamiltonChevroletRick Hendrick
6 6Mark MartinFordJack Roush
7 3Dale EarnhardtChevroletRichard Childress
8 5Geoffrey BodineChevroletRick Hendrick
9 27Rusty WallacePontiacRaymond Beadle
10 84Dick TrickleBuickStavola Brothers

Failed to qualify: Tommy Ellis (#18), Danny Lawson (#41), Bob Howard (#89), Keith Van Houten (#35), Mark Walbridge (#07), Jack Sellers (#44), Robert Sprague (#19), Butch Gilliland (#24), St. James Davis (#22), Bob Walker (#80), Rick McCray (#08), John Krebs (#99), Duke Hoenshell (#38), Hershel McGriff (#04), Rick Scribner (#50)[7]

Finishing order

Section reference: [2]

  1. Bill Elliott
  2. Terry Labonte
  3. Mark Martin
  4. Darrell Waltrip
  5. Dale Jarrett
  6. Dale Earnhardt
  7. Dick Trickle
  8. Harry Gant
  9. Michael Waltrip
  10. Jimmy Spencer
  11. Alan Kulwicki
  12. Morgan Shepherd
  13. Ken Schrader
  14. Derrike Cope
  15. Dave Marcis
  16. Rusty Wallace
  17. Jim Sauter
  18. Bobby Hillin, Jr.
  19. Brett Bodine
  20. Joe Ruttman
  21. Kyle Petty
  22. Lake Speed
  23. Hut Stricklin
  24. Larry Pearson
  25. Jimmy Means
  26. Bill Schmidt
  27. Rodney Combs
  28. Geoffrey Bodine*
  29. Ricky Rudd*
  30. Sterling Marlin*
  31. Stan Barrett*
  32. Bobby Hamilton*
  33. Ernie Irvan*
  34. Neil Bonnett*
  35. Ron Esau*
  36. Bill Sedgwick*
  37. Phil Parsons*
  38. Greg Sacks*
  39. Davey Allison*
  40. Rick Wilson*
  41. Roy Smith*
  42. Richard Petty*
  43. Butch Miller*

* Driver failed to finish race

Standings after the race
Pos Driver Points[2] Differential
1 Rusty Wallace 4058 0
2 Mark Martin 3985 -73
3 Dale Earnhardt 3979 -79
4 Darrell Waltrip 3811 -247
5 Bill Elliott 3692 -366
6 Ken Schrader 3621 -437
7 Terry Labonte 3521 -537
8 Harry Gant 3498 -560
9 Ricky Rudd 3482 -576
10 Geoffrey Bodine 3430 -628

References
  1. Weather information for the 1989 Autoworks 500 at The Old Farmers' Almanac
  2. 1989 Autoworks 500 information at Racing Reference
  3. 1989 Autoworks 500 at Fantasy Racing Cheat Sheet
  4. 1989 Autoworks 500 Archived 2011-10-05 at the Wayback Machine information at Driver Averages
  5. 1989 Autoworks 500 controversy at Speedway Media
  6. 1989 Autoworks 500 racing information at Race-Database
  7. Qualifying information for the 1989 Autoworks 500 at Racing Reference
Preceded by
1989 AC Delco 500		 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Season
1989		 Succeeded by
1989 Atlanta Journal 500
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