1989 Heinz Southern 500
The 1989 Heinz Southern 500, the 40th running of the event, was a NASCAR Winston Cup Series race held on September 3, 1989 at Darlington Raceway in Darlington, South Carolina.
| Race details | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 21 of 29 in the 1989 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season | |||
| Date | September 3, 1989 | ||
| Official name | Heinz Southern 500 | ||
| Location | Darlington Raceway, Darlington County, South Carolina | ||
| Course |
Permanent racing facility 1.366 mi (2.198 km) | ||
| Distance | 367 laps, 501.322 mi (806.800 km) | ||
| Weather | Hot with temperatures reaching up to 93 °F (34 °C); wind speeds up to 19.38 miles per hour (31.19 km/h)[1] | ||
| Average speed | 135.462 miles per hour (218.005 km/h) | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | AK Racing | ||
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Dale Earnhardt | Richard Childress Racing | |
| Laps | 153 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 3 | Dale Earnhardt | Richard Childress Racing | |
| Television in the United States | |||
| Network | ESPN | ||
| Announcers | Bob Jenkins, Ned Jarrett and Gary Nelson | ||
Summary
Contested over 367 laps on the 1.366 mile (2.198 km) speedway, it was the 21st race of the 1989 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season. Dale Earnhardt of Richard Childress Racing won the race.
James Hylton blew his vehicle's engine on lap 13. Greg Sacks inflicted terminal vehicle damage on lap 20 while Jimmy Spencer did the identical thing on lap 80. J.D. McDuffie's vehicle had engine problems on lap 90 followed by Richard Petty on lap 91. Terry Labonte's vehicle would have a non-functioning engine on lap 167 while Alan Kulwicki's engine stopped working on lap 184.[2]
John McFadden's vehicle gave off some nasty vibrations; forcing him off the track on lap 221 while water pump issues would relegate Joe Ruttman to the sidelines on lap 224. The engine on Larry Pearson's vehicle stopped functioning on lap 225 while Dave Marcis did terminal vehicle damage on lap 286. The last DNF of the race would involve Jimmy Means blowing up his vehicle's engine on lap 309.[2]
Darrell Waltrip's chances at winning the Winston Million went south when he hit the wall.[2]
Top ten results
| Pos | No. | Driver | Team | Manufacturer | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | Dale Earnhardt | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 153 |
| 2 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 0 |
| 3 | 26 | Ricky Rudd | King Racing | Buick | 0 |
| 4 | 27 | Rusty Wallace | Blue Max Racing | Pontiac | 94 |
| 5 | 25 | Ken Schrader | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 5 |
| 6 | 33 | Harry Gant | Leo Jackson Motorsports | Oldsmobile | 83 |
| 7 | 9 | Bill Elliott | Melling Racing | Ford | 4 |
| 8 | 8 | Bobby Hillin Jr. | Stavola Brothers Racing | Buick | 0 |
| 9 | 75 | Morgan Shepherd | RahMoc Enterprises | Pontiac | 0 |
| 10 | 94 | Sterling Marlin | Hagan Racing | Oldsmobile | 1 |
Race statistics
- Time of race: 3:42:03
- Average Speed: 135.462 miles per hour (218.005 km/h)
- Pole Speed: 160.156 miles per hour (257.746 km/h)
- Cautions: 4 for 24 laps
- Margin of Victory: 1.5 sec
- Lead changes: 26
- Percent of race run under caution: 6.5%
- Average green flag run: 68.6 laps
References
- Weather information for the 1989 Heinz Southern 500 at The Old Farmer's Almanac
- Race information at Racing Reference