2000 Pennzoil 400
| Race details | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 33 of 34 in the 2000 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season | |||
 Homestead-Miami Speedway | |||
| Date | November 12, 2000 | ||
| Location | Homestead Miami Speedway (Homestead, Florida) | ||
| Course | Permanent racing facility 1.5 mi (2.4 km) | ||
| Distance | 267 laps, 400.5 mi (644.52 km) | ||
| Weather | Temperatures reaching up to 80.6 °F (27.0 °C); wind speeds up to 7 miles per hour (11 km/h)[1] | ||
| Average speed | 127.48 miles per hour (205.16 km/h) | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Steve Park | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | |
| Time | 34.518 | ||
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | |
| Laps | 155 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 20 |
Tony Stewart |
Joe Gibbs Racing | |
| Television in the United States | |||
| Network | NBC | ||
| Announcers | Allen Bestwick Benny Parsons | ||
The 2000 Pennzoil 400 was a NASCAR Winston Cup event that occurred on November 12, 2000. The race is known for Bobby Labonte clinching his first Winston Cup title. Tony Stewart won the race, leading 166 of the 267 laps run. Steve Park was on the Pole. This event was the 2nd Winston Cup event that was covered on NBC.
Lasting for three hours and eight minutes, the race would be slowed down four times for a duration of 25 laps; or 9% of the total race. The average green flag duration was slightly more than 48 laps. Six drivers were involved in terminal crashes; including last-place finisher Scott Pruett. Eight drivers failed to qualify for this race; including Kyle Petty. Morgan Shepherd withdrew from the race even though he had a good chance of qualifying.[2]
More than 75,000 people would pay the prevailing ticket prices in order to see a fast-paced race that would bring Joe Gibbs Racing into superstardom. The tense atmosphere of the race required the patience of an American football coach; especially when game plans start to go awry.[3] The winner would receive a rather large sum of $291,325 ($398,960.44 when adjusted for inflation) while the last-place finisher was lucky enough to walk away with $33,375 ($45,706.01 when adjusted for inflation).[2]
Top ten finishers
- 20-Tony Stewart
- 12-Jeremy Mayfield
- 6-Mark Martin
- 18-Bobby Labonte
- 26-Jimmy Spencer
- 28-Ricky Rudd
- 24-Jeff Gordon, 1 lap down
- 1-Steve Park, 1 lap down
- 93-Dave Blaney, 2 laps down
- 19-Casey Atwood, 2 laps down
Timeline
- Start of race: Steve Park started the race as the pole position driver
- Lap 23: Andy Houston and Scott Pruett were jointly involved in a terminal crash; forcing them out of the race
- Lap 26: Caution flag due to a two-car accident; ended on lap 31
- Lap 31: Ward Burton, Mike Bliss and Geoffrey Bodine were jointly involved in a terminal crash; knocking them out the event prematurely
- Lap 33: Caution flag due to a four-car accident; ended on lap 39
- Lap 58: Stacy Compton's vehicle suffered from a terminal crash; ending his weekend on the track
- Lap 78: John Andretti's vehicle developed major engine issues
- Lap 94: The handling on Darrell Waltrip's vehicle became problematic; ending his day on the track
- Lap 210: Caution due to debris; ended on lap 218
- Lap 224: Caution due to debris; ended on lap 226
- Finish: Tony Stewart won the race after two accidents and two cautions for debris
Standings after the race
| Pos | Driver | Points[2] |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bobby Labonte | 4970 |
| 2 | Jeff Burton | 4714 |
| 3 | Dale Earnhardt | 4690 |
| 4 | Dale Jarrett | 4561 |
| 5 | Tony Stewart | 4521 |
References
- ↑ Weather information at The Old Farmers Almanac
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Complete race information for the 2000 Pennzoil 400 at Racing Reference
- ↑ Racing to Win: Establish Your Gameplan for Success at Google Books