1994 Winston Select 500
| Race details[1] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 9 of 31 in the 1994 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season | |||
 Layout of Talladega Superspeedway | |||
| Date | May 1, 1994 | ||
| Official name | Winston Select 500 | ||
| Location | Talladega Superspeedway, Talladega, Alabama | ||
| Course |
Permanent racing facility 2.660 mi (4.280 km) | ||
| Distance | 188 laps, 500.1 mi (804.8 km) | ||
| Weather | Warm with temperatures reaching up to 81.9 °F (27.7 °C); with wind speeds as fast as 9.9 miles per hour (15.9 km/h) | ||
| Average speed | 157.478 miles per hour (253.436 km/h) | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Yates Racing | ||
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Ernie Irvan | Yates Racing | |
| Laps | 78 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 3 | Dale Earnhardt | Richard Childress Racing | |
| Television in the United States | |||
| Network | ESPN | ||
| Announcers |
Bob Jenkins Benny Parsons Ned Jarrett | ||
The 1994 Winston Select 500 was held on May 1, 1994, at the Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, Alabama.
Background
Talladega Superspeedway, originally known as Alabama International Motor Superspeedway (AIMS), is a motorsports complex located north of Talladega, Alabama. It is located on the former Anniston Air Force Base in the small city of Lincoln. The track is a Tri-oval and was constructed by International Speedway Corporation, a business controlled by the France Family, in the 1960s. Talladega is most known for its steep banking and the unique location of the start/finish line - located just past the exit to pit road. The track currently hosts the NASCAR series such as the Sprint Cup Series, Xfinity Series, and the Camping World Truck Series. Talladega Superspeedway is the longest NASCAR oval with a length of 2.66 miles (4.28 km), and the track at its peak had a seating capacity of 175,000 spectators.[2]
Summary
Jeff Gordon was the most favored driver to enter this racing event just prior to the actual running.[3] However, he would not rack up his first victory until the 1994 Coca-Cola 600, where Gordon would be referred to by Dale Earnhardt as the "Wonder Boy".[4] It was the ninth race of the 1994 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season. During the race, scary crash occurred after halfway when Mark Martin's #6 car, without brakes, hit the inside retaining wall and crashed through two guardrails, through a catchfence and into a third guardrail.[5] He was only slightly injured.
At the end of this 190-minute race, Earnhardt would beat pole-sitter Ernie Irvan by less than 0.10 seconds. The strongly-favored Gordon would finish in 24th, finishing four laps behind the lead-lap vehicles.[5] Earnhardt would later dedicate his win to fallen Formula One driver Ayrton Senna, who died earlier in the day (European Time) at the San Marino Grand Prix while leading.
Winnings for this race varied from the winner's portion of $94,865 ($153,287.70 when considering inflation) to the last-place finisher's paycheck of $8,720 ($14,090.22 when considering inflation).[6]
Top ten results
- 3-Dale Earnhardt
- 28-Ernie Irvan
- 30-Michael Waltrip
- 27-Jimmy Spencer
- 25-Ken Schrader
- 77-Greg Sacks
- 15-Lake Speed
- 4-Sterling Marlin
- 21-Morgan Shepherd
- 29-Steve Grissom
Failed to qualify (Flippin' Burgers)
The term Flippin' Burgers was used during the ESPN coverage as a reference of the following drivers who failed to qualify:
- 31-Ward Burton
- 9-Rich Bickle
- 80-Jimmy Horton
- 89-Jim Sauter
- 0-Delma Cowart
- 53-Ritchie Petty
- 02-Ronnie Sanders
Standings after the race
| Pos | Driver | Points[5] |
|---|---|---|
1  |
Ernie Irvan | 1454 |
| 2 |
Dale Earnhardt | 1429 |
| 3 |
Mark Martin | 1227 |
4  |
Ken Schrader | 1211 |
| 5 |
Lake Speed | 1158 |
| 6 |
Morgan Shepherd | 1144 |
7  |
Rusty Wallace | 1135 |
| 8 |
Sterling Marlin | 1098 |
| 9 |
Ricky Rudd | 1094 |
| 10 |
Kyle Petty | 1074 |
References
- ↑ "1994 Winston Select 500 weather information". The Old Farmers' Almanac. Retrieved 2013-06-10.
- ↑ "Track Facts". talladegasuperspeedway.com. Talladega Superspeedway. November 1, 2012. Archived from the original on November 1, 2012. Retrieved April 27, 2015.
- ↑ "Jeff Gordon is ready for the second time at 1994 Winston Select 400". Google News Archive. Retrieved 2013-06-10.
- ↑ "Jeff Gordon's First Victory". Motor Racing Network. Retrieved 2015-01-25.
- 1 2 3 "1994 Winston Select 500 racing information". Racing Reference. Retrieved 2013-06-10.
- ↑ "1994 Winston Select 500 prize purse information". Driver Averages. Retrieved 2013-06-10.
| Preceded by 1994 Hanes 500 |
NASCAR Winston Cup Series Season 1994 |
Succeeded by 1994 Save Mart Supermarkets 300 |