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Steve Park started on the pole. It was Park's first NASCAR Winston Cup Series pole of his career. The race went green and Park grabbed the lead, but the race would go a single lap before the first caution waved on lap 2. Dale Earnhardt Sr. bumped Elliott Sadler in turn 1. Sadler went around and slid towards the outside wall. The field stacked up behind him and Joe Nemechek bumped Dale Earnhardt Jr. Junior made slight contact with the outside wall along with Sadler. Both drivers had damage, but they would be able to continue on after some repair work. Since it was early in the event, none of the drivers came down pit road. The race went back green and Steve Park was able to hold onto the lead. He drove away from the field as Jeff Gordon moved into second place ahead of Kenny Wallace. Gordon held station in second with Park leading as the second caution of the race waved on lap 40. Matt Kenseth bumped Robby Gordon entering turn 3. Gordon slid around and slammed the outside wall. Bobby Labonte bumped Dale Earnhardt Sr. in the stack up and Earnhardt went around, but he drove away with little damage. Gordon also drove away, but he had heavy damage. This caution led to the first pit stops of the race and a little bit of strategy as well. Ward Burton, Michael Waltrip, and others took two tires while the rest of the drivers took four tires. This left Burton out front on strategy and it would be interesting to see if he remained there.
The race went back green and Burton held onto the lead he had gained during the stops. He would only hold the lead a few laps as Jeff Gordon took it away on lap 51. Gordon began to drive away from the field just as Tony Stewart began to encounter a problem on lap 70. Stewart came down to the attention of his pit crew. His car had started to overheat and too much overheating would cause the engine to blow up. The crew began trying to figure out the problem as the leaders continued to fly by on track. Eventually, the team pushed his car behind the wall, but the problem was too much to return to the race and Stewart would settle with a terrible finish. The race stayed calm after Stewart's problems with Jeff Gordon continuing to lead. Laps clicked by until Gordon's advantage over the field was taken away with the third caution of the race on lap 141. Elliott Sadler got into the wall in turn 4. He drove away from the scene of the accident, but he had even more damage along with the damage from his previous wreck. The drivers had went enough laps to come down pit road once again. All the drivers took four tires with Jeff Gordon coming out as the leader. The race went back green and Gordon was able to hold onto the lead. He began to drive away from the field just after the restart, but Dale Earnhardt Sr. caught up to him and passed him for the lead on lap 205. Earnhardt looked like he had recovered from earlier spins and problems, but they were just beginning.
Shortly after Earnhardt took the lead, Matt Kenseth bumped Kenny Irwin Jr. in turn 4. Irwin made contact with the outside wall and slid down the track. Dale Earnhardt Sr., who was still leading, hit Irwin as he tried to sneak by and slammed the outside wall. Both drivers drove away, but Earnhardt had heavy right side damage and he would have to report to the garage for repairs. This resulted in the fourth caution of the race on lap 208. This put Jeremy Mayfield in charge of the field, but pit stops still had to occur. All the drivers came down for four tires with Jeff Gordon coming out as the leader. The race went back green and Gordon could not stay there as Jeremy Mayfield took the lead. Mayfield drove away from the field and looked to be in complete control. He ran every lap to seeming perfection, but his advantage was taken away with the fifth caution on lap 303. Wally Dallenbach made contact with Jeff Fuller in turn 4. Fuller went for a slide, but he was able to keep his car off the inside wall and continue on. Dallenbach went around as well, but he missed the inside wall and continued on. Brett Bodine also spun in the stack up, but he did not receive damage and continued on as well. The drivers had ran enough laps to pit and the stops began. All the drivers pitted for four tires with Jeff Gordon coming out as the leader. Only about two hundred laps remained in the event, but they were sure to be just as crazy as the first three hundred.
The race went back green and Jeff Gordon held onto the lead. Gordon ran away from the field like he had done most of the afternoon until the sixth caution of the race waved on lap 362. Robby Gordon got loose in turn 1 and went around. He went up the track and slammed the outside wall. Gordon was able to drive away from the accident scene, but he had heavy damage. Once again, pit stops were to occur on track. All the drivers took four tires with Jeff Gordon once again coming out as the leader. The race went back green and Jeremy Mayfield was able to take the lead away from Gordon. Mayfield started to run away from the field just as the seventh caution of the race waved on lap 386. Sterling Marlin bumped Jeff Fuller exiting turn 4. Fuller went around and slammed the outside wall. He was able to drive away from the scene, but with heavy damage. The craziest and most race changing set of pit stops occurred during the caution. Matt Kenseth along with a few others took two tires and the rest of the leaders took four tires with Jeremy Mayfield coming out as the leader. But that didn't finish the stops. Jeff Gordon, who came out second, had a problem on pit road. While exiting, he hit Steve Park's tire and received some heavy front fender damage. The damage forced Gordon to come back down pit road for repairs a lap later. His crew fixed the damage and he returned to the lead lap, but he had lost all track position he had. Now, with a few of the race contenders practically eliminated from the win, it would be any driver's race to win.
The race went back green and Jeremy Mayfield held the lead he had inherited during the stops. Mayfield drove away from the field a little bit, but he had Penske Racing teammate, Rusty Wallace, right behind him. He eventually let Wallace past on lap 404 for the lead. Wallace held the lead away from the field until the eighth caution of the race waved on lap 413. Joe Nemechek went high in turn 4. He came down the track and Dale Earnhardt Jr. slowed while trying to avoid. Brett Bodine made contact with Earnhardt and sent him towards the outside wall. Junior slammed the outside wall and went back down the track towards the inside wall. He piled into the inside wall and rolled to a stop. Earnhardt's car was too damaged to return, but he climbed out okay. The final pit stops of the race occurred during the caution. Ward Burton, Sterling Marlin, and others took two tires while the rest of the leaders took four tries. This handed the lead to Ward Burton and he would look to capitalize on good field position.
The race went back green and Dale Jarrett took the lead from Ward Burton. Jarrett began to sneak away from the field a little bit, but Rusty Wallace passed him for the lead on lap 424. Wallace held onto the lead until the ninth caution of the race waved on lap 436. Jeff Fuller lost a tire in turn 2. He went up the track and slammed the outside wall. Behind him, Mark Martin spun while trying to avoid the accident. Martin slid down the track, but came to a stop before he could hit the inside wall. Both drivers drove away and were able to continue on in the race. None of the drivers came to pit road and the race went back green with Rusty Wallace holding onto the lead. Wallace began to drive away from the field a little bit before the tenth caution of the race waved on lap 449. Debris was spotted on the backstretch of the track. None of the drivers came down to pit and the race went back green with Rusty Wallace holding onto the lead. The race went a few more laps before the eleventh and final caution of the race waved on lap 465. John Andretti made contact with Dave Blaney in turn 1. Blaney made contact with the outside wall while Andretti slid down the track. Rick Mast had nowhere to go and piled into Andretti's driver side door. Both cars slid to a stop while Blaney drove away from the accident scene. Fortunately, both drivers climbed out safe and sound from their cars, but their cars were absolutely destroyed. None of the leaders came down pit road to get new tires. Now, the final run to the checkered flag was set up and it would be interesting to see who walked away with the victory.
The race went back green and Rusty Wallace held onto the lead. Behind him, Dale Jarrett began to fall way back in the field. Others began to battle hard for spots in the top 10 looking to make their way up to Wallace's lead. Johnny Benson also began to move up in the running order and finally made it to second with about twenty laps to go. All this did not affect Rusty Wallace as the laps clicked by. Soon, only ten remained and it looked like Wallace was in control. Lap 495 clicked on the board and Wallace still remained the dominator of the final section of the event. Wallace cruised to the white flag with Benson still charging in second. He hit his marks through all four turns and took the checkered flag for the eighth time at Bristol and the fiftieth time in his Winston Cup career. It was a very deserved and historic victory for Wallace and one that set him apart as one of the better drivers to race in the history of the sport.
When we speak of greatness at Bristol, Rusty Wallace is definitely one name that is mentioned. This win was his eighth at the track and he was only four shy of overtaking Darrell Waltrip as the greatest to ever drive the half mile short track in Tennessee. Along with greatness at Bristol, you could say Wallace is a great for other reasons. Fifty wins is a definite milestone and one few drivers reach in their careers, but Wallace was able to do it. Also, he was able to win the NASCAR Winston Cup championship in 1989. In fact, NASCAR and its Hall of Fame voters felt he was great in his career and he was made a member of the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2013. It just speaks volumes about how much Rusty meant to the sport of NASCAR. It was a rare off day for some drivers. Dale Earnhardt Sr. fell a good many laps down after receiving damage in a wreck in the middle of the race. Tony Stewart had engine problems really early in the event and did not return. But it was also a rare good day for some others. Johnny Benson ran great all day and sneaked into second place late. Michael Waltrip stayed on the lead lap all day and walked away with a decent eleventh place finish. Along with these drivers, some points contenders also had great days. Bobby Labonte stayed up front most of the day and finished sixth while Ward Burton ran up front all day and walked away with a third place finish. Bobby Labonte held onto the points lead, but it was still very early in the 2000 season. The seventh race of the 2000 season is not in full on YouTube, but the eighth of the season at Martinsville is. Will Bobby Labonte hold his advantage at the paperclip, will Rusty Wallace continue the momentum in 2000, or will another driver make a big splash early in the season? We will have to wait until the next installment of “Flashback Friday” to find out.
(More Stats Down Below!)
Cautions:
1st Caution: Lap 2- Dale Earnhardt Sr. bumped Elliott Sadler in turn 1 and Sadler went up towards the wall. Joe Nemechek bumped Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the stack up and sent Earnhardt into Sadler.
2nd Caution: Lap 40- Matt Kenseth bumped Robby Gordon entering turn 3 and sent Gordon into the outside wall. Bobby Labonte bumped Dale Earnhardt Sr. and sent him around in the stack up.
3rd Caution: Lap 141- Elliott Sadler got into the wall in turn 4.
4th Caution: Lap 208- Matt Kenseth bumped Kenny Irwin Jr. in turn 4. Irwin slid down the track and made slight contact with Dale Earnhardt Sr., who was leading, and Earnhardt slammed the outside wall.
5th Caution: Lap 303- Wally Dallenbach made contact with Jeff Fuller in turn 4 and both drivers went around without hitting the inside wall. Brett Bodine also went around in the stack up.
6th Caution: Lap 362- Robby Gordon went around in turn 1 and slammed the outside wall.
7th Caution: Lap 386- Sterling Marlin bumped Jeff Fuller in turn 4 and Fuller slammed the outside wall.
8th Caution: Lap 413- Joe Nemechek went high in turn 4 and came down the track. Dale Earnhardt Jr. slowed to avoid and Brett Bodine sent him around. Earnhardt hit the outside wall and inside wall before rolling to a stop.
9th Caution: Lap 436- Jeff Fuller lost a tire in turn 2 and slammed the outside wall. Mark Martin spun in the stack up behind the incident.
10th Caution: Lap 449- Debris was spotted on the backstretch of the track.
11th Caution: Lap 465- John Andretti made contact with Dave Blaney in turn 1. Blaney hit the outside wall while Andretti slid down track. Rick Mast piled into Andretti's driver side door and both rolled to a stop on the apron. Both drivers jumped out okay.
Top 5 Finishers:
1st: Rusty Wallace
2nd: Johnny Benson
3rd: Ward Burton
4th: Jeremy Mayfield
5th: Terry Labonte
Notables Not in Top 5:
6th: Bobby Labonte
8th: Jeff Gordon
9th: Jeff Burton
12th: Matt Kenseth
16th: Mark Martin
36th: Bill Elliott
38th: Dale Earnhardt Jr.
39th: Dale Earnhardt Sr.
42nd: Tony Stewart
Credits:
-My Own Notes
-Special thanks to TheRacingJungle for the full race on YouTube. If you guys want to check out this race, here is the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4ekh59sFIA
-Statistics:
http://www.racing-reference.info/race/2000_Food_City_500/W
-Image:
http://gregb41.tripod.com//sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/06_food_city500_winner.jpg
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