1999 Pepsi 400 presented by Meijer
The 1999 Pepsi 400 presented by Meijer was a NASCAR Winston Cup Series race that took place on August 22, 1999, at Michigan Speedway in Brooklyn, Michigan. This was the twenty-second race in the 1999 NASCAR Winston Cup Series schedule.
| Race details | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 22 of 34 in the 1999 NASCAR Winston Cup Series | |||
| Date | August 22, 1999 | ||
| Location |
Michigan Speedway, Brooklyn, Michigan, U.S. | ||
| Course | 2.0 mi (3.219 km) | ||
| Distance | 200 laps, 400 mi (643.738 km) | ||
| Average speed | 144.332 miles per hour (232.280 km/h) | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Bill Davis Racing | ||
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | |
| Laps | 73 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | |
| Television in the United States | |||
| Network | ESPN | ||
| Announcers | Bob Jenkins, Benny Parsons, and Ned Jarrett | ||
Background
The Michigan Speedway is a 2-mile tri-oval built in 1969. The frontstretch is 3,600 feet while the backstretch is 2,242 feet. The track features 18 degrees in the corners, 12 degrees in the frontstretch, and 5 degrees in the backstretch.[1]
Ernie Irvan suffered head and lung injuries in a Busch Series practice session the previous day[2]. His #36 M&Ms Pontiac was relieved by Dick Trickle for this race. Ernie would later announce his retirement from racing two weeks later.[2]
Future 2000 Winston Cup rookies and then-Busch Series championship contenders Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Matt Kenseth made one of their pre-rookie season starts in this race.
Failed to qualify: Derrike Cope (#30), Stanton Barrett (#90), Darrell Waltrip (#66), Brett Bodine (#11), Tom Hubert (#19)[3]
Race Report
The race was very competitive with 24 lead changes among 11 drivers. Many underdog drivers ran very well throughout the race, including Chad Little, Jimmy Spencer, and the underfunded Hut Stricklin in the unsponsored SBIII Motorsports Ford. It was the only top 10 for the SBIII team.
The final 20 laps featured a fierce battle between the sport's then-current stars of Bobby Labonte, Dale Earnhardt, Tony Stewart, Dale Jarrett, and Jeff Gordon. At the end, it was Bobby Labonte who prevailed with his third win at Michigan and fourth of the 1999 season.
Timeline
- Start: Ward Burton leads the field to the green flag.
- Lap 48: First caution is out for debris on pit road. The outside pole-sitter Mike Skinner broke a pinion gear while trying to leave his pit box during the first caution flag stop of the day.
- Lap 54: The pole-sitter Ward Burton got loose underneath Bobby Labonte and crashed hard into turn 3, causing the second caution.
- Lap 130: Robert Pressley crashed in turn 4, causing the third caution.
- Lap 141: Metal debris spotted in turn 1 causes the fourth caution.
- Lap 150: Dick Trickle, Ricky Rudd, and Kevin Lepage crashed in the frontstretch, causing the fifth caution.
- Lap 163: Tony Stewart made a move on Jeff Burton, made contact when coming up the track on the frontstretch, and sent Jeff Burton into the wall, causing the sixth caution.
- Lap 184: Bobby Labonte took the lead for the final time after a fierce battle with Dale Earnhardt and Jeff Gordon.
- Lap 200: Bobby Labonte takes the checkered flag.
Top 10 Finishers
| Pos | Grid | No. | Driver | Team | Manufacturer | Laps | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 19 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 200 | 180 |
| 2 | 9 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 200 | 180 |
| 3 | 37 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 200 | 170 |
| 4 | 3 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 200 | 165 |
| 5 | 38 | 3 | Dale Earnhardt | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 200 | 160 |
| 6 | 16 | 97 | Chad Little | Roush Racing | Ford | 200 | 150 |
| 7 | 7 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 200 | 151 |
| 8 | 36 | 23 | Jimmy Spencer | Travis Carter Enterprises | Ford | 200 | 142 |
| 9 | 13 | 58 | Hut Stricklin | SBIII Motorsports | Ford | 200 | 138 |
| 10 | 8 | 43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 200 | 134 |
Post-Race Championship Standings
| Pos | Driver | Points | Differential |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dale Jarrett | 3524 | -- |
| 2 | Mark Martin | 3210 | - 314 |
| 3 | Bobby Labonte | 3177 | - 347 |
| 4 | Jeff Gordon | 3057 | - 467 |
| 5 | Tony Stewart | 3031 | - 493 |
| 6 | Jeff Burton | 2995 | - 529 |
| 7 | Dale Earnhardt | 2864 | - 660 |
| 8 | Rusty Wallace | 2626 | - 898 |
| 9 | Terry Labonte | 2593 | - 931 |
| 10 | Mike Skinner | 2566 | - 958 |
References
- 1999 Pepsi 400 Presented by Meijer, retrieved 2020-05-30
- ""Irvan Retires from Winston Racing"". Washington Post. September 3, 1999. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
- "08/22/1999 race: Pepsi 400 Presented by Meijer (Cup) - Racing-Reference.info". www.racing-reference.info. Retrieved 2020-05-30.
- "08/22/1999 race: Pepsi 400 Presented by Meijer (Cup) - Racing-Reference.info". www.racing-reference.info. Retrieved 2020-05-30.
| Preceded by 1999 Frontier at the Glen
|
NASCAR Winston Cup Series 1999
|
Succeeded by 1999 Goody's Headache Powder 500 |