1999 Checker Auto Parts/Dura Lube 500k
The 1999 Checker Auto Parts/Dura Lube 500k was the 32nd stock car race of the 1999 NASCAR Winston Cup Series and the 12th iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, November 7, 1999, before an audience of 78,000 in Avondale, Arizona at Phoenix International Raceway, a 1-mile (1.6 km) permanent low-banked tri-oval race track. The race took the scheduled 312 laps to complete. Joe Gibbs Racing driver Tony Stewart would manage to dominate the late stages of the race to take his second career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his second victory of the season.[1][2] To fill out the podium, Roush Racing driver Mark Martin and Joe Gibbs Racing driver Bobby Labonte would finish second and third, respectively.
| Race details | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 32 of 34 in the 1999 NASCAR Winston Cup Series | |||
 The 1999 Checker Auto Parts/Dura Lube 500k program cover. | |||
| Date | November 7, 1999 | ||
| Official name | 12th Annual Checker Auto Parts 500/Dura Lube 500k | ||
| Location | Avondale, Arizona, Phoenix International Raceway | ||
| Course |
Permanent racing facility 1 mi (1.6 km) | ||
| Distance | 312 laps, 312 mi (502.115 km) | ||
| Scheduled Distance | 312 laps, 312 mi (502.115 km) | ||
| Average speed | 118.132 miles per hour (190.115 km/h) | ||
| Attendance | 78,000 | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Petty Enterprises | ||
| Time | 27.126 | ||
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | |
| Laps | 154 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | |
| Television in the United States | |||
| Network | TNN | ||
| Announcers | Eli Gold, Buddy Baker, Dick Berggren | ||
| Radio in the United States | |||
| Radio | Motor Racing Network | ||
Background
Phoenix International Raceway – also known as PIR – is a one-mile, low-banked tri-oval race track located in Avondale, Arizona. It is named after the nearby metropolitan area of Phoenix. The motorsport track opened in 1964 and currently hosts two NASCAR race weekends annually. PIR has also hosted the IndyCar Series, CART, USAC and the Rolex Sports Car Series. The raceway is currently owned and operated by International Speedway Corporation.
The raceway was originally constructed with a 2.5 mi (4.0 km) road course that ran both inside and outside of the main tri-oval. In 1991 the track was reconfigured with the current 1.51 mi (2.43 km) interior layout. PIR has an estimated grandstand seating capacity of around 67,000. Lights were installed around the track in 2004 following the addition of a second annual NASCAR race weekend.
Entry list
- (R) denotes rookie driver.
Practice
First practice
The first practice session was held on Friday, November 5, at 10:30 AM MST. The session would last for one hour.[3] Joe Nemechek, driving for Team SABCO, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 27.245 and an average speed of 132.802 mph (213.724 km/h).[4]
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 42 | Joe Nemechek | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 27.245 | 132.134 |
| 2 | 33 | Ken Schrader | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 27.273 | 131.998 |
| 3 | 55 | Kenny Wallace | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 27.302 | 131.858 |
| Full first practice results | ||||||
Second practice
The second practice session was held on Friday, November 5 at 12:35 PM MST. The session would last for 40 minutes.[3] Geoff Bodine, driving for Joe Bessey Racing, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 27.203 and an average speed of 132.338 mph (212.977 km/h).[5]
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 60 | Geoff Bodine | Joe Bessey Racing | Chevrolet | 27.203 | 132.338 |
| 2 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 27.256 | 132.081 |
| 3 | 43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 27.265 | 132.037 |
| Full second practice results | ||||||
Third practice
The third practice session was held on Saturday, November 6, at 9:00 AM MST. The session would last for one hour. Tony Stewart, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 27.843 and an average speed of 129.296 mph (208.082 km/h).[3]
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 20 | Tony Stewart (R) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 27.843 | 129.296 |
| 2 | 43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 27.858 | 129.226 |
| 3 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | 27.936 | 128.865 |
| Full third practice results | ||||||
Final practice
The final practice session, sometimes referred to as Happy Hour, was held on Saturday, November 6, at 11:30 AM MST. The session would last for one hour.[3] Mark Martin, driving for Roush Racing, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 27.896 and an average speed of 129.050 mph (207.686 km/h).[6]
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 27.896 | 129.050 |
| 2 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 28.000 | 128.571 |
| 3 | 94 | Bill Elliott | Bill Elliott Racing | Ford | 28.019 | 128.484 |
| Full Happy Hour practice results | ||||||
Qualifying
Qualifying was split into two rounds. The first round was held on Friday, November 5, at 3:15 PM MST. Each driver would have one lap to set a time. During the first round, the top 25 drivers in the round would be guaranteed a starting spot in the race. If a driver was not able to guarantee a spot in the first round, they had the option to scrub their time from the first round and try and run a faster lap time in a second round qualifying run, held on Saturday, November 6, at 10:45 AM MST. As with the first round, each driver would have one lap to set a time.[3] Positions 26-36 would be decided on time, while positions 37-43 would be based on provisionals. Six spots are awarded by the use of provisionals based on owner's points. The seventh is awarded to a past champion who has not otherwise qualified for the race. If no past champion needs the provisional, the next team in the owner points will be awarded a provisional.[7]
John Andretti, driving for Petty Enterprises, would win the pole, setting a time of 27.126 and an average speed of 132.714 miles per hour (213.582 km/h).[8]
Mike Wallace was the only driver to fail to qualify.
Full qualifying results
Race results
| Fin[9] | St | # | Driver | Team | Make | Laps | Led | Status | Pts | Winnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11 | 20 | Tony Stewart (R) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 312 | 154 | running | 185 | $168,485 |
| 2 | 4 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 312 | 8 | running | 175 | $125,200 |
| 3 | 6 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 312 | 2 | running | 170 | $105,450 |
| 4 | 18 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | 312 | 0 | running | 160 | $90,535 |
| 5 | 7 | 10 | Ricky Rudd | Rudd Performance Motorsports | Ford | 312 | 0 | running | 155 | $86,240 |
| 6 | 5 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 312 | 50 | running | 155 | $82,475 |
| 7 | 10 | 44 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 312 | 0 | running | 146 | $61,425 |
| 8 | 1 | 43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 312 | 97 | running | 147 | $75,775 |
| 9 | 22 | 25 | Wally Dallenbach Jr. | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 312 | 0 | running | 138 | $55,850 |
| 10 | 2 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 312 | 0 | running | 134 | $78,465 |
| 11 | 14 | 3 | Dale Earnhardt | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 312 | 0 | running | 130 | $57,225 |
| 12 | 23 | 45 | David Green | Tyler Jet Motorsports | Pontiac | 311 | 0 | running | 127 | $43,775 |
| 13 | 37 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Pontiac | 311 | 0 | running | 124 | $52,375 |
| 14 | 8 | 33 | Ken Schrader | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 311 | 0 | running | 121 | $48,975 |
| 15 | 26 | 1 | Steve Park | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 311 | 1 | running | 123 | $47,650 |
| 16 | 39 | 97 | Chad Little | Roush Racing | Ford | 311 | 0 | running | 115 | $48,090 |
| 17 | 16 | 23 | Jimmy Spencer | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 311 | 0 | running | 112 | $45,650 |
| 18 | 12 | 55 | Kenny Wallace | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 311 | 0 | running | 109 | $38,925 |
| 19 | 15 | 42 | Joe Nemechek | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 311 | 0 | running | 106 | $45,025 |
| 20 | 13 | 31 | Mike Skinner | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 311 | 0 | running | 103 | $47,965 |
| 21 | 27 | 28 | Kenny Irwin Jr. | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 310 | 0 | running | 100 | $44,975 |
| 22 | 3 | 60 | Geoff Bodine | Joe Bessey Racing | Chevrolet | 310 | 0 | running | 97 | $37,650 |
| 23 | 17 | 4 | Bobby Hamilton | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | 310 | 0 | running | 94 | $47,925 |
| 24 | 38 | 16 | Kevin Lepage | Roush Racing | Ford | 310 | 0 | running | 91 | $44,275 |
| 25 | 20 | 30 | Todd Bodine | Bahari Racing | Pontiac | 310 | 0 | running | 88 | $33,650 |
| 26 | 30 | 66 | Darrell Waltrip | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 310 | 0 | running | 85 | $36,625 |
| 27 | 40 | 21 | Elliott Sadler (R) | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 310 | 0 | running | 82 | $43,700 |
| 28 | 29 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 310 | 0 | running | 79 | $48,275 |
| 29 | 34 | 75 | Ted Musgrave | Butch Mock Motorsports | Ford | 310 | 0 | running | 76 | $36,150 |
| 30 | 31 | 50 | Ricky Craven | Midwest Transit Racing | Chevrolet | 310 | 0 | running | 73 | $33,250 |
| 31 | 19 | 26 | Johnny Benson Jr. | Roush Racing | Ford | 309 | 0 | running | 70 | $42,400 |
| 32 | 9 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | 309 | 0 | running | 67 | $48,775 |
| 33 | 41 | 7 | Michael Waltrip | Mattei Motorsports | Chevrolet | 308 | 0 | running | 64 | $39,650 |
| 34 | 28 | 71 | Dave Marcis | Marcis Auto Racing | Chevrolet | 308 | 0 | running | 61 | $32,525 |
| 35 | 32 | 94 | Bill Elliott | Bill Elliott Racing | Ford | 308 | 0 | running | 58 | $39,400 |
| 36 | 21 | 98 | Rick Mast | Cale Yarborough Motorsports | Ford | 308 | 0 | running | 55 | $32,275 |
| 37 | 35 | 36 | Jerry Nadeau | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 308 | 0 | running | 52 | $39,150 |
| 38 | 33 | 77 | Robert Pressley | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | 307 | 0 | running | 49 | $32,025 |
| 39 | 42 | 9 | Stacy Compton | Melling Racing | Ford | 306 | 0 | running | 46 | $32,400 |
| 40 | 25 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 264 | 0 | running | 43 | $38,775 |
| 41 | 36 | 12 | Jeremy Mayfield | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | 260 | 0 | steering | 40 | $46,650 |
| 42 | 24 | 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | 251 | 0 | running | 37 | $38,525 |
| 43 | 43 | 41 | Derrike Cope | Larry Hedrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 202 | 0 | engine | 34 | $31,600 |
| Failed to qualify | ||||||||||
| 44 | 32 | Mike Wallace | Ultra Motorsports | Ford | ||||||
| Official race results | ||||||||||
References
- Poole, David (November 7, 1999). "Stewart relaxes all the way to Victory Lane". That's Racin'. The Charlotte Observer. Archived from the original on August 17, 2000. Retrieved August 30, 2022.
- "Stewart picks up second victory". The Montgomery Advertiser. November 8, 1999. p. 14. Retrieved August 30, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Jayski's Silly Season Site - 1999 Phoenix Race Info Page". Jayski's Silly Season Site. Archived from the original on August 23, 2000. Retrieved August 30, 2022.
- "Winston Cup practice speeds". That's Racin'. November 5, 1999. Archived from the original on August 17, 2000. Retrieved August 30, 2022.
- "2nd-session practice speeds". That's Racin'. November 5, 1999. Archived from the original on August 17, 2000. Retrieved August 30, 2022.
- "Happy Hour practice speeds". That's Racin'. November 6, 1999. Archived from the original on August 17, 2000. Retrieved August 30, 2022.
- "Jayski's Silly Season Site - 1999 Provisional Start Status". Jayski's Silly Season Site. Archived from the original on April 18, 1999. Retrieved August 9, 2022.
- Harris, Mike (November 5, 1999). "John Andretti wins pole with heavy heart". That's Racin'. Archived from the original on August 17, 2000. Retrieved August 30, 2022.
- "1999 Checker Auto Parts/Dura Lube 500 - The Third Turn". The Third Turn. Retrieved August 29, 2022.