1999 Dura Lube/Kmart 300
The 1999 Dura Lube/Kmart 300 was the 26th stock car race of the 1999 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season and the third iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, September 19, 1999, in Loudon, New Hampshire, at New Hampshire International Speedway, a 1.058-mile (1.703 km) permanent, oval-shaped, low-banked racetrack. The race took the scheduled 300 laps to complete. Within the final laps of the race, Team SABCO driver Joe Nemechek would manage to fend off eventual second-place finisher, Joe Gibbs Racing driver Tony Stewart when a caution with three to go would come to end the race under caution. The win was Nemechek's first career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his only win of the season.[1][2] To fill out the podium, Joe Gibbs Racing driver Bobby Labonte would finish third.
| Race details | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 26 of 34 in the 1999 NASCAR Winston Cup Series | |||
 The 1999 Dura Lube/Kmart 300 program cover. | |||
| Date | September 19, 1999 | ||
| Official name | Third Annual Dura Lube/Kmart 300 | ||
| Location | Loudon, New Hampshire, New Hampshire International Speedway | ||
| Course |
Permanent racing facility 1.058 mi (1.703 km) | ||
| Distance | 300 laps, 317.4 mi (510.805 km) | ||
| Scheduled Distance | 300 laps, 317.4 mi (510.805 km) | ||
| Average speed | 100.673 miles per hour (162.017 km/h) | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | ||
| Time | 29.339 | ||
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Rusty Wallace | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | |
| Laps | 84 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 42 | Joe Nemechek | Team SABCO | |
| Television in the United States | |||
| Network | TNN | ||
| Announcers | Eli Gold, Dick Berggren, Buddy Baker | ||
| Radio in the United States | |||
| Radio | Motor Racing Network | ||
Background
New Hampshire International Speedway is a 1.058-mile (1.703 km) oval speedway located in Loudon, New Hampshire which has hosted NASCAR racing annually since the early 1990s, as well as an IndyCar weekend and the oldest motorcycle race in North America, the Loudon Classic. Nicknamed "The Magic Mile", the speedway is often converted into a 1.6-mile (2.6 km) road course, which includes much of the oval. The track was originally the site of Bryar Motorsports Park before being purchased and redeveloped by Bob Bahre. The track is currently one of eight major NASCAR tracks owned and operated by Speedway Motorsports.
Entry list
- (R) denotes rookie driver.
Practice
Originally, three practice sessions were scheduled to be held, with one on Friday, September 17 and two on Saturday, September 18. However, due to inclement rain from Hurricane Floyd on Friday, the lone Friday session was cancelled.[3]
First practice
The first practice session was held on Saturday, September 18, at 8:30 AM EST. The session would last for two hours. Rusty Wallace, driving for Penske-Kranefuss Racing, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 29.323 and an average speed of 129.891 mph (209.039 km/h).[4]
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | 29.323 | 129.891 |
| 2 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 29.381 | 129.634 |
| 3 | 26 | Johnny Benson Jr. | Roush Racing | Ford | 29.412 | 129.498 |
| Full first practice results | ||||||
Final practice
The final practice session, sometimes referred to as Happy Hour, was held on Saturday, September 18, after the preliminary 1999 New Hampshire 100. The session would last for one hour.[4] Joe Nemechek, driving for Team SABCO, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 29.585 and an average speed of 128.740 mph (207.187 km/h).[5]
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 42 | Joe Nemechek | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 29.585 | 128.740 |
| 2 | 20 | Tony Stewart (R) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 29.595 | 128.697 |
| 3 | 55 | Kenny Wallace | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 29.599 | 128.680 |
| Full Happy Hour practice results | ||||||
Qualifying
Qualifying was scheduled to be split into two rounds, with the first round being held on Friday, September 17, and the second round on Saturday, September 18. However, due to inclement rain from Hurricane Floyd on Friday, the first round of qualifying was cancelled, leaving only one round of qualifying run on Saturday.[3]
Qualifying was held on Saturday, September 18, at 11:00 AM EST.[6] Each driver would have one lap to set a time.[4]
Rusty Wallace, driving for Penske-Kranefuss Racing, would win the pole, setting a time of 29.339 and an average speed of 129.820 miles per hour (208.925 km/h).[7]
Four drivers would fail to qualify: Darrell Waltrip, Derrike Cope, Dick Trickle, and Andy Belmont.
Full qualifying results
Race results
References
- Poole, David (September 19, 1999). "Nemechek thrilled to find Victory Lane". That's Racin'. The Charlotte Observer. Archived from the original on August 17, 2000. Retrieved August 24, 2022.
- "Nemechek's first NASCAR win is a long time coming". Courier-Post. September 20, 1999. p. 38. Retrieved August 24, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- Brinster, Dick (September 17, 1999). "NASCAR gets a final blast from Floyd". That's Racin'. Archived from the original on August 17, 2000. Retrieved August 24, 2022.
- "Jayski's Silly Season Site - 1999 New Hampshire 2 Race Info Page". Jayski's Silly Season Site. Archived from the original on January 11, 2001. Retrieved August 24, 2022.
- "Happy Hour practice speeds". That's Racin'. September 18, 1999. Archived from the original on August 17, 2000. Retrieved August 24, 2022.
- Utter, Jim (September 17, 1999). "Cup teams get unscheduled day off". That's Racin'. The Charlotte Observer. Archived from the original on August 17, 2000. Retrieved August 24, 2022.
- Brinster, Dick (September 18, 1999). "Wallace fastest all day". That's Racin'. Archived from the original on August 17, 2000. Retrieved August 24, 2022.
- "1999 Dura Lube/Kmart 300 - The Third Turn". The Third Turn. Retrieved August 23, 2022.