1990 Motorcraft Quality Parts 500

The 1990 Motorcraft Quality Parts 500 was the fourth stock car race of the 1990 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season and the 31st iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, March 18, 1990, before an audience of 45,000 in Hampton, Georgia, at Atlanta International Raceway, a 1.522 miles (2.449 km) permanent asphalt quad-oval intermediate speedway. The race took the scheduled 328 laps to complete. On the final restart with two laps in the race, Richard Childress Racing driver Dale Earnhardt would manage to make a late-race charge to the lead, coming back from a poor final pit stop to take his 40th career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his first victory of the season.[1][2][3][4] To fill out the top three, Bud Moore Engineering driver Morgan Shepherd and Morgan–McClure Motorsports driver Ernie Irvan would finish second and third, respectively.

1990 Motorcraft Quality Parts 500
Race details
Race 4 of 29 in the 1990 NASCAR Winston Cup Series
The 1990 Motorcraft Quality Parts 500 program cover, featuring Morgan Shepherd.
The 1990 Motorcraft Quality Parts 500 program cover, featuring Morgan Shepherd.
Date March 18, 1990
Official name 31st Annual Motorcraft Quality Parts 500
Location Hampton, Georgia, Atlanta International Raceway
Course Permanent racing facility
1.522 mi (2.449 km)
Distance 328 laps, 499.216 mi (803.41 km)
Scheduled Distance 328 laps, 499.216 mi (803.41 km)
Average speed 156.849 miles per hour (252.424 km/h)
Attendance 45,000
Pole position
Driver Richard Childress Racing
Time Set by 1990 owner's points
Most laps led
Driver Dale Earnhardt Richard Childress Racing
Laps 216
Winner
No. 3 Dale Earnhardt Richard Childress Racing
Television in the United States
Network ABC
Announcers Paul Page, Benny Parsons, Bobby Unser
Radio in the United States
Radio Motor Racing Network

Background

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The layout of Atlanta Motor Raceway, the circuit where the race was held.

Atlanta Motor Speedway (formerly Atlanta International Raceway) is a 1.522-mile race track in Hampton, Georgia, United States, 20 miles (32 km) south of Atlanta. It has annually hosted NASCAR Winston Cup Series stock car races since its inauguration in 1960.

The venue was bought by Speedway Motorsports in 1990. In 1994, 46 condominiums were built over the northeastern side of the track. In 1997, to standardize the track with Speedway Motorsports' other two intermediate ovals, the entire track was almost completely rebuilt. The frontstretch and backstretch were swapped, and the configuration of the track was changed from oval to quad-oval, with a new official length of 1.54-mile (2.48 km) where before it was 1.522-mile (2.449 km). The project made the track one of the fastest on the NASCAR circuit.

Entry list

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  • (R) - denotes rookie driver.
# Driver Team Make Sponsor
1 Terry Labonte Precision Products Racing Oldsmobile Skoal
01 Mickey Gibbs Gibbs Racing Ford Special Days Inn
2 Rick Mast U.S. Racing Pontiac U.S. Racing
3 Dale Earnhardt Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet GM Goodwrench Service Plus
4 Ernie Irvan Morgan–McClure Motorsports Oldsmobile Kodak
5 Ricky Rudd Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Levi Garrett
6 Mark Martin Roush Racing Ford Folgers
7 Alan Kulwicki AK Racing Ford Zerex
8 Bobby Hillin Jr. Stavola Brothers Racing Buick Snickers
9 Bill Elliott Melling Racing Ford Coors Light
10 Derrike Cope Whitcomb Racing Chevrolet Purolator Filters
11 Geoff Bodine Junior Johnson & Associates Ford Budweiser
12 Mike Alexander Bobby Allison Motorsports Buick Raybestos
14 A. J. Foyt A. J. Foyt Racing Oldsmobile Copenhagen
15 Morgan Shepherd Bud Moore Engineering Ford Motorcraft
16 Larry Pearson Pearson Racing Buick Country Music TV
17 Darrell Waltrip Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Tide
18 Hut Stricklin TriStar Motorsports Pontiac TriStar Motorsports
19 Chad Little Little Racing Ford Bull's-Eye Barbecue Sauce
20 Rob Moroso (R) Moroso Racing Oldsmobile Crown Central Petroleum
21 Neil Bonnett Wood Brothers Racing Ford Citgo
25 Ken Schrader Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Kodiak
26 Brett Bodine King Racing Buick Quaker State
27 Rusty Wallace Blue Max Racing Pontiac Miller Genuine Draft
28 Davey Allison Robert Yates Racing Ford Texaco, Havoline
30 Michael Waltrip Bahari Racing Pontiac Country Time
33 Harry Gant Leo Jackson Motorsports Oldsmobile Skoal Bandit
36 H. B. Bailey Bailey Racing Pontiac Almeda Auto Parts
42 Kyle Petty SABCO Racing Pontiac Peak Antifreeze
43 Richard Petty Petty Enterprises Pontiac STP
46 Greg Sacks Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Superflo Motor Oil
47 Jack Pennington (R) Close Racing Oldsmobile Kanawha Insurance
52 Jimmy Means Jimmy Means Racing Pontiac Alka-Seltzer
57 Jimmy Spencer Osterlund Racing Pontiac Heinz
66 Dick Trickle Cale Yarborough Motorsports Pontiac Phillips 66 TropArtic
70 J. D. McDuffie McDuffie Racing Pontiac McDuffie Racing
71 Dave Marcis Marcis Auto Racing Chevrolet Big Apple Market
75 Rick Wilson RahMoc Enterprises Oldsmobile Dinner Bell Foods
77 Ken Ragan Ragan Racing Ford Jasper Engines & Transmissions
82 Mark Stahl Stahl Racing Ford Auto Bell Car Wash
90 Buddy Baker Donlavey Racing Ford Sunny King Ford & Honda
94 Sterling Marlin Hagan Racing Oldsmobile Sunoco
98 Butch Miller Travis Carter Enterprises Chevrolet Banquet Foods

Qualifying

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Two rounds of qualifying were scheduled to be held on Friday, March 16, and Saturday, March 17.[5] However, Friday's sessions were cancelled due to rain, with both rounds then scheduled to commence on Saturday.[6] However, Saturday's sessions would also be cancelled due to rain, leaving qualifying to be determined by a system of owner's points and postmarks on entry list blanks. The top 30 positions would be determined by the current 1990 owner's points, while the final nine spots would be determined by a system of provisionals that included past winners, and finally postmarks. As a result, Richard Childress Racing driver Dale Earnhardt would win the pole.[7]

Three drivers would fail to qualify.

Full qualifying results

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Pos. # Driver Team Make
1 3 Dale Earnhardt Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
2 27 Rusty Wallace Blue Max Racing Pontiac
3 15 Morgan Shepherd Bud Moore Engineering Ford
4 5 Ricky Rudd Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
5 42 Kyle Petty SABCO Racing Pontiac
6 57 Jimmy Spencer Osterlund Racing Pontiac
7 9 Bill Elliott Melling Racing Ford
8 17 Darrell Waltrip Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
9 94 Sterling Marlin Hagan Racing Oldsmobile
10 11 Geoff Bodine Junior Johnson & Associates Ford
11 66 Dick Trickle Cale Yarborough Motorsports Pontiac
12 1 Terry Labonte Precision Products Racing Oldsmobile
13 10 Derrike Cope Whitcomb Racing Chevrolet
14 25 Ken Schrader Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
15 26 Brett Bodine King Racing Buick
16 8 Bobby Hillin Jr. Stavola Brothers Racing Buick
17 6 Mark Martin Roush Racing Ford
18 98 Butch Miller Travis Carter Enterprises Chevrolet
19 30 Michael Waltrip Bahari Racing Pontiac
20 71 Dave Marcis Marcis Auto Racing Chevrolet
21 33 Harry Gant Leo Jackson Motorsports Oldsmobile
22 90 Buddy Baker Donlavey Racing Ford
23 52 Jimmy Means Jimmy Means Racing Pontiac
24 16 Larry Pearson Pearson Racing Buick
25 12 Mike Alexander Bobby Allison Motorsports Buick
26 2 Rick Mast U.S. Racing Pontiac
27 21 Neil Bonnett Wood Brothers Racing Ford
28 28 Davey Allison Robert Yates Racing Ford
29 75 Rick Wilson Hendrick Motorsports Oldsmobile
30 4 Ernie Irvan Morgan–McClure Motorsports Oldsmobile
Provisionals
31 7 Alan Kulwicki AK Racing Ford
32 43 Richard Petty Petty Enterprises Pontiac
33 77 Ken Ragan Ragan Racing Ford
34 19 Chad Little Little Racing Ford
35 36 H. B. Bailey Bailey Racing Pontiac
36 20 Rob Moroso (R) Moroso Racing Oldsmobile
37 01 Mickey Gibbs Gibbs Racing Ford
38 18 Hut Stricklin TriStar Motorsports Pontiac
39 82 Mark Stahl Stahl Racing Ford
40 47 Jack Pennington (R) Close Racing Oldsmobile
Failed to qualify
41 46 Greg Sacks Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
42 14 A. J. Foyt A. J. Foyt Racing Oldsmobile
43 70 J. D. McDuffie McDuffie Racing Pontiac
Official starting lineup

Race results

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Fin St # Driver Team Make Laps Led Status Pts Winnings
1 1 3 Dale Earnhardt Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 328 216 running 185 $85,000
2 3 15 Morgan Shepherd Bud Moore Engineering Ford 328 14 running 175 $36,000
3 30 4 Ernie Irvan Morgan–McClure Motorsports Oldsmobile 328 1 running 170 $31,957
4 14 25 Ken Schrader Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 328 10 running 165 $22,900
5 17 6 Mark Martin Roush Racing Ford 328 0 running 155 $20,850
6 5 42 Kyle Petty SABCO Racing Pontiac 328 3 running 155 $15,075
7 10 11 Geoff Bodine Junior Johnson & Associates Ford 328 80 running 151 $19,250
8 31 7 Alan Kulwicki AK Racing Ford 327 0 running 142 $11,625
9 21 33 Harry Gant Leo Jackson Motorsports Oldsmobile 327 0 running 138 $13,600
10 9 94 Sterling Marlin Hagan Racing Oldsmobile 326 2 running 139 $12,300
11 15 26 Brett Bodine King Racing Buick 326 0 running 130 $9,495
12 7 9 Bill Elliott Melling Racing Ford 326 0 running 127 $13,875
13 28 28 Davey Allison Robert Yates Racing Ford 326 0 running 124 $12,155
14 11 66 Dick Trickle Cale Yarborough Motorsports Pontiac 326 0 running 121 $9,935
15 6 57 Jimmy Spencer Osterlund Racing Pontiac 325 0 running 118 $8,680
16 16 8 Bobby Hillin Jr. Stavola Brothers Racing Buick 325 0 running 115 $8,545
17 29 75 Rick Wilson Hendrick Motorsports Oldsmobile 324 0 running 112 $8,235
18 27 21 Neil Bonnett Wood Brothers Racing Ford 322 0 running 109 $7,625
19 34 19 Chad Little Little Racing Ford 322 0 running 106 $4,415
20 18 98 Butch Miller Travis Carter Enterprises Chevrolet 321 0 running 103 $4,970
21 22 90 Buddy Baker Donlavey Racing Ford 319 0 running 0 $4,135
22 20 71 Dave Marcis Marcis Auto Racing Chevrolet 317 0 running 97 $7,050
23 25 12 Mike Alexander Bobby Allison Motorsports Buick 317 0 running 94 $3,965
24 2 27 Rusty Wallace Blue Max Racing Pontiac 316 1 engine 96 $14,930
25 32 43 Richard Petty Petty Enterprises Pontiac 315 0 running 88 $4,845
26 8 17 Darrell Waltrip Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 312 1 running 90 $12,755
27 4 5 Ricky Rudd Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 307 0 running 82 $6,545
28 39 82 Mark Stahl Stahl Racing Ford 300 0 running 79 $3,660
29 13 10 Derrike Cope Whitcomb Racing Chevrolet 255 0 engine 76 $8,625
30 40 47 Jack Pennington (R) Close Racing Oldsmobile 253 0 engine 73 $4,290
31 23 52 Jimmy Means Jimmy Means Racing Pontiac 251 0 engine 70 $4,230
32 35 36 H. B. Bailey Bailey Racing Pontiac 214 0 engine 67 $3,480
33 36 20 Rob Moroso (R) Moroso Racing Oldsmobile 149 0 engine 64 $3,670
34 24 16 Larry Pearson Pearson Racing Buick 135 0 engine 61 $6,095
35 26 2 Rick Mast U.S. Racing Pontiac 113 0 engine 58 $6,050
36 33 77 Ken Ragan Ragan Racing Ford 101 0 valve 55 $3,350
37 38 18 Hut Stricklin TriStar Motorsports Pontiac 84 0 valve 52 $3,330
38 19 30 Michael Waltrip Bahari Racing Pontiac 53 0 timing chain 49 $5,960
39 37 01 Mickey Gibbs Gibbs Racing Ford 40 0 valve 46 $3,285
40 12 1 Terry Labonte Precision Products Racing Oldsmobile 4 0 engine 43 $6,580
Failed to qualify
41 46 Greg Sacks Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
42 14 A. J. Foyt A. J. Foyt Racing Oldsmobile
43 70 J. D. McDuffie McDuffie Racing Pontiac
Official race results

Standings after the race

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References

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  1. ^ Higgins, Tom (March 19, 1990). "Earnhardt's Charge To Finish Gives Him Victory At Atlanta (Part 1)". The Charlotte Observer. p. 9. Retrieved March 12, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.  
  2. ^ Higgins, Tom (March 19, 1990). "Earnhardt's Charge To Finish Gives Him Victory At Atlanta (Part 2)". The Charlotte Observer. p. 11. Retrieved March 12, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.  
  3. ^ Robinson, Bill (March 19, 1990). "Earnhardt wins at AIR on late pass (Part 1)". The Atlanta Constitution. p. 51. Retrieved March 13, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.  
  4. ^ Robinson, Bill (March 19, 1990). "Earnhardt wins at AIR on late pass (Part 2)". The Atlanta Constitution. p. 57. Retrieved March 13, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.  
  5. ^ "NASCAR today". The Charlotte Observer. March 16, 1990. p. 63. Retrieved March 13, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.  
  6. ^ Higgins, Tom (March 17, 1990). "Earnhardt, Wallace Could Start At Front". The Charlotte Observer. p. 81. Retrieved March 13, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.  
  7. ^ Higgins, Tom (March 18, 1990). "Rain Makes Practice A Pain For Hard-To-Handle Atlanta". The Charlotte Observer. p. 45. Retrieved March 13, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.  
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1990 GM Goodwrench 500
NASCAR Winston Cup Series
1990 season
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1990 TranSouth 500