1989 Pontiac Excitement 400

April 2023Fourth race of the 1989 NASCAR Winston Cup Series NASWINSTON 4 300 1989 22.393 Pontiac Excitement 400 0.75 482.803 482.803 1.21 400 400 300 35th Annual Pontiac Excitement 400 Richmond, Virginia, Richmond International Raceway 89.619 mph km/h 29 March 26 27 Motor Racing Network TBS Ken Squier, Johnny Hayes 126 Rusty Wallace Blue Max Racing Geoff Bodine Geoff Bodine Hendrick Motorsports Hendrick Motorsports The 1989 Pontiac Excitement 400 program cover, with artwork by NASCAR artist Sam Bass. 1989_Pontiac_Excitement_400.jpeg 50,000 The 1989 Pontiac Excitement 400 was the fourth stock car race of the 1989 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season and the 35th iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, March 26, 1989, before an audience of 50,000 in Richmond, Virginia, at Richmond International Raceway, a 0.75 miles (1.21 km) D-shaped oval. The race took the scheduled 400 laps to complete. With the assist of a late caution and a fast final pitstop, Blue Max Racing driver Rusty Wallace would pull away from the field on the final restart with 17 laps left to take his 12th career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his second victory of the season.Higgins Tom March 27, 1989 Wallace Whisks Past Kulwicki At Richmond (Part 1) 23 The Charlotte Observer https://www.newspapers.com/clip/123309594/wallace-whisks-past-kulwicki-at/ April 22, 2023 Newspapers.com Higgins Tom March 27, 1989 Wallace Whisks Past Kulwicki At Richmond (Part 2) 25 The Charlotte Observer https://www.newspapers.com/clip/123309609/wallace-whisks-past-kulwicki-at-richmond/ April 22, 2023 Newspapers.com Pearson Harold March 27, 1989 Wallace wins Richmond 400 (Part 1) 29 Richmond Times-Dispatch https://www.newspapers.com/clip/123330262/wallace-wins-richmond-400-part-1/ April 22, 2023 Newspapers.com Pearson Harold March 27, 1989 Wallace wins Richmond 400 (Part 2) 32 Richmond Times-Dispatch https://www.newspapers.com/clip/123330293/wallace-wins-richmond-400-part-2/ April 22, 2023 Newspapers.com To fill out the top three, owner-driver Alan Kulwicki and Richard Childress Racing driver Dale Earnhardt would finish second and third, respectively. Background thumb|The layout of Richmond International Raceway, the venue where the race was at. Richmond International Raceway (RIR) is a 3/4-mile (1.2 km), D-shaped, asphalt race track located just outside Richmond, Virginia in Henrico County. It hosts the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and Xfinity Series. Known as "America's premier short track", it formerly hosted a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race, an IndyCar Series race, and two USAC sprint car races. Entry list (R) denotes rookie driver. #DriverTeamMakeSponsor2Ernie IrvanU.S. RacingPontiacKroger3Dale EarnhardtRichard Childress RacingChevroletGM Goodwrench Service Plus4Rick WilsonMorgan–McClure MotorsportsOldsmobileKodak04Bill MeachamMeacham RacingFordMeacham Racing5Geoff BodineHendrick MotorsportsChevroletLevi Garrett6Mark MartinRoush RacingFordStroh's Light7Alan KulwickiAK RacingFordZerex8Bobby Hillin Jr.Stavola Brothers RacingBuickMiller High Life9Bill ElliottMelling RacingFordCoors Light11Terry LabonteJunior Johnson & AssociatesFordBudweiser15Brett BodineBud Moore EngineeringFordMotorcraft16Larry Pearson (R)Pearson RacingBuickChattanooga Chew17Darrell WaltripHendrick MotorsportsChevroletTide19Bill IngramGray RacingOldsmobileGray Racing21Neil BonnettWood Brothers RacingFordCitgo23Eddie BierschwaleB&B RacingOldsmobileB&B Racing25Ken SchraderHendrick MotorsportsChevroletFolgers26Ricky RuddKing RacingBuickQuaker State27Rusty WallaceBlue Max RacingPontiacKodiak28Davey AllisonRobert Yates RacingFordTexaco, Havoline29Dale JarrettCale Yarborough MotorsportsPontiacHardee's30Michael WaltripBahari RacingPontiacCountry Time31Jim SauterBob Clark MotorsportsPontiacSlender You Figure Salons33Harry GantJackson Bros. MotorsportsOldsmobileSkoal Bandit34Rodney CombsAAG RacingBuickAAG Racing40Ben Hess (R)Hess RacingOldsmobileHess Racing42Kyle PettySABCO RacingPontiacPeak Antifreeze43Richard PettyPetty EnterprisesPontiacSTP48Mickey Gibbs (R)Winkle MotorsportsPontiacSmartLease49Tony SpanosHylton MotorsportsBuickHylton Motorsports51Butch Miller (R)Miller RacingChevroletMiller Racing52Jimmy MeansJimmy Means RacingPontiacAlka-Seltzer55Phil ParsonsJackson Bros. MotorsportsOldsmobileSkoal, Crown Central Petroleum57Hut Stricklin (R)Osterlund RacingPontiacHeinz65Steve SeligmanO'Neil RacingFordO'Neil Racing66Rick Mast (R)Mach 1 RacingChevroletMach 1 Racing68Derrike CopeTesta RacingPontiacPurolator70J. D. McDuffieMcDuffie RacingPontiacRumple Furniture71Dave MarcisMarcis Auto RacingChevroletLifebuoy75Morgan ShepherdRahMoc EnterprisesPontiacValvoline83Lake SpeedSpeed RacingOldsmobileBull's-Eye Barbecue Sauce84Dick Trickle (R)Stavola Brothers RacingBuickMiller High Life88Greg SacksBaker–Schiff RacingPontiacCrisco90Chad Little (R)Donlavey RacingFordWahoo!94Sterling MarlinHagan RacingOldsmobileSunoco Qualifying Qualifying was split into two rounds. The first round was held on Saturday, March 25, at 2:30 PM EST. Each driver would have one lap to set a time. During the first round, the top 20 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, March 25, at 4:00 PM EST. As with the first round, each driver would have one lap to set a time. For this specific race, positions 21-34 would be decided on time,March 25, 1989 NASCAR Today 27 The Charlotte Observer https://www.newspapers.com/clip/123308902/nascar-today/ April 22, 2023 Newspapers.com and depending on who needed it, a select amount of positions were given to cars who had not otherwise qualified but were high enough in owner's points; up to two were given. Geoff Bodine, driving for Hendrick Motorsports, would win the pole, setting a time of 22.393 and an average speed of 120.573 mph km/h in the first round.Higgins Tom March 26, 1989 Bodine, Wallace To Start Side By Side At Richmond 32 The Charlotte Observer https://www.newspapers.com/clip/123331529/bodine-wallace-to-start-side-by-side/ April 22, 2023 Newspapers.com Nine drivers would fail to qualify. One of the nine who failed to qualify, Richard Petty, would break a streak of 513 consecutive starts in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series.Higgins Tom March 26, 1989 Petty's Long Streak Of Starts May End (Part 1) 29 The Charlotte Observer https://www.newspapers.com/clip/123331675/pettys-long-streak-of-starts-may-end/ April 22, 2023 Newspapers.com Higgins Tom March 26, 1989 Petty's Long Streak Of Starts May End (Part 2) 32 The Charlotte Observer https://www.newspapers.com/clip/123331711/pettys-long-streak-of-starts-may-end-p/ April 22, 2023 Newspapers.com Full qualifying results Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed15Geoff BodineHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet22.393120.573227Rusty WallaceBlue Max RacingPontiac22.441120.31536Mark MartinRoush RacingFord22.556119.70247Alan KulwickiAK RacingFord22.563119.66554Rick WilsonMorgan–McClure MotorsportsOldsmobile22.570119.62863Dale EarnhardtRichard Childress RacingChevrolet22.571119.623725Ken SchraderHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet22.582119.564894Sterling MarlinHagan RacingOldsmobile22.680119.04899Bill ElliottMelling RacingFord22.732118.7751051Butch Miller (R)Miller RacingChevrolet22.758118.6401117Darrell WaltripHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet22.782118.5151216Larry Pearson (R)Pearson RacingBuick22.811118.3641315Brett BodineBud Moore EngineeringFord22.816118.3381484Dick Trickle (R)Stavola Brothers RacingBuick22.827118.281152Ernie IrvanU.S. RacingPontiac22.827118.2811666Rick Mast (R)Mach 1 RacingChevrolet22.834118.2451790Chad LittleDonlavey RacingFord22.838118.2241826Ricky RuddKing RacingBuick22.841118.2081911Terry LabonteJunior Johnson & AssociatesFord22.849118.1672055Phil ParsonsJackson Bros. MotorsportsOldsmobile22.872118.048Failed to lock in Round 12134Rodney CombsAAG RacingBuick22.819118.3222230Michael WaltripBahari RacingPontiac22.829118.2712383Lake SpeedSpeed RacingOldsmobile22.841118.2082423Eddie BierschwaleB&B RacingOldsmobile22.843118.1982540Ben Hess (R)Hess RacingOldsmobile22.888117.9662633Harry GantJackson Bros. MotorsportsOldsmobile22.889117.9612788Greg SacksBaker–Schiff RacingPontiac22.897117.9192821Neil BonnettWood Brothers RacingFord22.899117.909298Bobby Hillin Jr.Stavola Brothers RacingBuick22.905117.8783075Morgan ShepherdRahMoc EnterprisesPontiac22.907117.8683168Derrike CopeTesta RacingPontiac22.920117.8013229Dale JarrettCale Yarborough MotorsportsPontiac22.923117.7863331Jim SauterBob Clark MotorsportsPontiac22.935117.7243448Mickey Gibbs (R)Winkle MotorsportsPontiac22.973117.529Provisionals3528Davey AllisonRobert Yates RacingFord22.992117.4323671Dave MarcisMarcis Auto RacingChevrolet23.058117.096Failed to qualify3757Hut Stricklin (R)Osterlund RacingPontiac23.004117.3713842Kyle PettySABCO RacingPontiac23.020117.2893952Jimmy MeansJimmy Means RacingPontiac23.167116.5454043Richard PettyPetty EnterprisesPontiac23.169116.5354170J. D. McDuffieMcDuffie RacingPontiac23.589114.4604204Bill MeachamMeacham RacingFord23.657114.1314365Steve SeligmanO'Neil RacingFord23.824113.3314419Bill IngramGray RacingOldsmobile24.038112.3224549Tony SpanosHylton MotorsportsBuick24.623109.654Official starting lineup Race results FinSt#DriverTeamMakeLapsLedStatusPtsWinnings1227Rusty WallaceBlue Max RacingPontiac40088running180$63,025247Alan KulwickiAK RacingFord400108running175$28,625363Dale EarnhardtRichard Childress RacingChevrolet40043running170$30,90041826Ricky RuddKing RacingBuick4000running160$13,60053528Davey AllisonRobert Yates RacingFord39911running160$17,60761216Larry Pearson (R)Pearson RacingBuick3990running150$5,35071117Darrell WaltripHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet3990running146$10,6008894Sterling MarlinHagan RacingOldsmobile3980running142$8,9009152Ernie IrvanU.S. RacingPontiac3980running138$5,0001099Bill ElliottMelling RacingFord3970running134$14,2751136Mark MartinRoush RacingFord3970running130$6,000122383Lake SpeedSpeed RacingOldsmobile3970running127$5,675132230Michael WaltripBahari RacingPontiac3970running124$5,525142633Harry GantJackson Bros. MotorsportsOldsmobile3960running121$5,25015298Bobby Hillin Jr.Stavola Brothers RacingBuick3960running118$5,750161666Rick Mast (R)Mach 1 RacingChevrolet3960running115$5,0501754Rick WilsonMorgan–McClure MotorsportsOldsmobile3960running112$4,5501815Geoff BodineHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet395126running119$12,35019725Ken SchraderHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet3940running106$7,775203671Dave MarcisMarcis Auto RacingChevrolet3940running103$5,275212821Neil BonnettWood Brothers RacingFord3930running100$4,250221790Chad LittleDonlavey RacingFord3920running97$2,625233229Dale JarrettCale Yarborough MotorsportsPontiac3900running94$4,025242540Ben Hess (R)Hess RacingOldsmobile3850running91$1,850251484Dick Trickle (R)Stavola Brothers RacingBuick3771engine93$4,125261051Butch Miller (R)Miller RacingChevrolet3760running85$1,775272055Phil ParsonsJackson Bros. MotorsportsOldsmobile32323running87$3,250281315Brett BodineBud Moore EngineeringFord2750valve79$3,220293448Mickey Gibbs (R)Winkle MotorsportsPontiac2290engine76$1,690301911Terry LabonteJunior Johnson & AssociatesFord2020crash73$7,420312423Eddie BierschwaleB&B RacingOldsmobile1520camshaft70$1,640322134Rodney CombsAAG RacingBuick1330clutch67$2,260333075Morgan ShepherdRahMoc EnterprisesPontiac1280valve64$7,250342788Greg SacksBaker–Schiff RacingPontiac870engine61$2,900353168Derrike CopeTesta RacingPontiac150crash58$1,400363331Jim SauterBob Clark MotorsportsPontiac10engine55$1,400Failed to qualify3757Hut Stricklin (R)Osterlund RacingPontiac3842Kyle PettySABCO RacingPontiac3952Jimmy MeansJimmy Means RacingPontiac4043Richard PettyPetty EnterprisesPontiac4170J. D. McDuffieMcDuffie RacingPontiac4204Bill MeachamMeacham RacingFord4365Steve SeligmanO'Neil RacingFord4419Bill IngramGray RacingOldsmobile4549Tony SpanosHylton MotorsportsBuickOfficial race results Standings after the race Drivers' Championship standings Pos Driver Points 10px 1 Dale Earnhardt 680 10px 2 Alan Kulwicki 616 (-64) 10px 1 3 Darrell Waltrip 582 (-98) 10px 1 4 Sterling Marlin 573 (–107) 10px 2 5 Geoff Bodine 560 (–120) 10px 2 6 Rusty Wallace 554 (–126) 10px 1 7 Rick Wilson 521 (–159) 10px 1 8 Ken Schrader 497 (–183) 10px 3 9 Michael Waltrip 459 (–221) 10px 1 10 Rick Mast 458 (–222)Official driver's standings Note: Only the first 10 positions are included for the driver standings. References 1989 Motorcraft Quality Parts 500 1989 TranSouth 500 1989 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Pontiac Excitement 400 Category:NASCAR races at Richmond Raceway Pontiac Excitement 400 Pontiac Excitement 400