1994 Brickyard 400 - wikipedia 1994 Brickyard 400 1994 Brickyard 400 Race details Race 19 of 31 in the 1994 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Basic layout of Indianapolis Motor Speedway Date August 6, 1994 ( 1994 - 08 - 06 ) Location Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana Course Permanent racing facility 2.5 mi ( 4.023 km ) Distance 160 laps, 400 mi ( 643.74 km ) Weather Mild with temperatures approaching 73 ° F ( 23 ° C ) ; wind speeds up to 7 miles per hour ( 11 km / h ) Average speed 131.977 miles per hour ( 212.396 km / h ) Pole position Driver Rick Mast Richard Jackson Time 52.200 Most laps led Driver Jeff Gordon Hendrick Motorsports Laps 93 Winner No. 24 Jeff Gordon Hendrick Motorsports Television in the United States Network ABC Announcers Bob Jenkins and Benny Parsons The 1994 Brickyard 400 was held on Saturday, August 6, 1994, at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The race marked the nineteenth race of the 1994 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season. It was the first NASCAR stock car race at the famous Speedway, and the first race of any kind held at the track besides the Indianapolis 500 since the Harvest Classic in 1916. The race featured the largest crowd in NASCAR history, and a then NASCAR record purse of $3.2 million. Second - year driver, 23 - year - old Jeff Gordon from nearby Pittsboro, was cheered on by the hometown crowd to a popular win. It was his second career NASCAR Winston Cup win, and thrust the young Gordon into superstardom on the racing circuit. The race was a culmination of over two years of preparation, and decades of speculation. While the event was looked on with enormous anticipation and significant media attention, the traditional nature of the Indianapolis 500 and the Speedway was a concern to ownership, some from the Indy car community, and some fans. Despite some mild complaints, the event was considered a huge success and a financial cash cow -- it ultimately bankrolled the formation of the Indy Racing League. The race featured two former Indy 500 winners ( A.J. Foyt and Danny Sullivan ). Foyt came out of retirement to participate, which would be his final Winston Cup start. Contents 1 Background 1.1 1994 season 2 Tire tests 2.1 1992 test 2.2 1993 open test 2.3 1994 testing 3 Pole qualifying 3.1 Pole qualifying results 4 Second round qualifying 4.1 Qualifying notes 5 Race summary 5.1 Pre-race 5.2 Start 5.3 First half 5.4 Second half 5.5 Finish 6 Box score 6.1 Race results 6.2 Race statistics 6.3 Selected awards 7 Broadcasting 8 References Background See Brickyard 400 § Race origins for further information. The # 28 Robert Yates Racing car being unloaded from the transporter in Gasoline Alley. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway opened in 1909, and the first Indianapolis 500 was held in 1911. It became a tradition that the Indianapolis 500 was the only race held at the track annually. With the exception of a Labor Day race meet in 1916, no other races were held at the track through 1993. As the NASCAR Winston Cup Series began to grow in stature and popularity, speculation began to grow in the 1980s and early 1990s about the possibility of holding a race at Indy. On September 24, 1991, A.J. Foyt filmed a commercial for Craftsman tools at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. While filming in the garage area, Foyt, and Speedway president Tony George decided to take Foyt 's NASCAR Winston Cup Series stock car for a few laps around the track. Foyt was the first driver to do so, and later on, George himself took a few laps. The event was not planned, and had no implications, but was an unusual sight, and stirred up some mild interest and speculation for the future. In December 1991, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway board of directors voted to pursue a second race at the Speedway, preferably a NASCAR Winston Cup event. In March 1992, IROC was invited to test cars at the Speedway. On June 22 -- 23, 1992, nine top NASCAR Winston Cup series teams were invited to test at Indy. Although no official announcements were made, it was in fact an unofficial compatibility test to see if stock cars would be competitive at the circuit. An estimated 10,000 spectators watched two days of history in the making. On April 14, 1993, Speedway President Tony George and president of NASCAR Bill France, Jr. jointly announced the Inaugural Brickyard 400 would be held Saturday, August 6, 1994. A new race logo was also unveiled. Immediately, anticipation for the event grew, as many drivers contemplated one - off entries, and comparisons were already being made to NASCAR 's biggest event, the Daytona 500. ABC signed on to broadcast the race live, and ESPN would cover practice and qualifying. 1994 season Jimmy Spencer won the DieHard 500 at Talladega, immediately proceeding the 1994 Brickyard 400. Going into the race, the top five in championship points were as follows : Championship standings following the 1994 DieHard 500 Ernie Irvan, 2,739 points Dale Earnhardt, − 16 Mark Martin, − 258 Rusty Wallace, − 289 Ken Schrader, − 357 NASCAR 's `` tire war '' was notable during the 1994 season. Both Goodyear and Hoosier tires were used by entrants. Many of the front - runners utilized Goodyear. Among the top teams using Hoosier tires was Geoff Bodine. In order to attract more entries, the initial Brickyard 400 was concurrently included in the NASCAR Winston West schedule. One provisional starting position would be available to the top driver in Winston West points that did not qualify on speed. The points leader in Winston West standings entering the race was Mike Chase. Going into the race, conjecture amongst fans and media contemplated the possibility of an expanded field, a special qualifying format, a three - abreast starting grid, a celebrity pace car driver, or other changes for the race. However, NASCAR officials planned on treating the Brickyard 400 as any other points - paying race, with standard rules and regulations. Tire tests 1992 test On June 22 -- 23, 1992, nine top NASCAR Winston Cup series teams were invited to Indy to participate in a Goodyear tire test. Over the weekend, the teams had raced in the Miller Genuine Draft 400 at Michigan International Speedway. Although no official announcements were made, it was in fact an unofficial feasibility test to see if stock cars would be competitive at the circuit. An estimated 20,000 - 25,000 spectators watched a rather exciting two days of history in the making. A.J. Foyt took a few laps around the track in Dale Earnhardt 's car on the second day. ESPN covered the test. Top speeds Pos No. Driver Car make Entrant Speed Mon. Tue. 11 Bill Elliott Ford Junior Johnson 165.001 168.767 Ernie Irvan Chevrolet Morgan - McClure Motorsports 161.772 167.817 Rusty Wallace Pontiac Penske Racing 160.686 166.704 42 Kyle Petty Pontiac SABCO Racing 162.657 166.199 5 5 Ricky Rudd Chevrolet Hendrick Motorsports 162.375 165.001 6 17 Darrell Waltrip Chevrolet Darrell Waltrip Motorsports 161.772 164.567 7 Dale Earnhardt Chevrolet Richard Childress Racing 162.212 163.194 8 6 Mark Martin Ford Roush Racing 161.676 162.346 9 A.J. Foyt Chevrolet Richard Childress Racing -- 161.452 10 28 Davey Allison Ford Robert Yates Racing 161.215 161.261 1993 open test On August 16 -- 17, 1993, thirty - five NASCAR teams took part in an official open test at Indy. It was held as the teams returned from the second race at Michigan, the Champion Spark Plug 400. The top 35 teams in NASCAR points received invitations. Hosting the test in August mimicked the weather conditions expected for the race in 1994. Several thousand spectators attended, and many announcements were made. Bobby Labonte ( 165.624 miles per hour ( 266.546 km / h ) ) set the fastest lap on Monday, while Bill Elliott ( 167.467 miles per hour ( 269.512 km / h ) ) turned the fastest lap overall on Tuesday morning. On Monday, Kenny Wallace spun out and hit the inside wall. He was taken to Methodist Hospital for minor injuries. At noon on Tuesday, recently retired NASCAR legend Richard Petty took four fast laps by himself, and then donated his car to the Speedway museum. Later on Tuesday, during a session of `` drafting practice, '' a full complement of over 30 cars took to the track, to simulate race condition. John Andretti spun in turn 1, and several cars crashed. No injuries were reported, but the incident drew the ire of some of the veterans who thought some drivers were pushing too hard. ESPN covered the test, airing highlights of both days on SpeedWeek. Some of the participants compared the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to Ontario Motor Speedway, which was built to closely mimic Indy 's layout. Only a handful of drivers in the field had actually driven at Ontario before it closed ( 1980 ), and none of them felt they held any sort of measurable experience advantage. Richard Petty taking practice laps at the Open Test in 1993. Top ten speeds ( combined sessions ) Pos No. Driver Car make Entrant Speed 11 Bill Elliott Ford Junior Johnson 167.467 6 Mark Martin Ford Roush Racing 165.905 24 Jeff Gordon Chevrolet Hendrick Motorsports 165.868 68 Greg Sacks Ford TriStar Motorsports 165.856 5 22 Bobby Labonte Ford Bill Davis Racing 165.624 6 7 Geoff Bodine Ford Geoff Bodine Racing 165.256 7 25 Ken Schrader Chevrolet Hendrick Motorsports 164.754 8 90 Bobby Hillin Ford Donlavey Racing 164.495 9 Rusty Wallace Pontiac Penske Racing 164.429 10 98 Derrike Cope Ford Cale Yarborough Motorsports 164.270 1994 testing During the summer of 1994, private testing sessions conducted by the manufacturers were held. Ford teams tested in late June, with Sterling Marlin leading the first week with a lap at 170 miles per hour ( 270 km / h ). During the second week, Ernie Irvan turned the fastest unofficial lap at the Speedway at over 171 miles per hour ( 275 km / h ). Rusty Wallace was close behind at 170 miles per hour ( 270 km / h ). A.J. Foyt came out of retirement, shaking down and testing the # 50 Ford. In early July, Davy Jones turned a lap at 168.659 miles per hour ( 271.430 km / h ), but would later wreck his primary car. Chevrolet and Pontiac teams took to the track in mid-July. Danny Sullivan blew an engine. Pole qualifying The car of Robert Pressley in the garage area during practice. Pole qualifying for the Inaugural Brickyard 400 was held on Thursday, August 4, 1994. A NASCAR record 85 cars entered, for 43 starting positions. H.B. Bailey drew the # 1 qualifying attempt. Per the NASCAR rules in 1994, a one - lap qualifying attempt was utilized. The top 20 cars in pole qualifying were locked into the starting field. The remainder of the cars could stand on their time, or make a new attempt in second - round qualifying. Practice was held Thursday morning. Three incidents occurred, a crash by Robert Pressley, a crash by Tim Steele, and Dale Jarrett brushed the wall. Pressley and Steele would switch to back - up cars, while Jarrett 's car was not seriously damaged. The practice session was followed by a heavy thunderstorm that pelted the Speedway. The rain stopped and the track dried, allowing qualifying to start nearly on time at 3 p.m. The entire qualifying line of 70 attempts was completed without a single incident. Only two drivers experienced trouble, one was Ken Schrader, who blew an engine during his attempt. Dale Earnhardt took the provisional pole with a lap of 171.726 miles per hour ( 276.366 km / h ), but his tenure was short - lived. The very next car out to qualify was Rick Mast. Mast set a new stock car lap record of 172.414 miles per hour ( 277.473 km / h ) to secure the pole position. Jeff Gordon was one of the last cars to make an attempt, and qualified third. Indy car and IMSA regular Geoff Brabham, attempting his first NASCAR race, surprised many by qualifying 18th. Former Indy 500 winners A.J. Foyt and Danny Sullivan, however, did not make the top twenty. Wally Dallenbach, Jr., driving for Petty Enterprises, who picked 84th out of the 85 cars in line, pulled in when he felt something was wrong with the engine and ended the day with no speed. Pole qualifying results Locked - in cars SP No. Driver Speed Rick Mast 172.414 Dale Earnhardt 171.726 24 Jeff Gordon 171.125 7 Geoff Bodine 170.982 5 22 Bobby Labonte 170.794 6 11 Bill Elliott 170.338 7 26 Brett Bodine 170.084 8 10 Ricky Rudd 169.933 9 Sterling Marlin 169.766 10 6 Mark Martin 169.690 11 21 Morgan Shepherd 169.687 12 Rusty Wallace 169.683 13 77 Greg Sacks 169.677 14 18 Dale Jarrett 169.661 15 30 Michael Waltrip 169.587 16 71 Dave Marcis 169.514 17 28 Ernie Irvan 169.453 18 07 Geoff Brabham 169.310 19 9 Rich Bickle 169.214 20 23 Hut Stricklin 169.065 Failed to qualify in round 1 Pos. No. Driver Speed 21 41 Joe Nemechek 168.989 22 31 Ward Burton 168.900 23 27 Jimmy Spencer 168.890 24 8 Jeff Burton 168.672 25 02 Derrike Cope 168.634 26 5 Terry Labonte 168.574 27 17 Darrell Waltrip 168.401 28 16 Ted Musgrave 168.209 29 98 Jeremy Mayfield 168.108 30 90 Mike Wallace 168.008 31 14 John Andretti 168.008 32 75 Todd Bodine 167.989 33 15 Lake Speed 167.917 34 51 Jeff Purvis 167.917 35 29 Steve Grissom 167.848 36 55 Jimmy Hensley 167.826 37 88 Davy Jones 167.745 38 40 Bobby Hamilton 167.616 39 99 Danny Sullivan 167.358 40 61w Rick Carelli 167.299 41 20 Randy LaJoie 167.233 42 12 Tim Steele 167.087 43 59 Jim Sauter 166.914 44 33 Harry Gant 166.911 45 50 A.J. Foyt 166.889 46 19 Loy Allen, Jr. 166.599 47 42 Kyle Petty 166.236 48 32 Dick Trickle 166.226 49 47 Billy Standridge 166.052 50 54 Robert Pressley 165.978 51 92w John Krebs 165.676 52 39 Joe Ruttman 165.621 53 34 Bob Brevak 165.599 54 44 Bobby Hillin 165.353 55 60 Gary Bettenhausen 164.962 56 09 Stan Fox 164.594 57 76w Ron Hornaday 164.456 58 95w Lance Wade 162.922 59 00w Scott Gaylord 162.285 60 81w Jeff Davis 161.955 61 50w Mike Chase 159.864 62 56 Jerry Hill 159.453 63 59 Andy Belmont 159.385 64 58w Wayne Jacks 159.193 65 95 Ben Hess 158.081 66 04w Hershel McGriff 157.456 67 36w Rich Woodland, Jr. 155.457 68 36 H.B. Bailey 152.669 69 25 Ken Schrader 120.943 70 43 Wally Dallenbach, Jr. no time Did not make an attempt No. Driver 0 Delma Cowart 13 Kerry Teague 38w P.J. Jones 48 James Hylton 49 Steve Sellers 52 Brad Teague 57 Bob Schacht 65 Jerry O'Neil 79 Doug French 82 Charlie Glotzbach 84 Norm Benning 86w Butch Gilliland 90w Joe Heath 91w Robert Sprague Second round qualifying The car of Brad Teague in the garage area during practice. Second - round qualifying was held Friday, August 5, 1994. The drivers who had failed to qualify by being inside the top 20 from the previous round were allowed to stand on their time from Thursday, or erase it and make a new attempt. Due to the expected length of the session, and the sensitive nature of how the track is known to react to changing weather conditions, for fairness, the qualifying draw order from the previous round was inverted for round two. NASCAR subsequently adopted this policy for all races from that day forth until two - round qualifying was abolished at the end of the 2000 season. Five drivers stood on their times from Thursday, and all five hung on to qualify for the race. Terry Labonte, who had placed 26th Thursday, was among those who elected to re-qualify, and he wound up the fastest qualifier of the day. The decision was wise as Labonte 's Thursday speed would not have help up Friday. A.J. Foyt managed to qualify in 40th, the last car to make the field on speed. After a miserable run on Thursday, Kyle Petty found much - needed speed and placed 36th. Lake Speed ( 168.429 mph ) and Harry Gant ( 168.003 mph ) both failed to crack the top 40, but made the field as the provisional starters -- the two highest placed entries in NASCAR points standing not already in the race. No Winston West Series competitors made the field on speed, but Mike Chase ( 166.312 mph ) was awarded a special provisional for the highest entry in Winston West points standings ( Chase was the Winston West points leader going into the race ). Very few of the one - off entries by Indy car regulars made the field. Danny Sullivan surprised himself by placing 26th for his first ( and only ) career Winston Cup start. Popular Indy car owner Dick Simon who was noted for never failing to qualify one of his rookie drivers at the Indy 500 fell short as his driver, NASCAR veteran Jim Sauter, ranked only 47th. After no major incidents on Thursday, Friday 's qualifying saw wrecks or spins by four cars, including Daytona 500 polesitter Loy Allen Jr... Among the drivers who chose not to make an qualifying attempt in the second round session was Ben Hess, who had been injured in an accident during a practice session earlier in the day. H.B. Bailey, who had drawn the first spot in the qualifying order Thursday was, per the inverted order, the final car to make a qualifying attempt on Friday. Bailey closed out time trials, gaining over 8 mph from his previous speed, but still fell far short of making the starting lineup. Qualifying cars SP No. Driver Speed 21 5 Terry Labonte 170.046 22 43 Wally Dallenbach, Jr. 169.962 23 25 Ken Schrader 169.635 24 55 Jimmy Hensley 169.492 25 75 Todd Bodine 169.396 26 99 Danny Sullivan 169.214 27 17 Darrell Waltrip 169.186 28 14 John Andretti 169.185 29 51 Jeff Purvis 169.005 30 41 Joe Nemechek 168.989 * 31 98 Jeremy Mayfield 168.982 32 40 Bobby Hamilton 168.966 33 31 Ward Burton 168.900 * 34 27 Jimmy Spencer 168.890 * 35 44 Bobby Hillin 168.789 36 42 Kyle Petty 168.742 37 16 Ted Musgrave 168.672 38 8 Jeff Burton 168.672 * 39 02 Derrike Cope 168.634 * 40 50 A.J. Foyt 168.596 41 15 Lake Speed Provisional 42 33 Harry Gant Provisional 43 50w Mike Chase Provisional * Stood on Thursday time Non-qualifying cars Pos. No. Driver Speed 44 39 Joe Ruttman 168.587 45 32 Dick Trickle 168.479 46 20 Randy LaJoie 168.401 47 59 Jim Sauter 168.205 48 29 Steve Grissom 168.165 49 88 Davy Jones 168.124 50 61w Rick Carelli 167.876 51 92w John Krebs 167.666 52 34 Bob Brevak 167.570 53 60 Gary Bettenhausen 167.249 54 52 Brad Teague 166.451 55 90 Mike Wallace 166.399 56 54 Robert Pressley 166.211 57 81w Jeff Davis 165.329 58 57 Bob Schacht 164.986 59 76w Ron Hornaday 164.736 60 65 Jerry O'Neil 164.693 61 00w Scott Gaylord 164.591 62 67 Ken Bouchard 164.534 63 47 Billy Standridge 163.636 64 12 Tim Steele 162.796 65 36w Rich Woodland, Jr. 162.749 66 04w Hershel McGriff 162.449 67 56 Jerry Hill 161.897 68 59 Andy Belmont 161.679 69 36 H.B. Bailey 160.732 70 84 Norm Benning 160.040 71 58w Wayne Jacks 158.702 72 79 Doug French 154.684 73 49w Steve Sellers 153.074 74 48 James Hylton 149.276 75 91w Robert Sprague crash 76 95w Lance Wade spin 77 09 Stan Fox crash 78 19 Loy Allen, Jr. crash 79 48w Jack Sellers no speed Did not make an attempt No. Driver 0 Delma Cowart 13 Kerry Teague 38w P.J. Jones 82 Charlie Glotzbach 86w Butch Gilliland 95 Ben Hess 90w Joe Heath Qualifying notes A trio of brothers - Geoff, Brett, and Todd Bodine made the field, a feat that had only been accomplished once in the history of the Indy 500. In 1982, Don, Bill, and Dale Whittington all qualified for the 500. Another trio of brothers nearly did the same as Rusty and Kenny Wallace qualified, but Mike Wallace ranked only 55th. P.J. Jones, son of 1963 Indianapolis 500 winner Parnelli Jones, and the only driver entered who was a son of a former Indy 500 winner, did not complete a qualifying attempt. Race summary Pre-race Pre-race ceremonies Popular Indianapolis 500 fixture Jim Nabors was invited to sing the national anthem, accompanied by the Indiana State University Marching Sycamores. Mary F. Hulman gave the traditional starting command. Elmo Langley drove the Chevrolet Monte Carlo pace car, and Doyle Ford served as flagman. The flyover was performed by the 181st Fighter Group, featuring four F - 16 fighter jets. All living former NASCAR Winston Cup Champions were invited to participate in a pre-race parade around the track. Besides the former champions who qualified for the race ( Earnhardt, Wallace, Elliott, Waltrip, and Labonte ), those in attendance included Richard Petty, Rex White, Buck Baker, Ned Jarrett, and Benny Parsons. Former Daytona 500 winner Buddy Baker was also in attendance. After the final practice session Friday evening, polesitter Rick Mast, as well as Ernie Irvan and Brett Bodine, were among the teams that changed the engines in their cars. Start At the start, polesitter Rick Mast led Dale Earnhardt into turn one. In turn four, Earnhardt brushed the wall, which allowed Mast to lead the first lap. Earnhardt quickly began to slip in the standings. Meanwhile, Jeff Gordon passed Mast to take over the lead. On lap 3, Danny Sullivan lost a side window, bringing out the caution for debris. Earnhardt pitted to check the damage, and fell to the rear of the field. The green came back out on lap 6. On lap 10, Jimmy Spencer lost control and crashed hard in turn 3. He would become the first driver to drop out. First half Jeff Gordon leads the field for a restart. The first half settled into a comfortable pace, with Jeff Gordon leading for several segments. The top five was battled among drivers including Gordon, Geoff Bodine, Bill Elliott, Darrell Waltrip and Brett Bodine. Dale Earnhardt attempted to charge through the field, and managed to lead laps during a sequence of green flag pit stops. A.J. Foyt ran out of fuel around lap 40. He attempted to stay out and lead a lap during green flag pit stops, but had to coast around a full lap, and lost several laps in the process. He made it back to the pits, and re-joined the race. Second half Ricky Rudd On lap 95, Mike Chase and Dave Marcis crashed in turn 2, bringing out the caution. Under the yellow, Brett Bodine took on only two tires, which allowed him to re-enter the track with the lead. The field lined up for the restart with brothers Brett and Geoff Bodine first and second, respectively. Brett got the jump and led down the backstretch on lap 100. In turn three, Geoff nudged Brett 's rear bumper, which caused Brett to become loose, and Geoff took the lead. In turn 4, however, Brett bumped Geoff in the rear bumper, and spun him out in front of the entire field. Geoff hit the outside wall, and collected Dale Jarrett. After the crash, Geoff suggested Brett spun him out on purpose, attributing the move to `` family problems '' between the brothers. Brett later admitted he spun Geoff out on purpose, and the brothers feuded for nearly two years afterward. With Geoff Bodine out, the race came down to a battle between Jeff Gordon and Ernie Irvan, with Brett Bodine holding on to a strong top five position. On lap 130, Geoff Brabham got high in turn 1 and hit the outside wall. Jimmy Hensley swerved to avoid him, but Brabham spun and smacked into the side of Hensley 's car. Brabham was out of the race, but Hensley limped back to the pits with damaged fenders and flat tires. During the caution the leaders made their final scheduled pit stops. Rusty Wallace 's pit crew led by Buddy Parrott, executed a 15.9 second pit stop, and he came out of the pits with the lead. Jeff Gordon and Ernie Irvan came out second and third. The top five was rounded out by Brett Bodine and Bill Elliott. By that point in the race, Dale Earnhardt had worked all the way up to seventh. The green flag came back out on with 26 laps to. Rusty Wallace held the lead into turn 1, but Jeff Gordon passed him going down the backstretch. The two ran side - by - side in turn four, down the main stretch, and into turn 1. Gordon finally got by, Irvan now in second, and Wallace slipped all the way back to 7th. Finish Ernie Irvan ( # 28 ) leading Geoff Brabham ( # 07 ). With 20 laps to go, Ernie Irvan led Jeff Gordon and Brett Bodine. Gordon was battling a loose condition, and decided to tuck in behind Irvan to improve his handling. As the laps dwindled down, Irvan and Gordon raced nose - to - tail, and began to pull away from the rest of the field. Gordon slipped by to re-take the lead on lap 145. Irvan stayed within reach, and on lap 149, attempted to pass Gordon for the lead on the backstretch. Gordon stayed high in turn three, and the two went side - by - side into the turn. Exiting turn 4, Gordon held off the challenge. On lap 150, exiting turn two, Irvan tried the same move, and this time took the lead. With ten laps to go, Gordon tucked into second, and allowed Irvan to lead. Gordon 's crew was instructing him to wait until the final 2 -- 3 laps to make a pass attempt for the lead. With five laps to go, Irvan apparently ran over a piece of debris down the main stretch. He slid high going into turn one, and Jeff Gordon immediately dove underneath to take the lead. Down the backstretch, Irvan 's right front tire blew, and he was forced to the pits. Gordon pulled away with Brett Bodine now in second. In the final four laps, Bodine began to close the gap, but Gordon held off the challenge and won the Inaugural Brickyard 400, his second career NASCAR Winston Cup victory. ABC Sports announcers Bob Jenkins and Benny Parsons described the finish thus : Jenkins : Years from today when 79 ( the number of Indianapolis 500s run prior to this event ) stock car races have been run here, we 'll remember the name : Jeff Gordon, winner of the inaugural Brickyard 400 ! Parsons : Man, oh man, oh MAN ! Jenkins : Jeff is screaming on his radio back to the pit crew, `` Oh my God, I did it ! I did it ! '' After dropping to last place early on, Dale Earnhardt charged all the way to a fifth - place finish. A dejected Ernie Irvan wound up a lap down in 17th place. Two weeks later, Irvan was involved in a serious crash at Michigan International Speedway where he suffered a near - fatal head injury. Brett Bodine 's second place with King Racing would be the final top five finish of his career. It was also the best finish for car owner Kenny Bernstein at the Speedway. Bodine 's second place came six days after Scott Goodyear had delivered King Racing their first Indy car victory at Michigan. Box score Jeff Gordon ( # 24 ) chasing down Rick Mast ( # 1 ) for the lead early in the race. Danny Sullivan in the pit area. Darrell Waltrip during a pit stop. Race results Pos SP No. Driver Car make Entrant Laps Status 24 Jeff Gordon Chevrolet Hendrick Motorsports 160 Running 7 26 Brett Bodine Ford King Racing 160 Running 6 11 Bill Elliott Ford Junior Johnson 160 Running 12 Rusty Wallace Ford Penske Racing 160 Running 5 Dale Earnhardt Chevrolet Richard Childress Racing 160 Running 6 27 17 Darrell Waltrip Chevrolet Darrell Waltrip Motorsports 160 Running 7 23 25 Ken Schrader Chevrolet Hendrick Motorsports 160 Running 8 15 30 Michael Waltrip Pontiac Bahari Racing 160 Running 9 25 75 Todd Bodine Ford Butch Mock 160 Running 10 11 21 Morgan Shepherd Ford Wood Brothers Racing 160 Running 11 8 10 Ricky Rudd Ford Rudd Performance Motorsports 160 Running 12 21 5 Terry Labonte Chevrolet Hendrick Motorsports 160 Running 13 37 16 Ted Musgrave Ford Roush Racing 160 Running 14 9 Sterling Marlin Chevrolet Morgan - McClure Motorsports 160 Running 15 41 15 Lake Speed Ford Bud Moore Engineering 160 Running 16 5 22 Bobby Labonte Pontiac Bill Davis Racing 160 Running 17 17 28 Ernie Irvan Ford Robert Yates Racing 159 Running 18 13 77 Greg Sacks Ford U.S Racing 159 Running 19 38 8 Jeff Burton ( R ) Ford Stavola Brothers Racing 159 Running 20 30 41 Joe Nemechek ( R ) Chevrolet Larry Hedrick Motorsports 159 Running 21 35 44 Bobby Hillin, Jr. Ford Charles Hardy 159 Running 22 Rick Mast Ford Jackson Bros. Motorsports 159 Running 23 22 43 Wally Dallenbach, Jr. Pontiac Petty Enterprises 159 Running 24 32 40 Bobby Hamilton Pontiac SABCO Racing 159 Running 25 36 42 Kyle Petty Pontiac SABCO Racing 159 Running 26 31 98 Jeremy Mayfield Ford Cale Yarborough Motrsports 158 Running 27 39 02 Derrike Cope Ford T.W. Taylor 158 Running 28 28 14 John Andretti ( R ) Chevrolet Hagan Racing 158 Running 29 19 9 Rich Bickle Ford Melling Racing 157 Running 30 40 50 A.J. Foyt Ford A.J. Foyt Enterprises 156 Running 31 33 31 Ward Burton ( R ) Chevrolet Alan G. Dillard, Jr. 155 Running 32 24 55 Jimmy Hensley Ford Ray DeWitt 155 Running 33 26 99 Danny Sullivan Chevrolet Chris Virtue 152 Running 34 29 51 Jeff Purvis Chevrolet James Finch 142 Running 35 10 6 Mark Martin Ford Roush Racing 140 Running 36 20 23 Hut Stricklin Ford Travis Carter 136 Oil line 37 42 33 Harry Gant Chevrolet Leo Jackson 133 Running 38 18 07 Geoff Brabham Ford Michael Kranefuss 127 Crash 39 7 Geoffrey Bodine Ford Geoff Bodine Racing 99 Crash 40 14 18 Dale Jarrett Chevrolet Joe Gibbs Racing 99 Crash 41 16 71 Dave Marcis Chevrolet Dave Marcis 92 Crash 42 43 58 Mike Chase ( WW ) Chevrolet Bill Strauser 91 Crash 43 34 27 Jimmy Spencer Ford Junior Johnson 9 Crash ( R ) -- denotes 1994 NASCAR Winston Cup Series rookie contender ( WW ) -- denotes NASCAR Winston West competitor Race statistics Time of race -- 3 : 01 : 51 Average speed -- 131.977 miles per hour ( 212.396 km / h ) Margin of victory -- 0.53 seconds Lead changes -- 21 amongst 13 drivers Total purse : $ 3,213,849 ( winner 's share $613,000 ) Lap leaders Laps Leader 1 -- 2 Rick Mast 3 -- 24 Jeff Gordon 25 -- 33 Geoffrey Bodine 34 Bill Elliott 35 Todd Bodine 36 -- 37 Greg Sacks 38 -- 39 Dale Earnhardt 40 -- 41 Ted Musgrave 42 -- 46 Lake Speed 47 Harry Gant 48 -- 70 Jeff Gordon 71 -- 72 Greg Sacks 73 -- 80 Jeff Gordon 81 -- 95 Geoffrey Bodine 96 -- 105 Brett Bodine 106 -- 131 Jeff Gordon 132 -- 135 Rusty Wallace 136 -- 139 Jeff Gordon 140 -- 144 Ernie Irvan 145 -- 149 Jeff Gordon 150 -- 155 Ernie Irvan 156 -- 160 Jeff Gordon Total laps led Laps Leader 93 Jeff Gordon 24 Geoffrey Bodine 11 Ernie Irvan 10 Brett Bodine 5 Lake Speed Greg Sacks Rusty Wallace Dale Earnhardt Ted Musgrave Rick Mast Bill Elliott Todd Bodine Harry Gant Cautions : 6 for 25 laps Laps Reason 4 -- 5 Debris, turn 1 ( Sullivan ) 12 -- 15 Crash, turn 3 ( Spencer ) 81 -- 85 Crash, turn 1 ( Marcis, Chase ) 95 -- 99 Debris 101 -- 105 Crash, turn 4 ( G. Bodine, Jarrett ) 131 -- 134 Crash, turn 2 ( Brabham, Hensely ) Selected awards Jeff Gordon and the Hendrick Motorsports crew celebrating in victory lane. Busch Pole Award : Rick Mast Busch Beer Fastest Second Round Qualifier : Terry Labonte Goody 's Headache Award : Geoff Bodine AP Parts Meet the Challenge Award : Lake Speed ( + 26 positions ) True Value Hard Charger Award : Jeff Gordon Plasti - kote Winning Finish Award : Ray Evernham Western Auto Mechanic of the Race : Ray Evernham Unocal 76 Challenge : $15,200 available to polesitter Rick Mast -- not won ( rollover ) Sources : ( 1 ) ( 2 ) Championship standings following the 1994 Brickyard 400 Dale Earnhardt, 2,883 Ernie Irvan, − 27 Rusty Wallace, − 268 Mark Martin, − 344 Ken Schrader, − 355 Broadcasting The 1994 Brickyard 400 was carried live on television by ABC Sports. Paul Page, who was the announcer on ABC 's Indianapolis 500 broadcasts, served as host, with ABC / ESPN 's regular NASCAR announcer Bob Jenkins handling the play - by - play duties. His fellow commentator on ESPN NASCAR broadcasts, Benny Parsons, served as color commentator. The pit reporters included Gary Gerould, Jerry Punch, and Jack Arute. ESPN carried practice and qualifying with the same crew. Ned Jarrett joined the booth crew for practice / qualifying only, but did not work in the television booth on race day ( he had a contract at the time with CBS ). The race was carried live on the radio by the IMS Radio Network. The broadcast was carried by over 450 affiliates in the United States. Mike Joy served as the play - by - play, with Ned Jarrett as analyst. The turn reporters were Jerry Baker, Gary Lee, Larry Henry, and Bob Lamey. The pit reporters were Glenn Jarrett, Dave Despain, John Kernan and Chris McClure. Howdy Bell served as statistician. Chris Economaki sat in as a booth analyst during the pre-race, then as a roving reporter conducting interviews, and covering the garage area and hospital during the race. USAC historian Donald Davidson and author Greg Fielden were guests in the pre-race coverage, offering historical commentary. During the race itself, Davidson worked as a spotter for Bob Lamey on the radio. Davidson reprised his popular program The Talk of Gasoline Alley on WIBC for the week leading up to the event. Buddy Baker served as the driver analyst during qualifying coverage on Thursday and Friday ( as Jarrett had commitments with ESPN ). On race day, Baker was not part of the crew but visited the booth for a brief interview. The Speedway public address announcing team from the Indy 500 was retained for the Brickyard 400. The chief announcer Tom Carnegie was joined by Jim Phillippe and David Calabro, but John Totten did not participate. References Jump up ^ Weather information for the 1994 Brickyard 400 at The Old Farmers ' Almanac. Accessed 2013 - 06 - 24. Archived 2013 - 07 - 02. Jump up ^ `` CMT 40 Greatest NASCAR Moments ''. CMT. Retrieved 2009 - 07 - 06. Jump up ^ Great Moments of NASCAR Winston Cup Racing ( VHS ). Car & Track / Sports Marketing Enterprises, Inc. 1988. Jump up ^ `` Greatest NASCAR moments : Nos. 30 -- 21 ''. Fox Sports. 2008 - 07 - 20. Retrieved 2009 - 02 - 24. Jump up ^ Dutton, Monte ( 2011 - 07 - 18 ). `` The Wonder Boy of ' 94 is the Veteran of ' 11 ''. IndianapolisMotorSpeedway.com. Retrieved 2011 - 07 - 20. Jump up ^ Miller, Robin ( June 28, 1992 ). `` NASCAR race irks Indy pilots ( Part 1 ) ''. The Indianapolis Star. p. 59. Retrieved June 22, 2018 -- via Newspapers.com. Jump up ^ Miller, Robin ( June 28, 1992 ). `` NASCAR race irks Indy pilots ( Part 2 ) ''. The Indianapolis Star. p. 65. Retrieved June 22, 2018 -- via Newspapers.com. Jump up ^ Schoettle, Anthony ( 2010 - 07 - 31 ). `` Brickyard decline not good for IRL ''. Indiana Business Journal. Retrieved 2012 - 01 - 17. Jump up ^ http://racing-reference.info/driver/A.J._Foyt Jump up ^ The Talk of Gasoline Alley. July 22, 2015. WFNI. Jump up ^ `` Firecracker 400 To Indianapolis ? ''. The Indianapolis Star. December 7, 1979. p. 41. Retrieved June 29, 2016 -- via Newspapers.com. Jump up ^ Cadou Jr., Jep ( August 9, 1985 ). `` Speedway 's new 96 garages will accent spaciousness ( Part 1 ) ''. The Indianapolis Star. p. 1. Retrieved October 11, 2017 -- via Newspapers.com. Jump up ^ Cadou Jr., Jep ( August 9, 1985 ). `` Speedway 's new 96 garages will accent spaciousness ( Part 2 ) ''. The Indianapolis Star. p. 8. Retrieved October 11, 2017 -- via Newspapers.com. Jump up ^ `` NASCAR at Indy ? ''. The Indianapolis Star. September 25, 1991. p. 23. Retrieved January 3, 2017 -- via Newspapers.com. Jump up ^ Cavin, Curt ( April 15, 1993 ). `` Brickyard 400 set for IMS in ' 94 ( Part 1 ) ''. The Indianapolis Star. p. 40. Retrieved June 6, 2017 -- via Newspapers.com. Jump up ^ Cavin, Curt ( April 15, 1993 ). `` Brickyard 400 set for IMS in ' 94 ( Part 2 ) ''. The Indianapolis Star. p. 41. Retrieved June 6, 2017 -- via Newspapers.com. Jump up ^ `` 1994 DieHard 500 Results ''. Racing-Reference.info. Retrieved 2011 - 07 - 05. Jump up ^ `` NASCAR test set for IMS ''. The Indianapolis Star. June 22, 1992. p. 9. Retrieved June 6, 2017 -- via Newspapers.com. Jump up ^ Miller, Robin ( June 23, 1992 ). `` NASCAR drivers pass first Speedway test ( Part 1 ) ''. The Indianapolis Star. p. 31. Retrieved June 6, 2017 -- via Newspapers.com. Jump up ^ Miller, Robin ( June 23, 1992 ). `` NASCAR drivers pass first Speedway test ( Part 2 ) ''. The Indianapolis Star. p. 35. Retrieved June 6, 2017 -- via Newspapers.com. Jump up ^ `` Indy Was a fun run ''. The Indianapolis Star. June 24, 1992. p. 1. Retrieved June 6, 2017 -- via Newspapers.com. Jump up ^ Miller, Robin ( June 24, 1992 ). `` NASCAR wows IMS crowd with 9 - lap exhibition ( Part 1 ) ''. The Indianapolis Star. p. 23. Retrieved June 6, 2017 -- via Newspapers.com. Jump up ^ Miller, Robin ( June 24, 1992 ). `` NASCAR wows IMS crowd with 9 - lap exhibition ( Part 2 ) ''. The Indianapolis Star. p. 26. Retrieved June 6, 2017 -- via Newspapers.com. Jump up ^ `` Nascar Drivers Try Indy Track ''. Chicago Tribune. August 17, 1993. Retrieved July 21, 2015. Jump up ^ Cavin, Curt ( August 18, 1993 ). `` Petty gets in 4 laps, but it was just for PR ''. The Indianapolis Star. p. 45. Retrieved July 18, 2017 -- via Newspapers.com. Jump up ^ Miller, Robin ( July 18, 1994 ). `` NASCAR programs wonder which cars will run best at Indy ( part 1 ) ''. The Indianapolis Star. p. 19. Retrieved July 6, 2017 -- via Newspapers.com. Jump up ^ Miller, Robin ( July 18, 1994 ). `` NASCAR programs wonder which cars will run best at Indy ( part 2 ) ''. The Indianapolis Star. p. 20. Retrieved July 6, 2017 -- via Newspapers.com. Jump up ^ Higgins, Tom ( June 21, 1994 ). `` Yunick, Foyt team to help create a new racing ' league ' ''. The Indianapolis Star. p. 20. Retrieved July 6, 2017 -- via Newspapers.com. Jump up ^ Miller, Robin ( June 24, 1994 ). `` You sure can take stock in this ; A.J. will hit bricks in stock car ( Part 1 ) ''. The Indianapolis Star. p. 47. Retrieved July 6, 2017 -- via Newspapers.com. Jump up ^ Miller, Robin ( June 24, 1994 ). `` You sure can take stock in this ; A.J. will hit bricks in stock car ( Part 2 ) ''. The Indianapolis Star. p. 51. Retrieved July 6, 2017 -- via Newspapers.com. Jump up ^ Miller, Robin ( July 3, 1994 ). `` Michael Andretti appears to be heading back to his old ride ''. The Indianapolis Star. p. 20. Retrieved July 6, 2017 -- via Newspapers.com. ^ Jump up to : Miller, Robin ( July 24, 1994 ). `` Brickyard qualifying will be test of timing ( Part 1 ) ''. The Indianapolis Star. p. 25. Retrieved July 6, 2017 -- via Newspapers.com. ^ Jump up to : Miller, Robin ( July 24, 1994 ). `` Brickyard qualifying will be test of timing ( Part 2 ) ''. The Indianapolis Star. p. 27. Retrieved July 6, 2017 -- via Newspapers.com. Jump up ^ Cavin, Curt ( July 15, 1994 ). `` Track testing no longer just for show ''. The Indianapolis Star. p. 30. Retrieved July 6, 2017 -- via Newspapers.com. Jump up ^ `` It 's Pooshin ', Danny ''. The Indianapolis Star. July 13, 1994. p. 11. Retrieved July 6, 2017 -- via Newspapers.com. ^ Jump up to : Siano, Joseph ( August 5, 1994 ). `` Nascar Beats the Heavy Brickyard Traffic ''. The New York Times. New York. Retrieved December 22, 2017. Jump up ^ Horner, Scott ( August 6, 1994 ). `` Surprised Sullivan ' slips ' into race ''. The Indianapolis Star. p. 33. Retrieved July 26, 2017 -- via Newspapers.com. ^ Jump up to : 1994 Brickyard 400 Radio Broadcast : IMS Radio Network archives - August 6, 1994 ^ Jump up to : Martin, Bruce ( 2011 - 07 - 14 ). `` Bodine Happy To Still Drive Out Front In Brickyard 400 ''. IndianapolisMotorSpeedway.com. Retrieved 2011 - 07 - 20. ^ Jump up to : The Official NASCAR 1995 Preview and Press Guide : 1994 Brickyard 400 Recap Jump up ^ 1994 Brickyard 400 Television Broadcast : ABC Sports - August 6, 1994 Preceded by 1994 DieHard 500 NASCAR Winston Cup season 1994 Succeeded by 1994 The Bud At The Glen NASCAR on ESPN / ABC Networks ESPN ( 1981 - 2002, 2007 - 14 ) ABC ( 1961 - 92, 1994 - 2000, 2007 - 14 ) ESPN2 ( 1994 - 2002, 2007 - 14 ) ESPN Classic ( 2007 - 10 ) ESPNews ( 2011 - 14 ) NASCAR Countdown Nicole Briscoe Rusty Wallace Brad Daugherty Ray Evernham Tim Brewer Pit reporters Dave Burns Mike Massaro Jamie Little Shannon Spake Vince Welch Jerry Punch Mark Johnson Brienne Pedigo Race coverage Allen Bestwick Play - by - Play Dale Jarrett Color Commentary Andy Petree Color Commentary Dave Burns Nationwide Series Fill - in Play - by - Play Ricky Craven Fill - in Color Commentary Former key figures Bob Jenkins Ned Jarrett Benny Parsons Larry Nuber Bill Weber Ray Dunlap Paul Page John Kernan Dick Berggren Amy East Jack Arute Marty Reid Lore 1970s Petty / Pearson Crash ( ABC ) 1980s Petty 's 200th Win ( ABC ) Million Dollar Bill ( ESPN ) Allison 's crash into the fence ( ESPN ) Pass In The Grass ( ABC ) Kulwicki 's Polish Victory Lap ( ESPN ) Wallace spins Waltrip ( ABC ) 1990s Controversial Caution leads Bodine for lone Cup win ( ESPN ) Death of J.D. McDuffie ( ESPN ) Kulwicki 's Miracle ( ESPN ) First race at the Brickyard ( ABC ) Earnhardt 's Lone Road Course Win ( ESPN ) Earnhardt - Labonte Duel at Bristol ( ESPN ) Final race at North Wilkesboro ( ESPN ) Gordon 's Winston Million ( ESPN ) Earnhardt - Labonte Duel at Bristol II : Rattling His Cage ( ESPN ) 2000s Mr. `` Restrictor Plate '' : Earnhardt 's Final Victory ( ESPN ) Stewart wins ESPN 's First Race Back ( ESPN ) Tire Troubles ( ESPN ) First Rain Race ( ESPN2 ) Stewart wins after Smith 's mistake ( ABC ) Johnson ties Cale with 3 ( ABC ) Johnson wins 4th straight ( ABC ) 2010s McMurrary writes History for Chip Ganassi ( ESPN ) Kyle Busch makes history ( ABC ) Gordon - Johnson Pit Swap Controversy ( ESPN ) Jimmie beats Denny Hamlin for 5th straight title ( ESPN ) Jeff Gordon wins # 85 ( ESPN ) Stewart & Edwards tie with Stewart winning the tiebreaker ( ESPN ) Last Lap Horror ( ESPN ) The Singapore Sling ( ABC ) Jimmie Johnson wins a sixth title ( ESPN ) Jeff Gordon becomes a five time winner at Indy ( ESPN ) A.J. Allmendinger wins 4 - hour race ( ESPN ) Gordon vs. Keselowski ( ESPN ) First Championship 4 ( ESPN ) Daytona 500 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1976 1977 1978 Brickyard 400 1994 ( ABC ) 1995 ( ABC ) 1996 ( ABC ) 1997 ( ABC ) 1998 ( ABC ) 1999 ( ABC ) 2000 ( ABC ) 2007 ( ESPN ) 2008 ( ESPN ) 2009 ( ESPN ) 2010 ( ESPN ) 2011 ( ESPN ) 2012 ( ESPN ) 2013 ( ESPN ) 2014 ( ESPN ) ESPN SpeedWorld NASCAR Now NASCAR Countdown RPM 2Night Wide World of Sports includes races before 2006 which appeared on ABC Brickyard 400 1994 1995 1997 1998 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=1994_Brickyard_400&oldid=864158137 '' Categories : 1994 in sports in Indiana 1994 NASCAR Winston Cup Series August 1994 sports events First events NASCAR races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway 1990s in Indianapolis 1994 in American sports Talk Contents About Wikipedia Add links This page was last edited on 15 October 2018, at 13 : 34 ( UTC ). 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Question: who won the first brickyard 400 in 1994
Answer: Jeff Gordon