# 1989 Holly Farms 400

The 1989 Holly Farms 400 was the 26th stock car race of the 1989 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season and the 40th iteration of the event. The race was originally scheduled to be held on Sunday, October 1, 1989, but due to rain throughout the race's weekend, the race was postponed until Sunday, October 15. The race was held in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina at the North Wilkesboro Speedway, a 0.625 miles (1.006 km) oval short track. The race took the scheduled 400 laps to complete. On the final lap of the race, a battle between Richard Childress Racing driver Dale Earnhardt and King Racing driver Ricky Rudd that had been culminating since the final restart of the race on lap 398 came to a head. Heading into the first turn, Rudd would dive-bomb Earnhardt, which led Rudd into Earnhardt's car, spinning both cars. As a result of the spin, the third place driver at the time, Hendrick Motorsports driver Geoff Bodine, would manage to avoid the wreck and take the victory. The victory was Bodine's seventh career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his only victory of the season. Rudd and Earnhardt would finish ninth and tenth, respectively.
In the driver's championship points battle, leader Rusty Wallace was able to increase his lead over Earnhardt by two points to make his lead over Earnhardt 37 points with three races left in the season. Had Earnhardt either won or taken second in the race, Earnhardt would have retaken the driver's championship lead from Wallace.

## Background

North Wilkesboro Speedway is a short oval racetrack located on U.S. Route 421, about five miles east of the town of North Wilkesboro, North Carolina, or 80 miles north of Charlotte. It measures 0.625 mi (1.006 km) and features a unique uphill backstretch and downhill frontstretch. It has previously held races in NASCAR's top three series, including 93 Winston Cup Series races. The track, a NASCAR original, operated from 1949, NASCAR's inception, until the track's original closure in 1996. The speedway briefly reopened in 2010 and hosted several stock car series races before closing again in the spring of 2011. It was re-opened in August 2022 for grassroots racing.

### Entry list

* (R) denotes rookie driver.
| # | Driver | Team | Make | Sponsor |
| 2 | Ernie Irvan | U.S. Racing | Pontiac | Kroger |
| 3 | Dale Earnhardt | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | GM Goodwrench Service Plus |
| 4 | Rick Wilson | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Oldsmobile | Kodak |
| 5 | Geoff Bodine | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | Levi Garrett |
| 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | Stroh's Light |
| 7 | Alan Kulwicki | AK Racing | Ford | Zerex |
| 8 | Bobby Hillin Jr. | Stavola Brothers Racing | Buick | Miller High Life |
| 9 | Bill Elliott | Melling Racing | Ford | Coors Light |
| 10 | Derrike Cope | Whitcomb Racing | Pontiac | Purolator |
| 11 | Terry Labonte | Junior Johnson & Associates | Ford | Budweiser |
| 15 | Brett Bodine | Bud Moore Engineering | Ford | Motorcraft |
| 16 | Larry Pearson (R) | Pearson Racing | Buick | Chattanooga Chew |
| 17 | Darrell Waltrip | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | Tide |
| 21 | Tommy Ellis | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | Citgo |
| 25 | Ken Schrader | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | Folgers |
| 26 | Ricky Rudd | King Racing | Buick | Quaker State |
| 27 | Rusty Wallace | Blue Max Racing | Pontiac | Kodiak |
| 28 | Davey Allison | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | Texaco, Havoline |
| 29 | Dale Jarrett | Cale Yarborough Motorsports | Pontiac | Hardee's |
| 30 | Michael Waltrip | Bahari Racing | Pontiac | Country Time |
| 33 | Harry Gant | Jackson Bros. Motorsports | Oldsmobile | Skoal Bandit |
| 42 | Kyle Petty | SABCO Racing | Pontiac | Peak Antifreeze |
| 43 | Richard Petty | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | STP |
| 49 | James Hylton | Hylton Motorsports | Buick | Hylton Motorsports |
| 52 | Jimmy Means | Jimmy Means Racing | Pontiac | Alka-Seltzer |
| 55 | Phil Parsons | Jackson Bros. Motorsports | Oldsmobile | Skoal, Crown Central Petroleum |
| 57 | Hut Stricklin (R) | Osterlund Racing | Pontiac | Heinz |
| 62 | Joe Ruttman | Douglas Smith Racing | Oldsmobile | Baja Boats |
| 70 | J. D. McDuffie | McDuffie Racing | Pontiac | Rumple Furniture |
| 71 | Dave Marcis | Marcis Auto Racing | Chevrolet | Lifebuoy |
| 73 | Dale Fischlein | Barkdoll Racing | Oldsmobile | Barkdoll Racing |
| 75 | Morgan Shepherd | RahMoc Enterprises | Pontiac | Valvoline |
| 83 | Lake Speed | Speed Racing | Oldsmobile | Bull's-Eye Barbecue Sauce |
| 84 | Dick Trickle (R) | Stavola Brothers Racing | Buick | Miller High Life |
| 88 | Jimmy Spencer (R) | Baker–Schiff Racing | Pontiac | Crisco |
| 94 | Sterling Marlin | Hagan Racing | Oldsmobile | Sunoco |

## Qualifying

Qualifying was originally scheduled to be split into two rounds. The first round was scheduled to be run on Friday, September 29, at 3:00 PM EST. 31 cars would manage to set times in the session before the session was stopped due to rain. Originally, qualifying would have been condensed into one round and ran the next day on Saturday, September 30. However, due to persistent rain, qualifying was cancelled and the lineup was set by the current 1989 owner's points. As a result, Richard Childress Racing driver Dale Earnhardt would win the pole.
Four drivers would fail to qualify.

### Full qualifying results

| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make |
| 1 | 3 | Dale Earnhardt | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet |
| 2 | 27 | Rusty Wallace | Blue Max Racing | Pontiac |
| 3 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford |
| 4 | 17 | Darrell Waltrip | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 5 | 26 | Ricky Rudd | King Racing | Buick |
| 6 | 9 | Bill Elliott | Melling Racing | Ford |
| 7 | 25 | Ken Schrader | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 8 | 28 | Davey Allison | Robert Yates Racing | Ford |
| 9 | 11 | Terry Labonte | Junior Johnson & Associates | Ford |
| 10 | 33 | Harry Gant | Jackson Bros. Motorsports | Oldsmobile |
| 11 | 5 | Geoff Bodine | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 12 | 94 | Sterling Marlin | Hagan Racing | Oldsmobile |
| 13 | 75 | Morgan Shepherd | RahMoc Enterprises | Pontiac |
| 14 | 4 | Rick Wilson | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Oldsmobile |
| 15 | 21 | Tommy Ellis | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford |
| 16 | 84 | Dick Trickle (R) | Stavola Brothers Racing | Buick |
| 17 | 7 | Alan Kulwicki | AK Racing | Ford |
| 18 | 30 | Michael Waltrip | Bahari Racing | Pontiac |
| 19 | 15 | Brett Bodine | Bud Moore Engineering | Ford |
| 20 | 8 | Bobby Hillin Jr. | Stavola Brothers Racing | Buick |
| 21 | 83 | Lake Speed | Speed Racing | Oldsmobile |
| 22 | 55 | Phil Parsons | Jackson Bros. Motorsports | Oldsmobile |
| 23 | 2 | Ernie Irvan | U.S. Racing | Pontiac |
| 24 | 16 | Larry Pearson (R) | Pearson Racing | Buick |
| 25 | 29 | Dale Jarrett | Cale Yarborough Motorsports | Pontiac |
| 26 | 57 | Hut Stricklin (R) | Osterlund Racing | Pontiac |
| 27 | 71 | Dave Marcis | Marcis Auto Racing | Chevrolet |
| 28 | 88 | Jimmy Spencer (R) | Baker–Schiff Racing | Pontiac |
| 29 | 43 | Richard Petty | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac |
| 30 | 10 | Derrike Cope | Whitcomb Racing | Pontiac |
| Provisionals |||||
| 31 | 42 | Kyle Petty | SABCO Racing | Pontiac |
| 32 | 52 | Jimmy Means | Jimmy Means Racing | Pontiac |
| Failed to qualify |||||
| 33 | 70 | J. D. McDuffie | McDuffie Racing | Pontiac |
| 34 | 62 | Joe Ruttman | Douglas Smith Racing | Oldsmobile |
| 35 | 49 | James Hylton | Hylton Motorsports | Buick |
| 36 | 73 | Dale Fischlein | Barkdoll Racing | Oldsmobile |
| Official interrupted first round qualifying results |||||
| Official starting lineup |||||

## Race results

| Fin | St | # | Driver | Team | Make | Laps | Led | Status | Pts | Winnings |
| 1 | 11 | 5 | Geoff Bodine | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 400 | 1 | running | 180 | $47,800 |
| 2 | 3 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 400 | 51 | running | 175 | $28,075 |
| 3 | 9 | 11 | Terry Labonte | Junior Johnson & Associates | Ford | 400 | 0 | running | 165 | $18,300 |
| 4 | 10 | 33 | Harry Gant | Jackson Bros. Motorsports | Oldsmobile | 400 | 0 | running | 160 | $12,775 |
| 5 | 13 | 75 | Morgan Shepherd | RahMoc Enterprises | Pontiac | 400 | 0 | running | 155 | $15,200 |
| 6 | 6 | 9 | Bill Elliott | Melling Racing | Ford | 400 | 0 | running | 150 | $13,570 |
| 7 | 2 | 27 | Rusty Wallace | Blue Max Racing | Pontiac | 400 | 0 | running | 146 | $11,880 |
| 8 | 23 | 2 | Ernie Irvan | U.S. Racing | Pontiac | 400 | 5 | running | 147 | $6,792 |
| 9 | 5 | 26 | Ricky Rudd | King Racing | Buick | 400 | 0 | running | 138 | $8,630 |
| 10 | 1 | 3 | Dale Earnhardt | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 400 | 343 | running | 144 | $15,155 |
| 11 | 17 | 7 | Alan Kulwicki | AK Racing | Ford | 398 | 0 | running | 130 | $5,875 |
| 12 | 16 | 84 | Dick Trickle (R) | Stavola Brothers Racing | Buick | 398 | 0 | running | 127 | $6,275 |
| 13 | 7 | 25 | Ken Schrader | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 397 | 0 | running | 124 | $7,150 |
| 14 | 27 | 71 | Dave Marcis | Marcis Auto Racing | Chevrolet | 396 | 0 | running | 121 | $5,295 |
| 15 | 20 | 8 | Bobby Hillin Jr. | Stavola Brothers Racing | Buick | 395 | 0 | running | 118 | $5,650 |
| 16 | 15 | 21 | Tommy Ellis | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 394 | 0 | running | 115 | $4,900 |
| 17 | 19 | 15 | Brett Bodine | Bud Moore Engineering | Ford | 394 | 0 | running | 112 | $4,775 |
| 18 | 28 | 88 | Jimmy Spencer (R) | Baker–Schiff Racing | Pontiac | 393 | 0 | running | 109 | $4,900 |
| 19 | 12 | 94 | Sterling Marlin | Hagan Racing | Oldsmobile | 391 | 0 | running | 106 | $4,425 |
| 20 | 4 | 17 | Darrell Waltrip | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 388 | 0 | running | 103 | $10,125 |
| 21 | 8 | 28 | Davey Allison | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 379 | 0 | running | 100 | $8,930 |
| 22 | 32 | 52 | Jimmy Means | Jimmy Means Racing | Pontiac | 373 | 0 | running | 97 | $1,805 |
| 23 | 18 | 30 | Michael Waltrip | Bahari Racing | Pontiac | 368 | 0 | running | 94 | $4,130 |
| 24 | 24 | 16 | Larry Pearson (R) | Pearson Racing | Buick | 312 | 0 | running | 91 | $2,555 |
| 25 | 21 | 83 | Lake Speed | Speed Racing | Oldsmobile | 304 | 0 | running | 88 | $4,025 |
| 26 | 30 | 10 | Derrike Cope | Whitcomb Racing | Pontiac | 296 | 0 | running | 85 | $2,380 |
| 27 | 25 | 29 | Dale Jarrett | Cale Yarborough Motorsports | Pontiac | 218 | 0 | overheating | 82 | $3,830 |
| 28 | 22 | 55 | Phil Parsons | Jackson Bros. Motorsports | Oldsmobile | 199 | 0 | crash | 79 | $3,755 |
| 29 | 14 | 4 | Rick Wilson | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Oldsmobile | 181 | 0 | ignition | 76 | $2,130 |
| 30 | 26 | 57 | Hut Stricklin (R) | Osterlund Racing | Pontiac | 177 | 0 | running | 73 | $1,630 |
| 31 | 31 | 42 | Kyle Petty | SABCO Racing | Pontiac | 124 | 0 | distributor | 70 | $1,580 |
| 32 | 29 | 43 | Richard Petty | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 124 | 0 | crash | 67 | $2,330 |
| Failed to qualify |||||||||||
| 33 | | 70 | J. D. McDuffie | McDuffie Racing | Pontiac | | | | | |
| 34 | | 62 | Joe Ruttman | Douglas Smith Racing | Oldsmobile | | | | | |
| 35 | | 49 | James Hylton | Hylton Motorsports | Buick | | | | | |
| 36 | | 73 | Dale Fischlein | Barkdoll Racing | Oldsmobile | | | | | |
| Official race results |||||||||||

## Standings after the race

| | Pos | Driver | Points |
| | 1 | Rusty Wallace | 3,758 |
| | 2 | Dale Earnhardt | 3,721 (-37) |
| | 3 | Mark Martin | 3,630 (-128) |
| | 4 | Darrell Waltrip | 3,476 (–282) |
| | 5 | Bill Elliott | 3,394 (–364) |
| | 6 | Ken Schrader | 3,332 (–426) |
| | 7 | Ricky Rudd | 3,317 (–441) |
| 1 | 8 | Harry Gant | 3,275 (–483) |
| 1 | 9 | Davey Allison | 3,252 (–506) |
| | 10 | Terry Labonte | 3,230 (–528) |
| Official driver's standings ||||