# 2000 Pennsylvania 500

The 2000 Pennsylvania 500 was the 19th stock car race of the 2000 NASCAR Winston Cup Series and the 28th iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, July 23, 2000, in Long Pond, Pennsylvania, at Pocono Raceway, a 2.5 miles (4.0 km) triangular permanent course. The race took the scheduled 200 laps to complete. On the final lap of the race, leader of the race, Penske-Kranefuss Racing driver Jeremy Mayfield would blow a tire heading into the second turn. Behind Mayfield, two drivers battling for position, teammate Rusty Wallace and Roush Racing driver Jeff Burton were battling for the second position, When Mayfield blew a tire, the two passed Mayfield, leading the two of them to battle for the lead. At the end of the race, Wallace was able to defend Burton to claim his 51st career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his second victory of the season. To fill out the top three, the aforementioned Jeff Burton and Hendrick Motorsports driver Jeff Gordon would finish second and third, respectively.

## Background

The race was held at Pocono Raceway, which is a three-turn superspeedway located in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. The track hosts two annual NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races, as well as one Xfinity Series and Camping World Truck Series event. Until 2019, the track also hosted an IndyCar Series race.
Pocono Raceway is one of a very few NASCAR tracks not owned by either Speedway Motorsports, Inc. or International Speedway Corporation. It is operated by the Igdalsky siblings Brandon, Nicholas, and sister Ashley, and cousins Joseph IV and Chase Mattioli, all of whom are third-generation members of the family-owned Mattco Inc, started by Joseph II and Rose Mattioli.
Outside of the NASCAR races, the track is used throughout the year by Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) and motorcycle clubs as well as racing schools and an IndyCar race. The triangular oval also has three separate infield sections of racetrack – North Course, East Course and South Course. Each of these infield sections use a separate portion of the tri-oval to complete the track. During regular non-race weekends, multiple clubs can use the track by running on different infield sections. Also some of the infield sections can be run in either direction, or multiple infield sections can be put together – such as running the North Course and the South Course and using the tri-oval to connect the two.

### Entry list

* (R) denotes rookie driver.
| # | Driver | Team | Make | Sponsor |
| 1 | Steve Park | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | Pennzoil |
| 01 | Ted Musgrave | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | BellSouth |
| 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | Miller Lite |
| 3 | Dale Earnhardt | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | GM Goodwrench Service |
| 4 | Bobby Hamilton | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | Kodak |
| 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | Frosted Flakes |
| 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | Valvoline |
| 7 | Michael Waltrip | Ultra Motorsports | Chevrolet | NationsRent |
| 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. (R) | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | Budweiser |
| 9 | Stacy Compton (R) | Melling Racing | Ford | Kodiak |
| 10 | Johnny Benson Jr. | Tyler Jet Motorsports | Pontiac | Aaron's, RCA |
| 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | Ralphs |
| 12 | Jeremy Mayfield | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | Mobil 1 |
| 14 | Rick Mast | A. J. Foyt Enterprises | Pontiac | Conseco |
| 16 | Kevin Lepage | Roush Racing | Ford | Family Click |
| 17 | Matt Kenseth (R) | Roush Racing | Ford | DeWalt |
| 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | Interstate Batteries |
| 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | The Home Depot |
| 21 | Elliott Sadler | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | Citgo |
| 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Pontiac | Caterpillar |
| 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | DuPont |
| 25 | Jerry Nadeau | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | Michael Holigan |
| 26 | Jimmy Spencer | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | Big Kmart |
| 27 | Mike Bliss (R) | Eel River Racing | Pontiac | Viagra |
| 28 | Ricky Rudd | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | Texaco, Havoline |
| 31 | Mike Skinner | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | Lowe's |
| 32 | Scott Pruett (R) | PPI Motorsports | Ford | Tide |
| 33 | Joe Nemechek | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | Oakwood Homes |
| 36 | Ken Schrader | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | M&M's |
| 40 | Sterling Marlin | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | Coors Light |
| 43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | Cheerios |
| 44 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | Hot Wheels |
| 55 | Kenny Wallace | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | Square D, Cooper Lighting |
| 60 | Geoff Bodine | Joe Bessey Racing | Chevrolet | Power Team |
| 66 | Darrell Waltrip | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | Route 66, Big Kmart |
| 71 | Dave Marcis | Marcis Auto Racing | Chevrolet | Realtree |
| 75 | Wally Dallenbach Jr. | Galaxy Motorsports | Ford | America Online, RedCell |
| 77 | Robert Pressley | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | Jasper Engines & Transmissions |
| 85 | Carl Long | Mansion Motorsports | Ford | Mansion Motorsports |
| 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | Quality Care Service, Ford Credit |
| 90 | Hut Stricklin | Donlavey Racing | Ford | Hills Bros. Coffee |
| 93 | Dave Blaney (R) | Bill Davis Racing | Pontiac | Amoco |
| 94 | Bill Elliott | Bill Elliott Racing | Ford | McDonald's |
| 97 | Chad Little | Roush Racing | Ford | John Deere |
| 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | Exide |
| Official entry list |||||

## Practice
### First practice

The first practice session was held on Friday, July 21, at 11:00 AM EST. The session would last for three hours. Mark Martin, driving for Roush Racing, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 52.377 and an average speed of 171.831 mph (276.535 km/h).
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 52.377 | 171.831 |
| 2 | 12 | Jeremy Mayfield | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | 52.454 | 171.578 |
| 3 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | 52.612 | 171.063 |
| Full first practice results |||||||

### Second practice

The second practice session was held on Saturday, July 22, at 9:30 AM EST. The session would last for one hour and 20 minutes. Ted Musgrave, driving for Team SABCO, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 53.416 and an average speed of 168.489 mph (271.157 km/h).
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 01 | Ted Musgrave | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 53.416 | 168.489 |
| 2 | 14 | Rick Mast | A. J. Foyt Enterprises | Pontiac | 53.475 | 168.303 |
| 3 | 60 | Geoff Bodine | Joe Bessey Racing | Chevrolet | 53.544 | 168.086 |
| Full second practice results |||||||

### Final practice

The final practice session, sometimes referred to as Happy Hour, was held on Saturday, July 22, after the preliminary 2000 Pepsi ARCA 200 ARCA Re/Max Series race. The session would last for one hour. Matt Kenseth, driving for Roush Racing, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 54.338 and an average speed of 165.629 mph (266.554 km/h).
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 17 | Matt Kenseth (R) | Roush Racing | Ford | 54.338 | 165.629 |
| 2 | 12 | Jeremy Mayfield | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | 54.370 | 165.532 |
| 3 | 28 | Ricky Rudd | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 54.421 | 165.377 |
| Full Happy Hour practice results |||||||

## Qualifying

Qualifying was split into two rounds. The first round was held on Friday, July 21, at 3:00 PM EST. Each driver would have one lap to set a time. During the first round, the top 25 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, July 22, at 11:30 AM EST. As with the first round, each driver would have one lap to set a time. Positions 26-36 would be decided on time, while positions 37-43 would be based on provisionals. Six spots are awarded by the use of provisionals based on owner's points. The seventh is awarded to a past champion who has not otherwise qualified for the race. If no past champion needs the provisional, the next team in the owner points will be awarded a provisional.
Tony Stewart, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, would win the pole, setting a time of 52.207 and an average speed of 172.391 miles per hour (277.436 km/h) in the first round.
Two drivers would fail to qualify.

### Full qualifying results

| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 52.207 | 172.391 |
| 2 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | 52.278 | 172.157 |
| 3 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 52.433 | 171.648 |
| 4 | 12 | Jeremy Mayfield | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | 52.465 | 171.543 |
| 5 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 52.479 | 171.497 |
| 6 | 25 | Jerry Nadeau | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 52.493 | 171.451 |
| 7 | 94 | Bill Elliott | Bill Elliott Racing | Ford | 52.533 | 171.321 |
| 8 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | 52.537 | 171.308 |
| 9 | 10 | Johnny Benson Jr. | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 52.573 | 171.191 |
| 10 | 1 | Steve Park | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 52.605 | 171.086 |
| 11 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 52.607 | 171.080 |
| 12 | 43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 52.639 | 170.976 |
| 13 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 52.754 | 170.603 |
| 14 | 28 | Ricky Rudd | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 52.754 | 170.603 |
| 15 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. (R) | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 52.764 | 170.571 |
| 16 | 33 | Joe Nemechek | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 52.823 | 170.380 |
| 17 | 31 | Mike Skinner | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 52.829 | 170.361 |
| 18 | 93 | Dave Blaney (R) | Bill Davis Racing | Pontiac | 52.862 | 170.255 |
| 19 | 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | 52.947 | 169.981 |
| 20 | 77 | Robert Pressley | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | 52.972 | 169.901 |
| 21 | 7 | Michael Waltrip | Ultra Motorsports | Chevrolet | 52.978 | 169.882 |
| 22 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 53.055 | 169.635 |
| 23 | 16 | Kevin Lepage | Roush Racing | Ford | 53.061 | 169.616 |
| 24 | 17 | Matt Kenseth (R) | Roush Racing | Ford | 53.065 | 169.603 |
| 25 | 3 | Dale Earnhardt | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 53.070 | 169.587 |
| Failed to lock in Round 1 |||||||
| 26 | 01 | Ted Musgrave | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 53.008 | 169.786 |
| 27 | 55 | Kenny Wallace | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 53.118 | 169.434 |
| 28 | 26 | Jimmy Spencer | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 53.149 | 169.335 |
| 29 | 36 | Ken Schrader | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 53.167 | 169.278 |
| 30 | 97 | Chad Little | Roush Racing | Ford | 53.179 | 169.240 |
| 31 | 75 | Wally Dallenbach Jr. | Galaxy Motorsports | Ford | 53.195 | 169.189 |
| 32 | 44 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 53.202 | 169.167 |
| 33 | 32 | Scott Pruett (R) | PPI Motorsports | Ford | 53.209 | 169.144 |
| 34 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 53.238 | 169.052 |
| 35 | 14 | Rick Mast | A. J. Foyt Racing | Pontiac | 53.259 | 168.986 |
| 36 | 21 | Elliott Sadler | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 53.262 | 168.976 |
| Provisionals |||||||
| 37 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Pontiac | 53.273 | 168.941 |
| 38 | 4 | Bobby Hamilton | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | 54.001 | 166.664 |
| 39 | 9 | Stacy Compton (R) | Melling Racing | Ford | 53.443 | 168.404 |
| 40 | 27 | Mike Bliss (R) | Eel River Racing | Pontiac | 53.617 | 167.857 |
| 41 | 66 | Darrell Waltrip | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 53.448 | 168.388 |
| 42 | 90 | Ed Berrier (R) | Donlavey Racing | Ford | 54.440 | 165.320 |
| 43 | 71 | Dave Marcis | Marcis Auto Racing | Chevrolet | 53.829 | 167.196 |
| Failed to qualify |||||||
| 44 | 60 | Geoff Bodine | Joe Bessey Racing | Chevrolet | 53.307 | 168.833 |
| 45 | 85 | Carl Long | Mansion Motorsports | Ford | 54.281 | 165.804 |
| Official first round qualifying results |||||||
| Official starting lineup |||||||

## Race results

| Fin | St | # | Driver | Team | Make | Laps | Led | Status | Pts | Winnings |
| 1 | 2 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | 200 | 49 | running | 180 | $125,745 |
| 2 | 8 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | 200 | 11 | running | 175 | $121,245 |
| 3 | 5 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 200 | 10 | running | 170 | $92,045 |
| 4 | 11 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 200 | 73 | running | 170 | $97,470 |
| 5 | 24 | 17 | Matt Kenseth (R) | Roush Racing | Ford | 200 | 0 | running | 155 | $71,590 |
| 6 | 13 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 200 | 1 | running | 155 | $62,065 |
| 7 | 17 | 31 | Mike Skinner | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 200 | 0 | running | 146 | $53,915 |
| 8 | 35 | 14 | Rick Mast | A. J. Foyt Racing | Pontiac | 200 | 0 | running | 142 | $41,615 |
| 9 | 28 | 26 | Jimmy Spencer | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 200 | 0 | running | 138 | $49,715 |
| 10 | 4 | 12 | Jeremy Mayfield | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | 200 | 31 | running | 139 | $49,615 |
| 11 | 22 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 200 | 0 | running | 130 | $60,565 |
| 12 | 9 | 10 | Johnny Benson Jr. | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 200 | 4 | running | 132 | $38,915 |
| 13 | 15 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. (R) | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 200 | 0 | running | 124 | $43,015 |
| 14 | 20 | 77 | Robert Pressley | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | 200 | 0 | running | 121 | $36,015 |
| 15 | 10 | 1 | Steve Park | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 200 | 0 | running | 118 | $45,390 |
| 16 | 26 | 01 | Ted Musgrave | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 200 | 0 | running | 115 | $46,590 |
| 17 | 21 | 7 | Michael Waltrip | Ultra Motorsports | Chevrolet | 200 | 0 | running | 112 | $44,090 |
| 18 | 18 | 93 | Dave Blaney (R) | Bill Davis Racing | Pontiac | 200 | 0 | running | 109 | $30,990 |
| 19 | 29 | 36 | Ken Schrader | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 200 | 0 | running | 106 | $34,440 |
| 20 | 30 | 97 | Chad Little | Roush Racing | Ford | 200 | 0 | running | 103 | $46,515 |
| 21 | 27 | 55 | Kenny Wallace | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 200 | 0 | running | 100 | $42,390 |
| 22 | 41 | 66 | Darrell Waltrip | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 200 | 0 | running | 97 | $33,490 |
| 23 | 23 | 16 | Kevin Lepage | Roush Racing | Ford | 200 | 2 | running | 99 | $41,165 |
| 24 | 40 | 27 | Mike Bliss (R) | Eel River Racing | Pontiac | 200 | 0 | running | 91 | $29,640 |
| 25 | 25 | 3 | Dale Earnhardt | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 199 | 6 | running | 93 | $48,915 |
| 26 | 1 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 199 | 0 | running | 85 | $56,490 |
| 27 | 6 | 25 | Jerry Nadeau | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 199 | 0 | running | 82 | $40,415 |
| 28 | 37 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Pontiac | 198 | 0 | running | 79 | $47,065 |
| 29 | 36 | 21 | Elliott Sadler | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 184 | 0 | running | 76 | $39,990 |
| 30 | 19 | 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | 183 | 0 | transmission | 73 | $29,240 |
| 31 | 31 | 75 | Wally Dallenbach Jr. | Galaxy Motorsports | Ford | 176 | 0 | transmission | 70 | $31,590 |
| 32 | 7 | 94 | Bill Elliott | Bill Elliott Racing | Ford | 163 | 13 | engine | 72 | $39,440 |
| 33 | 42 | 90 | Ed Berrier (R) | Donlavey Racing | Ford | 160 | 0 | rear end | 64 | $28,240 |
| 34 | 16 | 33 | Joe Nemechek | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 159 | 0 | engine | 61 | $38,515 |
| 35 | 39 | 9 | Stacy Compton (R) | Melling Racing | Ford | 148 | 0 | engine | 58 | $27,415 |
| 36 | 33 | 32 | Scott Pruett (R) | PPI Motorsports | Ford | 141 | 0 | engine | 55 | $27,290 |
| 37 | 43 | 71 | Dave Marcis | Marcis Auto Racing | Chevrolet | 128 | 0 | engine | 52 | $27,200 |
| 38 | 14 | 28 | Ricky Rudd | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 111 | 0 | crash | 49 | $35,150 |
| 39 | 38 | 4 | Bobby Hamilton | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | 106 | 0 | engine | 46 | $35,100 |
| 40 | 32 | 44 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 96 | 0 | engine | 43 | $35,025 |
| 41 | 12 | 43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 41 | 0 | engine | 40 | $44,975 |
| 42 | 34 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 31 | 0 | engine | 37 | $34,925 |
| 43 | 3 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 25 | 0 | engine | 34 | $44,875 |
| Failed to qualify |||||||||||
| 44 | | 60 | Geoff Bodine | Joe Bessey Racing | Chevrolet | | | | | |
| 45 | | 85 | Carl Long | Mansion Motorsports | Ford | | | | | |
| Official race results |||||||||||