# 2000 NAPA Autocare 500

The 2000 NAPA Autocare 500 was the 28th stock car race of the 2000 NASCAR Winston Cup Series and the 52nd iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, October 1, 2000, in Ridgeway, Virginia, at Martinsville Speedway, a 0.526 miles (0.847 km) permanent oval-shaped short track. The race took the scheduled 500 laps to complete. At race's end, Tony Stewart, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, would control the final restart with 11 laps to go to win his eighth career NASCAR Winston Cup Series win and his fifth of the season. To fill out the podium, Dale Earnhardt of Richard Childress Racing and Jeff Burton of Roush Racing would finish second and third, respectively.

## Background

Martinsville Speedway is a NASCAR-owned stock car racing track located in Henry County, in Ridgeway, Virginia, just to the south of Martinsville. At 0.526 miles (0.847 km) in length, it is the shortest track in the NASCAR Cup Series. The track was also one of the first paved oval tracks in NASCAR, being built in 1947 by H. Clay Earles. It is also the only remaining race track that has been on the NASCAR circuit from its beginning in 1948.

### 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 | Kellogg's |
| 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | Valvoline |
| 7 | Michael Waltrip | Mattei 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.com |
| 17 | Matt Kenseth (R) | Roush Racing | Ford | DeWalt |
| 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | Interstate Batteries |
| 19 | Casey Atwood | Evernham Motorsports | Ford | Motorola |
| 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | The Home Depot |
| 21 | Elliott Sadler | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | Citgo 1950's Throwback |
| 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 | Steve Grissom | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | Hot Wheels |
| 45 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | Sprint |
| 50 | Ricky Craven | Midwest Transit Racing | Chevrolet | Midwest Transit |
| 55 | Kenny Wallace | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | Square D, Cooper Lighting |
| 60 | Rich Bickle | 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 | RotoZip |
| 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 | Kurt Busch | 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, September 29, at 11:00 AM EST. The session would last for two hours and 30 minutes. Tony Stewart of Joe Gibbs Racing would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 19.810 and an average speed of 95.588 mph (153.834 km/h).
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 19.810 | 95.588 |
| 2 | 60 | Rich Bickle | Joe Bessey Racing | Chevrolet | 19.859 | 95.352 |
| 3 | 77 | Robert Pressley | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | 19.865 | 95.323 |
| Full first practice results |||||||

### Second practice

The second practice session was held on Saturday, September 30, at 9:40 AM EST. The session would last for 50 minutes. Steve Grissom of Petty Enterprises would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 20.126 and an average speed of 94.087 mph (151.418 km/h).
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 44 | Steve Grissom | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 20.126 | 94.087 |
| 2 | 60 | Rich Bickle | Joe Bessey Racing | Chevrolet | 20.129 | 94.073 |
| 3 | 50 | Ricky Craven | Midwest Transit Racing | Chevrolet | 20.148 | 93.984 |
| Full second practice results |||||||

### Third and final practice

The final practice session, sometimes referred to as Happy Hour, was held on Saturday, September 30, at 1:00 PM EST. The session would last for one hour. Ricky Craven of Midwest Transit Racing would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 20.186 and an average speed of 93.808 mph (150.969 km/h).
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 50 | Ricky Craven | Midwest Transit Racing | Chevrolet | 20.186 | 93.808 |
| 2 | 25 | Jerry Nadeau | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 20.231 | 93.599 |
| 3 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 20.241 | 93.553 |
| Full Happy Hour practice results |||||||

## Qualifying

Qualifying was split into two rounds. The first round was held on Friday, September 29, at 3:00 PM EST. Each driver would have two laps to set a fastest time; the fastest of the two would count as their official qualifying lap. 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, September 30, at 11:15 AM EST. As with the first round, each driver would have two laps to set a fastest time; the fastest of the two would count as their official qualifying lap. 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 of Joe Gibbs Racing would win the pole, setting a time of 19.855 and an average speed of 95.371 miles per hour (153.485 km/h).
Five drivers would fail to qualify: Scott Pruett, Steve Grissom, Carl Long, Dave Marcis, and Rich Bickle.

### Full qualifying results

| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 20 | Tony Stewart (R) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 19.855 | 95.371 |
| 2 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | 19.862 | 95.338 |
| 3 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | 19.866 | 95.319 |
| 4 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Pontiac | 19.896 | 95.175 |
| 5 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 19.898 | 95.165 |
| 6 | 55 | Kenny Wallace | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 19.905 | 95.132 |
| 7 | 4 | Bobby Hamilton | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | 19.926 | 95.032 |
| 8 | 31 | Mike Skinner | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 19.928 | 95.022 |
| 9 | 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | 19.952 | 94.908 |
| 10 | 1 | Steve Park | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 19.962 | 94.860 |
| 11 | 28 | Ricky Rudd | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 19.964 | 94.851 |
| 12 | 3 | Dale Earnhardt | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 19.972 | 94.813 |
| 13 | 25 | Jerry Nadeau | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 19.976 | 94.794 |
| 14 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 19.978 | 94.784 |
| 15 | 01 | Ted Musgrave | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 19.990 | 94.727 |
| 16 | 77 | Robert Pressley | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | 19.995 | 94.704 |
| 17 | 75 | Wally Dallenbach Jr. | Galaxy Motorsports | Ford | 20.000 | 94.680 |
| 18 | 66 | Darrell Waltrip | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 20.010 | 94.633 |
| 19 | 14 | Rick Mast | A. J. Foyt Enterprises | Pontiac | 20.012 | 94.623 |
| 20 | 94 | Bill Elliott | Bill Elliott Racing | Ford | 20.015 | 94.609 |
| 21 | 93 | Dave Blaney | Bill Davis Racing | Pontiac | 20.020 | 94.585 |
| 22 | 19 | Casey Atwood | Evernham Motorsports | Ford | 20.026 | 94.571 |
| 23 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 20.026 | 94.557 |
| 24 | 33 | Joe Nemechek | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 20.032 | 94.529 |
| 25 | 26 | Jimmy Spencer | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 20.037 | 94.505 |
| 26 | 27 | Mike Bliss (R) | Eel River Racing | Pontiac | 20.038 | 94.500 |
| 27 | 45 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 20.040 | 94.491 |
| 28 | 43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 20.043 | 94.477 |
| 29 | 90 | Hut Stricklin | Donlavey Racing | Ford | 20.045 | 94.467 |
| 30 | 9 | Stacy Compton (R) | Melling Racing | Ford | 20.061 | 94.392 |
| 31 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 20.081 | 94.298 |
| 32 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. (R) | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 20.091 | 94.251 |
| 33 | 10 | Johnny Benson Jr. | Tyler Jet Motorsports | Pontiac | 20.098 | 94.218 |
| 34 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 20.106 | 94.181 |
| 35 | 12 | Jeremy Mayfield | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | 20.117 | 94.129 |
| 36 | 50 | Ricky Craven | Midwest Transit Racing | Chevrolet | 20.137 | 94.036 |
| Provisionals |||||||
| 37 | 17 | Matt Kenseth (R) | Roush Racing | Ford | 20.221 | 93.645 |
| 38 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 20.170 | 93.882 |
| 39 | 36 | Ken Schrader | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 20.259 | 93.470 |
| 40 | 97 | Kurt Busch | Roush Racing | Ford | 20.238 | 93.567 |
| 41 | 16 | Kevin Lepage | Roush Racing | Ford | 20.156 | 93.947 |
| 42 | 7 | Michael Waltrip | Mattei Motorsports | Chevrolet | 20.187 | 93.803 |
| 43 | 21 | Elliott Sadler | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 20.617 | 91.847 |
| Failed to qualify |||||||
| 44 | 32 | Scott Pruett (R) | PPI Motorsports | Ford | 20.173 | 93.868 |
| 45 | 44 | Steve Grissom | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 20.176 | 93.854 |
| 46 | 85 | Carl Long | Mansion Motorsports | Ford | 20.281 | 93.368 |
| 47 | 71 | Dave Marcis | Marcis Auto Racing | Chevrolet | 20.447 | 92.610 |
| 48 | 60 | Rich Bickle | Joe Bessey Racing | Chevrolet | 20.524 | 92.263 |
| Official first round qualifying results |||||||
| Official starting lineup |||||||

## Race results

| Fin | St | # | Driver | Team | Make | Laps | Led | Status | Pts | Winnings |
| 1 | 1 | 20 | Tony Stewart (R) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 500 | 179 | running | 180 | $125,875 |
| 2 | 12 | 3 | Dale Earnhardt | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 500 | 0 | running | 170 | $77,925 |
| 3 | 3 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | 500 | 202 | running | 175 | $83,225 |
| 4 | 11 | 28 | Ricky Rudd | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 500 | 37 | running | 165 | $59,275 |
| 5 | 5 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 500 | 0 | running | 155 | $59,075 |
| 6 | 31 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 500 | 0 | running | 150 | $57,375 |
| 7 | 25 | 26 | Jimmy Spencer | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 500 | 0 | running | 146 | $46,075 |
| 8 | 8 | 31 | Mike Skinner | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 500 | 0 | running | 142 | $42,750 |
| 9 | 34 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 500 | 27 | running | 143 | $42,550 |
| 10 | 14 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 500 | 0 | running | 134 | $60,100 |
| 11 | 10 | 1 | Steve Park | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 500 | 0 | running | 130 | $39,185 |
| 12 | 13 | 25 | Jerry Nadeau | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 500 | 0 | running | 127 | $38,975 |
| 13 | 28 | 43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 500 | 0 | running | 124 | $44,450 |
| 14 | 24 | 33 | Joe Nemechek | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 500 | 0 | running | 121 | $37,825 |
| 15 | 20 | 94 | Bill Elliott | Bill Elliott Racing | Ford | 500 | 0 | running | 118 | $39,625 |
| 16 | 39 | 36 | Ken Schrader | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 499 | 0 | running | 115 | $34,125 |
| 17 | 38 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 499 | 0 | running | 112 | $43,125 |
| 18 | 23 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 499 | 0 | running | 109 | $42,630 |
| 19 | 33 | 10 | Johnny Benson Jr. | Tyler Jet Motorsports | Pontiac | 499 | 0 | running | 106 | $27,675 |
| 20 | 36 | 50 | Ricky Craven | Midwest Transit Racing | Chevrolet | 499 | 1 | running | 108 | $28,175 |
| 21 | 15 | 01 | Ted Musgrave | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 498 | 0 | running | 100 | $35,675 |
| 22 | 6 | 55 | Kenny Wallace | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 498 | 0 | running | 97 | $35,825 |
| 23 | 2 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | 498 | 53 | running | 99 | $43,275 |
| 24 | 42 | 7 | Michael Waltrip | Mattei Motorsports | Chevrolet | 498 | 1 | running | 96 | $34,525 |
| 25 | 22 | 19 | Casey Atwood | Evernham Motorsports | Ford | 497 | 0 | running | 88 | $23,375 |
| 26 | 19 | 14 | Rick Mast | A. J. Foyt Enterprises | Pontiac | 497 | 0 | running | 85 | $23,425 |
| 27 | 18 | 66 | Darrell Waltrip | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 497 | 0 | running | 82 | $25,975 |
| 28 | 26 | 27 | Mike Bliss (R) | Eel River Racing | Pontiac | 496 | 0 | running | 79 | $23,525 |
| 29 | 41 | 16 | Kevin Lepage | Roush Racing | Ford | 494 | 0 | running | 76 | $33,575 |
| 30 | 21 | 93 | Dave Blaney | Bill Davis Racing | Pontiac | 494 | 0 | running | 73 | $22,225 |
| 31 | 27 | 45 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 486 | 0 | drivetrain | 70 | $22,075 |
| 32 | 43 | 21 | Elliott Sadler | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 480 | 0 | running | 67 | $33,550 |
| 33 | 16 | 77 | Robert Pressley | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | 458 | 0 | crash | 64 | $24,825 |
| 34 | 37 | 17 | Matt Kenseth (R) | Roush Racing | Ford | 447 | 0 | running | 61 | $32,700 |
| 35 | 7 | 4 | Bobby Hamilton | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | 444 | 0 | running | 58 | $32,075 |
| 36 | 32 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. (R) | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 406 | 0 | crash | 55 | $31,500 |
| 37 | 40 | 97 | Kurt Busch | Roush Racing | Ford | 396 | 0 | running | 52 | $29,375 |
| 38 | 35 | 12 | Jeremy Mayfield | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | 393 | 0 | overheating | 49 | $29,250 |
| 39 | 30 | 9 | Stacy Compton (R) | Melling Racing | Ford | 333 | 0 | crash | 46 | $21,125 |
| 40 | 17 | 75 | Wally Dallenbach Jr. | Galaxy Motorsports | Ford | 329 | 0 | brakes | 43 | $20,975 |
| 41 | 9 | 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | 317 | 0 | overheating | 40 | $20,850 |
| 42 | 29 | 90 | Hut Stricklin | Donlavey Racing | Ford | 114 | 0 | crash | 37 | $20,725 |
| 43 | 4 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Pontiac | 61 | 0 | engine | 34 | $39,100 |
| Failed to qualify |||||||||||
| 44 | | 32 | Scott Pruett (R) | PPI Motorsports | Ford | | | | | |
| 45 | | 44 | Steve Grissom | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | | | | | |
| 46 | | 85 | Carl Long | Mansion Motorsports | Ford | | | | | |
| 47 | | 71 | Dave Marcis | Marcis Auto Racing | Chevrolet | | | | | |
| 48 | | 60 | Rich Bickle | Joe Bessey Racing | Chevrolet | | | | | |
| Official race results |||||||||||