# 2000 goracing.com 500

The 2000 goracing.com 500 was the 23rd stock car race of the 2000 NASCAR Winston Cup Series and the 40th iteration of the event. The race was held on Saturday, August 26, 2000, Bristol, Tennessee at Bristol Motor Speedway, a 0.533 miles (0.858 km) permanent oval-shaped racetrack. The race took the scheduled 500 laps to complete. At race's end, Rusty Wallace, driving for Penske-Kranefuss Racing would manage to take the lead on the final restart with 40 to go to win his 53rd career NASCAR Winston Cup Series win and his fourth and final win of the season. To fill out the podium, Tony Stewart of Joe Gibbs Racing and Mark Martin of Roush Racing would finish second and third, respectively.

## Background

The Bristol Motor Speedway, formerly known as Bristol International Raceway and Bristol Raceway, is a NASCAR short track venue located in Bristol, Tennessee. Constructed in 1960, it held its first NASCAR race on July 30, 1961. Despite its short length, Bristol is among the most popular tracks on the NASCAR schedule because of its distinct features, which include extraordinarily steep banking, an all concrete surface, two pit roads, and stadium-like seating. It has also been named one of the loudest NASCAR tracks.

### 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, Harley-Davidson |
| 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, Team USA |
| 9 | Bobby Hillin Jr. | Melling Racing | Ford | Kodiak, Cougar |
| 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 |
| 13 | Robby Gordon | Team Menard | Ford | Menards, Turtle Wax |
| 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 |
| 50 | Ricky Craven | Midwest Transit Racing | Chevrolet | Midwest Transit |
| 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 | RedCell, WCW |
| 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 | David Green | Bill Elliott Racing | Ford | McDonald's McFlurry |
| 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, August 25, at 12:45 PM EST. The session would last for two hours and 45 minutes. Sterling Marlin of Team SABCO would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 15.332 and an average speed of 125.150 mph (201.409 km/h).
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 15.332 | 125.150 |
| 2 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | 15.336 | 125.117 |
| 3 | 20 | Tony Stewart (R) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 15.407 | 124.540 |
| Full first practice results |||||||

### Second practice

The second practice session was held on Saturday, August 26, at 11:30 AM EST. The session would last for one hour and 30 minutes. Geoff Bodine of Joe Bessey Racing would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 15.771 and an average speed of 121.666 mph (195.802 km/h).
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 60 | Geoff Bodine | Joe Bessey Racing | Chevrolet | 15.771 | 121.666 |
| 2 | 50 | Ricky Craven | Midwest Transit Racing | Chevrolet | 15.798 | 121.458 |
| 3 | 27 | Mike Bliss (R) | Eel River Racing | Pontiac | 15.847 | 121.082 |
| Full second practice results |||||||

### Third and final practice

The final practice session, sometimes referred to as Happy Hour, was held on Saturday, August 26, at 2:15 PM EST. The session would last for one hour. Kenny Wallace of Andy Petree Racing would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 15.989 and an average speed of 120.008 mph (193.134 km/h).
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 55 | Kenny Wallace | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 15.989 | 120.008 |
| 2 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 15.991 | 119.992 |
| 3 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Pontiac | 15.998 | 119.940 |
| Full Happy Hour practice results |||||||

## Qualifying

Qualifying was split into two rounds. The first round was held on Friday, August 25, at 5:00 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, August 26, at 1:45 PM 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.
Rusty Wallace of Penske-Kranefuss Racing would win the pole, setting a time of 15.292 and an average speed of 125.477 miles per hour (201.936 km/h).
Four drivers would fail to qualify: Mike Bliss, Hut Stricklin, Carl Long, and Ricky Craven.

### Full qualifying results

| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | 15.292 | 125.477 |
| 2 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 15.293 | 125.469 |
| 3 | 1 | Steve Park | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 15.298 | 125.428 |
| 4 | 31 | Mike Skinner | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 15.329 | 125.175 |
| 5 | 25 | Jerry Nadeau | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 15.337 | 125.109 |
| 6 | 20 | Tony Stewart (R) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 15.359 | 124.930 |
| 7 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 15.367 | 124.865 |
| 8 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 15.375 | 124.800 |
| 9 | 77 | Robert Pressley | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | 15.387 | 124.703 |
| 10 | 16 | Kevin Lepage | Roush Racing | Ford | 15.420 | 124.436 |
| 11 | 21 | Elliott Sadler | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 15.420 | 124.436 |
| 12 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. (R) | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 15.422 | 124.420 |
| 13 | 13 | Robby Gordon | Team Menard | Ford | 15.428 | 124.371 |
| 14 | 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | 15.433 | 124.331 |
| 15 | 36 | Ken Schrader | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 15.436 | 124.307 |
| 16 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Pontiac | 15.437 | 124.299 |
| 17 | 3 | Dale Earnhardt | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 15.440 | 124.275 |
| 18 | 12 | Jeremy Mayfield | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | 15.452 | 124.178 |
| 19 | 7 | Michael Waltrip | Mattei Motorsports | Chevrolet | 15.453 | 124.170 |
| 20 | 4 | Bobby Hamilton | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | 15.454 | 124.162 |
| 21 | 9 | Bobby Hillin Jr. | Melling Racing | Ford | 15.466 | 124.066 |
| 22 | 17 | Matt Kenseth (R) | Roush Racing | Ford | 15.486 | 123.905 |
| 23 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 15.491 | 123.865 |
| 24 | 55 | Kenny Wallace | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 15.499 | 123.802 |
| 25 | 44 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 15.499 | 123.802 |
| 26 | 94 | David Green | Bill Elliott Racing | Ford | 15.501 | 123.786 |
| 27 | 66 | Darrell Waltrip | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 15.502 | 123.778 |
| 28 | 43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 15.509 | 123.722 |
| 29 | 10 | Johnny Benson Jr. | Tyler Jet Motorsports | Pontiac | 15.517 | 123.658 |
| 30 | 93 | Dave Blaney (R) | Bill Davis Racing | Pontiac | 15.528 | 123.570 |
| 31 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 15.531 | 123.546 |
| 32 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 15.535 | 123.515 |
| 33 | 32 | Scott Pruett (R) | PPI Motorsports | Ford | 15.542 | 123.459 |
| 34 | 33 | Joe Nemechek | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 15.546 | 123.427 |
| 35 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | 15.553 | 123.372 |
| 36 | 60 | Geoff Bodine | Joe Bessey Racing | Chevrolet | 15.565 | 123.277 |
| Provisionals |||||||
| 37 | 28 | Ricky Rudd | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 15.594 | 123.047 |
| 38 | 97 | Chad Little | Roush Racing | Ford | 15.727 | 122.007 |
| 39 | 26 | Jimmy Spencer | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 15.763 | 121.728 |
| 40 | 01 | Ted Musgrave | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 15.671 | 122.443 |
| 41 | 75 | Wally Dallenbach Jr. | Galaxy Motorsports | Ford | - | - |
| 42 | 14 | Rick Mast | A. J. Foyt Enterprises | Pontiac | 15.648 | 122.623 |
| 43 | 71 | Dave Marcis | Marcis Auto Racing | Chevrolet | 15.724 | 122.030 |
| Failed to qualify |||||||
| 44 | 27 | Mike Bliss (R) | Eel River Racing | Pontiac | 15.630 | 122.764 |
| 45 | 90 | Hut Stricklin | Donlavey Racing | Ford | 15.772 | 121.659 |
| 46 | 85 | Carl Long | Mansion Motorsports | Ford | 15.865 | 120.945 |
| 47 | 50 | Ricky Craven | Midwest Transit Racing | Chevrolet | 15.981 | 120.068 |
| Official first round qualifying results |||||||
| Official starting lineup |||||||

## Race results

| Fin | St | # | Driver | Team | Make | Laps | Led | Status | Pts | Winnings |
| 1 | 1 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | 500 | 279 | running | 185 | $107,540 |
| 2 | 6 | 20 | Tony Stewart (R) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 500 | 133 | running | 175 | $92,540 |
| 3 | 7 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 500 | 46 | running | 170 | $61,890 |
| 4 | 17 | 3 | Dale Earnhardt | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 500 | 2 | running | 165 | $62,980 |
| 5 | 3 | 1 | Steve Park | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 500 | 0 | running | 155 | $53,525 |
| 6 | 35 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | 500 | 2 | running | 155 | $61,615 |
| 7 | 11 | 21 | Elliott Sadler | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 500 | 1 | running | 151 | $49,540 |
| 8 | 8 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 500 | 6 | running | 147 | $48,040 |
| 9 | 31 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 500 | 1 | running | 143 | $56,715 |
| 10 | 37 | 28 | Ricky Rudd | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 500 | 0 | running | 134 | $55,765 |
| 11 | 16 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Pontiac | 499 | 21 | running | 135 | $48,990 |
| 12 | 15 | 36 | Ken Schrader | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 499 | 0 | running | 127 | $33,890 |
| 13 | 29 | 10 | Johnny Benson Jr. | Tyler Jet Motorsports | Pontiac | 499 | 0 | running | 124 | $33,640 |
| 14 | 4 | 31 | Mike Skinner | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 499 | 0 | running | 121 | $41,890 |
| 15 | 32 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 499 | 2 | running | 123 | $51,835 |
| 16 | 23 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 499 | 0 | running | 115 | $46,835 |
| 17 | 40 | 01 | Ted Musgrave | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 499 | 0 | running | 112 | $41,985 |
| 18 | 10 | 16 | Kevin Lepage | Roush Racing | Ford | 499 | 2 | running | 114 | $40,525 |
| 19 | 19 | 7 | Michael Waltrip | Mattei Motorsports | Chevrolet | 499 | 0 | running | 106 | $40,900 |
| 20 | 28 | 43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 499 | 0 | running | 103 | $48,560 |
| 21 | 12 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. (R) | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 499 | 0 | running | 100 | $40,885 |
| 22 | 25 | 44 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 499 | 0 | running | 97 | $39,935 |
| 23 | 2 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 499 | 0 | running | 94 | $49,985 |
| 24 | 39 | 26 | Jimmy Spencer | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 498 | 5 | running | 96 | $39,710 |
| 25 | 36 | 60 | Geoff Bodine | Joe Bessey Racing | Chevrolet | 498 | 0 | running | 88 | $39,965 |
| 26 | 24 | 55 | Kenny Wallace | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 498 | 0 | running | 85 | $39,640 |
| 27 | 34 | 33 | Joe Nemechek | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 498 | 0 | running | 82 | $38,930 |
| 28 | 14 | 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | 497 | 0 | running | 79 | $27,720 |
| 29 | 42 | 14 | Rick Mast | A. J. Foyt Enterprises | Pontiac | 496 | 0 | running | 76 | $27,710 |
| 30 | 38 | 97 | Chad Little | Roush Racing | Ford | 493 | 0 | running | 73 | $39,300 |
| 31 | 43 | 71 | Dave Marcis | Marcis Auto Racing | Chevrolet | 489 | 0 | running | 70 | $27,690 |
| 32 | 5 | 25 | Jerry Nadeau | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 479 | 0 | crash | 67 | $38,680 |
| 33 | 41 | 75 | Wally Dallenbach Jr. | Galaxy Motorsports | Ford | 472 | 0 | running | 64 | $30,670 |
| 34 | 20 | 4 | Bobby Hamilton | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | 451 | 0 | crash | 61 | $38,160 |
| 35 | 18 | 12 | Jeremy Mayfield | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | 443 | 0 | crash | 58 | $35,655 |
| 36 | 26 | 94 | David Green | Bill Elliott Racing | Ford | 416 | 0 | crash | 55 | $35,635 |
| 37 | 9 | 77 | Robert Pressley | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | 395 | 0 | crash | 52 | $27,619 |
| 38 | 33 | 32 | Scott Pruett (R) | PPI Motorsports | Ford | 391 | 0 | crash | 49 | $27,600 |
| 39 | 22 | 17 | Matt Kenseth (R) | Roush Racing | Ford | 376 | 0 | overheating | 46 | $35,575 |
| 40 | 21 | 9 | Bobby Hillin Jr. | Melling Racing | Ford | 314 | 0 | crash | 43 | $27,525 |
| 41 | 13 | 13 | Robby Gordon | Team Menard | Ford | 121 | 0 | steering | 40 | $27,500 |
| 42 | 27 | 66 | Darrell Waltrip | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 107 | 0 | handling | 37 | $27,475 |
| 43 | 30 | 93 | Dave Blaney (R) | Bill Davis Racing | Pontiac | 49 | 0 | crash | 34 | $27,450 |
| Failed to qualify |||||||||||
| 44 | | 27 | Mike Bliss (R) | Eel River Racing | Pontiac | | | | | |
| 45 | | 90 | Hut Stricklin | Donlavey Racing | Ford | | | | | |
| 46 | | 85 | Carl Long | Mansion Motorsports | Ford | | | | | |
| 47 | | 50 | Ricky Craven | Midwest Transit Racing | Chevrolet | | | | | |
| Official race results |||||||||||

## Media
### Television

The race was aired live on ESPN in the United States. Jerry Punch, 1965 race winner Ned Jarrett and 1973 race winner Benny Parsons called the race from the broadcast booth. Punch filled in for regular commentator Bob Jenkins who had was covering ESPN's coverage of the Belterra Resort Indy 300 at Kentucky Speedway. Bill Weber, John Kernan and Ray Dunlap handled pit road for the television side.
ESPN :
| Booth announcers | Booth announcers | Pit reporters |
| Lap-by-lap | Color-commentators | Pit reporters |
| Jerry Punch | Ned Jarrett Benny Parsons | Bill Weber John Kernan Ray Dunlap |