# 2000 DieHard 500

The 2000 DieHard 500 was the ninth stock car race of the 2000 NASCAR Winston Cup Series and the 31st iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, April 16, 2000, before an audience of 185,000 in Lincoln, Alabama at Talladega Superspeedway, a 2.66 miles (4.28 km) permanent triangle-shaped superspeedway. The race took the scheduled 188 laps to complete. In a late race charge, Hendrick Motorsports' Jeff Gordon made a pass for the lead with five laps left in the race, defending the lead to take his 50th career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his first victory of the season. To fill out the top three, Mike Skinner and Dale Earnhardt, both drivers from Richard Childress Racing, finished second and third, respectively.

## Background

Talladega Superspeedway, originally known as Alabama International Motor Superspeedway (AIMS), is a motorsports complex located north of Talladega, Alabama. It is located on the former Anniston Air Force Base in the small city of Lincoln. The track is a tri-oval and was constructed in the 1960s by the International Speedway Corporation, a business controlled by the France family. Talladega is most known for its steep banking and the unique location of the start/finish line that's located just past the exit to pit road. The track currently hosts the NASCAR series such as the NASCAR Cup Series, Xfinity Series and the Camping World Truck Series. Talladega is the longest NASCAR oval with a length of 2.66-mile-long (4.28 km) tri-oval like the Daytona International Speedway, which also is a 2.5-mile-long (4 km) tri-oval.

### Entry list

* (R) denotes rookie driver.
| # | Driver | Team | Make | Sponsor |
| 1 | Steve Park | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | Pennzoil |
| 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 | Eagle One |
| 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 | Lycos |
| 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | Ralphs Supermarkets |
| 12 | Jeremy Mayfield | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | Mobil 1 |
| 13 | Robby Gordon | Team Menard | Ford | Menards / Duracell |
| 14 | Rick Mast | A. J. Foyt Enterprises | Pontiac | Conseco |
| 15 | Ted Musgrave | Fenley-Moore Motorsports | Ford | Fenley-Moore Motorsports Throwback |
| 16 | Kevin Lepage | Roush Racing | Ford | Family Click |
| 17 | Matt Kenseth (R) | Roush Racing | Ford | DeWalt 24 Volt |
| 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 Automotive Finishes |
| 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 |
| 41 | Gary Bradberry | Larry Hedrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | Big Daddy's BBQ Sauce |
| 42 | Kenny Irwin Jr. | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | BellSouth |
| 43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | STP / 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 |
| 60 | Dick Trickle | 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 |
| 77 | Robert Pressley | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | Jasper Engines & Transmissions |
| 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | Quality Care Service / Ford Credit |
| 90 | Ed Berrier (R) | 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 Batteries |
| Official entry list |||||

## Practice
### First practice

The first practice session was held on Friday, April 14, at 12:15 PM EST. The session lasted for two hours. Roush Racing's Chad Little set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 50.946 and an average speed of 187.964 mph (302.499 km/h).
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 97 | Chad Little | Roush Racing | Ford | 50.946 | 187.964 |
| 2 | 12 | Jeremy Mayfield | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | 51.167 | 187.152 |
| 3 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | 51.205 | 187.013 |
| Full first practice results |||||||

### Second practice

The second practice session was held on Saturday, April 15, at 9:15 AM EST. The session lasted for one hour and 15 minutes. Dale Earnhardt, Inc.'s Steve Park set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 49.389 and an average speed of 193.889 mph (312.034 km/h).
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 1 | Steve Park | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 49.389 | 193.889 |
| 2 | 25 | Jerry Nadeau | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 49.399 | 193.850 |
| 3 | 77 | Robert Pressley | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | 49.414 | 193.791 |
| Full second practice results |||||||

### Final practice

The final practice session, sometimes referred to as Happy Hour, was held on Saturday, April 15, at 2:00 PM EST. The session lasted for one hour. Dale Earnhardt, Inc.'s Steve Park set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 49.231 and an average speed of 194.512 mph (313.037 km/h).
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 26 | Jimmy Spencer | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 49.231 | 194.512 |
| 2 | 1 | Steve Park | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 49.436 | 193.705 |
| 3 | 42 | Kenny Irwin Jr. | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 49.475 | 193.552 |
| Full Happy Hour practice results |||||||

## Qualifying

Qualifying was split into two rounds. The first round was meant to be held on Friday, April 14, at 4:00 PM EST, but due to threat of rain, was delayed to 7:30 PM, seeing several drivers qualify in dark conditions. The format for qualifying is each driver was given two laps to set a fastest time; the fastest of the two counted as their official qualifying lap. During the first round, the top 25 drivers in the round was 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, April 15, at 11:45 AM EST. As with the first round, each driver had two laps to set a fastest time; the fastest of the two would count as their official qualifying lap. Positions 26–36 was decided on time, while positions 37–43 was based on provisionals. Six spots were awarded by the use of provisionals based on owner's points. The seventh was 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 was awarded a provisional.
Jeremy Mayfield, driving for Penske-Kranefuss Racing, managed to win the pole, setting a time of 51.217 and an average speed of 186.969 miles per hour (300.897 km/h) in the first round.
Five drivers failed to qualify - Brett Bodine, Kevin Lepage, Gary Bradberry, Rick Mast, & Elliott Sadler.

### Full qualifying results

| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 12 | Jeremy Mayfield | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | 51.217 | 186.969 |
| 2 | 94 | Bill Elliott | Bill Elliott Racing | Ford | 51.226 | 186.936 |
| 3 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 51.278 | 186.747 |
| 4 | 3 | Dale Earnhardt | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 51.341 | 186.518 |
| 5 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 51.386 | 186.354 |
| 6 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. (R) | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 51.436 | 186.173 |
| 7 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 51.454 | 186.108 |
| 8 | 31 | Mike Skinner | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 51.473 | 186.039 |
| 9 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Pontiac | 51.481 | 186.010 |
| 10 | 28 | Ricky Rudd | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 51.490 | 185.978 |
| 11 | 7 | Michael Waltrip | Mattei Motorsports | Chevrolet | 51.497 | 185.953 |
| 12 | 42 | Kenny Irwin Jr. | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 51.499 | 185.945 |
| 13 | 10 | Johnny Benson Jr. | Tyler Jet Motorsports | Pontiac | 51.519 | 185.873 |
| 14 | 97 | Chad Little | Roush Racing | Ford | 51.527 | 185.844 |
| 15 | 32 | Scott Pruett (R) | PPI Motorsports | Ford | 51.577 | 185.664 |
| 16 | 93 | Dave Blaney (R) | Bill Davis Racing | Pontiac | 51.583 | 185.643 |
| 17 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | 51.603 | 185.571 |
| 18 | 27 | Mike Bliss (R) | Eel River Racing | Pontiac | 51.603 | 185.571 |
| 19 | 77 | Robert Pressley | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | 51.638 | 185.445 |
| 20 | 26 | Jimmy Spencer | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 51.639 | 185.441 |
| 21 | 44 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 51.647 | 185.413 |
| 22 | 9 | Stacy Compton (R) | Melling Racing | Ford | 51.655 | 185.384 |
| 23 | 90 | Ed Berrier (R) | Donlavey Racing | Ford | 51.671 | 185.326 |
| 24 | 33 | Joe Nemechek | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 51.734 | 185.101 |
| 25 | 43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 51.736 | 185.094 |
| Failed to lock in the first round |||||||
| 26 | 55 | Kenny Wallace | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 51.666 | 185.344 |
| 27 | 71 | Dave Marcis | Marcis Auto Racing | Chevrolet | 51.742 | 185.072 |
| 28 | 4 | Bobby Hamilton | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | 51.760 | 185.008 |
| 29 | 15 | Ted Musgrave | Fenley-Moore Motorsports | Ford | 51.832 | 184.751 |
| 30 | 25 | Jerry Nadeau | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 51.865 | 184.633 |
| 31 | 60 | Dick Trickle | Joe Bessey Racing | Chevrolet | 51.890 | 184.544 |
| 32 | 50 | Ricky Craven | Midwest Transit Racing | Chevrolet | 51.902 | 184.502 |
| 33 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 51.927 | 184.413 |
| 34 | 13 | Robby Gordon | Team Menard | Ford | 51.976 | 184.239 |
| 35 | 75 | Wally Dallenbach Jr. | Galaxy Motorsports | Ford | 51.981 | 184.221 |
| 36 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 52.005 | 184.136 |
| Provisionals |||||||
| 37 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 52.625 | 181.967 |
| 38 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | - | - |
| 39 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 52.325 | 183.010 |
| 40 | 36 | Ken Schrader | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 52.055 | 183.959 |
| 41 | 1 | Steve Park | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 52.111 | 183.762 |
| 42 | 17 | Matt Kenseth (R) | Roush Racing | Ford | 52.006 | 184.133 |
| 43 | 66 | Darrell Waltrip | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 52.456 | 182.553 |
| Failed to qualify |||||||
| 44 | 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | 52.143 | 183.649 |
| 45 | 16 | Kevin Lepage | Roush Racing | Ford | 52.202 | 183.441 |
| 46 | 14 | Rick Mast | A. J. Foyt Racing | Pontiac | 52.233 | 183.332 |
| 47 | 21 | Elliott Sadler | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 52.603 | 182.043 |
| 48 | 41 | Gary Bradberry | Larry Hedrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 53.003 | 180.669 |
| Official first round qualifying results |||||||
| Official starting lineup |||||||

## Race results

| Fin | St | # | Driver | Team | Make | Laps | Led | Status | Pts | Winnings |
| 1 | 36 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 188 | 25 | running | 180 | $159,755 |
| 2 | 8 | 31 | Mike Skinner | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 188 | 0 | running | 170 | $115,680 |
| 3 | 4 | 3 | Dale Earnhardt | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 188 | 5 | running | 170 | $92,630 |
| 4 | 12 | 42 | Kenny Irwin Jr. | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 188 | 0 | running | 160 | $86,280 |
| 5 | 20 | 26 | Jimmy Spencer | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 188 | 14 | running | 160 | $76,665 |
| 6 | 5 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 188 | 98 | running | 160 | $79,905 |
| 7 | 33 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 188 | 0 | running | 146 | $69,450 |
| 8 | 7 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 188 | 21 | running | 147 | $59,930 |
| 9 | 21 | 44 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 188 | 0 | running | 138 | $57,580 |
| 10 | 9 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Pontiac | 188 | 0 | running | 134 | $72,480 |
| 11 | 25 | 43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 188 | 0 | running | 130 | $60,375 |
| 12 | 38 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | 188 | 14 | running | 132 | $65,445 |
| 13 | 13 | 10 | Johnny Benson Jr. | Tyler Jet Motorsports | Pontiac | 188 | 0 | running | 124 | $44,465 |
| 14 | 1 | 12 | Jeremy Mayfield | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | 188 | 4 | running | -25 | $56,685 |
| 15 | 2 | 94 | Bill Elliott | Bill Elliott Racing | Ford | 188 | 0 | running | 118 | $53,655 |
| 16 | 35 | 75 | Wally Dallenbach Jr. | Galaxy Motorsports | Ford | 188 | 0 | running | 115 | $42,915 |
| 17 | 3 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 187 | 4 | running | 117 | $63,300 |
| 18 | 42 | 17 | Matt Kenseth (R) | Roush Racing | Ford | 187 | 2 | running | 114 | $50,260 |
| 19 | 30 | 25 | Jerry Nadeau | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 187 | 0 | running | 106 | $48,870 |
| 20 | 15 | 32 | Scott Pruett (R) | PPI Motorsports | Ford | 187 | 0 | running | 103 | $41,260 |
| 21 | 37 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 187 | 0 | running | 100 | $57,470 |
| 22 | 24 | 33 | Joe Nemechek | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 187 | 0 | running | 97 | $47,950 |
| 23 | 19 | 77 | Robert Pressley | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | 186 | 0 | running | 94 | $39,640 |
| 24 | 18 | 27 | Mike Bliss (R) | Eel River Racing | Pontiac | 186 | 0 | running | 91 | $36,010 |
| 25 | 14 | 97 | Chad Little | Roush Racing | Ford | 185 | 0 | running | 88 | $47,505 |
| 26 | 43 | 66 | Darrell Waltrip | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 185 | 0 | running | 85 | $38,825 |
| 27 | 10 | 28 | Ricky Rudd | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 182 | 0 | running | 82 | $46,570 |
| 28 | 23 | 90 | Ed Berrier (R) | Donlavey Racing | Ford | 178 | 0 | running | 79 | $35,315 |
| 29 | 32 | 50 | Ricky Craven | Midwest Transit Racing | Chevrolet | 173 | 0 | engine | 76 | $35,160 |
| 30 | 16 | 93 | Dave Blaney (R) | Bill Davis Racing | Pontiac | 151 | 0 | accident | 73 | $35,005 |
| 31 | 11 | 7 | Michael Waltrip | Mattei Motorsports | Chevrolet | 148 | 0 | running | 70 | $46,350 |
| 32 | 41 | 1 | Steve Park | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 145 | 0 | running | 67 | $45,695 |
| 33 | 22 | 9 | Stacy Compton (R) | Melling Racing | Ford | 140 | 0 | accident | 64 | $37,665 |
| 34 | 39 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 138 | 0 | accident | 61 | $53,835 |
| 35 | 29 | 15 | Ted Musgrave | Fenley-Moore Motorsports | Ford | 137 | 0 | accident | 58 | $34,305 |
| 36 | 40 | 36 | Ken Schrader | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 137 | 0 | accident | 55 | $34,175 |
| 37 | 34 | 13 | Robby Gordon | Team Menard | Ford | 136 | 0 | accident | 52 | $34,015 |
| 38 | 27 | 71 | Dave Marcis | Marcis Auto Racing | Chevrolet | 136 | 0 | accident | 49 | $33,675 |
| 39 | 31 | 60 | Dick Trickle | Joe Bessey Racing | Chevrolet | 135 | 0 | accident | 46 | $41,475 |
| 40 | 26 | 55 | Kenny Wallace | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 130 | 0 | engine | 43 | $41,750 |
| 41 | 17 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | 116 | 1 | engine | 45 | $51,050 |
| 42 | 6 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. (R) | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 113 | 0 | engine | 37 | $42,850 |
| 43 | 28 | 4 | Bobby Hamilton | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | 110 | 0 | engine | 34 | $40,656 |
| Failed to qualify |||||||||||
| 44 | | 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | | | | | |
| 45 | | 16 | Kevin Lepage | Roush Racing | Ford | | | | | |
| 46 | | 14 | Rick Mast | A. J. Foyt Racing | Pontiac | | | | | |
| 47 | | 21 | Elliott Sadler | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | | | | | |
| 48 | | 41 | Gary Bradberry | Larry Hedrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | | | | | |
| Official race results |||||||||||

## Media
### Television

The race was aired live on ABC in the United States for the third and final time. Bob Jenkins, 1973 Cup Series champion Benny Parsons and former crew chief Ray Evernham called the race from the broadcast booth. Jerry Punch, Bill Weber and John Kernan handled pit road for the television side.
ABC :
| Booth announcers | Booth announcers | Pit reporters |
| Lap-by-lap | Color-commentators | Pit reporters |
| Bob Jenkins | Benny Parsons Ray Evernham | Jerry Punch Bill Weber John Kernan |

## Standings after the race

| | Pos | Driver | Points |
| 1 | 1 | Mark Martin | 1,370 |
| 1 | 2 | Bobby Labonte | 1,346 (−24) |
| | 3 | Ward Burton | 1,293 (−77) |
| 1 | 4 | Dale Earnhardt | 1,272 (−98) |
| 1 | 5 | Jeff Burton | 1,236 (−134) |
| 1 | 6 | Dale Jarrett | 1,167 (−203) |
| 5 | 7 | Jeff Gordon | 1,149 (−221) |
| 2 | 8 | Rusty Wallace | 1,129 (−241) |
| 2 | 9 | Terry Labonte | 1,118 (−252) |
| 2 | 10 | Ricky Rudd | 1,086 (−284) |
| Official driver's standings ||||