# 2000 UAW-GM Quality 500

The 2000 UAW-GM Quality 500 was the 29th stock car race of the 2000 NASCAR Winston Cup Series and the 41st iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, October 8, 2000, before an audience of 140,000 in Concord, North Carolina, at Charlotte Motor Speedway, a 1.5 miles (2.4 km) permanent quad-oval. The race took the scheduled 334 laps to complete. In the final laps of the race, Joe Gibbs Racing's Bobby Labonte managed to make a late-race pass for the lead, assisted by a late four-tire pit stop. The victory was Labonte's 15th career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his fourth and final victory of the season. To fill out the top three, Penske-Kranefuss Racing's Jeremy Mayfield and Robert Yates Racing's Ricky Rudd finished second and third, respectively.

## Background

Charlotte Motor Speedway is a motorsports complex located in Concord, North Carolina, United States 13 miles from Charlotte, North Carolina. The complex features a 1.5 miles (2.4 km) quad oval track that hosts NASCAR racing including the prestigious Coca-Cola 600 on Memorial Day weekend and the NEXTEL All-Star Challenge, as well as the UAW-GM Quality 500. The speedway was built in 1959 by Bruton Smith and is considered the home track for NASCAR with many race teams located in the Charlotte area. The track is owned and operated by Speedway Motorsports Inc. (SMI) with Marcus G. Smith (son of Bruton Smith) as track president.

### 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 |
| 13 | Robby Gordon | Team Menard | Ford | Menards, The Wolf Man |
| 14 | Rick Mast | A. J. Foyt Enterprises | Pontiac | Conseco |
| 16 | Kevin Lepage | Roush Racing | Ford | FamilyClick.com |
| 17 | Matt Kenseth (R) | Roush Racing | Ford | DeWalt |
| 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | Interstate Batteries, Frankenstein |
| 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 Halloween |
| 40 | Sterling Marlin | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | Coors Light |
| 43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | Cheerios |
| 44 | Steve Grissom | 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 | Dick Trickle | Joe Bessey Racing | Chevrolet | Power Team |
| 66 | Darrell Waltrip | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | Route 66, Big Kmart |
| 71 | Kerry Earnhardt | Marcis Auto Racing | Chevrolet | Realtree |
| 75 | Wally Dallenbach Jr. | Galaxy Motorsports | Ford | Dinner and a Movie, 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 |
| 91 | Larry Gunselman | LJ Racing | Chevrolet | LJ Racing |
| 93 | Dave Blaney (R) | Bill Davis Racing | Pontiac | Amoco |
| 94 | Bill Elliott | Bill Elliott Racing | Ford | McDonald's |
| 96 | Andy Houston | PPI Motorsports | Ford | McDonald's Happy Meal |
| 97 | Kurt Busch | Roush Racing | Ford | John Deere |
| 98 | Jeff Fuller | MacPherson Motorsports | Ford | MacPherson Motorsports |
| 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | Exide |
| Official entry list |||||

## Practice
### First practice

The first practice session was held on Wednesday, October 4, at 3:00 PM EST. The session would last for three hours. Robert Yates Racing's Ricky Rudd set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 29.292 and an average speed of 184.351 mph (296.684 km/h).
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 28 | Ricky Rudd | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 29.292 | 184.351 |
| 2 | 12 | Jeremy Mayfield | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | 29.300 | 184.300 |
| 3 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Pontiac | 29.341 | 184.043 |
| Full first practice results |||||||

### Second practice

The second practice session was held on Thursday, October 5, at 2:30 PM EST. The session would last for two hours. Team SABCO's Ted Musgrave set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 29.962 and an average speed of 180.228 mph (290.049 km/h).
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 01 | Ted Musgrave | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 29.962 | 180.228 |
| 2 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | 29.999 | 180.006 |
| 3 | 1 | Steve Park | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 30.137 | 179.182 |
| Full second practice results |||||||

### Third practice

The third practice session was held on Saturday, October 7, at 9:00 AM EST. The session would last for one hour. Hendrick Motorsports' Jerry Nadeau set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 29.697 and an average speed of 181.837 mph (292.638 km/h).
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 25 | Jerry Nadeau | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 29.697 | 181.837 |
| 2 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Pontiac | 29.780 | 181.330 |
| 3 | 4 | Bobby Hamilton | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | 29.801 | 181.202 |
| Full third practice results |||||||

### Final practice

The final practice session, sometimes referred to as Happy Hour, was held on Saturday, October 7, after the 2000 All Pro Bumper to Bumper 300. The session would last for one hour. Penske-Kranefuss Racing's Jeremy Mayfield set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 30.093 and an average speed of 179.444 mph (288.787 km/h).
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 12 | Jeremy Mayfield | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | 30.093 | 179.444 |
| 2 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | 30.159 | 179.051 |
| 3 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Pontiac | 30.162 | 179.033 |
| Full final practice results |||||||

## Qualifying

Qualifying was split into two rounds. The first round was held on Wednesday, October 4, at 8:00 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 Thursday, October 5, at 6:00 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 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.
Jeff Gordon, driving for Hendrick Motorsports, would win the pole, setting a time of 29.101 and an average speed of 185.561 miles per hour (298.631 km/h) in the first round.
Seven drivers would fail to qualify.

### Full qualifying results

| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 29.101 | 185.561 |
| 2 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 29.108 | 185.516 |
| 3 | 25 | Jerry Nadeau | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 29.113 | 185.484 |
| 4 | 26 | Jimmy Spencer | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 29.165 | 185.153 |
| 5 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 29.173 | 185.103 |
| 6 | 28 | Ricky Rudd | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 29.211 | 184.862 |
| 7 | 94 | Bill Elliott | Bill Elliott Racing | Ford | 29.238 | 184.691 |
| 8 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 29.253 | 184.596 |
| 9 | 10 | Johnny Benson Jr. | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 29.253 | 184.596 |
| 10 | 12 | Jeremy Mayfield | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | 29.265 | 184.521 |
| 11 | 14 | Rick Mast | A. J. Foyt Racing | Pontiac | 29.268 | 184.502 |
| 12 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Pontiac | 29.275 | 184.458 |
| 13 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. (R) | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 29.276 | 184.451 |
| 14 | 7 | Michael Waltrip | Ultra Motorsports | Chevrolet | 29.311 | 184.231 |
| 15 | 77 | Robert Pressley | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | 29.350 | 183.986 |
| 16 | 16 | Kevin Lepage | Roush Racing | Ford | 29.365 | 183.892 |
| 17 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 29.385 | 183.767 |
| 18 | 31 | Mike Skinner | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 29.389 | 183.742 |
| 19 | 4 | Bobby Hamilton | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | 29.389 | 183.742 |
| 20 | 36 | Ken Schrader | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 29.396 | 183.698 |
| 21 | 33 | Joe Nemechek | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 29.429 | 183.492 |
| 22 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | 29.431 | 183.480 |
| 23 | 21 | Elliott Sadler | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 29.455 | 183.331 |
| 24 | 75 | Wally Dallenbach Jr. | Galaxy Motorsports | Ford | 29.457 | 183.318 |
| 25 | 13 | Robby Gordon | Team Menard | Ford | 29.501 | 183.045 |
| Failed to lock in the first round |||||||
| 26 | 17 | Matt Kenseth (R) | Roush Racing | Ford | 29.516 | 182.952 |
| 27 | 98 | Jeff Fuller | MacPherson Motorsports | Ford | 29.524 | 182.902 |
| 28 | 43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 29.533 | 182.846 |
| 29 | 93 | Dave Blaney (R) | Bill Davis Racing | Pontiac | 29.597 | 182.451 |
| 30 | 27 | Mike Bliss (R) | Eel River Racing | Pontiac | 29.621 | 182.303 |
| 31 | 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | 29.627 | 182.266 |
| 32 | 55 | Kenny Wallace | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 29.635 | 182.217 |
| 33 | 96 | Andy Houston | PPI Motorsports | Ford | 29.683 | 181.922 |
| 34 | 66 | Darrell Waltrip | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 29.687 | 181.898 |
| 35 | 60 | Dick Trickle | Joe Bessey Racing | Chevrolet | 29.694 | 181.855 |
| 36 | 90 | Hut Stricklin | Donlavey Racing | Ford | 29.699 | 181.824 |
| Provisionals |||||||
| 37 | 3 | Dale Earnhardt | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 30.149 | 179.110 |
| 38 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | 29.830 | 181.026 |
| 39 | 1 | Steve Park | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 30.208 | 178.761 |
| 40 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 29.812 | 181.135 |
| 41 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 29.941 | 180.355 |
| 42 | 97 | Kurt Busch | Roush Racing | Ford | 29.886 | 180.687 |
| 43 | 01 | Ted Musgrave | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 29.928 | 180.433 |
| Failed to qualify |||||||
| 44 | 32 | Scott Pruett (R) | PPI Motorsports | Ford | 29.748 | 181.525 |
| 45 | 50 | Ricky Craven | Midwest Transit Racing | Chevrolet | 30.115 | 179.313 |
| 46 | 44 | Steve Grissom | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 30.253 | 178.495 |
| 47 | 85 | Carl Long | Mansion Motorsports | Ford | 30.276 | 178.359 |
| 48 | 9 | Stacy Compton (R) | Melling Racing | Ford | 30.329 | 178.047 |
| 49 | 71 | Dave Marcis | Marcis Auto Racing | Chevrolet | 30.498 | 177.061 |
| 50 | 91 | Larry Gunselman | LJ Racing | Chevrolet | - | - |
| Official first round qualifying results |||||||
| Official starting lineup |||||||

## Race results

| Fin | St | # | Driver | Team | Make | Laps | Led | Status | Pts | Winnings |
| 1 | 2 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 334 | 37 | running | 180 | $220,700 |
| 2 | 10 | 12 | Jeremy Mayfield | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | 334 | 46 | running | 175 | $89,550 |
| 3 | 6 | 28 | Ricky Rudd | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 334 | 98 | running | 175 | $104,950 |
| 4 | 17 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 334 | 30 | running | 165 | $84,650 |
| 5 | 8 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 334 | 0 | running | 155 | $70,250 |
| 6 | 38 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | 334 | 6 | running | 155 | $75,300 |
| 7 | 39 | 1 | Steve Park | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 334 | 0 | running | 146 | $55,350 |
| 8 | 9 | 10 | Johnny Benson Jr. | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 334 | 0 | running | 142 | $43,000 |
| 9 | 26 | 17 | Matt Kenseth (R) | Roush Racing | Ford | 334 | 1 | running | 143 | $50,100 |
| 10 | 12 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Pontiac | 334 | 0 | running | 134 | $68,100 |
| 11 | 37 | 3 | Dale Earnhardt | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 334 | 58 | running | 135 | $58,750 |
| 12 | 16 | 16 | Kevin Lepage | Roush Racing | Ford | 334 | 2 | running | 132 | $44,600 |
| 13 | 42 | 97 | Kurt Busch | Roush Racing | Ford | 334 | 0 | running | 124 | $42,600 |
| 14 | 21 | 33 | Joe Nemechek | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 334 | 0 | running | 121 | $45,800 |
| 15 | 4 | 26 | Jimmy Spencer | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 334 | 1 | running | 123 | $46,300 |
| 16 | 23 | 21 | Elliott Sadler | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 334 | 0 | running | 115 | $40,500 |
| 17 | 11 | 14 | Rick Mast | A. J. Foyt Racing | Pontiac | 334 | 0 | running | 112 | $27,000 |
| 18 | 28 | 43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 334 | 0 | running | 109 | $43,000 |
| 19 | 13 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. (R) | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 334 | 0 | running | 106 | $34,390 |
| 20 | 18 | 31 | Mike Skinner | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 333 | 0 | running | 103 | $39,885 |
| 21 | 22 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | 333 | 21 | running | 105 | $44,420 |
| 22 | 14 | 7 | Michael Waltrip | Ultra Motorsports | Chevrolet | 333 | 0 | running | 97 | $34,925 |
| 23 | 35 | 60 | Dick Trickle | Joe Bessey Racing | Chevrolet | 333 | 0 | running | 94 | $34,640 |
| 24 | 19 | 4 | Bobby Hamilton | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | 333 | 0 | running | 91 | $34,400 |
| 25 | 20 | 36 | Ken Schrader | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 332 | 0 | running | 88 | $26,570 |
| 26 | 33 | 96 | Andy Houston | PPI Motorsports | Ford | 332 | 0 | running | 85 | $22,870 |
| 27 | 40 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 331 | 0 | running | 82 | $40,770 |
| 28 | 29 | 93 | Dave Blaney (R) | Bill Davis Racing | Pontiac | 329 | 0 | running | 79 | $22,670 |
| 29 | 43 | 01 | Ted Musgrave | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 328 | 1 | running | 81 | $33,870 |
| 30 | 34 | 66 | Darrell Waltrip | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 325 | 0 | running | 73 | $25,970 |
| 31 | 41 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 321 | 0 | running | 70 | $33,370 |
| 32 | 31 | 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | 316 | 0 | running | 67 | $22,270 |
| 33 | 24 | 75 | Wally Dallenbach Jr. | Galaxy Motorsports | Ford | 302 | 0 | accident | 64 | $24,710 |
| 34 | 7 | 94 | Bill Elliott | Bill Elliott Racing | Ford | 267 | 0 | engine | 61 | $30,765 |
| 35 | 15 | 77 | Robert Pressley | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | 238 | 0 | accident | 58 | $22,135 |
| 36 | 3 | 25 | Jerry Nadeau | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 232 | 32 | accident | 60 | $40,015 |
| 37 | 32 | 55 | Kenny Wallace | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 185 | 0 | running | 52 | $30,100 |
| 38 | 25 | 13 | Robby Gordon | Team Menard | Ford | 184 | 0 | accident | 49 | $22,090 |
| 39 | 1 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 170 | 1 | accident | 51 | $65,980 |
| 40 | 5 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 158 | 0 | accident | 43 | $48,175 |
| 41 | 27 | 98 | Jeff Fuller | MacPherson Motorsports | Ford | 115 | 0 | engine | 40 | $22,070 |
| 42 | 36 | 90 | Hut Stricklin | Donlavey Racing | Ford | 59 | 0 | accident | 37 | $22,065 |
| 43 | 30 | 27 | Mike Bliss (R) | Eel River Racing | Pontiac | 5 | 0 | accident | 34 | $22,064 |
| Failed to qualify |||||||||||
| 44 | | 32 | Scott Pruett (R) | PPI Motorsports | Ford | | | | | |
| 45 | | 50 | Ricky Craven | Midwest Transit Racing | Chevrolet | | | | | |
| 46 | | 44 | Steve Grissom | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | | | | | |
| 47 | | 85 | Carl Long | Mansion Motorsports | Ford | | | | | |
| 48 | | 9 | Stacy Compton (R) | Melling Racing | Ford | | | | | |
| 49 | | 71 | Dave Marcis | Marcis Auto Racing | Chevrolet | | | | | |
| 50 | | 91 | Larry Gunselman | LJ Racing | Chevrolet | | | | | |
| Official race results |||||||||||

## Standings after the race

| | Pos | Driver | Points |
| | 1 | Bobby Labonte | 4,405 |
| 1 | 2 | Jeff Burton | 4,153 (-252) |
| 1 | 3 | Dale Earnhardt | 4,147 (-258) |
| | 4 | Dale Jarrett | 4,017 (–388) |
| | 5 | Tony Stewart | 3,977 (–428) |
| | 6 | Ricky Rudd | 3,972 (–433) |
| 1 | 7 | Mark Martin | 3,848 (–557) |
| 1 | 8 | Rusty Wallace | 3,808 (–597) |
| 1 | 9 | Ward Burton | 3,565 (–840) |
| 1 | 10 | Jeff Gordon | 3,564 (–841) |
| Official driver's standings ||||