# 2000 Kmart 400

The 2000 Kmart 400 was the 14th stock car race of the 2000 NASCAR Winston Cup Series and the 32nd iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, June 11, 2000, in Brooklyn, Michigan, at Michigan International Speedway, a two-mile (3.2 km) moderate-banked D-shaped speedway. The race was shortened from its scheduled 200 laps to 194 due to inclement weather. At race's end, Tony Stewart, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, would manage to hold off the field until lap 193 when the race was stopped for rain. The win was Stewart's fifth career NASCAR Winston Cup Series win and his second of the season. To fill out the podium, Dale Earnhardt of Richard Childress Racing and Bobby Labonte of Joe Gibbs Racing would finish second and third, respectively.

## Background

The race was held at Michigan International Speedway, a two-mile (3.2 km) moderate-banked D-shaped speedway located in Brooklyn, Michigan. The track is used primarily for NASCAR events. It is known as a "sister track" to Texas World Speedway as MIS's oval design was a direct basis of TWS, with moderate modifications to the banking in the corners, and was used as the basis of Auto Club Speedway. The track is owned by International Speedway Corporation. Michigan International Speedway is recognized as one of motorsports' premier facilities because of its wide racing surface and high banking (by open-wheel standards; the 18-degree banking is modest by stock car standards).

### 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 |
| 12 | Jeremy Mayfield | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | Mobil 1 |
| 13 | Robby Gordon | Team Menard | Ford | Burger King, 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 | Pedigree |
| 40 | Sterling Marlin | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | Coors Light, Brooks & Dunn |
| 42 | Kenny Irwin Jr. | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | BellSouth |
| 43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | STP |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Official entry list |||||

## Practice
### First practice

The first practice session was held on Friday, June 9, at 10:15 AM EST, and would last for one hour and 40 minutes. Jerry Nadeau of Hendrick Motorsports would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 38.386 and an average speed of 187.568 mph (301.861 km/h).
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 25 | Jerry Nadeau | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 38.386 | 187.568 |
| 2 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Pontiac | 38.388 | 187.558 |
| 3 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 38.440 | 187.304 |
| Full first practice results |||||||

### Second practice

The second practice session was held on Friday, June 9, at 1:00 PM EST, and would last for an hour and 30 minutes. Ricky Rudd of Robert Yates Racing would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 38.387 and an average speed of 187.563 mph (301.853 km/h).
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 28 | Ricky Rudd | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 38.387 | 187.563 |
| 2 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 38.406 | 187.471 |
| 3 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 38.410 | 187.451 |
| Full second practice results |||||||

### Third practice

The third practice session was held on Saturday, June 10, at 9:30 AM EST, and would last for one hour. Geoff Bodine of Joe Bessey Racing would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 38.550 and an average speed of 186.770 mph (300.577 km/h).
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 60 | Geoff Bodine | Joe Bessey Racing | Chevrolet | 38.550 | 186.770 |
| 2 | 27 | Mike Bliss (R) | Eel River Racing | Pontiac | 38.830 | 185.424 |
| 3 | 7 | Michael Waltrip | Mattei Motorsports | Chevrolet | 38.832 | 185.414 |
| Full third practice results |||||||

### Fourth and final practice

The fourth and final practice session, sometimes referred to as Happy Hour, was held on Saturday, June 10, after the preliminary 2000 Flagstar 200 ARCA Re/Max Series race, and lasted for up to an hour. Dale Earnhardt Jr. of Dale Earnhardt, Inc. would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 39.716 and an average speed of 181.287 mph (291.753 km/h).
Around 38 minutes into the session, Elliott Sadler would suffer a blowover crash after blowing a right-rear tire, flipping around a dozen times. It was later revealed that the car barrel rolled higher than the catch fencing, and the majority of footage of the crash was subsequently destroyed. While bruised, Elliott would still race with a backup.
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. (R) | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 39.716 | 181.287 |
| 2 | 17 | Matt Kenseth (R) | Roush Racing | Ford | 39.969 | 180.139 |
| 3 | 1 | Steve Park | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 39.971 | 180.130 |
| Full Happy Hour practice results |||||||

## Qualifying

Qualifying was split into two rounds. The first round was held on Friday, June 2, at 3:30 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, June 3, at 11:30 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.
Bobby Labonte of Joe Gibbs Racing would win the pole, setting a time of 37.918 and an average speed of 189.883 miles per hour (305.587 km/h).
Three drivers would fail to qualify: Darrell Waltrip, Ricky Craven, and Dave Marcis.

### Full qualifying results

| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 37.918 | 189.883 |
| 2 | 28 | Ricky Rudd | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 38.091 | 189.021 |
| 3 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 38.174 | 188.610 |
| 4 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | 38.275 | 188.112 |
| 5 | 33 | Joe Nemechek | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 38.287 | 188.053 |
| 6 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. (R) | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 38.348 | 187.754 |
| 7 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | 38.375 | 187.622 |
| 8 | 94 | Bill Elliott | Bill Elliott Racing | Ford | 38.403 | 187.485 |
| 9 | 3 | Dale Earnhardt | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 38.409 | 187.456 |
| 10 | 43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 38.451 | 187.251 |
| 11 | 10 | Johnny Benson Jr. | Tyler Jet Motorsports | Pontiac | 38.452 | 187.246 |
| 12 | 16 | Kevin Lepage | Roush Racing | Ford | 38.471 | 187.154 |
| 13 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Pontiac | 38.476 | 187.130 |
| 14 | 1 | Steve Park | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 38.490 | 187.062 |
| 15 | 7 | Michael Waltrip | Mattei Motorsports | Chevrolet | 38.502 | 187.003 |
| 16 | 32 | Scott Pruett (R) | PPI Motorsports | Ford | 38.554 | 186.751 |
| 17 | 93 | Dave Blaney (R) | Bill Davis Racing | Pontiac | 38.561 | 186.717 |
| 18 | 42 | Kenny Irwin Jr. | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 38.576 | 186.645 |
| 19 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 38.588 | 186.587 |
| 20 | 36 | Ken Schrader | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 38.598 | 186.538 |
| 21 | 21 | Elliott Sadler | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 38.601 | 186.524 |
| 22 | 12 | Jeremy Mayfield | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | 38.632 | 186.374 |
| 23 | 17 | Matt Kenseth (R) | Roush Racing | Ford | 38.661 | 186.234 |
| 24 | 75 | Wally Dallenbach Jr. | Galaxy Motorsports | Ford | 38.667 | 186.205 |
| 25 | 13 | Robby Gordon | Team Menard | Ford | 38.667 | 186.205 |
| 26 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 38.559 | 186.727 |
| 27 | 27 | Mike Bliss (R) | Eel River Racing | Pontiac | 38.608 | 186.490 |
| 28 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 38.689 | 186.099 |
| 29 | 14 | Rick Mast | A. J. Foyt Enterprises | Pontiac | 38.701 | 186.042 |
| 30 | 31 | Mike Skinner | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 38.739 | 185.859 |
| 31 | 77 | Robert Pressley | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | 38.743 | 185.840 |
| 32 | 25 | Jerry Nadeau | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 38.747 | 185.821 |
| 33 | 9 | Stacy Compton (R) | Melling Racing | Ford | 38.748 | 185.816 |
| 34 | 55 | Kenny Wallace | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 38.791 | 185.610 |
| 35 | 44 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 38.819 | 185.476 |
| 36 | 60 | Geoff Bodine | Joe Bessey Racing | Chevrolet | 38.833 | 185.409 |
| Provisionals |||||||
| 37 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 38.948 | 184.862 |
| 38 | 97 | Chad Little | Roush Racing | Ford | 38.848 | 185.338 |
| 39 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 39.041 | 184.422 |
| 40 | 26 | Jimmy Spencer | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 38.852 | 185.319 |
| 41 | 4 | Bobby Hamilton | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | 38.942 | 184.890 |
| 42 | 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | 39.259 | 183.397 |
| 43 | 90 | Ed Berrier (R) | Donlavey Racing | Ford | 39.428 | 182.611 |
| Failed to qualify |||||||
| 44 | 66 | Darrell Waltrip | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 38.920 | 184.995 |
| 45 | 50 | Ricky Craven | Midwest Transit Racing | Chevrolet | 39.022 | 184.511 |
| 46 | 71 | Dave Marcis | Marcis Auto Racing | Chevrolet | 39.035 | 184.450 |
| Official first round qualifying results |||||||
| Official starting lineup |||||||

## Race results

| Fin | St | # | Driver | Team | Make | Laps | Led | Status | Pts | Winnings |
| 1 | 28 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 194 | 13 | running | 180 | $123,800 |
| 2 | 9 | 3 | Dale Earnhardt | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 194 | 0 | running | 170 | $80,575 |
| 3 | 1 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 194 | 39 | running | 170 | $79,175 |
| 4 | 26 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 194 | 3 | running | 165 | $71,285 |
| 5 | 31 | 77 | Robert Pressley | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | 194 | 5 | running | 160 | $51,000 |
| 6 | 13 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Pontiac | 194 | 0 | running | 150 | $55,875 |
| 7 | 4 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | 194 | 3 | running | 151 | $49,625 |
| 8 | 8 | 94 | Bill Elliott | Bill Elliott Racing | Ford | 194 | 0 | running | 142 | $44,750 |
| 9 | 10 | 43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 194 | 1 | running | 143 | $50,200 |
| 10 | 39 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 194 | 0 | running | 134 | $48,100 |
| 11 | 7 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | 194 | 1 | running | 135 | $54,750 |
| 12 | 2 | 28 | Ricky Rudd | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 194 | 40 | running | 132 | $41,050 |
| 13 | 6 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. (R) | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 193 | 0 | running | 124 | $38,200 |
| 14 | 3 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 193 | 2 | running | 126 | $47,250 |
| 15 | 40 | 26 | Jimmy Spencer | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 193 | 0 | running | 118 | $41,650 |
| 16 | 20 | 36 | Ken Schrader | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 193 | 0 | running | 115 | $30,375 |
| 17 | 23 | 17 | Matt Kenseth (R) | Roush Racing | Ford | 193 | 0 | running | 112 | $37,850 |
| 18 | 5 | 33 | Joe Nemechek | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 193 | 0 | running | 109 | $37,315 |
| 19 | 16 | 32 | Scott Pruett (R) | PPI Motorsports | Ford | 193 | 0 | running | 106 | $26,000 |
| 20 | 30 | 31 | Mike Skinner | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 193 | 0 | running | 103 | $41,085 |
| 21 | 12 | 16 | Kevin Lepage | Roush Racing | Ford | 193 | 2 | running | 105 | $36,365 |
| 22 | 15 | 7 | Michael Waltrip | Mattei Motorsports | Chevrolet | 193 | 0 | running | 97 | $36,150 |
| 23 | 32 | 25 | Jerry Nadeau | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 193 | 0 | running | 94 | $35,890 |
| 24 | 11 | 10 | Johnny Benson Jr. | Tyler Jet Motorsports | Pontiac | 193 | 0 | running | 91 | $27,670 |
| 25 | 17 | 93 | Dave Blaney (R) | Bill Davis Racing | Pontiac | 193 | 0 | running | 88 | $24,120 |
| 26 | 37 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 193 | 0 | running | 85 | $41,960 |
| 27 | 21 | 21 | Elliott Sadler | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 193 | 0 | running | 82 | $36,200 |
| 28 | 25 | 13 | Robby Gordon | Team Menard | Ford | 193 | 0 | running | 79 | $23,840 |
| 29 | 14 | 1 | Steve Park | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 193 | 0 | running | 76 | $34,905 |
| 30 | 29 | 14 | Rick Mast | A. J. Foyt Enterprises | Pontiac | 192 | 0 | running | 73 | $35,240 |
| 31 | 34 | 55 | Kenny Wallace | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 192 | 0 | running | 70 | $23,510 |
| 32 | 38 | 97 | Chad Little | Roush Racing | Ford | 192 | 0 | running | 67 | $34,440 |
| 33 | 43 | 90 | Ed Berrier (R) | Donlavey Racing | Ford | 192 | 0 | running | 64 | $23,335 |
| 34 | 24 | 75 | Wally Dallenbach Jr. | Galaxy Motorsports | Ford | 192 | 0 | running | 61 | $26,285 |
| 35 | 18 | 42 | Kenny Irwin Jr. | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 191 | 0 | running | 58 | $33,695 |
| 36 | 42 | 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | 191 | 0 | running | 55 | $23,150 |
| 37 | 27 | 27 | Mike Bliss (R) | Eel River Racing | Pontiac | 191 | 0 | running | 52 | $23,090 |
| 38 | 36 | 60 | Geoff Bodine | Joe Bessey Racing | Chevrolet | 190 | 0 | crash | 49 | $30,990 |
| 39 | 35 | 44 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 187 | 0 | engine | 46 | $30,955 |
| 40 | 19 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 183 | 0 | running | 43 | $40,920 |
| 41 | 22 | 12 | Jeremy Mayfield | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | 176 | 85 | engine | 50 | $40,885 |
| 42 | 33 | 9 | Stacy Compton (R) | Melling Racing | Ford | 143 | 0 | running | 37 | $22,850 |
| 43 | 41 | 4 | Bobby Hamilton | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | 16 | 0 | crash | 34 | $30,815 |
| Failed to qualify |||||||||||
| 44 | | 66 | Darrell Waltrip | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | | | | | |
| 45 | | 50 | Ricky Craven | Midwest Transit Racing | Chevrolet | | | | | |
| 46 | | 71 | Dave Marcis | Marcis Auto Racing | Chevrolet | | | | | |
| Official race results |||||||||||

## Media
### Television

The Kmart 400 was covered by CBS in the United States for the fourth straight year and it was their final Kmart 400 race as coverage would switch to Fox in 2001. Mike Joy, two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Ned Jarrett and 1979 race winner Buddy Baker called the race from the broadcast booth. Dick Berggren, Ralph Sheheen and Bill Stephens handled pit road for the television side. Ken Squier would serve as host. Due to the rain delay, coverage switched from CBS to TNN.
CBS / TNN :
| Host | Booth announcers | Booth announcers | Pit reporters |
| Host | Lap-by-lap | Color-commentators | Pit reporters |
| Ken Squier | Mike Joy | Ned Jarrett Buddy Baker | Dick Berggren Ralph Sheheen Bill Stephens |

## Standings after the race

| | Pos | Driver | Points |
| | 1 | Bobby Labonte | 2,116 |
| 1 | 2 | Dale Earnhardt | 2,018 (−98) |
| 1 | 3 | Ward Burton | 2,014 (−102) |
| | 4 | Dale Jarrett | 1,955 (−161) |
| 1 | 5 | Jeff Burton | 1,868 (−248) |
| 1 | 6 | Rusty Wallace | 1,855 (−261) |
| 2 | 7 | Tony Stewart | 1,821 (−295) |
| | 8 | Ricky Rudd | 1,810 (−306) |
| 3 | 9 | Mark Martin | 1,798 (−318) |
| | 10 | Jeff Gordon | 1,732 (−384) |
| Official driver's standings ||||