# 1999 Primestar 500

The 1999 Primestar 500 was the sixth stock car race of the 1999 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season and the third iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, March 28, 1999, in Fort Worth, Texas at Texas Motor Speedway, a 1.5 miles (2.4 km) permanent tri-oval shaped racetrack. The race took the scheduled 334 laps to complete. Nearing the end of the race, Hendrick Motorsports driver Terry Labonte would make a late-race move to pass Robert Yates Racing driver Dale Jarrett for the lead. With three to go, the caution came out for Jimmy Spencer, handing the win to Labonte. The win was Labonte's 21st career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his only victory of the season. To fill out the podium, Jarrett and Joe Gibbs Racing driver Bobby Labonte would finish second and third, respectively.

## Background

Texas Motor Speedway is a speedway located in the northernmost portion of the U.S. city of Fort Worth, Texas – the portion located in Denton County, Texas. The track measures 1.5 miles (2.4 km) around and is banked 24 degrees in the turns. It is of the oval design, where the front straightaway juts outward slightly. The track layout is similar to Atlanta Motor Speedway and Charlotte Motor Speedway (formerly Lowe's Motor Speedway). The track is owned by Speedway Motorsports, Inc., the same company that owns Atlanta and Charlotte Motor Speedway, as well as the short-track Bristol Motor Speedway.

### Entry list

* (R) denotes rookie driver.
| # | Driver | Team | Make | Sponsor |
| 00 | Buckshot Jones (R) | Buckshot Racing | Pontiac | Crown Fiber |
| 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 Plus |
| 4 | Bobby Hamilton | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | Kodak |
| 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | Kellogg's Frosted Flakes |
| 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | Valvoline |
| 7 | Michael Waltrip | Mattei Motorsports | Chevrolet | Philips, Klaussner Furniture |
| 9 | Jerry Nadeau | Melling Racing | Ford | Cartoon Network, Dexter's Laboratory |
| 10 | Ricky Rudd | Rudd Performance Motorsports | Ford | Tide |
| 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | Paychex |
| 12 | Jeremy Mayfield | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | Mobil 1 |
| 14 | Randy LaJoie | No Fear Racing | Ford | Federated Auto Parts |
| 16 | Kevin Lepage | Roush Racing | Ford | PrimeStar |
| 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | Interstate Batteries |
| 20 | Tony Stewart (R) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | The Home Depot |
| 21 | Elliott Sadler (R) | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | Citgo |
| 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Pontiac | Caterpillar |
| 23 | Jimmy Spencer | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | Winston No Bull |
| 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | DuPont |
| 25 | Wally Dallenbach Jr. | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | Budweiser |
| 26 | Johnny Benson Jr. | Roush Racing | Ford | Cheerios, Betty Crocker |
| 28 | Kenny Irwin Jr. | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | Texaco, Havoline |
| 30 | Derrike Cope | Bahari Racing | Pontiac | Jimmy Dean, Bryan Foods |
| 31 | Mike Skinner | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | Lowe's |
| 33 | Ken Schrader | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | Skoal |
| 36 | Ernie Irvan | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | M&M's |
| 40 | Sterling Marlin | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | Coors Light, John Wayne Cancer Institute |
| 41 | David Green | Larry Hedrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | Kodiak |
| 42 | Joe Nemechek | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | BellSouth |
| 43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | STP |
| 44 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | Hot Wheels |
| 45 | Rich Bickle | Tyler Jet Motorsports | Pontiac | 10-10-345 |
| 55 | Kenny Wallace | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | Square D |
| 58 | Ricky Craven | SBIII Motorsports | Ford | Hollywood Video |
| 60 | Geoff Bodine | Joe Bessey Racing | Chevrolet | Power Team |
| 66 | Darrell Waltrip | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | Big Kmart |
| 71 | Dave Marcis | Marcis Auto Racing | Chevrolet | Team Realtree |
| 75 | Ted Musgrave | Butch Mock Motorsports | Ford | Remington Arms |
| 77 | Robert Pressley | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | Jasper Engines & Transmissions |
| 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | Quality Care Service, Ford Credit |
| 90 | Stanton Barrett | Donlavey Racing | Ford | Suburban Lodge |
| 91 | Dick Trickle | LJ Racing | Chevrolet | Textilease |
| 94 | Bill Elliott | Bill Elliott Racing | Ford | McDonald's |
| 97 | Chad Little | Roush Racing | Ford | John Deere |
| 98 | Rick Mast | Burdette Motorsports | Ford | Burdette Motorsports |
| 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | Exide Batteries |
| Official entry list |||||

## Practice

Originally, four practice sessions were scheduled to be held, with two on Friday and two on Saturday. However, due to rain, the second practice session on Saturday was cancelled.

### First practice

The first practice session was held on Friday, March 26, at 11:00 AM CST. The session would last for one hour and 15 minutes. Mark Martin, driving for Roush Racing, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 28.402 and an average speed of 190.127 mph (305.980 km/h).
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 28.402 | 190.127 |
| 2 | 60 | Geoff Bodine | Joe Bessey Racing | Chevrolet | 28.418 | 190.020 |
| 3 | 21 | Elliott Sadler | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 28.637 | 188.567 |
| Full first practice results |||||||

### Second practice

The second practice session was held on Friday, March 26, at 1:05 PM CST. The session would last for one hour and 20 minutes. Geoff Bodine, driving for Joe Bessey Racing, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 28.402 and an average speed of 190.127 mph (305.980 km/h).
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 60 | Geoff Bodine | Joe Bessey Racing | Chevrolet | 28.406 | 190.101 |
| 2 | 1 | Steve Park | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 28.486 | 189.567 |
| 3 | 94 | Bill Elliott | Bill Elliott Racing | Ford | 28.523 | 189.321 |
| Full second practice results |||||||

### Final practice

The final practice session, sometimes referred to as Happy Hour, was held on Saturday, March 27, at 9:00 AM CST. The session would last for one hour. Geoff Bodine, driving for Joe Bessey Racing, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 28.347 and an average speed of 190.496 mph (306.574 km/h).
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 60 | Geoff Bodine | Joe Bessey Racing | Chevrolet | 28.347 | 190.496 |
| 2 | 42 | Joe Nemechek | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 28.686 | 188.245 |
| 3 | 91 | Dick Trickle | LJ Racing | Chevrolet | 28.805 | 187.467 |
| Full final practice results |||||||

## Qualifying

Qualifying was split into two rounds. The first round was held on Friday, March 26, at 3:30 PM CST. Each driver would have one lap to set a time. 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, March 27, at 10:45 AM CST. As with the first round, each driver would have one lap to set a time. 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.
Kenny Irwin Jr., driving for Robert Yates Racing, would win the pole, setting a time of 28.398 and an average speed of 190.154 miles per hour (306.023 km/h).
Four drivers would fail to qualify: Dick Trickle, Kyle Petty, Dave Marcis, and Stanton Barrett.

### Full qualifying results

| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 28 | Kenny Irwin Jr. | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 28.398 | 190.154 |
| 2 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 28.443 | 189.853 |
| 3 | 1 | Steve Park | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 28.520 | 189.341 |
| 4 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 28.553 | 189.122 |
| 5 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Pontiac | 28.573 | 188.990 |
| 6 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 28.578 | 188.957 |
| 7 | 33 | Ken Schrader | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 28.605 | 188.778 |
| 8 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 28.617 | 188.699 |
| 9 | 94 | Bill Elliott | Bill Elliott Racing | Ford | 28.634 | 188.587 |
| 10 | 25 | Wally Dallenbach Jr. | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 28.649 | 188.488 |
| 11 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | 28.654 | 188.455 |
| 12 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 28.663 | 188.396 |
| 13 | 21 | Elliott Sadler (R) | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 28.686 | 188.245 |
| 14 | 14 | Randy LaJoie | No Fear Racing | Ford | 28.697 | 188.173 |
| 15 | 43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 28.731 | 187.950 |
| 16 | 77 | Robert Pressley | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | 28.778 | 187.643 |
| 17 | 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | 28.784 | 187.604 |
| 18 | 98 | Rick Mast | Burdette Motorsports | Ford | 28.797 | 187.520 |
| 19 | 20 | Tony Stewart (R) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 28.802 | 187.487 |
| 20 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | 28.829 | 187.311 |
| 21 | 9 | Jerry Nadeau | Melling Racing | Ford | 28.855 | 187.143 |
| 22 | 36 | Ernie Irvan | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 28.857 | 187.130 |
| 23 | 31 | Mike Skinner | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 28.886 | 186.942 |
| 24 | 26 | Johnny Benson Jr. | Roush Racing | Ford | 28.904 | 186.825 |
| 25 | 75 | Ted Musgrave | Butch Mock Motorsports | Ford | 28.908 | 186.800 |
| 26 | 60 | Geoff Bodine | Joe Bessey Racing | Chevrolet | 28.504 | 189.447 |
| 27 | 12 | Jeremy Mayfield | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | 28.741 | 187.885 |
| 28 | 42 | Joe Nemechek | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 28.741 | 187.885 |
| 29 | 7 | Michael Waltrip | Mattei Motorsports | Chevrolet | 28.831 | 187.298 |
| 30 | 45 | Rich Bickle | Tyler Jet Motorsports | Pontiac | 28.922 | 186.709 |
| 31 | 00 | Buckshot Jones (R) | Buckshot Racing | Pontiac | 28.923 | 186.703 |
| 32 | 66 | Darrell Waltrip | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 28.946 | 186.554 |
| 33 | 4 | Bobby Hamilton | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | 28.957 | 186.483 |
| 34 | 10 | Ricky Rudd | Rudd Performance Motorsports | Ford | 28.963 | 186.445 |
| 35 | 58 | Ricky Craven | SBIII Motorsports | Ford | 29.000 | 186.207 |
| 36 | 30 | Derrike Cope | Bahari Racing | Pontiac | 29.033 | 185.995 |
| Provisionals |||||||
| 37 | 97 | Chad Little | Roush Racing | Ford | -* | -* |
| 38 | 3 | Dale Earnhardt | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | -* | -* |
| 39 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | -* | -* |
| 40 | 16 | Kevin Lepage | Roush Racing | Ford | -* | -* |
| 41 | 23 | Jimmy Spencer | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | -* | -* |
| 42 | 55 | Kenny Wallace | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | -* | -* |
| 43 | 41 | David Green | Larry Hedrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | -* | -* |
| Failed to qualify |||||||
| 44 | 91 | Dick Trickle | LJ Racing | Chevrolet | 29.065 | 185.790 |
| 45 | 44 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 29.180 | 185.058 |
| 46 | 71 | Dave Marcis | Marcis Auto Racing | Chevrolet | 29.331 | 184.106 |
| 47 | 90 | Stanton Barrett | Donlavey Racing | Ford | 29.099 | 185.573 |
| Official qualifying results |||||||
*Time not available.

## Race results

| Fin | St | # | Driver | Team | Make | Laps | Led | Status | Pts | Winnings |
| 1 | 4 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 334 | 124 | running | 185 | $376,840 |
| 2 | 12 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 334 | 39 | running | 175 | $250,100 |
| 3 | 2 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 334 | 10 | running | 170 | $181,650 |
| 4 | 11 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | 334 | 0 | running | 160 | $151,675 |
| 5 | 27 | 12 | Jeremy Mayfield | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | 334 | 2 | running | 160 | $119,925 |
| 6 | 19 | 20 | Tony Stewart (R) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 334 | 0 | running | 150 | $107,315 |
| 7 | 20 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | 334 | 0 | running | 146 | $107,675 |
| 8 | 38 | 3 | Dale Earnhardt | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 334 | 0 | running | 142 | $97,775 |
| 9 | 39 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 334 | 0 | running | 138 | $95,150 |
| 10 | 13 | 21 | Elliott Sadler (R) | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 334 | 2 | running | 139 | $96,490 |
| 11 | 24 | 26 | Johnny Benson Jr. | Roush Racing | Ford | 334 | 0 | running | 130 | $91,150 |
| 12 | 30 | 45 | Rich Bickle | Tyler Jet Motorsports | Pontiac | 333 | 0 | running | 127 | $76,300 |
| 13 | 37 | 97 | Chad Little | Roush Racing | Ford | 333 | 0 | running | 124 | $85,100 |
| 14 | 29 | 7 | Michael Waltrip | Mattei Motorsports | Chevrolet | 333 | 0 | running | 121 | $83,400 |
| 15 | 1 | 28 | Kenny Irwin Jr. | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 333 | 32 | running | 123 | $94,640 |
| 16 | 5 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Pontiac | 333 | 56 | running | 120 | $90,800 |
| 17 | 7 | 33 | Ken Schrader | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 333 | 4 | running | 117 | $75,900 |
| 18 | 17 | 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | 333 | 1 | running | 114 | $74,900 |
| 19 | 34 | 10 | Ricky Rudd | Rudd Performance Motorsports | Ford | 333 | 0 | running | 106 | $73,400 |
| 20 | 16 | 77 | Robert Pressley | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | 333 | 0 | running | 103 | $68,065 |
| 21 | 9 | 94 | Bill Elliott | Bill Elliott Racing | Ford | 333 | 0 | running | 100 | $66,575 |
| 22 | 36 | 30 | Derrike Cope | Bahari Racing | Pontiac | 331 | 0 | running | 97 | $58,075 |
| 23 | 10 | 25 | Wally Dallenbach Jr. | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 331 | 0 | running | 94 | $63,975 |
| 24 | 21 | 9 | Jerry Nadeau | Melling Racing | Ford | 331 | 0 | running | 91 | $56,475 |
| 25 | 32 | 66 | Darrell Waltrip | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 330 | 0 | running | 88 | $51,775 |
| 26 | 43 | 41 | David Green | Larry Hedrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 330 | 0 | running | 85 | $54,075 |
| 27 | 35 | 58 | Ricky Craven | SBIII Motorsports | Ford | 330 | 1 | running | 87 | $49,775 |
| 28 | 41 | 23 | Jimmy Spencer | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 329 | 0 | crash | 79 | $58,775 |
| 29 | 33 | 4 | Bobby Hamilton | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | 324 | 0 | running | 76 | $62,775 |
| 30 | 18 | 98 | Rick Mast | Burdette Motorsports | Ford | 307 | 0 | running | 73 | $49,500 |
| 31 | 25 | 75 | Ted Musgrave | Butch Mock Motorsports | Ford | 306 | 0 | running | 70 | $45,275 |
| 32 | 3 | 1 | Steve Park | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 289 | 0 | running | 67 | $50,975 |
| 33 | 28 | 42 | Joe Nemechek | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 272 | 0 | running | 64 | $49,975 |
| 34 | 6 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 253 | 63 | running | 66 | $58,975 |
| 35 | 31 | 00 | Buckshot Jones (R) | Buckshot Racing | Pontiac | 252 | 0 | vibration | 58 | $40,975 |
| 36 | 26 | 60 | Geoff Bodine | Joe Bessey Racing | Chevrolet | 244 | 0 | running | 55 | $41,450 |
| 37 | 22 | 36 | Ernie Irvan | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 241 | 0 | engine | 52 | $45,950 |
| 38 | 15 | 43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 202 | 0 | handling | 49 | $44,950 |
| 39 | 42 | 55 | Kenny Wallace | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 174 | 0 | overheating | 46 | $38,450 |
| 40 | 14 | 14 | Randy LaJoie | No Fear Racing | Ford | 152 | 0 | engine | 43 | $37,950 |
| 41 | 40 | 16 | Kevin Lepage | Roush Racing | Ford | 132 | 0 | crash | 40 | $44,850 |
| 42 | 23 | 31 | Mike Skinner | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 123 | 0 | crash | 37 | $45,000 |
| 43 | 8 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 68 | 0 | crash | 34 | $60,000 |
| Failed to qualify |||||||||||
| 44 | | 91 | Dick Trickle | LJ Racing | Chevrolet | | | | | |
| 45 | | 44 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | | | | | |
| 46 | | 71 | Dave Marcis | Marcis Auto Racing | Chevrolet | | | | | |
| 47 | | 90 | Stanton Barrett | Donlavey Racing | Ford | | | | | |
| Official race results |||||||||||

## Media
### Television

The DirecTV 500 was covered by CBS in the United States for the fourth straight year and it was their final DirecTV 500 race as coverage would switch to Fox in 2001. Mike Joy, two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Ned Jarrett and nineteen time NASCAR Cup Series 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.
CBS :
| 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 |