# 1999 Pop Secret Microwave Popcorn 400

The 1999 Pop Secret Microwave Popcorn 400 was the 31st stock car race of the 1999 NASCAR Winston Cup Series and the 35th iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, October 24, 1999, before an audience of 50,000 in Rockingham, North Carolina, at North Carolina Speedway, a 1.017 miles (1.637 km) permanent high-banked racetrack. The race took the scheduled 393 laps to complete. In the final laps of the race, Roush Racing driver Jeff Burton would manage to pull away from the field with 68 to go to win his 11th career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his sixth and final victory of the season. To fill out the podium, Bill Davis Racing driver Ward Burton and Joe Gibbs Racing driver Bobby Labonte would finish second and third, respectively.

## Background

North Carolina Speedway was opened as a flat, one-mile oval on October 31, 1965. In 1969, the track was extensively reconfigured to a high-banked, D-shaped oval just over one mile in length. In 1997, North Carolina Motor Speedway merged with Penske Motorsports, and was renamed North Carolina Speedway. Shortly thereafter, the infield was reconfigured, and competition on the infield road course, mostly by the SCCA, was discontinued. Currently, the track is home to the Fast Track High Performance Driving School.

### 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 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 | Stacy Compton | Melling Racing | Ford | World Championship Wrestling |
| 10 | Ricky Rudd | Rudd Performance Motorsports | Ford | Tide |
| 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | Paychex Blue |
| 12 | Jeremy Mayfield | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | Mobil 1 |
| 16 | Kevin Lepage | Roush Racing | Ford | TV Guide, Pokémon: Indigo League |
| 17 | Matt Kenseth | Roush Racing | Ford | DeWalt |
| 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, 1999 World Series |
| 26 | Johnny Benson Jr. | Roush Racing | Ford | Pop Secret Turbo Popper |
| 28 | Kenny Irwin Jr. | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | Texaco, Havoline |
| 30 | Mike Bliss | Bahari Racing | Pontiac | State Fair Corn Dogs |
| 31 | Mike Skinner | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | Lowe's |
| 33 | Ken Schrader | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | Skoal |
| 36 | Jerry Nadeau | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | M&M's |
| 40 | Sterling Marlin | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | Coors Light |
| 41 | Derrike Cope | 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 | David Green | Tyler Jet Motorsports | Pontiac | 10-10-345 |
| 50 | Ricky Craven | Midwest Transit Racing | Chevrolet | Midwest Transit |
| 55 | Kenny Wallace | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | Square D |
| 58 | Hut Stricklin | SBIII Motorsports | Ford | Turbine Solutions |
| 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 | Ed Berrier | Donlavey Racing | Ford | Hills Bros. Coffee, Nesquik |
| 91 | Rich Bickle | LJ Racing | Chevrolet | LJ Racing |
| 94 | Bill Elliott | Bill Elliott Racing | Ford | McDonald's |
| 97 | Chad Little | Roush Racing | Ford | John Deere |
| 98 | Rick Mast | Cale Yarborough Motorsports | Ford | Woody Woodpecker |
| 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | Exide Batteries |
| Official entry list |||||

## Practice
### First practice

The first practice session was held on Friday, October 22, at 10:00 AM EST. The session would last for one hour and 15 minutes. Dale Jarrett, driving for Robert Yates Racing, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 23.346 and an average speed of 156.823 mph (252.382 km/h).
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 23.346 | 156.823 |
| 2 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Pontiac | 23.494 | 155.836 |
| 3 | 12 | Jeremy Mayfield | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | 23.501 | 155.789 |
| Full first practice results |||||||

### Second practice

The second practice session was held on Friday, October 22, at 12:00 PM EST. The session would last for 30 minutes. Jeff Gordon, driving for Hendrick Motorsports, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 23.272 and an average speed of 157.322 mph (253.185 km/h).
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 23.272 | 157.322 |
| 2 | 20 | Tony Stewart (R) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 23.366 | 156.689 |
| 3 | 12 | Jeremy Mayfield | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | 23.416 | 156.355 |
| Full second practice results |||||||

### Final practice

The final practice session, sometimes referred to as Happy Hour, was held on Saturday, October 23, after the preliminary 1999 Kmart 200. The session would last for one hour. Ward Burton, driving for Bill Davis Racing, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 24.018 and an average speed of 152.436 mph (245.322 km/h).
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Pontiac | 24.018 | 152.436 |
| 2 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | 24.058 | 152.182 |
| 3 | 12 | Jeremy Mayfield | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | 24.083 | 152.024 |
| Full Happy Hour practice results |||||||

## Qualifying

Qualifying was split into two rounds. The first round was held on Friday, October 22, at 2:00 PM EST. 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, October 23, at 9:30 AM EST. 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.
Mark Martin, driving for Roush Racing, would win the pole, setting a time of 23.263 and an average speed of 157.383 miles per hour (253.283 km/h).
Four drivers would fail to qualify: Dave Marcis, Rich Bickle, Hut Stricklin, and Ed Berrier.

### Full qualifying results

| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 23.263 | 157.383 |
| 2 | 12 | Jeremy Mayfield | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | 23.306 | 157.093 |
| 3 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 23.327 | 156.951 |
| 4 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 23.348 | 156.810 |
| 5 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 23.349 | 156.803 |
| 6 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | 23.398 | 156.475 |
| 7 | 50 | Ricky Craven | Midwest Transit Racing | Chevrolet | 23.412 | 156.381 |
| 8 | 20 | Tony Stewart (R) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 23.462 | 156.048 |
| 9 | 60 | Geoff Bodine | Joe Bessey Racing | Chevrolet | 23.465 | 156.028 |
| 10 | 33 | Ken Schrader | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 23.471 | 155.988 |
| 11 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Pontiac | 23.488 | 155.875 |
| 12 | 42 | Joe Nemechek | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 23.503 | 155.776 |
| 13 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 23.512 | 155.716 |
| 14 | 25 | Wally Dallenbach Jr. | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 23.519 | 155.670 |
| 15 | 10 | Ricky Rudd | Rudd Performance Motorsports | Ford | 23.529 | 155.604 |
| 16 | 98 | Rick Mast | Cale Yarborough Motorsports | Ford | 23.531 | 155.590 |
| 17 | 17 | Matt Kenseth | Roush Racing | Ford | 23.548 | 155.478 |
| 18 | 43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 23.550 | 155.465 |
| 19 | 28 | Kenny Irwin Jr. | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 23.563 | 155.379 |
| 20 | 75 | Ted Musgrave | Butch Mock Motorsports | Ford | 23.566 | 155.359 |
| 21 | 26 | Johnny Benson Jr. | Roush Racing | Ford | 23.567 | 155.353 |
| 22 | 7 | Michael Waltrip | Mattei Motorsports | Chevrolet | 23.568 | 155.346 |
| 23 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 23.573 | 155.313 |
| 24 | 45 | David Green | Tyler Jet Motorsports | Pontiac | 23.581 | 155.261 |
| 25 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | 23.583 | 155.247 |
| 26 | 55 | Kenny Wallace | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 23.445 | 156.161 |
| 27 | 16 | Kevin Lepage | Roush Racing | Ford | 23.536 | 155.557 |
| 28 | 44 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 23.589 | 155.508 |
| 29 | 41 | Derrike Cope | Larry Hedrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 23.591 | 155.195 |
| 30 | 21 | Elliott Sadler (R) | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 23.604 | 155.109 |
| 31 | 77 | Robert Pressley | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | 23.605 | 155.103 |
| 32 | 36 | Jerry Nadeau | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 23.608 | 155.083 |
| 33 | 66 | Darrell Waltrip | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 23.613 | 155.050 |
| 34 | 94 | Bill Elliott | Bill Elliott Racing | Ford | 23.614 | 155.044 |
| 35 | 4 | Bobby Hamilton | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | 23.622 | 154.991 |
| 36 | 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | 23.644 | 154.847 |
| Provisionals |||||||
| 37 | 3 | Dale Earnhardt | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | -* | -* |
| 38 | 31 | Mike Skinner | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | -* | -* |
| 39 | 1 | Steve Park | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | -* | -* |
| 40 | 23 | Jimmy Spencer | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | -* | -* |
| 41 | 97 | Chad Little | Roush Racing | Ford | -* | -* |
| 42 | 9 | Stacy Compton | Melling Racing | Ford | -* | -* |
| 43 | 30 | Mike Bliss | Bahari Racing | Pontiac | -* | -* |
| Failed to qualify |||||||
| 44 | 71 | Dave Marcis | Marcis Auto Racing | Chevrolet | 23.659 | 154.749 |
| 45 | 91 | Rich Bickle | LJ Racing | Chevrolet | 23.866 | 153.407 |
| 46 | 58 | Hut Stricklin | SBIII Motorsports | Ford | 23.922 | 153.047 |
| 47 | 90 | Ed Berrier | Donlavey Racing | Ford | 24.071 | 152.100 |
| Official starting lineup |||||||

## Race results

| Fin | St | # | Driver | Team | Make | Laps | Led | Status | Pts | Winnings |
| 1 | 6 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | 393 | 71 | running | 180 | $104,715 |
| 2 | 11 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Pontiac | 393 | 26 | running | 175 | $78,625 |
| 3 | 5 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 393 | 1 | running | 170 | $67,075 |
| 4 | 3 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 393 | 160 | running | 170 | $61,175 |
| 5 | 25 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | 393 | 107 | running | 160 | $60,875 |
| 6 | 1 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 393 | 4 | running | 155 | $55,850 |
| 7 | 18 | 43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 393 | 0 | running | 146 | $51,450 |
| 8 | 23 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 393 | 0 | running | 142 | $43,100 |
| 9 | 2 | 12 | Jeremy Mayfield | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | 392 | 22 | running | 143 | $43,650 |
| 10 | 35 | 4 | Bobby Hamilton | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | 392 | 0 | running | 134 | $54,565 |
| 11 | 4 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 392 | 0 | running | 130 | $50,790 |
| 12 | 8 | 20 | Tony Stewart (R) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 392 | 0 | running | 127 | $43,600 |
| 13 | 19 | 28 | Kenny Irwin Jr. | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 392 | 0 | running | 124 | $39,050 |
| 14 | 13 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 392 | 2 | running | 126 | $41,650 |
| 15 | 39 | 1 | Steve Park | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 392 | 0 | running | 118 | $38,850 |
| 16 | 26 | 55 | Kenny Wallace | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 391 | 0 | running | 115 | $33,365 |
| 17 | 38 | 31 | Mike Skinner | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 391 | 0 | running | 112 | $36,950 |
| 18 | 30 | 21 | Elliott Sadler (R) | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 391 | 0 | running | 109 | $37,150 |
| 19 | 15 | 10 | Ricky Rudd | Rudd Performance Motorsports | Ford | 391 | 0 | running | 106 | $36,150 |
| 20 | 40 | 23 | Jimmy Spencer | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 391 | 0 | running | 103 | $38,765 |
| 21 | 41 | 97 | Chad Little | Roush Racing | Ford | 390 | 0 | running | 100 | $35,600 |
| 22 | 27 | 16 | Kevin Lepage | Roush Racing | Ford | 390 | 0 | running | 97 | $35,250 |
| 23 | 28 | 44 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 390 | 0 | running | 94 | $27,625 |
| 24 | 24 | 45 | David Green | Tyler Jet Motorsports | Pontiac | 389 | 0 | running | 91 | $27,300 |
| 25 | 29 | 41 | Derrike Cope | Larry Hedrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 389 | 0 | running | 88 | $27,300 |
| 26 | 12 | 42 | Joe Nemechek | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 389 | 0 | running | 85 | $33,700 |
| 27 | 22 | 7 | Michael Waltrip | Mattei Motorsports | Chevrolet | 389 | 0 | running | 82 | $33,400 |
| 28 | 21 | 26 | Johnny Benson Jr. | Roush Racing | Ford | 388 | 0 | running | 79 | $33,100 |
| 29 | 31 | 77 | Robert Pressley | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | 387 | 0 | running | 76 | $25,925 |
| 30 | 10 | 33 | Ken Schrader | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 386 | 0 | running | 73 | $32,525 |
| 31 | 9 | 60 | Geoff Bodine | Joe Bessey Racing | Chevrolet | 386 | 0 | running | 70 | $22,650 |
| 32 | 20 | 75 | Ted Musgrave | Butch Mock Motorsports | Ford | 386 | 0 | running | 67 | $22,525 |
| 33 | 34 | 94 | Bill Elliott | Bill Elliott Racing | Ford | 385 | 0 | running | 64 | $29,400 |
| 34 | 33 | 66 | Darrell Waltrip | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 385 | 0 | running | 61 | $22,275 |
| 35 | 17 | 17 | Matt Kenseth | Roush Racing | Ford | 382 | 0 | engine | 58 | $22,150 |
| 36 | 42 | 9 | Stacy Compton | Melling Racing | Ford | 382 | 0 | running | 55 | $22,600 |
| 37 | 32 | 36 | Jerry Nadeau | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 378 | 0 | running | 52 | $29,050 |
| 38 | 16 | 98 | Rick Mast | Cale Yarborough Motorsports | Ford | 369 | 0 | running | 49 | $22,000 |
| 39 | 14 | 25 | Wally Dallenbach Jr. | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 319 | 0 | crash | 46 | $32,550 |
| 40 | 37 | 3 | Dale Earnhardt | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 318 | 0 | crash | 43 | $36,900 |
| 41 | 7 | 50 | Ricky Craven | Midwest Transit Racing | Chevrolet | 309 | 0 | crash | 40 | $21,850 |
| 42 | 43 | 30 | Mike Bliss | Bahari Racing | Pontiac | 278 | 0 | engine | 37 | $21,800 |
| 43 | 36 | 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | 127 | 0 | engine | 34 | $28,944 |
| Failed to qualify |||||||||||
| 44 | | 71 | Dave Marcis | Marcis Auto Racing | Chevrolet | | | | | |
| 45 | | 91 | Rich Bickle | LJ Racing | Chevrolet | | | | | |
| 46 | | 58 | Hut Stricklin | SBIII Motorsports | Ford | | | | | |
| 47 | | 90 | Ed Berrier | Donlavey Racing | Ford | | | | | |
| Official race results |||||||||||