# 2000 Winston 500

The 2000 Winston 500 was the 30th stock car race of the 2000 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, the last of five No Bull 5 events in that year's season, and the 32nd iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, October 15, 2000, before an audience of 140,000 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 what is considered by NASCAR as one of the most memorable finishes in NASCAR Winston Cup Series history, Richard Childress Racing's Dale Earnhardt managed to come back from the 18th position with five laps left in the race, making a late-race charge to gain the lead by the start of the final lap. Defending against Andy Petree Racing's Kenny Wallace, Earnhardt was able to defend the field to take his 76th and final career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory, his second and final victory of the season, and a No Bull 5 victory, netting him a bonus of $1,000,000. To fill out the top three, the aforementioned Kenny Wallace and his teammate, Joe Nemechek 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, a 2.66-mile-long (4.28 km) tri-oval like the Daytona International Speedway, which also is a 2.5-mile-long (4.0 km) tri-oval.

### Entry list

* (R) denotes rookie driver.
* (N) denotes driver eligible for the No Bull 5.
| # | Driver | Team | Make | Sponsor |
| 1 | Steve Park (N) | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | Pennzoil |
| 01 | Ted Musgrave | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | BellSouth |
| 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | Miller Lite |
| 3 | Dale Earnhardt (N) | 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 (N) | Roush Racing | Ford | Valvoline, Zerex |
| 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. | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | Aaron's, RCA |
| 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | Ralphs |
| 12 | Jeremy Mayfield | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | Mobil1, 2000 World Series |
| 14 | Rick Mast | A. J. Foyt Enterprises | Pontiac | Conseco |
| 16 | Kevin Lepage | Roush Racing | Ford | FamilyClick |
| 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 Supergard 1980's Throwback |
| 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Pontiac | Caterpillar |
| 24 | Jeff Gordon (N) | 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, Alabama Crimson Tide |
| 33 | Joe Nemechek | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | Oakwood Homes, Charlie Daniels Band |
| 36 | Ken Schrader | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | M&M's |
| 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 | Rich Bickle | 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 | World Championship Wrestling |
| 77 | Robert Pressley | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | Jasper Engines & Transmissions |
| 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | Quality Care Service, Ford Credit |
| 90 | Hut Stricklin | Donlavey Racing | Ford | Hills Bros. Coffee |
| 91 | Blaise Alexander | LJ Racing | Chevrolet | Ericsson |
| 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 (N) | Roush Racing | Ford | Exide |
| Official entry list |||||

## Practice
### First practice

The first practice session was held on Friday, October 13, at 12:00 PM EST. The session lasted for two hours. Dale Earnhardt, Inc.'s Steve Park set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 50.105 and an average speed of 191.119 mph (307.576 km/h).
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 1 | Steve Park (N) | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 50.105 | 191.119 |
| 2 | 55 | Kenny Wallace | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 50.357 | 190.162 |
| 3 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. (R) | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 50.465 | 189.755 |
| Full first practice results |||||||

### Second practice

The second practice session was held on Saturday, October 14, at 9:15 AM EST. The session lasted for one hour and 15 minutes. Joe Gibbs Racing's Bobby Labonte set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 48.248 and an average speed of 198.475 mph (319.415 km/h).
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 48.248 | 198.475 |
| 2 | 77 | Robert Pressley | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | 48.583 | 197.106 |
| 3 | 1 | Steve Park (N) | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 48.683 | 196.701 |
| Full second practice results |||||||

### Third practice

The final practice session, sometimes referred to as Happy Hour, was held on Saturday, October 14, at 12:45 PM EST. The session lasted for one hour. Penske-Kranefuss Racing's Rusty Wallace set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 49.693 and an average speed of 192.703 mph (310.125 km/h).
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | 49.693 | 192.703 |
| 2 | 01 | Ted Musgrave | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 49.701 | 192.672 |
| 3 | 10 | Johnny Benson Jr. | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 49.875 | 192.000 |
| Full Happy Hour practice results |||||||

## Qualifying

Qualifying was split into two rounds. The first round was held on Friday, October 13, at 4:00 PM EST. Each driver had 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, October 14, 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 were decided on time, while positions 37–43 were 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.
Joe Nemechek, driving for Andy Petree Racing, managed to win the pole, setting a time of 50.326 and an average speed of 190.279 miles per hour (306.224 km/h) in the first round.
Three drivers failed to qualify: Wally Dallenbach Jr., Blaise Alexander, & Hut Stricklin.

### Full qualifying results

| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 33 | Joe Nemechek | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 50.326 | 190.279 |
| 2 | 94 | Bill Elliott | Bill Elliott Racing | Ford | 50.388 | 190.045 |
| 3 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. (R) | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 50.562 | 189.391 |
| 4 | 25 | Jerry Nadeau | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 50.681 | 188.947 |
| 5 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 50.713 | 188.827 |
| 6 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 50.737 | 188.738 |
| 7 | 55 | Kenny Wallace | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 50.811 | 188.463 |
| 8 | 24 | Jeff Gordon (N) | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 50.817 | 188.441 |
| 9 | 71 | Dave Marcis | Marcis Auto Racing | Chevrolet | 50.844 | 188.341 |
| 10 | 1 | Steve Park (N) | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 50.934 | 188.008 |
| 11 | 28 | Ricky Rudd | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 50.948 | 187.956 |
| 12 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 51.005 | 187.746 |
| 13 | 9 | Stacy Compton (R) | Melling Racing | Ford | 51.115 | 187.342 |
| 14 | 36 | Ken Schrader | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 51.116 | 187.339 |
| 15 | 43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 51.122 | 187.317 |
| 16 | 16 | Kevin Lepage | Roush Racing | Ford | 51.231 | 186.918 |
| 17 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 51.247 | 186.860 |
| 18 | 7 | Michael Waltrip | Ultra Motorsports | Chevrolet | 51.262 | 186.805 |
| 19 | 4 | Bobby Hamilton | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | 51.262 | 186.805 |
| 20 | 3 | Dale Earnhardt (N) | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 51.263 | 186.801 |
| 21 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Pontiac | 51.296 | 186.681 |
| 22 | 26 | Jimmy Spencer | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 51.308 | 186.638 |
| 23 | 10 | Johnny Benson Jr. | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 51.340 | 186.521 |
| 24 | 31 | Mike Skinner | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 51.439 | 186.162 |
| 25 | 21 | Elliott Sadler | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 51.462 | 186.079 |
| Failed to lock in the first round |||||||
| 26 | 50 | Ricky Craven | Midwest Transit Racing | Chevrolet | 51.394 | 186.325 |
| 27 | 6 | Mark Martin (N) | Roush Racing | Ford | 51.466 | 186.065 |
| 28 | 60 | Rich Bickle | Joe Bessey Racing | Chevrolet | 51.474 | 186.036 |
| 29 | 14 | Rick Mast | A. J. Foyt Racing | Pontiac | 51.482 | 186.007 |
| 30 | 01 | Ted Musgrave | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 51.484 | 186.000 |
| 31 | 44 | Steve Grissom | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 51.535 | 185.815 |
| 32 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 51.552 | 185.754 |
| 33 | 93 | Dave Blaney (R) | Bill Davis Racing | Pontiac | 51.566 | 185.704 |
| 34 | 66 | Darrell Waltrip | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 51.576 | 185.668 |
| 35 | 32 | Scott Pruett (R) | PPI Motorsports | Ford | 51.583 | 185.643 |
| 36 | 17 | Matt Kenseth (R) | Roush Racing | Ford | 51.672 | 185.323 |
| Provisionals |||||||
| 37 | 99 | Jeff Burton (N) | Roush Racing | Ford | 51.728 | 185.122 |
| 38 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | 51.757 | 185.018 |
| 39 | 97 | Chad Little | Roush Racing | Ford | 51.696 | 185.237 |
| 40 | 12 | Jeremy Mayfield | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | 52.069 | 183.910 |
| 41 | 77 | Robert Pressley | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | 51.757 | 185.018 |
| 42 | 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | 51.699 | 185.226 |
| 43 | 27 | Mike Bliss (R) | Eel River Racing | Pontiac | 51.805 | 184.847 |
| Failed to qualify |||||||
| 44 | 75 | Wally Dallenbach Jr. | Galaxy Motorsports | Ford | 51.682 | 185.287 |
| 45 | 91 | Blaise Alexander | LJ Racing | Chevrolet | 52.104 | 183.786 |
| 46 | 90 | Hut Stricklin | Donlavey Racing | Ford | 52.221 | 183.375 |
| Official first round qualifying results |||||||
| Official starting lineup |||||||

## Race results

| Fin | St | # | Driver | Team | Make | Laps | Led | Status | Pts | Winnings |
| 1 | 20 | 3 | Dale Earnhardt (N) | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 188 | 34 | running | 180 | $135,900 |
| 2 | 7 | 55 | Kenny Wallace | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 188 | 0 | running | 170 | $98,170 |
| 3 | 1 | 33 | Joe Nemechek | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 188 | 0 | running | 165 | $85,685 |
| 4 | 8 | 24 | Jeff Gordon (N) | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 188 | 26 | running | 165 | $82,100 |
| 5 | 17 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 188 | 4 | running | 160 | $73,700 |
| 6 | 24 | 31 | Mike Skinner | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 188 | 3 | running | 155 | $62,450 |
| 7 | 27 | 6 | Mark Martin (N) | Roush Racing | Ford | 188 | 8 | running | 151 | $62,350 |
| 8 | 38 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | 188 | 1 | running | 147 | $59,500 |
| 9 | 43 | 27 | Mike Bliss (R) | Eel River Racing | Pontiac | 188 | 4 | running | 143 | $46,770 |
| 10 | 36 | 17 | Matt Kenseth (R) | Roush Racing | Ford | 188 | 2 | running | 139 | $65,100 |
| 11 | 11 | 28 | Ricky Rudd | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 188 | 0 | running | 130 | $52,930 |
| 12 | 6 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 188 | 7 | running | 132 | $59,450 |
| 13 | 4 | 25 | Jerry Nadeau | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 188 | 3 | running | 129 | $51,730 |
| 14 | 3 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. (R) | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 188 | 28 | running | 126 | $49,260 |
| 15 | 12 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 188 | 0 | running | 118 | $66,185 |
| 16 | 31 | 44 | Steve Grissom | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 188 | 0 | running | 115 | $51,250 |
| 17 | 25 | 21 | Elliott Sadler | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 188 | 0 | running | 112 | $51,185 |
| 18 | 39 | 97 | Chad Little | Roush Racing | Ford | 188 | 0 | running | 109 | $50,280 |
| 19 | 10 | 1 | Steve Park (N) | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 188 | 0 | running | 106 | $50,000 |
| 20 | 15 | 43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 188 | 1 | running | 108 | $57,960 |
| 21 | 28 | 60 | Rich Bickle | Joe Bessey Racing | Chevrolet | 188 | 0 | running | 100 | $52,160 |
| 22 | 21 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Pontiac | 188 | 1 | running | 102 | $55,750 |
| 23 | 13 | 9 | Stacy Compton (R) | Melling Racing | Ford | 188 | 2 | running | 99 | $41,070 |
| 24 | 2 | 94 | Bill Elliott | Bill Elliott Racing | Ford | 188 | 40 | running | 101 | $59,290 |
| 25 | 41 | 77 | Robert Pressley | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | 188 | 0 | running | 88 | $40,910 |
| 26 | 42 | 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | 188 | 0 | running | 85 | $37,135 |
| 27 | 5 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 187 | 12 | running | 87 | $56,465 |
| 28 | 33 | 93 | Dave Blaney (R) | Bill Davis Racing | Pontiac | 187 | 0 | running | 79 | $36,945 |
| 29 | 37 | 99 | Jeff Burton (N) | Roush Racing | Ford | 187 | 0 | running | 76 | $56,875 |
| 30 | 26 | 50 | Ricky Craven | Midwest Transit Racing | Chevrolet | 187 | 0 | running | 73 | $38,105 |
| 31 | 29 | 14 | Rick Mast | A. J. Foyt Racing | Pontiac | 187 | 0 | running | 70 | $36,715 |
| 32 | 30 | 01 | Ted Musgrave | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 186 | 1 | engine | 72 | $47,820 |
| 33 | 23 | 10 | Johnny Benson Jr. | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 186 | 0 | running | 64 | $39,640 |
| 34 | 18 | 7 | Michael Waltrip | Ultra Motorsports | Chevrolet | 186 | 1 | running | 66 | $47,495 |
| 35 | 34 | 66 | Darrell Waltrip | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 186 | 0 | running | 58 | $39,620 |
| 36 | 19 | 4 | Bobby Hamilton | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | 167 | 3 | accident | 60 | $46,935 |
| 37 | 14 | 36 | Ken Schrader | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 166 | 6 | engine | 57 | $36,400 |
| 38 | 22 | 26 | Jimmy Spencer | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 134 | 0 | handling | 49 | $44,350 |
| 39 | 35 | 32 | Scott Pruett (R) | PPI Motorsports | Ford | 120 | 0 | engine | 46 | $36,300 |
| 40 | 9 | 71 | Dave Marcis | Marcis Auto Racing | Chevrolet | 101 | 1 | engine | 48 | $36,225 |
| 41 | 32 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 81 | 0 | engine | 40 | $44,175 |
| 42 | 40 | 12 | Jeremy Mayfield | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | 69 | 0 | engine | 37 | $44,125 |
| 43 | 16 | 16 | Kevin Lepage | Roush Racing | Ford | 20 | 0 | ignition | 34 | $44,086 |
| Failed to qualify |||||||||||
| 44 | | 75 | Wally Dallenbach Jr. | Galaxy Motorsports | Ford | | | | | |
| 45 | | 91 | Blaise Alexander | LJ Racing | Chevrolet | | | | | |
| 46 | | 90 | Hut Stricklin | Donlavey Racing | Ford | | | | | |
| Official race results |||||||||||

## Media
### Television

The race was aired live on ESPN. Jerry Punch, 1973 Cup Series champion Benny Parsons and two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Ned Jarrett called the race from the broadcast booth. Punch filled in for regular commentator Bob Jenkins was covering ABC's coverage of the Excite 500 IndyCar Series race at Texas Motor Speedway. Bill Weber, John Kernan and Ray Dunlap handled pit road for the television side.
ESPN :
| Booth announcers | Booth announcers | Pit reporters |
| Lap-by-lap | Color-commentators | Pit reporters |
| Jerry Punch | Ned Jarrett Benny Parsons | Bill Weber John Kernan Ray Dunlap |

## Standings after the race

| | Pos | Driver | Points |
| | 1 | Bobby Labonte | 4,537 |
| 1 | 2 | Dale Earnhardt | 4,327 (-210) |
| 1 | 3 | Jeff Burton | 4,229 (-308) |
| | 4 | Dale Jarrett | 4,135 (–402) |
| 1 | 5 | Ricky Rudd | 4,102 (–435) |
| 1 | 6 | Tony Stewart | 4,064 (–473) |
| | 7 | Mark Martin | 3,999 (–538) |
| | 8 | Rusty Wallace | 3,955 (–582) |
| 1 | 9 | Jeff Gordon | 3,729 (–808) |
| 1 | 10 | Ward Burton | 3,667 (–870) |
| Official driver's standings ||||