# 2000 Coca-Cola 600

The 2000 Coca-Cola 600 was the 12th stock car race of the 2000 NASCAR Winston Cup Series and the 41st iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, May 28, 2000, before an audience of 183,500 in Concord, North Carolina, at Charlotte Motor Speedway, a 1.5 miles (2.4 km) permanent quad-oval. The race took the scheduled 400 laps to complete. Taking advantage of a misfortunate Jerry Nadeau, Roush Racing's Matt Kenseth managed to make a late-race pass with 26 laps left in the race, leading the rest of the race to take his first career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his only victory of the season. With this win, he became the first ever rookie to win the Coca-Cola 600. To fill out the top three, Joe Gibbs Racing's Bobby Labonte and Richard Childress Racing's Dale Earnhardt finished second and third, respectively.

## Background

Lowe's Motor Speedway is a motorsports complex located in Concord, North Carolina, United States 13 miles from Charlotte, North Carolina. The complex features a1.5 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 in1959 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 |
| 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | Miller Lite |
| 3 | Dale Earnhardt | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | GM Goodwrench Service Peter Max |
| 4 | Bobby Hamilton | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | Kodak, U.S. Navy |
| 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | Froot Loops CherryBerry |
| 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 | Lycos |
| 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | Ralphs Supermarkets |
| 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 |
| 15 | Ted Musgrave | Fenley-Moore Motorsports | Ford | Lazydays |
| 16 | Kevin Lepage | Roush Racing | Ford | Family Click |
| 17 | Matt Kenseth (R) | Roush Racing | Ford | DeWalt 24 Volt |
| 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 1970's Throwback |
| 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Pontiac | Caterpillar |
| 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | DuPont End of the Rainbow |
| 25 | Jerry Nadeau | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | Michael Holigan, U.S. Coast Guard |
| 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, U.S. Marine Corps |
| 31 | Mike Skinner | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | Lowe's, U. S. Army |
| 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 |
| 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, 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 |
| 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 | 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, U.S. Air Force |
| 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, Future Farmers of America |
| 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | Exide Batteries |
| Official entry list |||||

## Practice
### First practice

The first practice session was held on Wednesday, May 24, at 3:00 PM EST. The session lasted for two hours and 55 minutes. Dale Earnhardt, Inc.'s Dale Earnhardt Jr. set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 29.325 and an average speed of 184.143 mph (296.349 km/h).
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. (R) | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 29.325 | 184.143 |
| 2 | 12 | Jeremy Mayfield | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | 29.435 | 183.455 |
| 3 | 14 | Rick Mast | A. J. Foyt Enterprises | Pontiac | 29.461 | 183.293 |
| Full first practice results |||||||

### Second practice

The second practice session was held on Thursday, May 25, at 2:30 PM EST. The session lasted for two hours. Melling Racing's Stacy Compton set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 30.189 and an average speed of 178.873 mph (287.868 km/h).
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 9 | Stacy Compton (R) | Melling Racing | Ford | 30.189 | 178.873 |
| 2 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 30.360 | 177.866 |
| 3 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 30.396 | 177.655 |
| Full second practice results |||||||

### Third practice

The third practice session was held on Thursday, May 25, at 7:00 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 30.438 and an average speed of 177.410 mph (285.514 km/h).
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | 30.438 | 177.410 |
| 2 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 30.476 | 177.189 |
| 3 | 31 | Mike Skinner | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 30.485 | 177.136 |
| Full third practice results |||||||

### Fourth practice

The fourth practice session was held on Saturday, May 27, at 9:00 AM EST. The session lasted for one hour. Joe Gibbs Racing's Bobby Labonte set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 30.175 and an average speed of 178.956 mph (288.002 km/h).
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 30.175 | 178.956 |
| 2 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 30.195 | 178.838 |
| 3 | 31 | Mike Skinner | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 30.229 | 178.636 |
| Full fourth practice results |||||||

### Final practice

The final practice session, sometimes referred to as Happy Hour, was held on Saturday, May 27, after the preliminary 2000 Carquest 300. The session lasted for one hour. Dale Earnhardt, Inc.'s Dale Earnhardt Jr. set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 30.441 and an average speed of 177.392 mph (285.485 km/h).
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. (R) | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 30.441 | 177.392 |
| 2 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Pontiac | 30.563 | 176.684 |
| 3 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 30.611 | 176.407 |
| Full Happy Hour practice results |||||||

## Qualifying

Qualifying was split into two rounds. The first round was held on Wednesday, May 24, at 8:05 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 Thursday, May 25, at 6:00 PM 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 was decided on time, while positions 37–43 was 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.
Dale Earnhardt Jr., driving for Dale Earnhardt, Inc., managed to win the pole, setting a time of 29.027 and an average speed of 186.034 miles per hour (299.393 km/h) in the first round.
Five drivers failed to qualify.

### Full qualifying results

| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. (R) | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 29.027 | 186.034 |
| 2 | 25 | Jerry Nadeau | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 29.170 | 185.122 |
| 3 | 94 | Bill Elliott | Bill Elliott Racing | Ford | 29.206 | 184.894 |
| 4 | 12 | Jeremy Mayfield | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | 29.229 | 184.748 |
| 5 | 31 | Mike Skinner | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 29.271 | 184.483 |
| 6 | 16 | Kevin Lepage | Roush Racing | Ford | 29.271 | 184.483 |
| 7 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 29.316 | 184.200 |
| 8 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 29.321 | 184.168 |
| 9 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 29.387 | 183.755 |
| 10 | 55 | Kenny Wallace | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 29.412 | 183.599 |
| 11 | 26 | Jimmy Spencer | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 29.426 | 183.511 |
| 12 | 7 | Michael Waltrip | Mattei Motorsports | Chevrolet | 29.431 | 183.480 |
| 13 | 4 | Bobby Hamilton | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | 29.444 | 183.399 |
| 14 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 29.448 | 183.374 |
| 15 | 3 | Dale Earnhardt | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 29.456 | 183.324 |
| 16 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | 29.485 | 183.144 |
| 17 | 43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 29.487 | 183.132 |
| 18 | 1 | Steve Park | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 29.508 | 183.001 |
| 19 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 29.510 | 182.989 |
| 20 | 28 | Ricky Rudd | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 29.519 | 182.933 |
| 21 | 17 | Matt Kenseth (R) | Roush Racing | Ford | 29.533 | 182.846 |
| 22 | 50 | Ricky Craven | Midwest Transit Racing | Chevrolet | 29.540 | 182.803 |
| 23 | 14 | Rick Mast | A. J. Foyt Racing | Pontiac | 29.541 | 182.797 |
| 24 | 77 | Robert Pressley | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | 29.584 | 182.531 |
| 25 | 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | 29.584 | 182.531 |
| Failed to lock in the first round |||||||
| 26 | 32 | Scott Pruett (R) | PPI Motorsports | Ford | 29.589 | 182.500 |
| 27 | 33 | Joe Nemechek | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 29.593 | 182.476 |
| 28 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | 29.622 | 182.297 |
| 29 | 60 | Geoff Bodine | Joe Bessey Racing | Chevrolet | 29.650 | 182.125 |
| 30 | 93 | Dave Blaney (R) | Bill Davis Racing | Pontiac | 29.654 | 182.100 |
| 31 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Pontiac | 29.675 | 181.971 |
| 32 | 75 | Wally Dallenbach Jr. | Galaxy Motorsports | Ford | 29.704 | 181.794 |
| 33 | 42 | Kenny Irwin Jr. | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 29.747 | 181.531 |
| 34 | 36 | Ken Schrader | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 29.784 | 181.305 |
| 35 | 85 | Carl Long | Mansion Motorsports | Ford | 29.786 | 181.293 |
| 36 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 29.827 | 181.044 |
| Provisionals |||||||
| 37 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 30.751 | 175.604 |
| 38 | 97 | Chad Little | Roush Racing | Ford | 29.874 | 180.759 |
| 39 | 10 | Johnny Benson Jr. | Tyler Jet Motorsports | Pontiac | 29.930 | 180.421 |
| 40 | 9 | Stacy Compton (R) | Melling Racing | Ford | 30.164 | 179.021 |
| 41 | 21 | Elliott Sadler | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 30.247 | 178.530 |
| 42 | 13 | Robby Gordon | Team Menard | Ford | 29.953 | 180.282 |
| 43 | 27 | Mike Bliss (R) | Eel River Racing | Pontiac | 31.589 | 170.946 |
| Failed to qualify |||||||
| 44 | 15 | Ted Musgrave | Fenley-Moore Motorsports | Ford | 30.165 | 179.015 |
| 45 | 44 | Steve Grissom | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 30.827 | 175.171 |
| 46 | 90 | Ed Berrier (R) | Donlavey Racing | Ford | 30.896 | 174.780 |
| 47 | 66 | Darrell Waltrip | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | - | - |
| 48 | 71 | Dave Marcis | Marcis Auto Racing | Chevrolet | - | - |
| Official first round qualifying results |||||||
| Official starting lineup |||||||

## Race results

| Fin | St | # | Driver | Team | Make | Laps | Led | Status | Pts | Winnings |
| 1 | 21 | 17 | Matt Kenseth (R) | Roush Racing | Ford | 400 | 32 | running | 180 | $200,950 |
| 2 | 7 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 400 | 35 | running | 175 | $138,600 |
| 3 | 15 | 3 | Dale Earnhardt | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 400 | 23 | running | 170 | $103,250 |
| 4 | 1 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. (R) | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 400 | 175 | running | 170 | $110,900 |
| 5 | 8 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 400 | 2 | running | 160 | $95,000 |
| 6 | 4 | 12 | Jeremy Mayfield | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | 400 | 7 | running | 155 | $71,850 |
| 7 | 5 | 31 | Mike Skinner | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 400 | 3 | running | 151 | $70,850 |
| 8 | 16 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | 400 | 0 | running | 142 | $64,350 |
| 9 | 18 | 1 | Steve Park | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 400 | 0 | running | 138 | $59,950 |
| 10 | 14 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 400 | 4 | running | 139 | $78,950 |
| 11 | 28 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | 400 | 0 | running | 130 | $67,100 |
| 12 | 19 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 399 | 0 | running | 127 | $62,100 |
| 13 | 31 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Pontiac | 399 | 0 | running | 124 | $63,100 |
| 14 | 9 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 399 | 2 | running | 126 | $62,300 |
| 15 | 6 | 16 | Kevin Lepage | Roush Racing | Ford | 399 | 0 | running | 118 | $57,200 |
| 16 | 39 | 10 | Johnny Benson Jr. | Tyler Jet Motorsports | Pontiac | 399 | 0 | running | 115 | $42,800 |
| 17 | 20 | 28 | Ricky Rudd | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 399 | 0 | running | 112 | $50,395 |
| 18 | 12 | 7 | Michael Waltrip | Mattei Motorsports | Chevrolet | 399 | 0 | running | 109 | $51,275 |
| 19 | 36 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 398 | 0 | running | 106 | $49,095 |
| 20 | 38 | 97 | Chad Little | Roush Racing | Ford | 398 | 0 | running | 103 | $51,695 |
| 21 | 41 | 21 | Elliott Sadler | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 398 | 0 | running | 100 | $47,470 |
| 22 | 37 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 398 | 0 | running | 97 | $52,605 |
| 23 | 27 | 33 | Joe Nemechek | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 398 | 0 | running | 94 | $46,295 |
| 24 | 33 | 42 | Kenny Irwin Jr. | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 397 | 0 | running | 91 | $45,440 |
| 25 | 11 | 26 | Jimmy Spencer | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 397 | 0 | running | 88 | $45,540 |
| 26 | 24 | 77 | Robert Pressley | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | 396 | 0 | running | 85 | $36,840 |
| 27 | 10 | 55 | Kenny Wallace | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 396 | 0 | running | 82 | $45,540 |
| 28 | 32 | 75 | Wally Dallenbach Jr. | Galaxy Motorsports | Ford | 396 | 0 | running | 79 | $36,480 |
| 29 | 29 | 60 | Geoff Bodine | Joe Bessey Racing | Chevrolet | 396 | 0 | running | 76 | $44,425 |
| 30 | 25 | 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | 395 | 0 | running | 73 | $33,905 |
| 31 | 17 | 43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 393 | 0 | running | 70 | $51,380 |
| 32 | 43 | 27 | Mike Bliss (R) | Eel River Racing | Pontiac | 392 | 0 | running | 67 | $33,365 |
| 33 | 40 | 9 | Stacy Compton (R) | Melling Racing | Ford | 391 | 0 | running | 64 | $36,355 |
| 34 | 13 | 4 | Bobby Hamilton | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | 391 | 0 | running | 61 | $41,350 |
| 35 | 42 | 13 | P. J. Jones | Team Menard | Ford | 389 | 0 | running | 58 | $33,345 |
| 36 | 35 | 85 | Darrell Waltrip | Mansion Motorsports | Ford | 386 | 0 | running | 55 | $33,340 |
| 37 | 34 | 36 | Ken Schrader | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 371 | 0 | running | 52 | $33,335 |
| 38 | 2 | 25 | Jerry Nadeau | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 357 | 115 | engine | 54 | $61,925 |
| 39 | 23 | 14 | Rick Mast | A. J. Foyt Racing | Pontiac | 350 | 0 | engine | 46 | $33,320 |
| 40 | 30 | 93 | Dave Blaney (R) | Bill Davis Racing | Pontiac | 291 | 0 | engine | 43 | $33,315 |
| 41 | 26 | 32 | Scott Pruett (R) | PPI Motorsports | Ford | 148 | 0 | accident | 40 | $33,310 |
| 42 | 22 | 50 | Ricky Craven | Midwest Transit Racing | Chevrolet | 133 | 0 | engine | 37 | $33,305 |
| 43 | 3 | 94 | Bill Elliott | Bill Elliott Racing | Ford | 122 | 2 | engine | 39 | $45,202 |
| Failed to qualify |||||||||||
| 44 | | 15 | Ted Musgrave | Fenley-Moore Motorsports | Ford | | | | | |
| 45 | | 44 | Steve Grissom | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | | | | | |
| 46 | | 90 | Ed Berrier (R) | Donlavey Racing | Ford | | | | | |
| 47 | | 66 | Darrell Waltrip | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | | | | | |
| 48 | | 71 | Dave Marcis | Marcis Auto Racing | Chevrolet | | | | | |
| Official race results |||||||||||

## Standings after the race

| | Pos | Driver | Points |
| | 1 | Bobby Labonte | 1,776 |
| | 2 | Ward Burton | 1,722 (−54) |
| | 3 | Mark Martin | 1,695 (−81) |
| 1 | 4 | Dale Earnhardt | 1,693 (−83) |
| 1 | 5 | Jeff Burton | 1,672 (−104) |
| | 6 | Dale Jarrett | 1,630 (−146) |
| | 7 | Rusty Wallace | 1,578 (−198) |
| 1 | 8 | Jeff Gordon | 1,539 (−237) |
| 1 | 9 | Ricky Rudd | 1,523 (−253) |
| 1 | 10 | Tony Stewart | 1,456 (−320) |
| Official driver's standings ||||