# 1987 Summer 500

The 1987 Summer 500 was the 16th stock car race of the 1987 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season and the 15th iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, July 19, 1987, before an audience of 90,000 in Long Pond, Pennsylvania, at Pocono Raceway, a 2.5 miles (4.0 km) triangular permanent course. The race took the scheduled 200 laps to complete.
Heading into the final lap of the race, Richard Childress Racing's Dale Earnhardt and owner-driver Alan Kulwicki engaged in a battle for the victory. Earnhardt and Kulwicki went side-by-side heading into the second turn; Kulwicki over-drove the turn, leading to Earnhardt gaining the lead for the victory. The victory was Earnhardt's 28th career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his eighth victory of the season. To fill out the top three, the aforementioned Alan Kulwicki and owner-driver Buddy Baker finished second and third, respectively.

## Background

The race was held at Pocono International Raceway, which is a three-turn superspeedway located in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. The track hosts two annual NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races, as well as one Xfinity Series and Camping World Truck Series event. Until 2019, the track also hosted an IndyCar Series race.
Pocono International Raceway is one of a very few NASCAR tracks not owned by either Speedway Motorsports, Inc. or International Speedway Corporation. It is operated by the Igdalsky siblings Brandon, Nicholas, and sister Ashley, and cousins Joseph IV and Chase Mattioli, all of whom are third-generation members of the family-owned Mattco Inc, started by Joseph II and Rose Mattioli.
Outside of the NASCAR races, the track is used throughout the year by the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) and motorcycle clubs as well as racing schools and an IndyCar race. The triangular oval also has three separate infield sections of racetrack – North Course, East Course and South Course. Each of these infield sections use a separate portion of the tri-oval to complete the track. During regular non-race weekends, multiple clubs can use the track by running on different infield sections. Also some of the infield sections can be run in either direction, or multiple infield sections can be put together – such as running the North Course and the South Course and using the tri-oval to connect the two.

### Entry list

* (R) denotes rookie driver.
| # | Driver | Team | Make | Sponsor |
| 1 | Brett Bodine | Ellington Racing | Buick | Bull's-Eye Barbecue Sauce |
| 3 | Dale Earnhardt | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | Wrangler |
| 4 | Rick Wilson | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Oldsmobile | Kodak |
| 04 | Charlie Rudolph | Rudolph Racing | Chevrolet | Sunoco |
| 5 | Geoff Bodine | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | Levi Garrett |
| 05 | Ed Sutton | Wiltshire Racing | Oldsmobile | Wiltshire Racing |
| 6 | Connie Saylor | U.S. Racing | Chevrolet | U.S. Racing |
| 7 | Alan Kulwicki | AK Racing | Ford | Zerex |
| 8 | Bobby Hillin Jr. | Stavola Brothers Racing | Buick | Miller American |
| 9 | Bill Elliott | Melling Racing | Ford | Coors |
| 11 | Terry Labonte | Junior Johnson & Associates | Chevrolet | Budweiser |
| 12 | Trevor Boys | Hamby Racing | Chevrolet | Hamby Racing |
| 15 | Ricky Rudd | Bud Moore Engineering | Ford | Motorcraft Quality Parts |
| 17 | Darrell Waltrip | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | Tide |
| 18 | Dale Jarrett (R) | Freedlander Motorsports | Chevrolet | Freedlander Financial |
| 19 | Derrike Cope (R) | Stoke Racing | Chevrolet | Stoke Racing |
| 21 | Kyle Petty | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | Citgo |
| 22 | Bobby Allison | Stavola Brothers Racing | Buick | Miller American |
| 25 | Tim Richmond | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | Folgers |
| 26 | Morgan Shepherd | King Racing | Buick | Quaker State |
| 27 | Rusty Wallace | Blue Max Racing | Pontiac | Kodiak |
| 28 | Davey Allison (R) | Ranier-Lundy Racing | Ford | Texaco, Havoline |
| 30 | Michael Waltrip | Bahari Racing | Chevrolet | All Pro Auto Parts |
| 31 | Ron Shephard | Ron Shephard Racing | Chevrolet | L. B. S. Graphics, National Parts Peddler |
| 33 | Harry Gant | Mach 1 Racing | Chevrolet | Skoal Bandit |
| 35 | Benny Parsons | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | Folgers |
| 43 | Richard Petty | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | STP |
| 44 | Sterling Marlin | Hagan Racing | Oldsmobile | Piedmont Airlines |
| 50 | Greg Sacks | Dingman Brothers Racing | Pontiac | Valvoline |
| 52 | Jimmy Means | Jimmy Means Racing | Pontiac | Jimmy Means Racing |
| 55 | Phil Parsons | Jackson Bros. Motorsports | Oldsmobile | Copenhagen |
| 62 | Steve Christman (R) | Winkle Motorsports | Pontiac | AC Spark Plug |
| 63 | Jocko Maggiacomo | Linro Motorsports | Chevrolet | Linro Motorsports |
| 64 | Rodney Combs | Langley Racing | Ford | Sunny King Ford |
| 67 | Buddy Arrington | Arrington Racing | Ford | Pannill Sweatshirts |
| 70 | J. D. McDuffie | McDuffie Racing | Pontiac | Rumple Furniture |
| 71 | Dave Marcis | Marcis Auto Racing | Chevrolet | Lifebuoy |
| 75 | Neil Bonnett | RahMoc Enterprises | Pontiac | Valvoline |
| 80 | Jimmy Horton | S&H Racing | Ford | S&H Racing |
| 81 | Mike Potter | Fillip Racing | Ford | Fillip Racing |
| 85 | Bobby Gerhart | Bobby Gerhart Racing | Chevrolet | J. Omar Landis Enterprises |
| 88 | Buddy Baker | Baker–Schiff Racing | Oldsmobile | Crisco |
| 90 | Ken Schrader | Donlavey Racing | Ford | Red Baron Frozen Pizza |

## Qualifying

Qualifying was split into two rounds. The first round was held on Saturday, July 18, at 10:00 AM EST. Each driver had one lap to set a time. During the first round, the top 20 drivers in the round were 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, at 3:00 PM EST. As with the first round, each driver had one lap to set a time. For this specific race, positions 21-40 were decided on time, and depending on who needed it, a select amount of positions were given to cars who had not otherwise qualified but were high enough in owner's points; up to two were given.
Tim Richmond, driving for Hendrick Motorsports, managed to win the pole, setting a time of 57.700 and an average speed of 155.979 miles per hour (251.024 km/h) in the first round.
Three drivers failed to qualify.

### Full qualifying results

| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 25 | Tim Richmond | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 57.700 | 155.979 |
| 2 | 7 | Alan Kulwicki | AK Racing | Ford | 57.788 | 155.796 |
| 3 | 9 | Bill Elliott | Melling Racing | Ford | 57.824 | 155.645 |
| 4 | 26 | Morgan Shepherd | King Racing | Buick | 57.931 | 155.357 |
| 5 | 21 | Kyle Petty | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 58.046 | 155.049 |
| 6 | 28 | Davey Allison (R) | Ranier-Lundy Racing | Ford | 58.074 | 154.975 |
| 7 | 33 | Harry Gant | Mach 1 Racing | Chevrolet | 58.138 | 154.804 |
| 8 | 15 | Ricky Rudd | Bud Moore Engineering | Ford | 58.180 | 154.692 |
| 9 | 1 | Brett Bodine | Ellington Racing | Chevrolet | 58.260 | 154.480 |
| 10 | 11 | Terry Labonte | Junior Johnson & Associates | Chevrolet | 58.304 | 154.363 |
| 11 | 75 | Neil Bonnett | RahMoc Enterprises | Pontiac | 58.336 | 154.279 |
| 12 | 5 | Geoff Bodine | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 58.366 | 154.199 |
| 13 | 88 | Buddy Baker | Baker–Schiff Racing | Oldsmobile | 58.391 | 154.133 |
| 14 | 27 | Rusty Wallace | Blue Max Racing | Pontiac | 58.399 | 154.112 |
| 15 | 35 | Benny Parsons | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 58.410 | 154.083 |
| 16 | 3 | Dale Earnhardt | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 58.418 | 154.062 |
| 17 | 22 | Bobby Allison | Stavola Brothers Racing | Buick | 58.553 | 153.707 |
| 18 | 55 | Phil Parsons | Jackson Bros. Motorsports | Oldsmobile | 58.646 | 153.463 |
| 19 | 30 | Michael Waltrip | Bahari Racing | Chevrolet | 58.672 | 153.395 |
| 20 | 4 | Rick Wilson | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Oldsmobile | 58.700 | 153.322 |
| Failed to lock in Round 1 |||||||
| 21 | 90 | Ken Schrader | Donlavey Racing | Ford | 58.641 | 153.466 |
| 22 | 43 | Richard Petty | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 58.743 | 153.210 |
| 23 | 44 | Sterling Marlin | Hagan Racing | Oldsmobile | 58.851 | 152.929 |
| 24 | 71 | Dave Marcis | Marcis Auto Racing | Chevrolet | 58.988 | 152.573 |
| 25 | 17 | Darrell Waltrip | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 59.011 | 152.514 |
| 26 | 8 | Bobby Hillin Jr. | Stavola Brothers Racing | Buick | 59.023 | 152.483 |
| 27 | 50 | Greg Sacks | Dingman Brothers Racing | Pontiac | 59.095 | 152.297 |
| 28 | 18 | Dale Jarrett (R) | Freedlander Motorsports | Chevrolet | 59.198 | 152.032 |
| 29 | 62 | Steve Christman (R) | Winkle Motorsports | Pontiac | 59.713 | 150.721 |
| 30 | 19 | Derrike Cope (R) | Stoke Racing | Chevrolet | 59.722 | 150.698 |
| 31 | 67 | Buddy Arrington | Arrington Racing | Ford | 59.888 | 150.281 |
| 32 | 63 | Jocko Maggiacomo | Linro Motorsports | Chevrolet | 59.890 | 150.276 |
| 33 | 12 | Trevor Boys | Hamby Racing | Chevrolet | 59.914 | 150.215 |
| 34 | 52 | Jimmy Means | Jimmy Means Racing | Chevrolet | 59.921 | 150.198 |
| 35 | 04 | Charlie Rudolph | Rudolph Racing | Chevrolet | 59.922 | 150.195 |
| 36 | 64 | Rodney Combs | Langley Racing | Ford | 1:00.108 | 149.730 |
| 37 | 85 | Bobby Gerhart | Bobby Gerhart Racing | Chevrolet | 1:00.577 | 148.571 |
| 38 | 31 | Ron Shephard | Ron Shephard Racing | Chevrolet | 1:00.716 | 148.231 |
| 39 | 80 | Jimmy Horton | S&H Racing | Ford | 1:00.753 | 148.141 |
| 40 | 6 | Connie Saylor | U.S. Racing | Chevrolet | 1:01.379 | 146.640 |
| Failed to qualify |||||||
| 41 | 70 | J. D. McDuffie | McDuffie Racing | Pontiac | -* | -* |
| 42 | 81 | Mike Potter | Fillip Racing | Ford | -* | -* |
| 43 | 05 | Ed Sutton | Wiltshire Racing | Oldsmobile | -* | -* |
| Official starting lineup |||||||

## Race results

| Fin | St | # | Driver | Team | Make | Laps | Led | Status | Pts | Winnings |
| 1 | 16 | 3 | Dale Earnhardt | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 200 | 85 | running | 185 | $55,875 |
| 2 | 2 | 7 | Alan Kulwicki | AK Racing | Ford | 200 | 1 | running | 175 | $32,880 |
| 3 | 13 | 88 | Buddy Baker | Baker–Schiff Racing | Oldsmobile | 200 | 2 | running | 170 | $18,100 |
| 4 | 15 | 35 | Benny Parsons | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 200 | 1 | running | 165 | $21,445 |
| 5 | 6 | 28 | Davey Allison (R) | Ranier-Lundy Racing | Ford | 200 | 0 | running | 155 | $11,650 |
| 6 | 10 | 11 | Terry Labonte | Junior Johnson & Associates | Chevrolet | 200 | 11 | running | 155 | $15,950 |
| 7 | 11 | 75 | Neil Bonnett | RahMoc Enterprises | Pontiac | 200 | 5 | running | 151 | $10,420 |
| 8 | 22 | 43 | Richard Petty | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 199 | 0 | running | 142 | $9,500 |
| 9 | 24 | 71 | Dave Marcis | Marcis Auto Racing | Chevrolet | 199 | 6 | running | 143 | $8,970 |
| 10 | 21 | 90 | Ken Schrader | Donlavey Racing | Ford | 199 | 0 | running | 134 | $12,065 |
| 11 | 33 | 12 | Trevor Boys | Hamby Racing | Chevrolet | 199 | 4 | running | 0 | $8,050 |
| 12 | 28 | 18 | Dale Jarrett (R) | Freedlander Motorsports | Chevrolet | 198 | 0 | running | 127 | $7,670 |
| 13 | 35 | 04 | Charlie Rudolph | Rudolph Racing | Chevrolet | 198 | 0 | running | 124 | $3,775 |
| 14 | 14 | 27 | Rusty Wallace | Blue Max Racing | Pontiac | 197 | 22 | running | 126 | $12,765 |
| 15 | 26 | 8 | Bobby Hillin Jr. | Stavola Brothers Racing | Buick | 196 | 0 | engine | 118 | $10,640 |
| 16 | 36 | 64 | Rodney Combs | Langley Racing | Ford | 196 | 0 | running | 115 | $6,590 |
| 17 | 31 | 67 | Buddy Arrington | Arrington Racing | Ford | 196 | 0 | running | 112 | $6,275 |
| 18 | 40 | 6 | Connie Saylor | U.S. Racing | Chevrolet | 194 | 0 | running | 109 | $6,010 |
| 19 | 25 | 17 | Darrell Waltrip | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 190 | 0 | running | 106 | $3,605 |
| 20 | 5 | 21 | Kyle Petty | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 185 | 9 | running | 108 | $10,250 |
| 21 | 38 | 31 | Ron Shephard | Ron Shephard Racing | Chevrolet | 176 | 0 | crash | 100 | $2,595 |
| 22 | 9 | 1 | Brett Bodine | Ellington Racing | Chevrolet | 174 | 2 | engine | 102 | $2,490 |
| 23 | 29 | 62 | Steve Christman (R) | Winkle Motorsports | Pontiac | 164 | 0 | engine | 94 | $2,385 |
| 24 | 32 | 63 | Jocko Maggiacomo | Linro Motorsports | Chevrolet | 156 | 0 | engine | 91 | $2,330 |
| 25 | 23 | 44 | Sterling Marlin | Hagan Racing | Oldsmobile | 149 | 0 | overheating | 88 | $5,140 |
| 26 | 8 | 15 | Ricky Rudd | Bud Moore Engineering | Ford | 142 | 4 | engine | 90 | $10,620 |
| 27 | 17 | 22 | Bobby Allison | Stavola Brothers Racing | Buick | 130 | 8 | engine | 87 | $9,165 |
| 28 | 37 | 85 | Bobby Gerhart | Bobby Gerhart Racing | Chevrolet | 126 | 0 | engine | 79 | $2,110 |
| 29 | 1 | 25 | Tim Richmond | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 120 | 14 | engine | 81 | $5,555 |
| 30 | 7 | 33 | Harry Gant | Mach 1 Racing | Chevrolet | 83 | 0 | crash | 73 | $4,755 |
| 31 | 30 | 19 | Derrike Cope (R) | Stoke Racing | Chevrolet | 76 | 0 | engine | 70 | $1,945 |
| 32 | 3 | 9 | Bill Elliott | Melling Racing | Ford | 75 | 26 | overheating | 72 | $10,985 |
| 33 | 39 | 80 | Jimmy Horton | S&H Racing | Ford | 60 | 0 | oil pressure | 64 | $1,810 |
| 34 | 12 | 5 | Geoff Bodine | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 50 | 0 | steering | 61 | $8,755 |
| 35 | 27 | 50 | Greg Sacks | Dingman Brothers Racing | Pontiac | 50 | 0 | engine | 58 | $1,700 |
| 36 | 4 | 26 | Morgan Shepherd | King Racing | Buick | 47 | 0 | transmission | 55 | $4,380 |
| 37 | 19 | 30 | Michael Waltrip | Bahari Racing | Chevrolet | 37 | 0 | crash | 52 | $3,615 |
| 38 | 34 | 52 | Jimmy Means | Jimmy Means Racing | Chevrolet | 17 | 0 | oil leak | 49 | $3,585 |
| 39 | 18 | 55 | Phil Parsons | Jackson Bros. Motorsports | Oldsmobile | 16 | 0 | engine | 46 | $1,555 |
| 40 | 20 | 4 | Rick Wilson | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Oldsmobile | 11 | 0 | engine | 43 | $1,525 |
| Failed to qualify |||||||||||
| 41 | | 70 | J. D. McDuffie | McDuffie Racing | Pontiac | | | | | |
| 42 | | 81 | Mike Potter | Fillip Racing | Ford | | | | | |
| 43 | | 05 | Ed Sutton | Wiltshire Racing | Oldsmobile | | | | | |
| Official race results |||||||||||

## Standings after the race

| | Pos | Driver | Points |
| | 1 | Dale Earnhardt | 2,654 |
| 1 | 2 | Neil Bonnett | 2,245 (-409) |
| 1 | 3 | Bill Elliott | 2,214 (-440) |
| | 4 | Terry Labonte | 2,163 (–491) |
| | 5 | Kyle Petty | 2,111 (–543) |
| 1 | 6 | Ken Schrader | 2,089 (–565) |
| 1 | 7 | Darrell Waltrip | 2,072 (–582) |
| | 8 | Ricky Rudd | 2,036 (–618) |
| | 9 | Richard Petty | 2,015 (–639) |
| | 10 | Rusty Wallace | 1,983 (–671) |
| Official driver's standings ||||