1989 Autoworks 500
The 1989 Autoworks 500 was a NASCAR Winston Cup Series race that took place on November 5, 1989, at Phoenix International Raceway in Avondale, Arizona. Race report. Five of the most dominant drivers of the 1989 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season were Dale Earnhardt (average finish 10th place), Rusty Wallace (average finish 10th place), Mark Martin (average finish 11th place), Darrell Waltrip (average finish 12th place), and Bill Elliott (average finish of 13th place). The first caution was for a dog on the track on lap 48. Bill Elliott defeated Terry Labonte by six car lengths in  front of 63,000 spectators. Three hundred and twelve laps were run on the paved oval spanning in two hours and fifty-seven minutes. Ken Schrader would qualify for the pole position with a speed of while the average speed at the actual race was . Five cautions occurred for 24 laps. Forty-three drivers competed in this race; the only foreign competitor was Canadian Roy Smith. Butch Miller would finish last due to an engine problem on lap 16. Richard Petty only finished 42nd once, in this race. He did finish worse on two occasions in races with larger fields (55th  at Charlotte in 1960 due to being disqualified and 57th at Daytona in 1959 due to an early engine failure). An incident occurred during this race that sparked some controversy. Wallace was leading and coming up on the lapped car of #90 Stan Barrett on lap 254. Barrett’s car made contact with Wallace in turn one, causing it to veer right and slam into the outside wall. Wallace’s car was damaged but still in racing condition. He would lose a lap. The next week the Missouri native won his first and only championship over Dale Earnhardt. Alan Kulwicki  led the most laps in the race. Bobby Hamilton would make his Winston Cup debut in this race and was performing astoundingly, taking the lead from Geoff Bodine on lap 209. Five laps after he took the lead going into turn 3. However, the engine let go, spraying oil and parts all over the track, ending his day. He was possibly heading toward winning in his debut. Hamilton qualified in fifth place using a "movie car" from the 1990 motion picture "Days of Thunder", which was sponsored by Exxon and driven by the fictional driver Rowdy Burns (Michael Rooker). This  was the final career race for car owner Leroy Throop. Qualifying. Failed to qualify: Tommy Ellis (#18), Danny Lawson (#41), Bob Howard (#89), Keith Van Houten (#35), Mark Walbridge (#07), Jack Sellers (#44), Robert Sprague (#19), Butch Gilliland (#24), St. James Davis (#22), Bob Walker (#80), Rick McCray (#08), John Krebs (#99), Duke Hoenshell (#38), Hershel McGriff (#04), Rick Scribner (#50) Finishing order. "* Driver failed to finish race"