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Diehard 500 preview

Winston Cup | Busch Series | Craftsman Trucks

NASCAR Winston Cup Series - Diehard 500

When: Sunday, April 16, 2000 - 1:00 p.m. ET on ABC
Where: Talladega Superspeedway
Distance: 500 Miles/188 Laps
Posted Awards: $2,904,027

The Field:
Field consists of the fastest 36 cars through time trials. Also, seven provisional starting positions based on 1999 owner points, for maximum 43- car field. The 43rd position is reserved for a past NWCS champion, if needed. If unused, it will go to the next eligible owner.

The Schedule:
Friday, Apr. 14th
11:15am Practice until 1:15pm
3:00pm Qualifying (positions 1-25, 2 laps)
Saturday, Apr. 15th
8:15am Practice until 9:30am
10:45am Qualifying (positions 26-36, 2 laps)
1:00pm Final practice
Sunday, Apr. 16th
12:00pm Start of the Diehard 500

Track Facts
Talladega Superspeedway is a 2.66-mile high-banked tri-oval that is four lanes wide and is banked 33 degrees on each end, with 18 degree banking in the tri-oval. The backstretch is nearly 4,000 feet long, producing speeds in excess of 200 mph in competition. Talladega Superspeedway has hosted the DieHard 500 since 1970.

1999 Review
Ken Schrader won his 23rd career pole for the 1999 DieHard 500, while Dale Earnhardt won the DieHard 500 in an emotional victory that was just his second victory in his last 101 NASCAR Winston Cup races. The first caution of the race occurred on lap 48, when Tony Stewart and Mike Skinner made contact. This incident also involved Jeff Gordon, Rusty Wallace, Chad Little, Brett Bodine, Ernie Irvan, Kenny Irwin and Wally Dallenbach. During the second caution period, Earnhardt and Bobby Labonte opted for a four-tire stop instead of the two-tire that several front runners chose. But just eight laps after the restart, Earnhardt managed to work his way back up front - from 16th to the lead. Dale Jarrett took the lead on lap 163 but the final caution got the field bunched together. Earnhardt took the command from Jarrett with 14 laps to go in the 188-lap race.

Diehard 500 Notes
  • The NASCAR Winston Cup Leader Bonus is worth $80,000 this weekend.
  • Bobby Labonte leads the NASCAR Winston Cup Series point standings by 36 points over second-place Mark Martin. This is the sixth straight race after which Labonte has led the point standings.
  • 1988 NASCAR Winston Cup Champion Bill Elliott will make his 600th NASCAR Winston Cup Series career start with this weekend's DieHard 500. Dale Earnhardt and Terry Labonte both have 649 NASCAR Winston Cup Series career starts.
  • Since 1976, Talladega Superspeedway has been the host of seven of the 10 most competitive NASCAR Winston Cup Series races. The 1984 Winston 500 produced 75 lead changes in 188 laps.
  • The farthest back a driver has started and won the race is 27th. Dale Earnhardt accomplished this in 1999.
  • Earnhardt leads all drivers with nine wins at Talladega. He won both events at this track in 1999.
  • There are nine active drivers that have won a pole position in this particular race at Martinsville Speedway - Terry Labonte, Dave Marcis, Mark Martin, Rusty Wallace, Bobby Labonte, Ricky Craven, Kenny Wallace, Bobby Hamilton and Tony Stewart.
  • There are 15 drivers who have visited victory lane once at Talladega; six of those are entered into this weekend's race: Dale Jarrett, Bobby Labonte, Jeff Gordon, Dave Marcis, Ken Schrader and Jimmy Spencer.

Other Notes
  • Mark Martin became the eighth different race winner of the 2000 season, setting an all-time NASCAR Winston Cup Series record of eight different race winners to start a NASCAR Winston Cup Series season. The record for most consecutive races with different winners for a season is 13 (set in 1961), while the modern-day era for most consecutive races with different winners is 11 (Sept. 1985).
  • Jeff Gordon ended his 12-race streak without a top-five finish by finishing fourth in Sunday's Goody's Body Pain 500 at Martinsville Speedway. This was the longest that Gordon had gone without a top five in his NASCAR Winston Cup Series career.
  • 1999 Raybestos Rookie-of-the-Year Tony Stewart has yet to lead a lap in 2000.
  • Bobby Labonte has finished 13th or better in all eight races this season.
  • Matt Kenseth has been the highest finishing rookie four times this season, while Dale Earnhardt, Jr. has done so three times and Dave Blaney has done so once.
  • Since 1994, there have been 12 first-time winners on the NASCAR Winston Cup Series - most recently, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. (Texas, 2000). In 1994, Sterling Marlin, Jeff Gordon and Jimmy Spencer all took their first trip to the winner's circle.
  • Starting third for the 188-lap race on May 1, 1988, Phil Parsons led on five different occasions before he took the checkered flag for his only win at Talladega Superspeedway. He beat legendary driver, Bobby Allison, by .21 second. There were 15 cars on the lead lap at the end of the race. Current NASCAR Winston Cup Series car owner, A.J. Foyt, started 21st and finished 28th. Polesitter Davey Allison finished a disappointing 34th due to engine failure.