NASCAR WCUP: 'The Winston' Fun Facts
Posted By Terry CallahanMotorsports Editor, The Auto Channel
May 2, 2001
. * The Winston was run for the first time in 1985 as NASCAR's all-star race. Each of the previous 16 runnings of The Winston was contested at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C. except for the 1986 event that was run at Atlanta Motor Speedway. RJR has paid more than $14 million to competitors in the previous 16 runnings of The Winston.
* The Winston consists of three segments. The first two are 30 laps with the final segment being a 10-lap shootout for the checkered flag. In 1987, the possibility of a field inversion was added to the format. In 2001, the field will be inverted between the first and second segments. The inversion will be between six and 12 positions. Only green-flag laps count in The Winston.
* Prior to qualifying for The Winston on Friday night, drivers not eligible for The Winston will qualify for The Winston Open, a qualifying race for The Winston. This qualifying session will consist of two laps for each team.
* The Winston Open, a 30-lap affair, is run Saturday night prior to The Winston. The winner advances into The Winston. After the winner takes the checkered flag, he drives to victory lane. The rest of the field stays on the track to compete in the 16-lap No Bull Sprint. Drivers who elect to pit between races will lose track position, not a lap. The winner of the No Bull Sprint will be the final qualifier for The Winston. With the exception of the break between the Winston Open and the No Bull Sprint, caution laps count in both races.
* Dale Earnhardt, Jr. became the first rookie to win The Winston when he won the all-star race in 2000.
* The late Dale Earnhardt and Darrell Waltrip are the only drivers who have competed in all 16 previous runnings of The Winston.
* Ricky Rudd, Terry Labonte and Bill Elliott have all competed in 15 of the previous 16 runnings of The Winston. Rudd was not eligible for the 2000 event. Labonte missed the race in 1991 when he finished ninth in The Winston Open and failed to make the race. Elliott missed the event in 1996 while recovering from injuries sustained in an accident at Talladega, Ala.
* Dale Earnhardt was the only three-time winner of The Winston. The seven-time NASCAR Winston Cup champion was also the leading money winner of the event with $1,295,410 in winnings at The Winston. He won the event in 1987, '90 and '93.
* The late Davey Allison (1991 and '92), Jeff Gordon (1995 and '97), and Terry Labonte (1988 and '99) are the only other multiple winners of The Winston.
* The late Tim Richmond leads all drivers who have competed in The Winston more than once with a 4.00 average finish in The Winston. Ken Schrader leads all active drivers with an average finish of 5.14 in his seven appearances.
* Darrell (1985) and Michael Waltrip (1996) are the only brothers to win The Winston. Michael is the only driver who won the race after transferring into The Winston from the Winston Open.
* The winner of The Winston has gone on to win the NASCAR Winston Cup championship seven times: Darrell Waltrip in 1985, Dale Earnhardt in 1987, '90 and '93, Rusty Wallace in 1989 and Jeff Gordon in 1995 and '97.
* The winner of The Winston has started from the pole position three times.
* Eleven of the 16 winners of The Winston came from a top-five starting position. The winner of The Winston started outside the top 10 on just three occasions. Terry Labonte started 13th in 1999. Jeff Gordon started 19th in 1997. Michael Waltrip started 20th in 1996.
* There have been 12 different winners in 15 runnings of The Winston Open. Sterling Marlin has won the Winston Open three times, 1988, '89 and '93 while Michael Waltrip has won the qualifying race twice, 1991 and '92. No driver has competed in all 15 runnings of The Winston Open.
Text provided by Forestine H. Douthit
Editors Note: To view hundreds of hot photos and racing art, please visit The Racing Image Galleries and The Visions of Speed Art Gallery .