NASCAR WCUP: Gordon and Jarrett leading contenders for No Bull 5 at Charlotte

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

May 23, 2001

Qualified drivers:

• * Jeff Gordon (No. 24 DuPont Automotive Finishes Chevrolet Monte Carlo)
• * Dale Jarrett (No. 88 UPS Ford Taurus)
• * Sterling Marlin (No. 40 Coors Light Dodge Intrepid)
• * Johnny Benson (No. 10 Valvoline Pontiac Grand Prix)
• * Todd Bodine (No. 66 K-Mart Ford Taurus)

Winston No Bull 5 Notes

* The 2001 Coca-Cola 600 marks the first time that four different manufacturers have been represented in a Winston No Bull 5 field. Sterling Marlin will be the first Dodge driver to run for a million-dollar bonus. Prior to Dodge's eligibility in the Winston No Bull 5, just six of the 16 Winston No Bull 5 fields featured all three manufacturers (Chevrolet, Ford and Pontiac).

* The Coca-Cola 600 marks the first Winston No Bull 5 race since the 1998 Brickyard 400 to feature at least three drivers taking their first-ever shots at the million-dollar bonus. Sterling Marlin, Johnny Benson and Todd Bodine will each make their first Winston No Bull 5 start at Lowe's Motor Speedway. In 1998, the first year of the Winston No Bull 5 program, the group of first timers included Jeff Gordon, Mark Martin and Dale Jarrett.

* There have been 16 Winston No Bull 5 events, and in that time, there have been 10 winners. Jeff Gordon has now won the million four times. Jeff Burton has won the million-dollar bonus three times. Dale Jarrett has won the million twice. The 10 winners have come in the last 14 Winston No Bull 5 events.

* Jeff Gordon will make his ninth attempt at the Winston No Bull 5 million when he takes the green flag at Charlotte. Gordon has won the bonus four times in his eight previous attempts.

* When he won the Winston No Bull 5 bonus at Las Vegas, Gordon became the only driver to win the million-dollar bonus with two crew chiefs. He pocketed the big check three times with Ray Evernham (1998 Brickyard 400, 1998 Pepsi Southern 500 and the 1999 Daytona 500). Robbie Loomis was his crew chief in the 2001 UAW-Daimler Chrysler 400.

* The 2000 Chevrolet Monte Carlo 400 at Richmond, Va. marked the eighth time Bobby Labonte competed in a Winston No Bull 5 event. However, the Texas native has yet to claim the million-dollar bonus.

* At the Coca-Cola 600, Sterling Marlin, Johnny Benson and Todd Bodine will make 29 drivers that have been eligible for the Winston No Bull 5 program.

* Roush Racing has made 16 attempts at the Winston No Bull 5 program, more than any other team. Jeff Burton has won the bonus three times, making Roush Racing three for 16. Richard Childress Racing and Hendrick motorsports are tied for second with 12 attempts each.

* Four of the five drivers eligible for the Winston No Bull 5 bonus in the Coca-Cola 600 had solid finishes in last year's event. Dale Jarrett finished fifth, Jeff Gordon came home in 10th place, Johnny Benson finished 16th while Sterling Marlin finished 19th. Todd Bodine did not compete in the Coca-Cola 600 last year.

* The 1999 Winston 500 marked the only time three cars from the same team competed for the million-dollar bonus. Mark Martin, Kevin Lepage and Jeff Burton all competed out of the Roush Racing stable.

* In the 2000 Daytona 500, Kenny Wallace completed the third set of Winston No Bull 5 brothers joining Rusty as eligible drivers. Both Ward and Jeff Burton have been eligible, as well as Terry and Bobby Labonte.

* Six of the 10 Winston No Bull 5 winners won from a starting position of fifth or better. The furthest back a Winston No Bull 5 winner has started the race is 24th. Jeff Gordon did so when he won the 2001 UAW-Daimler Chrysler 400.

* When Gordon won the 2001 UAW-Daimler Chrysler 400 at Las Vegas, Lucky NASCAR Winston Cup fan Rodney Mims of Clanton, Ala. became an instant millionaire.

* Three NASCAR Winston Cup fans became millionaires through the Winston No Bull 5 program last year. When Dale Jarrett won the season-opening Daytona 500, he and his fan, Melissa Brown from Pittsburgh, each won a million dollars from Winston. Two races later at Las Vegas, Jeff Burton won a rain-shortened event to collect the money and make a millionaire out of Joyce Williams from Port Isabel, Texas. Richard Sturtz from Mt. Savage, Md. won a million dollars when Dale Earnhardt won the Winston 500.

* Burton won the Winston No Bull 5 million-dollar bonus twice in 1999 taking the checkered flag at the Coca-Cola 600 May 30 at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C. and the Pepsi Southern 500 at Darlington, S.C. When Burton won, NASCAR Winston Cup fans Wade Smith of Metropolis, Ill. and Phyllis Farmer of Hillsboro, Mo. each took home $1 million. Jeff Gordon captured the Winston No Bull 5 million-dollar bonus Feb. 14 at the 1999 Daytona 500. With Gordon's win, NASCAR Winston Cup fan Ray Grimm of Hagerstown, Md. also won $1 million.

* In the 16 previous Winston No Bull 5 events, there have been five eligible fans from the state of Texas. Joyce Williams from Port Isabel is eligible for the CarsDirect.com 400 at Las Vegas. Bryon Pratt from Houston was eligible for the 1999 Winston 500 at Talladega, Jennifer McCann from Grand Prairie and Ritchie Gregory from Dallas were eligible for the 1999 Daytona 500. Rhonda Traylor from Highlands was eligible for the 1999 Coca-Cola 600. Joyce Williams is the only Texas winner.

* The Winston No Bull 5 was created in 1998 as a tribute to NASCAR's 50th anniversary season. The Winston No Bull 5 replaced the Winston Million, which had been in existence since 1985. Bill Elliott in 1985 and Jeff Gordon in 1997 were the only winners of the Winston Million in its 13-season run.

* The original Winston No Bull 5 schedule (1998) featured the Daytona 500, Coca-Cola 600, Brickyard 400, Pepsi Southern 500 and the Winston 500.

* In October of 1998, the Carsdirect.com 400 at Las Vegas was added to the 1999 Winston No Bull 5 lineup, replacing the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis. In November of 1999, the Chevrolet Monte Carlo 400 at Richmond, Va. joined the fray replacing the Pepsi Southern 500 at Darlington, S.C. This season, the program trades races at Daytona. The Daytona 500 is replaced with the July Daytona race, the Pepsi 400.

* The $1 million Winston No Bull 5 bonus was captured three times in each of its first three seasons. In 1998, Jeff Gordon won the bonus at the Brickyard 400 and the Pepsi Southern 500 at Darlington, S.C. Dale Jarrett won the Winston No Bull 5 at the Winston 500 at Talladega, Ala. In 1999, Jeff Gordon won the Daytona 500 and the Winston No Bull 5. Jeff Burton collected the when he won the Coca- Cola 600 and the Pepsi Southern 500 at Darlington, S.C. Last season, Dale Jarrett won the Daytona 500, Jeff Burton won the Carsdirect.com 400 at Las Vegas and Dale Earnhardt captured the Winston 500 at Talladega, Ala.

Text provided by Marie Mason

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