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NASCAR WCUP: Pepsi Southern 500 Qualifying Notes and Quotes

4 September 1999

Bud Pole Winner: Kenny Irwin
Pepsi Southern 500
Darlington Raceway

* Kenny Irwin won the NASCAR Winston Cup Bud Pole Award for the 50th annual Pepsi Southern 500, lapping the 1.366-mile Darlington Raceway in 28.763 seconds, at 170.970 mph. Ward Burton holds the track-qualifying record of 28.295 seconds, 173.797 mph, set March 22, 1996. Irwin broke the event qualifying record of 28.769 seconds, at 170.934 set by Dale Jarrett on August 30, 1996.

* This is Irwins third career Bud Pole in 60 NASCAR Winston Cup races. His most recent Bud Pole occurred at Texas in April, 18 races ago.

* This is Irwins second Bud Pole and fifth top-10 qualifying effort of 1999. It is his first Bud Pole and his second top-five start in four races at Darlington.

* Irwin became the fifth repeat Bud Pole winner in 1999. Jeff Gordon (seven), Bobby Labonte (four), Rusty Wallace (two) and Tony Stewart (two) are the other multiple Bud Pole winners this season.

* Irwin became the 12th different Bud Pole winner in the last 15 races at Darlington. Jeff Gordon (spring 1995 and 99) and Dale Jarrett (fall 1996, spring 97 and fall 98) are the multiple Bud Pole winner in the 15-race period.

* Ward Burton had the second-quickest time with a qualifying lap of 28.784 seconds, at 170.845 mph and will join Irwin on the front row for the Pepsi Southern 500. This is his seventh top-10 qualifying effort in 1999 and his seventh top 10 in 12 starts at Darlington.

* This is the fifth Bud Pole for Ford in 1999. Chevrolet has 11 Bud Poles this season while Pontiac has seven. Note: Qualifying was rained out at California.

* Of the five drivers who will be competing for the Winston No Bull 5 $1 million bonus on Sunday, only four qualified in the top 10 today: Bobby Labonte (seventh), Jeff Burton (15th), Mark Martin (16th) and Tony Stewart (19th). Dale Jarrett (45th) spun in his qualifying effort and is listed last on the time chart.

* The NASCAR Winston Cup Leader Bonus is worth $40,000 to the winner of the Pepsi Southern 500 should he also be the points leader after the race.

* Jerry Nadeau (third) posted his sixth top-10 qualifying effort in 1999. It is his career-best NASCAR Winston Cup qualifying effort on a superspeedway.

* Jeff Gordon (fourth) scored his 18th top-10 qualifying effort of 1999 and remains the only driver to qualify in the first round for every race in 1999. It is his 11th top-10 qualifying effort in 14 NASCAR Winston Cup races at Darlington.

* Bobby Hamilton (fifth) posted his season-best and his second top-10 qualifying effort in 1999. It is his best start in 18 NASCAR Winston Cup races at Darlington.

* Elliott Sadler (sixth) scored his second top-10 qualifying effort in 1999.

* The Bud Pole has been the most productive starting position at Darlington yielding 19 race winners in 77 NASCAR Winston Cup races. The last 16 races at Darlington were won from a top-10 starting position.

* The furthest back a winner has started at Darlington is 43rd by Johnny Mantz in the inaugural race here in 1950. The furthermost back that a race winner has started in the modern era (since 1972) is 14th by Bobby Allison in the 1983 Southern 500.

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