NASCAR WCUP: DuraLube/K-Mart 300 Race Wrap-up; Nemechek Gets First Win
20 September 1999
Posted By Terry
Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel
Winner: Joe NemechekTeam: BellSouth Chevrolet
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* Joe Nemechek won the Dura-Lube/Kmart300 scoring his first career NASCAR Winston Cup victory. It occurred in his 180th NASCAR Winston Cup start. He became the sixth different NASCAR Winston Cup race winner in 10 races at New Hampshire. This is his only top-10 finish in 10 races at New Hampshire. His previous best finish here was 13th in September 1997.
* Nemechek is the second driver in as many weeks to score his first career NASCAR Winston Cup victory. The last time two drivers scored career-first victories back-to-back was Pete Hamilton at Daytona on February 22, 1970 and James Hylton at Richmond on March 1, 1970.
* Nemechek became the 11th different race winner in 1999. Jeff Gordon and Jeff Burton lead all drivers, each with five victories this season. Dale Jarrett and Bobby Labonte each have four wins and Dale Earnhardt has two.
* Nemechek led twice for 72 of the 300 laps raced. Rusty Wallace led twice for 84 laps, the most of all drivers. This is the fifth time that he has led the most laps in a race this season.
* Tony Glover, crew chief for Nemechek, was also the crew chief for Ernie Irvan and Sterling Marlin when they scored their first career NASCAR Winston Cup victories.
* Ford continues to lead the manufacturers points race with 11 victories and 179 points. Chevrolet has nine victories and 163 points while Pontiac has six victories and 152 points.
NOTEBOOK ITEMS...
* The NASCAR Winston Cup Leader bonus is worth $70,000 for the MBNA Gold 400 at Dover.
* Tony Stewart (second) scored his 17th top-10 finish this season. He has finished in the top five in four of the last five races this season. It is his career-best superspeedway finish. Stewart was the highest finishing rookie for the 25th time this season. He finished 10th and second in his two NASCAR Winston Cup races at New Hampshire.
* Bobby Labonte (third) scored his 18th top-10 finish, including 17 top fives, in 1999 and moved into second place in the NASCAR Winston Cup point standings. He trails first-place Dale Jarrett by 254 points. It was his first top-five finish in 10 races at New Hampshire.
* Jeff Burton (fourth) scored his 16th top-10 finish, including 14 top fives, in 1999. It was his sixth top-five finish, including three victories, in the last seven NASCAR Winston Cup races at New Hampshire.
* NASCAR Winston Cup championship points leader Dale Jarretts 18th-place finish was his third finish outside the top 15 in the last four races this season.
* Jeff Gordon (fifth) posted his 17th top-10 finish in 1999. He ended a two-race streak of winning the fall race at New Hampshire.
* Rusty Wallace (sixth) has scored eight top-10 finishes including one victory, in 10 races at New Hampshire. Mark Martin is the only other driver to score eight top-10 finishes at New Hampshire.
* Johnny Benson (seventh) tied his best finish in 1999. He also finished seventh a Dover in June. This was his best finish at New Hampshire in his seven races at the New England track.
* Rick Mast (ninth) scored his best finish in 1999. His best finish prior to this race was an eight-place finish at Sears Point in June 1998. Mast has scored two top-10 finishes in his 10 races at New Hampshire, both ninth-place finishes. Mast remains the only driver to compete in all 26 races in 1999 that has not posted a DNF.
* The last time a NASCAR Winston Cup race that ended under caution occurred at Darlington on September 5, 1999.
* The top-10 finishers included two Chevrolets, five Fords, and three Pontiac.
* Jeremy Mayfield (36th) has not finished higher than 17th in his nine NASCAR Winston Cup races at New Hampshire.
* Since 1972, there have been 11 years that there have been multiple first-time winners in a single season. The last time there have been two first-time winners in a single season occurred in 1997 when John Andretti and Jeff Burton recorded their career-first victories.
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