NASCAR WCUP: NAPA Autocare 500 Race Wrap-Up
4 October 1999
Posted By Terry
Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel
Winner: Jeff GordonTeam: DuPont Refinishes Chevrolet
* Jeff Gordon won the 1999 NAPA AutoCare 500 at Martinsville Speedway, his s ixth victory in 1999. It is his 48th career victory in 217 NASCAR Winston Cup races. His most recent victory came at Watkins Glen, seven races ago. It is his 18th top-10 finish and 17th top-five in 1999.
* Gordon became the first repeat race winner in the last 12 short-track races, ending a streak of different race winners on short tracks that dated back to Bristol in April 1998.
* Gordon moved into a tie with Herb Thomas for 11th on the all-time winners list.
* This was Gordons third victory in 14 NASCAR Winston Cup races at Martinsville. It was his 10th straight top-10 finish at Martinsville.
* Gordon led twice for 29 of the 500 laps raced. He did not lead the most laps.
* Mike Skinner led 138 of the 500 laps raced, the most of all drivers. Its the second time that he has led the most laps in a race this season.
* Ford continues to lead the manufacturers points race with 12 victories and 194 points. Chevrolet has 10 victories and 176 points while Pontiac has six victories and 162 points.
NOTEBOOK ITEMS...
* The NASCAR Winston Cup Leader bonus is worth $90,000 for the UAW-GM Quality 500.
* Dale Jarrett holds a 251-point lead over second-place Bobby Labonte.
* Dale Earnhardt (second) scored his 18th top-10 finish this season, including five of the last seven races. He has scored a top-five finish in three of the last five races at Martinsville. Geoffrey Bodine (third) scored his season-best finish. It was his second top-10 finish in 1999. This was his 13th top-10 finish in 37 races at Martinsville, and his first since September 1996.
* Rusty Wallace (fourth) scored his 14th top-10 finish in 1999. He has posted 15 top-five finishes in 32 races at Martinsville, including finishes of seventh or better in 12 of the last 15 races.
* Kenny Wallace (fifth) posted just his second top-five and fourth top-10 finish in 1999. Wallace, who led twice for 55 laps, became the 42nd driver to lead a lap this season. This was the most laps that Wallace has led in a single race in his NASCAR Winston Cup career. He had been the only driver who had competed in all 27 races that had not led a lap in 1999.
* Jeff Gordon is the only driver to lead at least one lap in five of the six short-track races in 1999.
* Dale Earnhardt and Dale Jarrett are the only drivers to score five top-10 finishes in the six short-track races in 1999.
* Tony Stewart (41st) posted the worst finish of his NASCAR Winston Cup career. This was his fourth finish outside the top 15 in 1999 and ended a 19-race streak of top-15 finishes.
* Elliott Sadler (25th) was the highest finishing rookie for the first time this season.
* Bobby Labonte (eighth) has not posted a top-five finish in 14 NASCAR Winston Cup races at Martinsville. He posted his best finish at Martinsville for the third time.
* Bobby Labonte has led at least one lap in 24 of the 28 races this season, the most of all drivers.
* Rick Mast is the only driver to compete in every race in 1999 that has not posted a DNF.
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