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NASCAR Winston Cup Leader Bonus Worth $120,000 at MBNA Platinum 400

31 May 2000

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - The total keeps on growing...and growing...and growing. Like the Energizer Bunny, the different winners keep on coming and the NASCAR Winston Cup Leader Bonus keeps on growing. There have been 11 different winners in 12 points races so far this season. The NASCAR Winston Cup Leader Bonus hasn't been collected since Dale Jarrett won the season-opening Daytona 500, meaning someone could win an extra $120,000 this Sunday at Dover, Del.

Several drivers will have a solid shot at the $120,000 bonus in the MBNA Platinum 400. Should a driver win the Leader Bonus this weekend, it would be the second highest payout in the history of the program.

Bobby Labonte enters the MBNA Platinum 400 with a 54-point lead over Ward Burton in the NASCAR Winston Cup point standings. Mark Martin trails Labonte by just 81 points while fourth-place Dale Earnhardt trails the points leader by 83 points. Fifth-place Jeff Burton is 104 points out of first place. All five drivers have a shot at taking home the Leader Bonus check.

The Leader Bonus is awarded to any NASCAR Winston Cup driver who wins a race and takes or maintains the lead in the NASCAR Winston Cup point standings.

The NASCAR Winston Cup Leader Bonus was collected six times during the 1999 NASCAR Winston Cup season. After winning the season-opening Daytona 500, Jeff Gordon took home an additional $10,000 as the NASCAR Winston Cup points leader. When Jeff Burton won the rain-shortened TranSouth Financial 400 at Darlington, S.C., he maintained his points lead and won an additional $40,000 bonus from Winston. 1999 NASCAR Winston Cup champion Dale Jarrett won the leader bonus four times for a total of $150,000.

The season ended with $140,000 of leader-bonus money on the table. When Jarrett did not win the season's last race, the money was divided among the top-10 drivers in the final NASCAR Winston Cup point standings. Jarrett also collected the leader bonus this year when he won the season-opening Daytona 500.

Top Five NASCAR Winston Cup Leader Bonus Individual Payouts

Winner	Amount	                     Event     
           	
Jeff Gordon	$160,000	1996 DieHard 500 (Talladega)
Jeff Gordon	$110,000	1998 Coca-Cola 600 (Charlotte)
Jeff Gordon	$80,000	        1997 Pocono 500 (Pocono)
Jeff Gordon	$70,000	        1996 MBNA 500 (Dover)
Jeff Gordon	$60,000	        1998 Pepsi 400 (Daytona)
Dale Jarrett	$60,000	        1999 Pontiac 400 (Richmond)

2000 NASCAR Winston Cup Leader Bonus Results

Race			Winner/Pts. Pos. 		Bonus    Points Leader

Daytona 500		Dale Jarrett (1)	        $10,000  Dale Jarrett
Dura-Lube 500		Bobby Labonte (2)		--       Dale Jarrett
Las Vegas 400		Jeff Burton (5)			--       Bobby Labonte
Cracker Barrel 500	Dale Earnhardt (3)		--       Bobby Labonte
Mall.com 400		Ward  Burton (1)		--       Bobby Labonte
Food City 500		Rusty Wallace (6)		--       Bobby Labonte
DirecTV 500		Dale Earnhardt, Jr. (18)	--       Bobby Labonte
Goody's 500		Mark Martin (2)		        --       Bobby Labonte
Diehard 500		Jeff Gordon (7)			--       Mark Martin
Napa 500		Jeremy Mayfield (7)		--       Bobby Labonte
Pontiac 400		Dale Earnhardt, Jr. (17)	--       Bobby Labonte
Coca-Cola 600	        Matt Kenseth (13)		--       Bobby Labonte	

Text provided by Rob Goodman

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