NASCAR Winston Cup Leader Bonus Worth Record $160,000 at Pepsi 400
28 June 2000
Posted By Terry
Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - It's only fitting that the biggest
payout in NASCAR Winston Cup Leader Bonus history be on the line when the
stars of the NASCAR Winston Cup Series hit the asphalt at the most famous
venue in racing, Daytona International Speedway. Since its inception in 1996, the leader bonus has paid out six-figures only twice in its 146-race history, a then-record $160,000 payday in the 1996 Talladega 500 and a $110,000 jackpot in the 1998 Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Three-time NASCAR Winston Cup champion and last week's winner at Sears Point, Jeff Gordon, took home each check.
This time, a $160,000 Leader Bonus check is available at this Saturday's running of the Pepsi 400 under the lights of Daytona. The current Leader Bonus total is greater than the winner's take in 23 of the 34 events on last season's NASCAR Winston Cup schedule. The NASCAR Winston Cup Leader Bonus is available to any driver who wins an event and leads the point standings at the conclusion of that event.
Bobby Labonte has been the NASCAR Winston Cup points leader following 13 of the last 14 races. He's recorded nine top-five finishes, but he hasn't won a race since the Dura-Lube 400 at Rockingham, N.C., the second race of the season.
The NASCAR Winston Cup Leader Bonus hasn't been collected since Dale Jarrett won the season-opening Daytona 500. That means someone could win an extra $160,000 this Saturday night at Daytona Beach, Fla.
Just three drivers will have a shot at the $160,000 bonus in the Pepsi 400. Labonte enters the race with a 67-point lead over Dale Earnhardt in the NASCAR Winston Cup point standings. Third-place Dale Jarrett trails Labonte by 129 points, and he won the last two races at Daytona International Speedway.
The NASCAR Winston Cup Leader Bonus was collected six times during the 1999 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, he maintained his points lead and won an additional $40,000 bonus from Winston. Jarrett, the 1999 NASCAR Winston Cup champion, 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.
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 MBNA 400 Tony Stewart (9) -- Bobby Labonte K-Mart 400 Tony Stewart (7) -- Bobby Labonte Pocono 500 Jeremy Mayfield (16) -- Bobby Labonte Save Mart 350 Jeff Gordon (10) -- Bobby Labonte
Text provided by Rob Goodman
Editors Note: To view hundreds of hot racing photos
and art, visit
The Racing
Photo Museum and the
Visions
of Speed Art Gallery.