1987 Goodwrench 500
| Race details | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 2 of 29 in the 1987 NASCAR Winston Cup Series | |||
 The 1987 GM Goodwrench 500 program cover, featuring Dale Earnhardt and Terry Labonte. | |||
| Date | March 1, 1987 | ||
| Official name | 22nd Annual Goodwrench 500 | ||
| Location | Rockingham, North Carolina, North Carolina Motor Speedway | ||
| Course |
Permanent racing facility 1.017 mi (1.637 km) | ||
| Distance | 492 laps, 500.364 mi (805.257 km) | ||
| Scheduled Distance | 492 laps, 500.364 mi (805.257 km) | ||
| Average speed | 117.556 miles per hour (189.188 km/h) | ||
| Attendance | 38,500 | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Ranier-Lundy Racing | ||
| Time | 24.908 | ||
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Dale Earnhardt | Richard Childress Racing | |
| Laps | 319 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 3 | Dale Earnhardt | RahMoc Enterprises | |
| Television in the United States | |||
| Network | SETN | ||
| Announcers | Eli Gold, Jerry Punch | ||
| Radio in the United States | |||
| Radio | Motor Racing Network | ||
The 1987 Goodwrench 500 was the second stock car race of the 1987 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season and the 22nd iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, March 1, 1987, before an audience of 38,500 in Rockingham, North Carolina, at North Carolina Motor Speedway, a 1.017 miles (1.637 km) permanent high-banked racetrack. The race took the scheduled 492 laps to complete.
At race's end, Richard Childress Racing's Dale Earnhardt, with assistance from crew chief Kirk Shelmerdine and his pit crew, managed to dominate the majority of the race, leading 319 laps. By the finish, Earnhardt had gained a 10.5 second lead over second place, gaining his 21st career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his first victory of the season.[1][2] To fill out the top three, Bud Moore Engineering's Ricky Rudd and RahMoc Enterprises' Neil Bonnett finished second and third, respectively.
Background
North Carolina Motor Speedway was opened as a flat, one-mile oval on October 31, 1965. In 1969, the track was extensively reconfigured to a high-banked, D-shaped oval just over one mile in length. In 1997, North Carolina Motor Speedway merged with Penske Motorsports, and was renamed North Carolina Speedway. Shortly thereafter, the infield was reconfigured, and competition on the infield road course, mostly by the SCCA, was discontinued. Currently, the track is home to the Fast Track High Performance Driving School.
Entry list
- (R) denotes rookie driver.
Qualifying
Qualifying was originally scheduled to be split into two rounds. The first round was held on Thursday, February 26, at 2:30 pm EST. Originally, the first 20 positions were going to be determined by first round qualifying, with positions 21–40 meant to be determined the following day on Friday, February 27.[3] However, due to rain, the second round was cancelled. As a result, the rest of the starting lineup was set using the results from the first round. Depending on who needed it, a select amount of positions were given to cars who had not otherwise qualified but were high enough in owner's points; up to two were given.[4]
Davey Allison, driving for Ranier-Lundy Racing, managed to win the pole, setting a time of 24.908 and an average speed of 146.989 miles per hour (236.556 km/h).[5]
No drivers failed to qualify.
Full qualifying results
Race results
Standings after the race
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References
- ^ Higgins, Tom (March 2, 1987). "Earnhardt Takes 500". The Charlotte Observer. pp. 1C, 16C. Retrieved September 21, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Mulhurn, Mike (March 2, 1987). "Earnhardt Rolls at Rockingham". Winston-Salem Journal. pp. 13, 15. Retrieved September 21, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Goodwrench 500". The Charlotte Observer. February 26, 1987. pp. 4B. Retrieved September 21, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Mulhurn, Mike (February 27, 1987). "Bad Weather Wipes Out Qualifying at Rockingham". Winston-Salem Journal. p. 27. Retrieved September 21, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Higgins, Tom (February 27, 1987). "Davey Allison Takes Pole With Record At Rockingham". The Charlotte Observer. pp. 4C. Retrieved September 21, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.