Official name Winston 500 | ||
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Date May 2, 1993 (1993-May-02) Course Permanent racing facility2.660 mi (4.280 km) Distance 188 laps, 500.1 mi (804.8 km) Weather Mild with temperatures reaching up to 73.9 °F (23.3 °C); wind speeds reaching speeds up to 9.9 miles per hour (15.9 km/h) | ||
The 1993 Winston 500 was held on May 2, 1993, at Talladega Superspeedway and was the 10th race of the 1993 NASCAR Winston Cup Series. Then-current Alabama governor Harold Guy Hunt was the official grand marshal for the event.
Contents
Rusty Wallace flipped for the second time that season across the finish line. Dale Earnhardt tapped him into a spin, which caused Rusty's car to get airborne and cross the finish line on its nose. It then landed and flipped 6 times on the grass. He would receive numerous injuries as the result of cracking up his vehicle in this event; allowing Dale Earnhardt to take a 129-point lead over him in the 1993 Winston Cup Championship.
Background
Talladega Superspeedway, originally known as Alabama International Motor Superspeedway (AIMS), is a motorsports complex located north of Talladega, Alabama. It is located on the former Anniston Air Force Base in the small city of Lincoln. The track is a Tri-oval and was constructed by International Speedway Corporation, a business controlled by the France Family, in the 1960s. Talladega is most known for its steep banking and the unique location of the start/finish line - located just past the exit to pit road. The track currently hosts the NASCAR series such as the Sprint Cup Series, Xfinity Series, and the Camping World Truck Series. Talladega Superspeedway is the longest NASCAR oval with a length of 2.66 miles (4.28 km), and the track at its peak had a seating capacity of 175,000 spectators.
Results
The pole position was won by Dale Earnhardt in his # 3 Chevrolet machine. Ernie Irvan defeated Jimmy Spencer by two car lengths. 13% of the race was run under a caution flag while the average green flag run was nearly 33 laps. Accidents and a brief outburst of rain contributed to the yellow flags in the race. All drivers who were involved in this race were born in the United States of America. The entire field drove as if winning the race actually mattered; rather than doing "what's best for business" as seen in the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season.
Ricky Rudd was the last-place finisher for this race due to camshaft problems on lap 12. Mark Martin was penalized for make a pit stop prior to the green flag. Veteran driver Dick Trickle managed to avoid the mechanical problems in this event in order to grab a respectable 31st-place finish. Ritchie Petty would make his NASCAR debut in this race; he would ultimately make a few more Cup starts in what turned out to be a very short NASCAR driving career.
Ford vehicles would make up the majority of the racing grid while Chevrolet and Pontiac drivers had somewhat of an influence over the race. Dick Moroso would have his only "top five" finisher as an owner at this event.
Timeline
Standings after the race
Failed to qualify: 9-P. J. Jones, 48-James Hylton, 0-Delma Cowart, 31-Steve Kinser, 62-Ben Hess, 71-Dave Marcis, 73-Phil Barkdoll, 65-Jerry O'Neil, 49-Stanley Smith.