1989 Daytona 500


The 1989 Daytona 500, the 31st running of the event, was held February 19, 1989, at Daytona International Speedway, in Daytona Beach, Florida. Darrell Waltrip won the race after Ken Schrader won the pole for the second time in a row.

Background

Daytona International Speedway is a race track in Daytona Beach, Florida that is one of six superspeedways to hold NASCAR races, the others being Michigan International Speedway, Auto Club Speedway, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Pocono Raceway and Talladega Superspeedway. The standard track at Daytona is a four-turn superspeedway that is long. The track also features two other layouts that utilize portions of the primary high speed tri-oval, such as a sports car course and a motorcycle course. The track's infield includes the Lake Lloyd, which has hosted powerboat racing. The speedway is owned and operated by International Speedway Corporation.
The track was built by NASCAR founder Bill France, Sr. to host racing that was being held at the former Daytona Beach Road Course and opened with the first Daytona 500 in 1959. The speedway has been renovated three times, with the infield renovated in 2004, and the track repaved in 1978 and 2010.
The Daytona 500 is regarded as the most important and prestigious race on the NASCAR calendar. It is also the series' first race of the year; this phenomenon is virtually unique in sports, which tend to have championships or other major events at the end of the season rather than the start. Since 1995, U.S. television ratings for the Daytona 500 have been the highest for any auto race of the year, surpassing the traditional leader, the Indianapolis 500 which in turn greatly surpasses the Daytona 500 in in-track attendance and international viewing. The 2006 Daytona 500 attracted the sixth largest average live global TV audience of any sporting event that year with 20 million viewers.

Summary

In the last 53 laps without a pit stop and on a nearing empty tank, Darrell Waltrip took his #17 Chevrolet Monte Carlo to victory lane in the race. As his only chance at victory, Waltrip and his Hendrick Racing decided to use fuel strategy, being the only car not to pit in the closing laps.
The victory was Waltrip's first Daytona 500 race win in his 17th try, edging ahead of Hendrick Motorsports teammate Ken Schrader, who led the most laps, by 7.64 seconds. "I won the Daytona 500! I won the Daytona 500!," Waltrip shouted on the radio to his crew, adding "I can't believe I won it! Don't lie to me, this is Daytona, ain't it? I'm not dreamin', am I?" Still in disbelief, Waltrip asked television reporter Mike Joy in victory circle, "Wait, wait, this is the Daytona 500, isn't it? Don't tell me it isn't.", to which Joy replied "You bet it is." In celebration, Darrell performed his memorable 'Ickey Shuffle' dance with a helmet spike. The race is also remembered for Davey Allison flipping his car off of the dirt embankment separating the cars from Lake Lloyd. Waltrip's win gave Hendrick Motorsports their second Daytona 500 win. The first Daytona 500 win for Hendrick Motorsports was by Geoff Bodine three years prior.
With Dale Earnhardt and Geoff Bodine finishing third and fourth respectively, Chevrolet finished 1-2-3-4. Waltrip later won five additional races in the 1989 season, tying Rusty Wallace with the most wins of the season.

http://www.racing-reference.info/race?id=1989-01&series=W Finishing order

  1. 17-Darrell Waltrip, Led 25 of 200 Laps
  2. 25-Ken Schrader, Led 114 Laps
  3. 3-Dale Earnhardt, Led 3 Laps
  4. 5-Geoffrey Bodine, Led 9 Laps
  5. 55-Phil Parsons, Led 12 Laps
  6. 66-Rick Mast*, Led 6 Laps
  7. 7-Alan Kulwicki, Led 6 Laps
  8. 4-Rick Wilson, Led 7 Laps
  9. 11-Terry Labonte, Led 3 Laps
  10. 23-Kyle Petty, Led 2 Laps
  11. 94-Sterling Marlin, 1 Lap down
  12. 33-Harry Gant, 1 Lap down
  13. 45-Joe Ruttman, 1 Lap down
  14. 16-Larry Pearson*, 1 Lap down
  15. 75-Morgan Shepherd, 1 Lap down
  16. 10-Ken Bouchard, 2 Laps down
  17. 43-Richard Petty, 2 Laps down
  18. 27-Rusty Wallace, 3 Laps down
  19. 26-Ricky Rudd, 3 Laps down; Led 2 Laps
  20. 71-Dave Marcis, 3 Laps down; Led 1 Lap
  21. 30-Michael Waltrip, 3 Laps down; Led 1 Lap
  22. 40-Ben Hess*, 4 Laps down
  23. 88-Greg Sacks, 4 Laps do
  24. 70-J.D. McDuffie, 7 Laps down
  25. 28-Davey Allison, 7 Laps down
  26. 69-Lee Raymond*, 11 Laps down
  27. 84-Mike Alexander, 12 Laps down
  28. 19-Ronnie Sanders, 16 Laps down
  29. 15-Brett Bodine, 177 Laps Completed
  30. 83-Lake Speed, 50 Laps down
  31. 73-Phil Barkdoll, 143 Laps ; Led 2 Laps
  32. 29-Dale Jarrett, 69 Laps down
  33. 6-Mark Martin, 110 Laps
  34. 67-Mickey Gibbs*, 76 Laps
  35. 9-Bill Elliott, 72 Laps
  36. 90-Chad Little*, 72 Laps
  37. 89-Rodney Combs, 72 Laps
  38. 14-A. J. Foyt, 41 Laps ; Led 4 Laps
  39. 8-Bobby Hillin Jr., 39 Laps
  40. 93-Charlie Baker*, 39 Laps
  41. 2-Ernie Irvan, 8 Laps
  42. 21-Neil Bonnett, 2 Laps.

    Failed to qualify

-Jimmy Means, 57-Hut Stricklin*, 68-Derrike Cope, 42-Kyle Petty, 31-Jim Sauter, 95-Trevor Boys, 77-Connie Saylor, 34-Charlie Glotzbach, 74-Randy LaJoie*, 80-Jimmy Horton, 1-Doug Heveron, 41-Jim Bown*, 32-Philip Duffie*, 49-Tony Spanos*, 0-Delma Cowart*, 85-Bobby Gerhart*, 59-Mark Gibson*, and 39-Ricky Woodward*.

Other notes