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1990 First Union 400

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1990 First Union 400
Race details
Race 7 of 29 in the 1990 NASCAR Winston Cup Series
The 1990 First Union 400 program cover, featuring Dale Earnhardt.
The 1990 First Union 400 program cover, featuring Dale Earnhardt.
Date April 22, 1990
Official name 40th Annual First Union 400
Location North Wilkesboro Speedway, North Wilkesboro, North Carolina
Course Permanent racing facility
0.625 mi (1.006 km)
Distance 400 laps, 250 mi (402.336 km)
Scheduled Distance 400 laps, 250 mi (402.336 km)
Average speed 83.908 miles per hour (135.037 km/h)
Pole position
Driver Roush Racing
Most laps led
Driver Brett Bodine King Racing
Laps 146
Winner
No. 26 Brett Bodine King Racing
Television in the United States
Network ESPN
Announcers Bob Jenkins, Ned Jarrett, Benny Parsons
Radio in the United States
Radio Motor Racing Network

The 1990 First Union 400 was the seventh stock car race of the 1990 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season and the 40th iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, April 22, 1990, in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina at the North Wilkesboro Speedway, a 0.625 miles (1.006 km) oval short track. The race took the scheduled 400 laps to complete. At race's end, King Racing driver Brett Bodine would benefit from a late race caution and pull away in the late stages of the race to take his first and only career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his only victory of the season.[1] To fill out the podium, Hendrick Motorsports driver Darrell Waltrip and Richard Childress Racing driver Dale Earnhardt would finish second and third, respectively.

The race would become controversial after a late race caution came out for Kenny Wallace during the last round of green flag pit stops. Many had thought that during when the pace car had come out and the leaders had raced to the caution, that Dale Earnhardt was in the lead. However, after NASCAR officials had spent more than 20 laps sorting out the restart order, they determined that Brett Bodine was in the lead. Bodine would then cruise to his only victory of his career. Despite numerous protests from competitors, the victory still remains official to this day.[2]

Background

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The layout of North Wilkesboro Speedway, the venue where the race was held.

North Wilkesboro Speedway is a short oval racetrack located on U.S. Route 421, about five miles east of the town of North Wilkesboro, North Carolina, or 80 miles north of Charlotte. It measures 0.625 mi (1.006 km) and features a unique uphill backstretch and downhill frontstretch. It has previously held races in NASCAR's top three series, including 93 Winston Cup Series races. The track, a NASCAR original, operated from 1949, NASCAR's inception, until the track's original closure in 1996. The speedway briefly reopened in 2010 and hosted several stock car series races before closing again in the spring of 2011. It was re-opened in August 2022 for grassroots racing.

Entry list

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  • (R) denotes rookie driver.
# Driver Team Make Sponsor
1 Terry Labonte Precision Products Racing Oldsmobile Skoal Classic
2 Rick Mast U.S. Racing Chevrolet U.S. Racing
3 Dale Earnhardt Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet GM Goodwrench Service
4 Ernie Irvan Morgan–McClure Motorsports Oldsmobile Kodak
5 Ricky Rudd Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Levi Garrett
6 Mark Martin Roush Racing Ford Folgers
7 Alan Kulwicki AK Racing Ford Zerex
8 Bobby Hillin Jr. Stavola Brothers Racing Buick Snickers
9 Bill Elliott Melling Racing Ford Coors
10 Derrike Cope Whitcomb Racing Chevrolet Purolator Filters
11 Geoff Bodine Junior Johnson & Associates Ford Budweiser
12 Mike Alexander Bobby Allison Motorsports Buick Raybestos
15 Morgan Shepherd Bud Moore Engineering Ford Motorcraft
17 Darrell Waltrip Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Tide
20 Rob Moroso (R) Moroso Racing Oldsmobile Crown Petroleum
21 Dale Jarrett Wood Brothers Racing Ford Citgo
25 Ken Schrader Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Kodiak
26 Brett Bodine King Racing Buick Quaker State
27 Rusty Wallace Blue Max Racing Pontiac Miller Genuine Draft
28 Davey Allison Robert Yates Racing Ford Havoline, Texaco
30 Michael Waltrip Bahari Racing Pontiac Country Time
33 Harry Gant Mach 1 Racing Oldsmobile Skoal
36 Kenny Wallace Randy Hope Motorsports Pontiac Cox Treated Lumber
42 Kyle Petty SABCO Racing Pontiac Peak Antifreeze
43 Richard Petty Petty Enterprises Pontiac STP
48 Freddie Crawford James Hylton Motorsports Chevrolet James Hylton Motorsports
52 Jimmy Means Jimmy Means Racing Pontiac Alka-Seltzer
57 Jimmy Spencer Osterlund Racing Pontiac Heinz Tomato Ketchup
66 Dick Trickle Cale Yarborough Motorsports Pontiac Phillips 66, TropArtic
70 J. D. McDuffie McDuffie Racing Pontiac Rumple Furniture
71 Dave Marcis Marcis Auto Racing Chevrolet Big Apple Market
75 Rick Wilson RahMoc Enterprises Oldsmobile Dinner Bell Foods
76 Bill Sedgwick Spears Motorsports Chevrolet Spears Manufacturing
94 Sterling Marlin Hagan Racing Oldsmobile Sunoco Ultra
98 Butch Miller Travis Carter Enterprises Chevrolet Lowes Foods

Qualifying

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Qualifying was split into two rounds. The first round was held on Friday, April 20, at 3:00 PM EST. Each driver would have one lap to set a time. During the first round, the top 10 drivers in the round would be guaranteed a starting spot in the race. If a driver was not able to guarantee a spot in the first round, they had the option to scrub their time from the first round and try and run a faster lap time in a second round qualifying run, held on Saturday, April 21, at 12:15 PM EST. As with the first round, each driver would have one lap to set a time.[3]

Mark Martin, driving for Roush Racing, would win the pole, setting a time of 19.153 and an average speed of 117.475 miles per hour (189.058 km/h).[4]

Three drivers would fail to qualify: J. D. McDuffie, Bill Sedgwick, and Freddie Crawford.

Full qualifying results

[edit]
Pos. # Driver Team Make Time Speed
1 6 Mark Martin Roush Racing Ford 19.153 117.475
2 11 Geoff Bodine Junior Johnson & Associates Ford 19.181 117.304
3 66 Dick Trickle Cale Yarborough Motorsports Pontiac 19.192 117.236
4 3 Dale Earnhardt Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 19.207 117.145
5 42 Kyle Petty SABCO Racing Pontiac 19.232 116.993
6 25 Ken Schrader Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 19.248 116.895
7 17 Darrell Waltrip Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 19.257 116.841
8 5 Ricky Rudd Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 19.270 116.762
9 4 Ernie Irvan Morgan–McClure Motorsports Oldsmobile 19.291 116.635
10 7 Alan Kulwicki AK Racing Ford 19.298 116.592
Failed to lock in Round 1
11 75 Rick Wilson RahMoc Enterprises Oldsmobile 19.351 116.273
12 1 Terry Labonte Precision Products Racing Oldsmobile 19.361 116.213
13 9 Bill Elliott Melling Racing Ford 19.374 116.135
14 94 Sterling Marlin Hagan Racing Oldsmobile 19.385 116.069
15 57 Jimmy Spencer Osterlund Racing Pontiac 19.393 116.021
16 21 Dale Jarrett Wood Brothers Racing Ford 19.398 115.991
17 28 Davey Allison Robert Yates Racing Ford 19.406 115.944
18 71 Dave Marcis Marcis Auto Racing Chevrolet 19.408 115.932
19 30 Michael Waltrip Bahari Racing Pontiac 19.422 115.848
20 26 Brett Bodine King Racing Buick 19.440 115.741
21 15 Morgan Shepherd Bud Moore Engineering Ford 19.444 115.717
22 27 Rusty Wallace Blue Max Racing Pontiac 19.445 115.711
23 43 Richard Petty Petty Enterprises Pontiac 19.450 115.681
24 20 Rob Moroso (R) Moroso Racing Oldsmobile 19.465 115.592
25 52 Jimmy Means Jimmy Means Racing Pontiac 19.491 115.438
26 10 Derrike Cope Whitcomb Racing Chevrolet 19.499 115.391
27 33 Harry Gant Mach 1 Racing Oldsmobile 19.523 115.249
28 36 Kenny Wallace Randy Hope Motorsports Pontiac 19.570 114.972
29 2 Rick Mast U.S. Racing Chevrolet 19.591 114.849
30 98 Butch Miller Travis Carter Enterprises Chevrolet 19.603 114.778
31 8 Bobby Hillin Jr. Stavola Brothers Racing Buick 19.678 114.341
32 12 Mike Alexander Bobby Allison Motorsports Buick 19.775 113.780
Failed to qualify
33 70 J. D. McDuffie McDuffie Racing Pontiac -* -*
34 76 Bill Sedgwick Spears Motorsports Chevrolet -* -*
35 48 Freddie Crawford James Hylton Motorsports Chevrolet -* -*
Official first round qualifying results
Official qualifying results

*Time not available.

Race results

[edit]
Fin[5] St # Driver Team Make Laps Led Status Pts Winnings
1 20 26 Brett Bodine King Racing Buick 400 146 running 185 $50,682
2 7 17 Darrell Waltrip Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 400 79 running 175 $31,625
3 4 3 Dale Earnhardt Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 400 72 running 170 $21,775
4 8 5 Ricky Rudd Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 400 0 running 160 $12,775
5 21 15 Morgan Shepherd Bud Moore Engineering Ford 400 0 running 155 $12,100
6 1 6 Mark Martin Roush Racing Ford 400 103 running 155 $18,975
7 22 27 Rusty Wallace Blue Max Racing Pontiac 400 0 running 146 $12,825
8 2 11 Geoff Bodine Junior Johnson & Associates Ford 400 0 running 142 $10,075
9 17 28 Davey Allison Robert Yates Racing Ford 400 0 running 138 $8,600
10 5 42 Kyle Petty SABCO Racing Pontiac 399 0 running 134 $10,850
11 10 7 Alan Kulwicki AK Racing Ford 399 0 running 130 $6,675
12 18 71 Dave Marcis Marcis Auto Racing Chevrolet 399 0 running 127 $6,350
13 27 33 Harry Gant Mach 1 Racing Oldsmobile 399 0 running 124 $8,050
14 16 21 Dale Jarrett Wood Brothers Racing Ford 399 0 running 121 $5,975
15 12 1 Terry Labonte Precision Products Racing Oldsmobile 398 0 running 118 $6,325
16 9 4 Ernie Irvan Morgan–McClure Motorsports Oldsmobile 398 0 running 115 $5,675
17 32 12 Mike Alexander Bobby Allison Motorsports Buick 397 0 running 112 $4,125
18 13 9 Bill Elliott Melling Racing Ford 397 0 running 109 $9,100
19 6 25 Ken Schrader Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 397 0 running 106 $7,800
20 15 57 Jimmy Spencer Osterlund Racing Pontiac 396 0 running 103 $6,025
21 26 10 Derrike Cope Whitcomb Racing Chevrolet 393 0 running 100 $7,675
22 11 75 Rick Wilson RahMoc Enterprises Oldsmobile 384 0 running 97 $5,000
23 29 2 Rick Mast U.S. Racing Chevrolet 384 0 running 94 $6,925
24 3 66 Dick Trickle Cale Yarborough Motorsports Pontiac 372 0 engine 91 $8,600
25 30 98 Butch Miller Travis Carter Enterprises Chevrolet 333 0 running 88 $3,350
26 28 36 Kenny Wallace Randy Hope Motorsports Pontiac 315 0 crash 85 $2,550
27 19 30 Michael Waltrip Bahari Racing Pontiac 309 0 transmission 82 $4,675
28 25 52 Jimmy Means Jimmy Means Racing Pontiac 306 0 oil cooler 79 $3,100
29 23 43 Richard Petty Petty Enterprises Pontiac 201 0 crash 76 $2,475
30 31 8 Bobby Hillin Jr. Stavola Brothers Racing Buick 183 0 crash 73 $3,925
31 14 94 Sterling Marlin Hagan Racing Oldsmobile 150 0 crash 70 $3,925
32 24 20 Rob Moroso (R) Moroso Racing Oldsmobile 9 0 crash 67 $3,175
Failed to qualify
33 70 J. D. McDuffie McDuffie Racing Pontiac
34 76 Bill Sedgwick Spears Motorsports Chevrolet
35 48 Freddie Crawford James Hylton Motorsports Chevrolet
Official race results

Standings after the race

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References

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  1. ^ Robinson, Bill (April 23, 1990). "Brett Bodine secures first Winston Cup win". The Atlanta Constitution. p. 73. Retrieved September 17, 2022 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  2. ^ McFadin, Daniel (April 22, 2020). "April 22 in NASCAR: Brett Bodine gets controversial Cup win". NBC Sports. Retrieved September 17, 2022.
  3. ^ "NASCAR Today". The Charlotte Observer. April 20, 1990. p. 30. Retrieved September 17, 2022 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  4. ^ "Martin nips Bodine for First Union pole". The Greenville News. April 21, 1990. p. 6. Retrieved September 17, 2022 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  5. ^ "1990 First Union 400 - The Third Turn". The Third Turn. Retrieved September 17, 2022.
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1990 Valleydale Meats 500
NASCAR Winston Cup Series
1990 season
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1990 Hanes Activewear 500