1993 Daytona 500

1993 Daytona 500

Race details
Race 1 of 30 in the 1993 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season
Date	February 14, 1993 (1993-02-14)
Location	Daytona International Speedway
Course	Permanent racing facility 2.5 mi (4.02336 km)
Distance	200 laps, 500 mi (804.672 km)
Average speed	154.972 miles per hour (249.403 km/h)
Pole position
Driver	Kyle Petty	SABCO Racing
Qualifying race winners
Duel 1 Winner	Jeff Gordon	Hendrick Motorsports
Duel 2 Winner	Dale Earnhardt	Richard Childress Racing
Most laps led
Driver	Dale Earnhardt	Richard Childress Racing
Laps	107
Winner
18	Dale Jarrett	Joe Gibbs Racing
U.S. Television
Network	CBS
Announcers	Ken Squier, Neil Bonnett and Ned Jarrett

The 1993 Daytona 500 by STP, the 35th running of the event, was held February 14 at Daytona International Speedway. Kyle Petty's Mello Yello-sponsored #42 won the pole, putting a Petty on the Daytona 500 pole for the first time since 1966, and only the second time ever. Kyle was also the first North Carolina driver to win the 500 pole since Benny Parsons in 1982. His father Richard waved the green flag in the first Winston Cup race held since his retirement.

The Start

The first lap was led by rookie Jeff Gordon, who was the youngest winner of a Gatorade 125-mile qualifier on Thursday. Shortly after this, CBS reporter Chris Economaki said that Rookie of the Year is an award he would be almost assured of. Engine failures for Dick Trickle and Jimmy Hensley (the latter would crash in Turn 1 in his substitution for the injured Jimmy Means) brought out the first two caution flags in the first 15 laps.

Mid-Race Summary

Over the next 110 laps, Dale Earnhardt, Ken Schrader, and Kyle Petty would lead the majority of the laps, with Jeff Gordon and Bobby Hillin Jr. leading a handful of laps as legitimate leaders. 1990 winner Derrike Cope and Harry Gant also led several of these laps, but they had pitted under the early yellows to stretch their fuel runs.

Meanwhile, two-time winner Bill Elliott dropped out of the race on lap 99, the victim of overheating in his #11 Budweiser Ford Thunderbird.

The Climax

Dale Earnhardt was the leader on Lap 130 when Wally Dallenbach, Jr. brushed the Turn 4 wall. Sterling Marlin and Michael Waltrip were lined up behind him, and when Marlin backed off, Waltrip tagged him and sent him into a spin. Marlin caught air as he spun by Joe Ruttman, who was coming to the pitlane to retire with engine failure. 5 laps after the restart, Rick Wilson and Bobby Hamilton collided on the backstretch. Approaching 50 laps to go, 1991 Daytona 500 winner Ernie Irvan was turned into the wall exiting Turn 2, eliminating a possible winner. The first major wreck happened when Dale Earnhardt touched 1992 Indianapolis 500 winner Al Unser Jr. (competing in his only Winston Cup race). His #46 Valvoline Chevrolet crashed into the #90 of Bobby Hillin Jr., who spun into the path of polesitter Kyle Petty. Both had a heated verbal exchange, Hillin reportedly was telling Petty he had no brakes, but both were victims of circumstances. With 31 laps to go, Derrike Cope and Michael Waltrip touched in Turn 2. Waltrip spun down into 1989 Winston Cup Champion Rusty Wallace and sent him into a horrific series of barrel rolls in the grass. A little more than minute later, Ken Squier reported that Rusty came on the radio to crew chief Buddy Parrott and said, "I'm okay."

The Finish

By this time, Hut Stricklin and Sterling Marlin presented themselves as contenders. Earnhardt led from the restart, only to be passed briefly by Dale Jarrett. The #3 was soon in the lead again, as he was pursued by the Chevrolets of Jarrett and Jeff Gordon, and the Fords of 1986 Daytona 500 winner Geoff Bodine, Hut Stricklin, Mark Martin, and Morgan Shepherd. The "Dale and Dale Show" commenced as Jarrett passed Earnhardt in the tri-oval as they took the white flag. As the leaders exited Turn 2, the CBS Sports producers came on the headsets of Ken Squier, Neil Bonnett, and Ned Jarrett, telling Ned to "call his son home".

Quote: "Come on, Dale! Go, buddy, go! Allright, come on! I know he's got it to the floorboard; he can't do anymore! Come on! Take 'er to the inside! Don't let 'em get on the inside of you comin' around this turn! Here he comes, Earnhardt; it's the "Dale and Dale Show" as we come off Turn 4! You know who I'm pulling for, it's Dale Jarrett. Bring her to the inside, Dale! Don't let him get down there! He's gonna make it! Dale Jarrett's gonna win the Daytona 500!!!"

The next weekend at Rockingham, Ned reportedly apologized to Earnhardt for his obvious show of bias, to which an understanding Earnhardt replied, "I'm a daddy too."

Results

1. 18-Dale Jarrett, Led 8 of 200 Laps
2. 3-Dale Earnhardt, Led 107 Laps
3. 15-Geoff Bodine, Led 1 Lap
4. 27-Hut Stricklin, Led 7 Laps
5. 24-Jeff Gordon*, Led 2 Laps
6. 6-Mark Martin
7. 21-Morgan Shepherd
8. 25-Ken Schrader, Led 14 Laps
9. 8-Sterling Marlin, Led 1 Lap
10. 16-Wally Dallenbach, Jr.
11. 14-Terry Labonte
12. 12-Jimmy Spencer
13. 1-Rick Mast
14. 83-Lake Speed
15. 55-Ted Musgrave
16. 30-Michael Waltrip
17. 26-Brett Bodine
18. 17-Darrell Waltrip
19. 89-Jim Sauter, 1 Lap down
20. 22-Bobby Labonte*, 1 Lap down
21. 33-Harry Gant, 1 Lap down; Led 6 Laps
22. 41-Phil Parsons, 1 Lap down
23. 40-Kenny Wallace*, 1 Lap down
24. 9-Chad Little, 2 Laps down
25. 32-Jimmy Horton, 2 Laps down
26. 7-Alan Kulwicki, 3 Laps down
27. 68-Bobby Hamilton, 3 Laps down
28. 28-Davey Allison, 3 Laps down; Led 1 Lap
29. 66-Derrike Cope, 11 Laps down; Led 30 Laps
30. 5-Ricky Rudd, 23 Laps down
31. 42-Kyle Petty, 170 Laps Completed (Accident Damage); Led 19 Laps
32. 2-Rusty Wallace, 168 Laps (Accident)
33. 71-Dave Marcis, 36 Laps down
34. 44-Rick Wilson, 163 Laps (Accident Damage); Led 1 Lap
35. 90-Bobby Hillin Jr., 157 Laps (Accident); Led 3 Laps
36. 46-Al Unser Jr.*, 157 Laps (Accident)
37. 4-Ernie Irvan, 148 Laps (Accident)
38. 20-Joe Ruttman, 128 Laps (Engine Failure)
39. 11-Bill Elliott, 99 Laps (Engine Failure)
40. 52-Jimmy Hensley, 11 Laps (Engine Failure, Accident)
41. 75-Dick Trickle, 2 Laps (Engine Failure).

Failed to qualify

85-Dorsey Schroeder, 48-James Hylton, 45-Rich Bickle, 29-Kerry Teague, 0-Delma Cowart, 77-Mike Potter, 73-Stanley Smith, 99-Brad Teague, 31-Steve Kinser, 51-Jeff Purvis, 50-A.J. Foyt, 23-Eddie Bierschwale, and 95-Ken Ragan.