The 1999 Pop Secret Microwave Popcorn 400 was the 31st stock car race of the 1999 NASCAR Winston Cup Series and the 35th iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, October 24, 1999, before an audience of 50,000 in Rockingham, North Carolina, at Rockingham Speedway, a permanent high-banked racetrack. The race took the scheduled 393 laps to complete. In the final laps of the race, Roush Racing driver Jeff Burton would manage to pull away from the field with 68 to go to win his 11th career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his sixth and final victory of the season. To fill out the podium, Bill Davis Racing driver Ward Burton and Joe Gibbs Racing driver Bobby Labonte would finish second and third, respectively.

Background

Rockingham Speedway is a D-shaped oval track in Rockingham, North Carolina. The track has held a variety of events since its opening in 1965, including the NASCAR Cup Series from 1965 to 2004, and currently the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. It has a 32,000-seat capacity as of 2012. Rockingham Speedway is owned by the International Hot Rod Association (IHRA).

Entry list

(R) denotes rookie driver.

#DriverTeamMake1Steve ParkDale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet2Rusty WallacePenske-Kranefuss RacingFord3Dale EarnhardtRichard Childress RacingChevrolet4Bobby HamiltonMorgan–McClure MotorsportsChevrolet5Terry LabonteHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet6Mark MartinRoush RacingFord7Michael WaltripMattei MotorsportsChevrolet9Stacy ComptonMelling RacingFord10Ricky RuddRudd Performance MotorsportsFord11Brett BodineBrett Bodine RacingFord12Jeremy MayfieldPenske-Kranefuss RacingFord16Kevin LepageRoush RacingFord17Matt KensethRoush RacingFord18Bobby LabonteJoe Gibbs RacingPontiac20Tony Stewart (R)Joe Gibbs RacingPontiac21Elliott Sadler (R)Wood Brothers RacingFord22Ward BurtonBill Davis RacingPontiac23Jimmy SpencerHaas-Carter MotorsportsFord24Jeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet25Wally Dallenbach Jr.Hendrick MotorsportsChevrolet26Johnny Benson Jr.Roush RacingFord28Kenny Irwin Jr.Robert Yates RacingFord30Mike BlissBahari RacingPontiac31Mike SkinnerRichard Childress RacingChevrolet33Ken SchraderAndy Petree RacingChevrolet36Jerry NadeauMB2 MotorsportsPontiac40Sterling MarlinTeam SABCOChevrolet41Derrike CopeLarry Hedrick MotorsportsChevrolet42Joe NemechekTeam SABCOChevrolet43John AndrettiPetty EnterprisesPontiac44Kyle PettyPetty EnterprisesPontiac45David GreenTyler Jet MotorsportsPontiac50Ricky CravenMidwest Transit RacingChevrolet55Kenny WallaceAndy Petree RacingChevrolet58Hut StricklinSBIII MotorsportsFord60Geoff BodineJoe Bessey RacingChevrolet66Darrell WaltripHaas-Carter MotorsportsFord71Dave MarcisMarcis Auto RacingChevrolet75Ted MusgraveButch Mock MotorsportsFord77Robert PressleyJasper MotorsportsFord88Dale JarrettRobert Yates RacingFord90Ed BerrierDonlavey RacingFord91Rich BickleLJ RacingChevrolet94Bill ElliottBill Elliott RacingFord97Chad LittleRoush RacingFord98Rick MastCale Yarborough MotorsportsFord99Jeff BurtonRoush RacingFordOfficial entry list

Practice

First practice The first practice session was held on Friday, October 22, at 10:00 AM EST. The session would last for one hour and 15 minutes. Dale Jarrett, driving for Robert Yates Racing, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 23.346 and an average speed of . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed188Dale JarrettRobert Yates RacingFord23.346156.823222Ward BurtonBill Davis RacingPontiac23.494155.836312Jeremy MayfieldPenske-Kranefuss RacingFord23.501155.789Full first practice results

Second practice The second practice session was held on Friday, October 22, at 12:00 PM EST. The session would last for 30 minutes. Jeff Gordon, driving for Hendrick Motorsports, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 23.272 and an average speed of . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed124Jeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet23.272157.322220Tony Stewart (R)Joe Gibbs RacingPontiac23.366156.689312Jeremy MayfieldPenske-Kranefuss RacingFord23.416156.355Full second practice results

Final practice The final practice session, sometimes referred to as Happy Hour, was held on Saturday, October 23. The session would last for one hour. Ward Burton, driving for Bill Davis Racing, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 24.018 and an average speed of . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed122Ward BurtonBill Davis RacingPontiac24.018152.43622Rusty WallacePenske-Kranefuss RacingFord24.058152.182312Jeremy MayfieldPenske-Kranefuss RacingFord24.083152.024Full Happy Hour practice results

Qualifying Qualifying was split into two rounds. The first round was held on Friday, October 22, at 2:00 PM EST. Each driver would have one lap to set a time. During the first round, the top 25 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, October 23, at 9:30 AM EST. As with the first round, each driver would have one lap to set a time. Positions 26-36 would be decided on time, while positions 37-43 would be based on provisionals. Six spots are awarded by the use of provisionals based on owner's points. The seventh is awarded to a past champion who has not otherwise qualified for the race. If no past champion needs the provisional, the next team in the owner points will be awarded a provisional.

Mark Martin, driving for Roush Racing, would win the pole, setting a time of 23.263 and an average speed of .

Four drivers would fail to qualify: Dave Marcis, Rich Bickle, Hut Stricklin, and Ed Berrier.

Full qualifying results Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed16Mark MartinRoush RacingFord23.263157.383212Jeremy MayfieldPenske-Kranefuss RacingFord23.306157.093388Dale JarrettRobert Yates RacingFord23.327156.951424Jeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet23.348156.810518Bobby LabonteJoe Gibbs RacingPontiac23.349156.803699Jeff BurtonRoush RacingFord23.398156.475750Ricky CravenMidwest Transit RacingChevrolet23.412156.381820Tony Stewart (R)Joe Gibbs RacingPontiac23.462156.048960Geoff BodineJoe Bessey RacingChevrolet23.465156.0281033Ken SchraderAndy Petree RacingChevrolet23.471155.9881122Ward BurtonBill Davis RacingPontiac23.488155.8751242Joe NemechekTeam SABCOChevrolet23.503155.776135Terry LabonteHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet23.512155.7161425Wally Dallenbach Jr.Hendrick MotorsportsChevrolet23.519155.6701510Ricky RuddRudd Performance MotorsportsFord23.529155.6041698Rick MastCale Yarborough MotorsportsFord23.531155.5901717Matt KensethRoush RacingFord23.548155.4781843John AndrettiPetty EnterprisesPontiac23.550155.4651928Kenny Irwin Jr.Robert Yates RacingFord23.563155.3792075Ted MusgraveButch Mock MotorsportsFord23.566155.3592126Johnny Benson Jr.Roush RacingFord23.567155.353227Michael WaltripMattei MotorsportsChevrolet23.568155.3462340Sterling MarlinTeam SABCOChevrolet23.573155.3132445David GreenTyler Jet MotorsportsPontiac23.581155.261252Rusty WallacePenske-Kranefuss RacingFord23.583155.2472655Kenny WallaceAndy Petree RacingChevrolet23.445156.1612716Kevin LepageRoush RacingFord23.536155.5572844Kyle PettyPetty EnterprisesPontiac23.589155.5082941Derrike CopeLarry Hedrick MotorsportsChevrolet23.591155.1953021Elliott Sadler (R)Wood Brothers RacingFord23.604155.1093177Robert PressleyJasper MotorsportsFord23.605155.1033236Jerry NadeauMB2 MotorsportsPontiac23.608155.0833366Darrell WaltripHaas-Carter MotorsportsFord23.613155.0503494Bill ElliottBill Elliott RacingFord23.614155.044354Bobby HamiltonMorgan–McClure MotorsportsChevrolet23.622154.9913611Brett BodineBrett Bodine RacingFord23.644154.847Provisionals373Dale EarnhardtRichard Childress RacingChevrolet -* -*3831Mike SkinnerRichard Childress RacingChevrolet -* -*391Steve ParkDale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet -* -*4023Jimmy SpencerHaas-Carter MotorsportsFord -* -*4197Chad LittleRoush RacingFord -* -*429Stacy ComptonMelling RacingFord -* -*4330Mike BlissBahari RacingPontiac -* -*Failed to qualify4471Dave MarcisMarcis Auto RacingChevrolet23.659154.7494591Rich BickleLJ RacingChevrolet23.866153.4074658Hut StricklinSBIII MotorsportsFord23.922153.0474790Ed BerrierDonlavey RacingFord24.071152.100Official starting lineup

Race results FinSt#DriverTeamMakeLapsLedStatusPtsWinnings1699Jeff BurtonRoush RacingFord39371running180$104,71521122Ward BurtonBill Davis RacingPontiac39326running175$78,6253518Bobby LabonteJoe Gibbs RacingPontiac3931running170$67,0754388Dale JarrettRobert Yates RacingFord393160running170$61,1755252Rusty WallacePenske-Kranefuss RacingFord393107running160$60,875616Mark MartinRoush RacingFord3934running155$55,85071843John AndrettiPetty EnterprisesPontiac3930running146$51,45082340Sterling MarlinTeam SABCOChevrolet3930running142$43,1009212Jeremy MayfieldPenske-Kranefuss RacingFord39222running143$43,65010354Bobby HamiltonMorgan–McClure MotorsportsChevrolet3920running134$54,56511424Jeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet3920running130$50,79012820Tony Stewart (R)Joe Gibbs RacingPontiac3920running127$43,600131928Kenny Irwin Jr.Robert Yates RacingFord3920running124$39,05014135Terry LabonteHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet3922running126$41,65015391Steve ParkDale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet3920running118$38,850162655Kenny WallaceAndy Petree RacingChevrolet3910running115$33,365173831Mike SkinnerRichard Childress RacingChevrolet3910running112$36,950183021Elliott Sadler (R)Wood Brothers RacingFord3910running109$37,150191510Ricky RuddRudd Performance MotorsportsFord3910running106$36,150204023Jimmy SpencerHaas-Carter MotorsportsFord3910running103$38,765214197Chad LittleRoush RacingFord3900running100$35,600222716Kevin LepageRoush RacingFord3900running97$35,250232844Kyle PettyPetty EnterprisesPontiac3900running94$27,625242445David GreenTyler Jet MotorsportsPontiac3890running91$27,300252941Derrike CopeLarry Hedrick MotorsportsChevrolet3890running88$27,300261242Joe NemechekTeam SABCOChevrolet3890running85$33,70027227Michael WaltripMattei MotorsportsChevrolet3890running82$33,400282126Johnny Benson Jr.Roush RacingFord3880running79$33,100293177Robert PressleyJasper MotorsportsFord3870running76$25,925301033Ken SchraderAndy Petree RacingChevrolet3860running73$32,52531960Geoff BodineJoe Bessey RacingChevrolet3860running70$22,650322075Ted MusgraveButch Mock MotorsportsFord3860running67$22,525333494Bill ElliottBill Elliott RacingFord3850running64$29,400343366Darrell WaltripHaas-Carter MotorsportsFord3850running61$22,275351717Matt KensethRoush RacingFord3820engine58$22,15036429Stacy ComptonMelling RacingFord3820running55$22,600373236Jerry NadeauMB2 MotorsportsPontiac3780running52$29,050381698Rick MastCale Yarborough MotorsportsFord3690running49$22,000391425Wally Dallenbach Jr.Hendrick MotorsportsChevrolet3190crash46$32,55040373Dale EarnhardtRichard Childress RacingChevrolet3180crash43$36,90041750Ricky CravenMidwest Transit RacingChevrolet3090crash40$21,850424330Mike BlissBahari RacingPontiac2780engine37$21,800433611Brett BodineBrett Bodine RacingFord1270engine34$28,944Failed to qualify4471Dave MarcisMarcis Auto RacingChevrolet4591Rich BickleLJ RacingChevrolet4658Hut StricklinSBIII MotorsportsFord4790Ed BerrierDonlavey RacingFordOfficial race results

References