The 1995 Dura Lube 500 was the 30th and penultimate stock car race of the 1995 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, the 15th and final race of the 1995 NASCAR Winston West Series, and the eighth iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, October 29, 1995, in Avondale, Arizona at Phoenix International Raceway, a 1-mile (1.6 km) permanent low-banked tri-oval race track. The race took the scheduled 312 laps to complete. On the final restart with six to go, Ricky Rudd, driving for his own Rudd Performance Motorsports team, would manage to defend the field to take his 16th career NASCAR Winston Cup Series season, his only victory of the season, and with the win, maintaining a streak of 13 straight seasons with a victory. To fill out the top three, Bobby Allison Motorsports driver Derrike Cope and Richard Childress Racing driver Dale Earnhardt would finish second and third, respectively.
Heading into the final race of the season, the 1995 NAPA 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Hendrick Motorsports driver Jeff Gordon was the heavy favorite to win the championship, only needing a finish of 41st or better to clinch his first NASCAR Winston Cup Series championship. The second-place driver, Richard Childress Racing driver Dale Earnhardt, was 147 points behind Gordon.
Background
Phoenix International Raceway – also known as PIR – is a one-mile, low-banked tri-oval race track located in Avondale, Arizona. It is named after the nearby metropolitan area of Phoenix. The motorsport track opened in 1964 and currently hosts two NASCAR race weekends annually. PIR has also hosted the IndyCar Series, CART, USAC and the Rolex Sports Car Series. The raceway is currently owned and operated by International Speedway Corporation.
The raceway was originally constructed with a 2.5 mi (4.0 km) road course that ran both inside and outside of the main tri-oval. In 1991 the track was reconfigured with the current 1.51 mi (2.43 km) interior layout. PIR has an estimated grandstand seating capacity of around 67,000. Lights were installed around the track in 2004 following the addition of a second annual NASCAR race weekend.
Entry list
(R) denotes rookie driver.
#DriverTeamMake00WScott GaylordOliver RacingFord1Rick MastPrecision Products RacingPontiac2Rusty WallacePenske Racing SouthFord3Dale EarnhardtRichard Childress RacingChevrolet4Sterling MarlinMorgan–McClure MotorsportsChevrolet5Terry LabonteHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet6Mark MartinRoush RacingFord7Geoff BodineGeoff Bodine RacingFord7WL. J. PryorRed Eagle RacingChevrolet07Doug GeorgeOlson Technology RacingFord8Jeff BurtonStavola Brothers RacingFord08Mike BlissUltra MotorsportsFord9Lake SpeedMelling RacingFord10Ricky RuddRudd Performance MotorsportsFord11Brett BodineJunior Johnson & AssociatesFord12Derrike CopeBobby Allison MotorsportsFord15Dick TrickleBud Moore EngineeringFord16Ted MusgraveRoush RacingFord17Darrell WaltripDarrell Waltrip MotorsportsChevrolet18Bobby LabonteJoe Gibbs RacingChevrolet19Ernie CopeLew Miller RacingChevrolet21Morgan ShepherdWood Brothers RacingFord22Ward BurtonBill Davis RacingPontiac23Jimmy SpencerHaas-Carter MotorsportsFord24Jeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet25Ken SchraderHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet26Hut StricklinKing RacingFord27Elton SawyerJunior Johnson & AssociatesFord28Dale JarrettRobert Yates RacingFord29Steve GrissomDiamond Ridge MotorsportsChevrolet30Michael WaltripBahari RacingPontiac32Greg SacksActive MotorsportsChevrolet33Robert Pressley (R)Leo Jackson MotorsportsChevrolet36WRich Woodland Jr.Gilliland RacingChevrolet37John AndrettiKranefuss-Haas RacingFord40Shane HallDick Brooks RacingPontiac41Ricky Craven (R)Larry Hedrick MotorsportsChevrolet42Kyle PettyTeam SABCOPontiac43Bobby HamiltonPetty EnterprisesPontiac45Ron Hornaday Jr.JTC RacingChevrolet50A. J. FoytA. J. Foyt RacingFord58WWayne JacksJacks MotorsportsPontiac71Dave MarcisMarcis Auto RacingChevrolet75Todd BodineButch Mock MotorsportsFord77Bobby Hillin Jr.Jasper MotorsportsFord81Kenny WallaceFILMAR RacingFord87Joe NemechekNEMCO MotorsportsChevrolet88Ernie IrvanRobert Yates RacingFord90Mike WallaceDonlavey RacingFord94Bill ElliottElliott-Hardy RacingFord97Chad LittleMark Rypien MotorsportsFord98Jeremy MayfieldCale Yarborough MotorsportsFord
Qualifying Qualifying was split into two rounds. The first round was held on Friday, October 27, at 4:00 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 28, at 3:00 PM EST. As with the first round, each driver would have one lap to set a time. For this specific race, positions 26-38 would be decided on time, and four spots would be determined by NASCAR Winston Cup Series provisionals, while two more additional provisionals would be given to teams in the Winston West Series.
Bill Elliott, driving for Elliott-Hardy Racing, would win the pole, setting a time of 27.688 and an average speed of in the first round.
Eight drivers would fail to qualify.
Full qualifying results Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed194Bill ElliottElliott-Hardy RacingFord27.688130.02023Dale EarnhardtRichard Childress RacingChevrolet27.700129.964324Jeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet27.738129.78641Rick MastPrecision Products RacingFord27.741129.77256Mark MartinRoush RacingFord27.779129.59462Rusty WallacePenske Racing SouthFord27.795129.520711Brett BodineJunior Johnson & AssociatesFord27.806129.468843Bobby HamiltonPetty EnterprisesPontiac27.865129.190921Morgan ShepherdWood Brothers RacingFord27.889129.0831042Kyle PettyTeam SABCOPontiac27.891129.0741133Robert Pressley (R)Leo Jackson MotorsportsChevrolet27.930128.8941216Ted MusgraveRoush RacingFord27.968128.7191337John AndrettiKranefuss-Haas RacingFord27.971128.7051488Ernie IrvanRobert Yates RacingFord27.983128.6501525Ken SchraderHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet27.984128.645165Terry LabonteHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet27.994128.5991798Jeremy MayfieldCale Yarborough MotorsportsFord27.994128.5991812Derrike CopeBobby Allison MotorsportsFord27.999128.5761926Hut StricklinKing RacingFord28.005128.548204Sterling MarlinMorgan–McClure MotorsportsChevrolet28.012128.5162117Darrell WaltripDarrell Waltrip MotorsportsChevrolet28.017128.4932232Greg SacksActive MotorsportsChevrolet28.027128.4482318Bobby LabonteJoe Gibbs RacingChevrolet28.056128.3152427Elton SawyerJunior Johnson & AssociatesFord28.058128.306258Jeff BurtonStavola Brothers RacingFord28.064128.278Failed to lock in Round 12628Dale JarrettRobert Yates RacingFord28.067128.2652781Kenny WallaceFILMAR RacingFord28.073128.2372823Jimmy SpencerTravis Carter EnterprisesFord28.092128.1502910Ricky RuddRudd Performance MotorsportsFord28.097128.1283071Dave MarcisMarcis Auto RacingChevrolet28.097128.128319Lake SpeedMelling RacingFord28.099128.1183215Dick TrickleBud Moore EngineeringFord28.102128.1053329Steve GrissomDiamond Ridge MotorsportsChevrolet28.182127.7413422Ward BurtonBill Davis RacingPontiac28.193127.6913587Joe NemechekNEMCO MotorsportsChevrolet28.264127.3713645Ron Hornaday Jr.JTC RacingChevrolet28.337127.0423730Michael WaltripBahari RacingPontiac28.344127.0113877Bobby Hillin Jr.Jasper MotorsportsFord28.360126.939Winston Cup provisionals397Geoff BodineGeoff Bodine RacingFord -* -*4041Ricky Craven (R)Larry Hedrick MotorsportsChevrolet -* -*4175Todd BodineButch Mock MotorsportsFord -* -*4290Mike WallaceDonlavey RacingFord -* -*Winston West provisionals4307Doug GeorgeOlson Technology RacingFord -* -*4419Ernie CopeLew Miller RacingChevrolet -* -*Failed to qualify4550A. J. FoytA. J. Foyt RacingFord -* -*4697Chad LittleMark Rypien MotorsportsFord -* -*4708Mike BlissUltra MotorsportsFord -* -*4840Shane HallDick Brooks RacingPontiac -* -*4900WScott GaylordOliver RacingFord -* -*5058WWayne JacksJacks MotorsportsPontiac -* -*517WL. J. PryorRed Eagle RacingChevrolet -* -*5236WRich Woodland Jr.Gilliland RacingChevrolet -* -*Official first round qualifying resultsOfficial starting lineup
Race results FinSt#DriverTeamMakeLapsLedStatusPtsWinnings12910Ricky RuddRudd Performance MotorsportsFord31263running180$78,26021812Derrike CopeBobby Allison MotorsportsFord31234running175$52,205323Dale EarnhardtRichard Childress RacingChevrolet31271running170$49,105462Rusty WallacePenske Racing SouthFord31222running165$36,1185324Jeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet3120running155$33,58061216Ted MusgraveRoush RacingFord3120running150$25,4207921Morgan ShepherdWood Brothers RacingFord3120running146$23,670856Mark MartinRoush RacingFord3120running142$28,670941Rick MastPrecision Products RacingFord3120running138$22,270101525Ken SchraderHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet3120running134$24,270112628Dale JarrettRobert Yates RacingFord3120running130$26,07012204Sterling MarlinMorgan–McClure MotorsportsChevrolet3120running127$24,17013165Terry LabonteHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet3120running124$25,67014194Bill ElliottElliott-Hardy RacingFord3129running126$19,870151337John AndrettiKranefuss-Haas RacingFord3120running118$15,37016397Geoff BodineGeoff Bodine RacingFord3120running115$24,57017711Brett BodineJunior Johnson & AssociatesFord3120running112$22,870183587Joe NemechekNEMCO MotorsportsChevrolet3110running109$13,745191133Robert Pressley (R)Leo Jackson MotorsportsChevrolet3110running106$19,445201798Jeremy MayfieldCale Yarborough MotorsportsFord3110running103$11,110213877Bobby Hillin Jr.Jasper MotorsportsFord3110running100$9,33522319Lake SpeedMelling RacingFord3110running97$13,01023258Jeff BurtonStavola Brothers RacingFord3110running94$17,885244041Ricky Craven (R)Larry Hedrick MotorsportsChevrolet3111running96$13,235254175Todd BodineButch Mock MotorsportsFord3110running88$17,810262781Kenny WallaceFILMAR RacingFord3090running85$9,185273645Ron Hornaday Jr.JTC RacingChevrolet3070running82$9,660283071Dave MarcisMarcis Auto RacingChevrolet3060running79$12,435293215Dick TrickleBud Moore EngineeringFord3040running76$17,310302427Elton SawyerJunior Johnson & AssociatesFord2980crash73$17,08531843Bobby HamiltonPetty EnterprisesPontiac2930running70$12,160323329Steve GrissomDiamond Ridge MotorsportsChevrolet2890running67$11,785332823Jimmy SpencerTravis Carter EnterprisesFord2880running64$11,760343730Michael WaltripBahari RacingPontiac2770running61$16,235351926Hut StricklinKing RacingFord2430spoiler58$13,710364290Mike WallaceDonlavey RacingFord2401engine60$8,685372318Bobby LabonteJoe Gibbs RacingChevrolet2350running52$21,665382117Darrell WaltripDarrell Waltrip MotorsportsChevrolet2310oil belt49$13,605391042Kyle PettyTeam SABCOPontiac2300crash46$14,605401488Ernie IrvanRobert Yates RacingFord197111engine53$20,605414307Doug GeorgeOlson Technology RacingFord1780crash40$8,605423422Ward BurtonBill Davis RacingPontiac1160engine37$13,605432232Greg SacksActive MotorsportsChevrolet380brakes34$8,605444419Ernie CopeLew Miller RacingChevrolet190engine31$8,605Official race results
References