The 1991 Pepsi 400 was the 15th stock car race of the 1991 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season and the 33rd iteration of the event. The race was held on Saturday, July 6, 1991, before an audience of 80,000 in Daytona Beach, Florida at Daytona International Speedway, a 2.5 miles (4.0 km) permanent triangular-shaped superspeedway. The race took the scheduled 160 laps to complete. In the final laps of the race, Melling Racing driver Bill Elliott would manage to mount a late-race charge to the lead, passing for the lead with 13 to go to take his 34th career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his only victory of the season. To fill out the top three, Junior Johnson & Associates driver Geoff Bodine and Robert Yates Racing driver Davey Allison would finish second and third, respectively.
On lap 120 of the race, owner-driver Darrell Waltrip, along with RahMoc Enterprises driver Joe Ruttman, would both be involved in a crash on the track's back straightaway. Waltrip and Ruttman would both slide into the infield grass, and Waltrip's car, after hitting a bump in the infield, would then proceed to go into a series of violent flips, destroying Waltrip's car. Waltrip was not seriously hurt.
Background
Daytona International Speedway is one of three superspeedways to hold NASCAR races, the other two being Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway. The standard track at Daytona International Speedway is a four-turn superspeedway that is 2.5 miles (4.0 km) long. The track's turns are banked at 31 degrees, while the front stretch, the location of the finish line, is banked at 18 degrees.
Entry list (R) denotes rookie driver.
#DriverTeamMake1Rick MastPrecision Products RacingOldsmobile2Rusty WallacePenske Racing SouthPontiac3Dale EarnhardtRichard Childress RacingChevrolet4Ernie IrvanMorgan–McClure MotorsportsChevrolet5Ricky RuddHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet6Mark MartinRoush RacingFord7Alan KulwickiAK RacingFord8Rick WilsonStavola Brothers RacingBuick9Bill ElliottMelling RacingFord10Derrike CopeWhitcomb RacingChevrolet11Geoff BodineJunior Johnson & AssociatesFord12Hut StricklinBobby Allison MotorsportsBuick14Mike ChaseA. J. Foyt RacingOldsmobile15Morgan ShepherdBud Moore EngineeringFord17Darrell WaltripDarrell Waltrip MotorsportsChevrolet19Chad LittleLittle RacingFord20Buddy BakerMoroso RacingOldsmobile21Dale JarrettWood Brothers RacingFord22Sterling MarlinJunior Johnson & AssociatesFord23Eddie BierschwaleB&B RacingOldsmobile24Mickey GibbsTeam III RacingPontiac25Ken SchraderHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet26Brett BodineKing RacingBuick28Davey AllisonRobert Yates RacingFord30Michael WaltripBahari RacingPontiac33Harry GantLeo Jackson MotorsportsOldsmobile41Larry PearsonLarry Hedrick MotorsportsChevrolet42Bobby Hillin Jr.SABCO RacingPontiac43Richard PettyPetty EnterprisesPontiac47Greg SacksClose RacingOldsmobile49Stanley Smith (R)BS&S MotorsportsBuick51Jeff Purvis (R)Phoenix RacingOldsmobile52Jimmy MeansJimmy Means RacingPontiac55Ted Musgrave (R)U.S. RacingPontiac66Lake SpeedCale Yarborough MotorsportsPontiac68Bobby Hamilton (R)TriStar MotorsportsOldsmobile70J. D. McDuffieMcDuffie RacingPontiac71Dave MarcisMarcis Auto RacingChevrolet73Phil BarkdollBarkdoll RacingOldsmobile75Joe RuttmanRahMoc EnterprisesOldsmobile80Jimmy HortonS&H RacingFord90Wally Dallenbach Jr. (R)Donlavey RacingFord94Terry LabonteHagan RacingOldsmobile95Kerry TeagueSadler Brothers RacingChevrolet98Jimmy SpencerTravis Carter EnterprisesChevrolet
Qualifying Qualifying was split into two rounds. The first round was held on Thursday, July 2, at 10:00 AM EST. Each driver would have one lap to set a time. During the first round, the top 20 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 Friday, July 3, at 11:00 AM EST. As with the first round, each driver would have one lap to set a time. For this specific race, positions 21-40 would be decided on time, and depending on who needed it, a select amount of positions were given to cars who had not otherwise qualified but were high enough in owner's points; up to two provisionals were given. If needed, a past champion who did not qualify on either time or provisionals could use a champion's provisional, adding one more spot to the field.
Sterling Marlin, driving for Junior Johnson & Associates, would win the pole, setting a time of 47.286 and an average speed of in the first round.
Four drivers would fail to qualify.
Full qualifying results Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed122Sterling MarlinJunior Johnson & AssociatesFord47.286190.331228Davey AllisonRobert Yates RacingFord47.391189.909333Harry GantLeo Jackson MotorsportsOldsmobile47.402189.865411Geoff BodineJunior Johnson & AssociatesFord47.618189.004568Bobby Hamilton (R)TriStar MotorsportsOldsmobile47.659188.842666Lake SpeedCale Yarborough MotorsportsPontiac47.679188.762730Michael WaltripBahari RacingPontiac47.757188.454819Chad LittleLittle RacingFord47.765188.42291Rick MastPrecision Products RacingOldsmobile47.784188.348109Bill ElliottMelling RacingFord47.788188.332114Ernie IrvanMorgan–McClure MotorsportsChevrolet47.794188.308123Dale EarnhardtRichard Childress RacingChevrolet47.795188.304135Ricky RuddHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet47.796188.300148Rick WilsonStavola Brothers RacingBuick47.910187.8521512Hut StricklinBobby Allison MotorsportsBuick47.920187.8131675Joe RuttmanRahMoc EnterprisesOldsmobile47.957187.668177Alan KulwickiAK RacingFord47.964187.6411815Morgan ShepherdBud Moore EngineeringFord48.055187.2851920Buddy BakerMoroso RacingOldsmobile48.124187.0172017Darrell WaltripDarrell Waltrip MotorsportsChevrolet48.128187.001Failed to lock in Round 12143Richard PettyPetty EnterprisesPontiac48.171186.8342225Ken SchraderHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet48.188186.7682326Brett BodineKing RacingBuick48.220186.6452455Ted Musgrave (R)U.S. RacingPontiac48.249186.5322542Bobby Hillin Jr.SABCO RacingPontiac48.265186.471266Mark MartinRoush RacingFord48.286186.3892749Stanley Smith (R)BS&S MotorsportsBuick48.298186.343282Rusty WallacePenske Racing SouthPontiac48.353186.1312951Jeff Purvis (R)Phoenix RacingOldsmobile48.378186.0353014Mike ChaseA. J. Foyt RacingOldsmobile48.439185.8013121Dale JarrettWood Brothers RacingFord48.444185.7823298Jimmy SpencerTravis Carter EnterprisesChevrolet48.554185.3613347Greg SacksClose RacingOldsmobile48.593185.2123441Larry PearsonLarry Hedrick MotorsportsChevrolet48.651184.9913524Mickey GibbsTeam III RacingPontiac48.654184.9803610Derrike CopeWhitcomb RacingChevrolet48.656184.9723773Phil BarkdollBarkdoll RacingOldsmobile48.689184.8473852Jimmy MeansJimmy Means RacingPontiac48.697184.8163971Dave MarcisMarcis Auto RacingChevrolet48.774184.5254090Wally Dallenbach Jr. (R)Donlavey RacingFord49.063183.4384194Terry LabonteHagan RacingOldsmobile49.147183.124Failed to qualify4270J. D. McDuffieMcDuffie RacingPontiac -* -*4323Eddie BierschwaleB&B RacingOldsmobile -* -*4480Jimmy HortonS&H RacingFord -* -*4595Kerry TeagueSadler Brothers RacingChevrolet -* -*Official first round qualifying resultsOfficial starting lineup
Race results FinSt#DriverTeamMakeLapsLedStatusPtsWinnings1109Bill ElliottMelling RacingFord16013running180$75,0002411Geoff BodineJunior Johnson & AssociatesFord1604running175$48,3253228Davey AllisonRobert Yates RacingFord16011running170$36,95042225Ken SchraderHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet16021running165$27,4505114Ernie IrvanMorgan–McClure MotorsportsChevrolet16085running165$36,5256730Michael WaltripBahari RacingPontiac1604running155$17,3007123Dale EarnhardtRichard Childress RacingChevrolet1608running151$23,2008122Sterling MarlinJunior Johnson & AssociatesFord1602running147$17,1009135Ricky RuddHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet1608running143$16,500103298Jimmy SpencerTravis Carter EnterprisesChevrolet1602running139$15,80011266Mark MartinRoush RacingFord1600running130$17,09012282Rusty WallacePenske Racing SouthPontiac1600running127$9,600131920Buddy BakerMoroso RacingOldsmobile1600running124$9,21014177Alan KulwickiAK RacingFord1600running121$14,070152542Bobby Hillin Jr.SABCO RacingPontiac1600running118$14,480161512Hut StricklinBobby Allison MotorsportsBuick1602running120$10,440173610Derrike CopeWhitcomb RacingChevrolet1600running112$14,825183121Dale JarrettWood Brothers RacingFord1600running109$9,8101991Rick MastPrecision Products RacingOldsmobile1600running106$9,295201815Morgan ShepherdBud Moore EngineeringFord1590running103$13,730213441Larry PearsonLarry Hedrick MotorsportsChevrolet1590running100$5,510222143Richard PettyPetty EnterprisesPontiac1590running97$8,49023333Harry GantLeo Jackson MotorsportsOldsmobile1590running94$8,47024148Rick WilsonStavola Brothers RacingBuick1580running91$8,050253971Dave MarcisMarcis Auto RacingChevrolet1570running88$7,930263852Jimmy MeansJimmy Means RacingPontiac1570running85$4,810273524Mickey GibbsTeam III RacingPontiac1540running82$5,44028568Bobby Hamilton (R)TriStar MotorsportsOldsmobile1530running79$6,07029819Chad LittleLittle RacingFord1500running764,475302951Jeff Purvis (R)Phoenix RacingOldsmobile1440running73$5,080311675Joe RuttmanRahMoc EnterprisesOldsmobile1250crash70$7,000322017Darrell WaltripDarrell Waltrip MotorsportsChevrolet1190crash67$5,945333014Mike ChaseA. J. Foyt RacingOldsmobile1060crash64$4,265344090Wally Dallenbach Jr. (R)Donlavey RacingFord890ignition61$4,585353773Phil BarkdollBarkdoll RacingOldsmobile840crash58$4,205362326Brett BodineKing RacingBuick170engine55$6,800372455Ted Musgrave (R)U.S. RacingPontiac120crash52$4,74538666Lake SpeedCale Yarborough MotorsportsPontiac120crash49$6,130393347Greg SacksClose RacingOldsmobile120crash46$4,120402749Stanley Smith (R)BS&S MotorsportsBuick120crash43$4,080414194Terry LabonteHagan RacingOldsmobile80quit40$6,080Official race results
Standings after the race
Drivers' Championship standings Pos Driver Points 1 Dale Earnhardt 2,353 2 Ricky Rudd 2,207 (-146) 1 3 Ernie Irvan 2,139 (-214) 1 4 Ken Schrader 2,137 (–216) 1 5 Davey Allison 2,124 (–229) 3 6 Darrell Waltrip 2,060 (–293) 7 Harry Gant 2,000 (–353) 8 Mark Martin 1,985 (–368) 1 9 Michael Waltrip 1,852 (–501) 1 10 Sterling Marlin 1,841 (–512)Official driver's standings Note: Only the first 10 positions are included for the driver standings.
References