The 1990 AC Delco 500 was the 27th stock car race of the 1990 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season and the 26th iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, October 21, 1990, before an audience of 55,800 in Rockingham, North Carolina, at North Carolina Speedway, a permanent high-banked racetrack. At race's end, owner-driver Alan Kulwicki would manage to dominate the late stages of the race to take his second career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his only victory of the season. To fill out the top three, Melling Racing driver Bill Elliott and Leo Jackson Motorsports driver Harry Gant would finish second and third, respectively.

In the driver's championship, second-place driver in the standings, Dale Earnhardt, was able to gain four points over first-place driver Mark Martin, dropping Martin's lead down to 45 points.

Background

North Carolina Speedway was opened as a flat, one-mile oval on October 31, 1965. In 1969, the track was extensively reconfigured to a high-banked, D-shaped oval just over one mile in length. In 1997, North Carolina Motor Speedway merged with Penske Motorsports, and was renamed North Carolina Speedway. Shortly thereafter, the infield was reconfigured, and competition on the infield road course, mostly by the SCCA, was discontinued. Currently, the track is home to the Fast Track High Performance Driving School.

Entry list (R) denotes rookie driver.

#DriverTeamMakeSponsor0Delma CowartH. L. Waters RacingFordMasters Inn Economy1Terry LabontePrecision Products RacingOldsmobileSkoal2Rick JeffreyU.S. RacingChevroletKFC3Dale EarnhardtRichard Childress RacingChevroletGM Goodwrench Service Plus4Ernie IrvanMorgan–McClure MotorsportsOldsmobileKodak5Ricky RuddHendrick MotorsportsChevroletLevi Garrett6Mark MartinRoush RacingFordFolgers7Alan KulwickiAK RacingFordZerex8Bobby Hillin Jr.Stavola Brothers RacingBuickSnickers9Bill ElliottMelling RacingFordCoors Light10Derrike CopeWhitcomb RacingChevroletPurolator Filters11Geoff BodineJunior Johnson & AssociatesFordBudweiser12Hut StricklinBobby Allison MotorsportsBuickRaybestos13Mike SkinnerMansion MotorsportsChevroletGlidden15Morgan ShepherdBud Moore EngineeringFordMotorcraft17Darrell WaltripHendrick MotorsportsChevroletTide19Chad LittleLittle RacingFordBull's-Eye Barbecue Sauce20Jimmy HensleyMoroso RacingOldsmobileCrown Central Petroleum21Dale JarrettWood Brothers RacingFordCitgo25Ken SchraderHendrick MotorsportsChevroletKodiak26Brett BodineKing RacingBuickQuaker State27Rusty WallaceBlue Max RacingPontiacMiller Genuine Draft28Davey AllisonRobert Yates RacingFordTexaco, Havoline30Michael WaltripBahari RacingPontiacCountry Time33Harry GantLeo Jackson MotorsportsOldsmobileSkoal Bandit40Tommy KendallReno EnterprisesChevroletElectronic Data Systems41Larry PearsonLarry Hedrick MotorsportsChevroletGeneral Motors Auctions42Kyle PettySABCO RacingPontiacPeak Antifreeze43Richard PettyPetty EnterprisesPontiacSTP47Jack Pennington (R)Close RacingOldsmobileSandoz Chemicals48James HyltonHylton MotorsportsPontiacHylton Motorsports50Ted MusgraveRaDiUs MotorsportsChevroletRaDiUs Motorsports51Jeff PurvisPhoenix RacingChevroletPlasti-Kote52Jimmy MeansJimmy Means RacingPontiacAlka-Seltzer57Jim BownOsterlund RacingPontiacHeinz66Dick TrickleCale Yarborough MotorsportsPontiacPhillips 66 TropArtic70J. D. McDuffieMcDuffie RacingPontiacMcDuffie Racing71Dave MarcisMarcis Auto RacingChevroletBig Apple Market72Tracy LeslieParker RacingOldsmobileDetroit Gasket75Rick WilsonRahMoc EnterprisesPontiacDinner Bell Foods82Mark StahlStahl RacingFordHooters93Charlie BakerBaker RacingBuickBaker Racing94Sterling MarlinHagan RacingOldsmobileSunoco98Rick MastTravis Carter EnterprisesChevroletBanquet Foods

Qualifying Qualifying was split into two rounds. The first round was held on Thursday, October 18, at 2:30 PM 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, October 19, at 2:00 PM 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 were given.

Ken Schrader, driving for Hendrick Motorsports, would win the pole, setting a time of 24.769 and an average speed of in the first round.

Four drivers would fail to qualify.

Full qualifying results Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed125Ken SchraderHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet24.769147.817228Davey AllisonRobert Yates RacingFord24.880147.15437Alan KulwickiAK RacingFord24.909146.983433Harry GantLeo Jackson MotorsportsOldsmobile25.003146.43059Bill ElliottMelling RacingFord25.018146.343642Kyle PettySABCO RacingPontiac25.036146.237711Geoff BodineJunior Johnson & AssociatesFord25.057146.115898Rick MastTravis Carter EnterprisesChevrolet25.064146.07494Ernie IrvanMorgan–McClure MotorsportsChevrolet25.069146.0451021Dale JarrettWood Brothers RacingFord25.098145.876115Ricky RuddHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet25.121145.743121Terry LabontePrecision Products RacingOldsmobile25.154145.5511312Hut StricklinBobby Allison MotorsportsBuick25.174145.4361466Dick TrickleCale Yarborough MotorsportsPontiac25.176145.4241510Derrike CopeWhitcomb RacingChevrolet25.222145.1591630Michael WaltripBahari RacingPontiac25.247145.0151775Rick WilsonRahMoc EnterprisesPontiac25.255144.9691826Brett BodineKing RacingBuick25.265144.9121927Rusty WallaceBlue Max RacingPontiac25.266144.906203Dale EarnhardtRichard Childress RacingChevrolet25.282144.814Failed to lock in Round 1216Mark MartinRoush RacingFord24.922146.9082215Morgan ShepherdBud Moore EngineeringFord24.935146.8302320Jimmy HensleyMoroso RacingOldsmobile25.154145.5512451Jeff PurvisPhoenix RacingChevrolet25.186145.3662571Dave MarcisMarcis Auto RacingChevrolet25.288144.7802619Chad LittleLittle RacingFord25.326144.563278Bobby Hillin Jr.Stavola Brothers RacingBuick25.410144.0852817Darrell WaltripHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet25.425144.0002994Sterling MarlinHagan RacingOldsmobile25.435143.9433041Larry PearsonLarry Hedrick MotorsportsChevrolet25.448143.8703147Jack Pennington (R)Close RacingOldsmobile25.464143.779322Rick JeffreyU.S. RacingChevrolet25.487143.6503313Mike SkinnerMansion MotorsportsBuick25.527143.4253440Tommy KendallReno EnterprisesChevrolet25.601143.0103543Richard PettyPetty EnterprisesPontiac25.609142.9653650Ted MusgraveRaDiUs MotorsportsChevrolet25.790141.9623772Tracy LeslieParker RacingOldsmobile25.803141.8903857Jim BownOsterlund RacingPontiac25.809141.8573952Jimmy MeansJimmy Means RacingPontiac25.868141.5344093Charlie BakerBaker RacingBuick26.043140.583Failed to qualify4148James HyltonHylton MotorsportsPontiac -* -*4270J. D. McDuffieMcDuffie RacingPontiac -* -*430Delma CowartH. L. Waters RacingFord -* -*4482Mark StahlStahl RacingFord -* -*Official first round qualifying resultsOfficial starting lineup

Race results FinSt#DriverTeamMakeLapsLedStatusPtsWinnings137Alan KulwickiAK RacingFord492151running180$53,300259Bill ElliottMelling RacingFord49282running175$40,7753433Harry GantLeo Jackson MotorsportsOldsmobile4920running165$23,5754711Geoff BodineJunior Johnson & AssociatesFord4924running165$23,6255125Ken SchraderHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet49231running160$26,02562994Sterling MarlinHagan RacingOldsmobile4910running150$12,8827115Ricky RuddHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet4910running146$10,92582817Darrell WaltripHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet4913running147$15,425994Ernie IrvanMorgan–McClure MotorsportsChevrolet4900running138$10,32510203Dale EarnhardtRichard Childress RacingChevrolet4900running134$19,75011216Mark MartinRoush RacingFord4900running130$13,350122215Morgan ShepherdBud Moore EngineeringFord4900running127$10,02513121Terry LabontePrecision Products RacingOldsmobile4900running124$9,17514278Bobby Hillin Jr.Stavola Brothers RacingBuick4900running121$8,875151630Michael WaltripBahari RacingPontiac4890running118$9,050161021Dale JarrettWood Brothers RacingFord4890running115$8,525171826Brett BodineKing RacingBuick4890running112$10,825181775Rick WilsonRahMoc EnterprisesPontiac4870running109$7,475193041Larry PearsonLarry Hedrick MotorsportsChevrolet4870running106$4,27520642Kyle PettySABCO RacingPontiac485207running113$13,850213543Richard PettyPetty EnterprisesPontiac4850running100$5,35022898Rick MastTravis Carter EnterprisesChevrolet4840running97$4,650232571Dave MarcisMarcis Auto RacingChevrolet4832running99$6,950243147Jack Pennington (R)Close RacingOldsmobile4820running91$4,400252619Chad LittleLittle RacingFord4790running88$3,675263440Tommy KendallReno EnterprisesChevrolet4770running85$3,525273857Jim BownOsterlund RacingPontiac4770running82$4,175283952Jimmy MeansJimmy Means RacingPontiac4710running79$4,10029228Davey AllisonRobert Yates RacingFord47012running81$14,70030322Rick JeffreyU.S. RacingChevrolet4670running73$5,300312320Jimmy HensleyMoroso RacingOldsmobile4520running70$3,850321927Rusty WallaceBlue Max RacingPontiac4210engine67$14,075331510Derrike CopeWhitcomb RacingChevrolet2680valve64$7,975341312Hut StricklinBobby Allison MotorsportsBuick2360engine61$4,050353313Mike SkinnerMansion MotorsportsBuick2300rear end58$2,825361466Dick TrickleCale Yarborough MotorsportsPontiac2170engine55$6,350373650Ted MusgraveRaDiUs MotorsportsChevrolet930engine52$2,700382451Jeff PurvisPhoenix RacingChevrolet750engine49$2,690393772Tracy LeslieParker RacingOldsmobile670engine46$2,650404093Charlie BakerBaker RacingBuick350engine43$2,600Failed to qualify4148James HyltonHylton MotorsportsPontiac4270J. D. McDuffieMcDuffie RacingPontiac430Delma CowartH. L. Waters RacingFord4482Mark StahlStahl RacingFordOfficial race results

Standings after the race

Drivers' Championship standings Pos Driver Points 1 Mark Martin 4,120 2 Dale Earnhardt 4,075 (-45) 3 Bill Elliott 3,716 (-404) 4 Geoff Bodine 3,700 (–420) 5 Rusty Wallace 3,479 (–641) 6 Kyle Petty 3,421 (–694) 7 Ricky Rudd 3,419 (–701) 8 Morgan Shepherd 3,344 (–776) 9 Ernie Irvan 3,309 (–811) 10 Alan Kulwicki 3,302 (–818)Official driver's standings Note: Only the first 10 positions are included for the driver standings.

References