The 1999 NASCAR Coca-Cola 500, officially the '99 NASCAR Coca-Cola 500, was the fourteenth and final race of the 1999 NASCAR Winston West Series season. It is notable for being the first points paying NASCAR event held outside of North America. It was also the last NASCAR race held in Japan. The race was held on Saturday, November 20, 1999, at Twin Ring Motegi Superspeedway, a 1.549 mi (2.493 km) oval shaped racetrack in Motegi, Tochigi, Japan. The race took the scheduled 201 laps to complete. The race was won by Kevin Richards, his third win of the season. Richards led the final four laps en route to victory, while Sean Woodside secured the championship in fifth place, only needing to finish 28th or better to win the title. The race ended under caution, with Austin Cameron finishing second, Eric Norris in third, Brendan Gaughan in fourth, and Woodside rounding out the top five.
Report
Background Mobility Resort Motegi (モビリティリゾートもてぎ) is a motorsport venue located in Motegi, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. Called Twin Ring Motegi (ツインリンクもてぎ) at the time of the race, the venue's name came from the facility having two race tracks: a 2.493 km (1.549 mi) oval track and a 4.801 km (2.983 mi) road course. It was built in 1997 by Honda Motor Co., Ltd., as part of the company's effort to bring the Championship Auto Racing Teams series to Japan.
Entry list #DriverOwnerManufacturer1Butch GillilandRichard HiltonFord2Mike WallaceJim SmithFord3Steve PortengaJames OffenbachChevrolet05John MetcalfRandy MorseChevrolet6Wayne JacksDoc FaustinaChevrolet7Gary SmithDeborah BealPontiac09Andy HoustonDick MidgleyPontiac12Austin CameronTerry CameronChevrolet13Dean KuhnDan ChittendenChevrolet14Jason SmallKen SmallChevrolet16Sean WoodsideBill McAnallyChevrolet18Mike ChaseGene ChristensenChevrolet19Hideo FukuyamaUnknownFord20Brendan GaughanWalker EvansChevrolet23Brandon AshEd AshFord25Terry WyhoonBob JaneFord27Kim JaneBob JaneChevrolet28Neville LanceNeville LanceFord32Eric NorrisMatt StoweFord38Manabu OridoBill StroppeFord56Bobby DotterSammy PotashnickFord61Doc FaustinaDoc FaustinaFord65Sammy PotashnickSammy PotashnickFord66Billy TurnerSheri TurnerChevrolet67Scott GaylordMike DuncanFord77Joe BeanJoe NavaFord85Kevin RichardsGene MonacoChevrolet87Keiichi TsuchiyaGene ChristensenChevrolet92Ron Barfield Jr.Ron Barfield Jr.Ford98Kevin CulverRichard KieperChevrolet
Qualifying
Mike Wallace won the pole with a speed of 156.167 mph. Hideo Fukuyama and Sammy Potashnick started from the back due to needing a backup car.
Race results FinSt#DriverOwnerMakeLapsLedStatusPts11785Kevin RichardsGene MonacoChevrolet20116Running1802312Austin CameronTerry CameronPontiac2010Running1703432Eric NorrisMatt StoweFord20121Running1704220Brendan GaughanWalker EvansChevrolet20142Running16551816Sean WoodsideBill McAnallyChevrolet2010Running1556133Steve PortengaJames OffenbachChevrolet2000Running15071177Joe BeanJoe NavaFord2000Running146881527Kim JaneBob JaneChevrolet2000Running1429814Jason SmallKen SmallChevrolet2001Running14310605John MetcalfRandy MorseChevrolet1980Accident134112665Sammy PotashnickSammy PotashnickFord1970Running130122092Ron Barfield Jr.Ron Barfield Jr.Chevrolet1960Running127132266Billy TurnerSheri TurnerChevrolet1960Running12414257Gary SmithDeborah BealPontiac1950Running121152119Hideo FukuyamaUnknownFord1920Running11816767Scott GaylordMike DuncanFord1911Accident120171609Andy HoustonDick MidgleyPontiac1870Engine112183098Kevin CulverRichard KieperFord1640Running1091912Mike WallaceJim SmithFord156117Overheating116201423Brandon AshEd AshFord1380Running10321191Butch GillilandRichard HiltonFord1310Running10022987Keiichi TsuchiyaGene ChristensenChevrolet1250Engine97232628Neville LanceNeville LanceFord810Engine94241056Bobby DotterSammy PotashnickFord600Engine91251218Mike ChaseGene ChristensenChevrolet523Engine9326236Wayne JacksDoc FaustinaChevrolet480Oil Pump85272761Doc FaustinaDoc FaustinaFord470Engine82282913Dean KuhnDan ChittendenChevrolet230Vibration79292425Terry WyhoonBob JaneFord180Engine7630538Manabu OridoBill StroppeFord30Accident73
Standings after the race
PosDriverPoints 1Sean Woodside 2075 2Austin Cameron 1983 (–92) 3Joe Bean 1955 (–120) 3 4Kevin Richards 1910 (–165) 1 5Steve Portenga 1889 (–186) 4 6Jason Small 1845 (–230) 2 7Mike Chase 1833 (–242) 8Brandon Ash 1831 (–244) 2 9Sammy Potashnick 1830 (–245) 1 10Butch Gilliland 1821 (–254)
Note: Only the first 10 positions are included for the driver standings.
References