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92-464: From 1985 to 1997, NASCAR Cup Series sponsor Winston (cigarette) offered a one-million-dollar bonus to any driver who won three out of the four races in a single season. Winning all Crown Jewel races is sometimes referred to as a Grand Slam . Nine drivers have completed a Grand Slam, including Jeff Gordon , Bobby Allison , and Jimmie Johnson , who have accomplished the feat three different times. In 1984, R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company announced at

184-465: A Goodyear tire test. Over the weekend, the teams had raced in the Miller Genuine Draft 400 at Michigan International Speedway . Although no official announcements were made, it was in fact an unofficial feasibility test to see if stock cars would be competitive at the circuit. An estimated 20,000-25,000 spectators watched a rather exciting two days of history in the making. A. J. Foyt took

276-514: A US$ 1 million bonus to any driver who won three out of the four races (a "Small Slam") in a single calendar year season. If there was no million-dollar winner, a $ 100,000 consolation bonus would be given to the first driver to win two of the four races. If a driver went into the Coca-Cola 600 or the Southern 500 with a chance to win the million, the race was advertised as the "Winston Million Running of

368-555: A Crown Jewel event since its inception in 1994. Despite being included in the Winston Million, Talladega is not included as a Crown Jewel race in modern sources. Some drivers and media members consider the Bristol Night Race as a fifth Crown Jewel event. The table below includes drivers with at least five Crown Jewel race wins in at least three different Crown Jewel races. For the purposes of this table, Crown Jewel races include

460-525: A cash prize bonus, known as the Winston Million . The long established and recognized major events were as follows: Prior to 1985, no driver had ever won all four races in the same season. Only once had a driver won three out of the four races: David Pearson in 1976. LeeRoy Yarbrough won Daytona, Charlotte, and Darlington in 1969, prior to the introduction of Talladega Superspeedway. From 1985 to 1997, R. J. Reynolds and brand sponsor Winston offered

552-455: A comfortable pace, with Jeff Gordon leading for several segments. The top five were battled among drivers including Gordon, Geoff Bodine , Bill Elliott , Darrell Waltrip , and Brett Bodine . Dale Earnhardt attempted to charge through the field and managed to lead laps during a sequence of green-flag pit stops. A. J. Foyt ran out of fuel on lap 46. He attempted to stay out and lead a lap during green-flag pit stops, but had to coast around

644-638: A few laps around the track in Dale Earnhardt's car on the second day. ESPN covered the test. On August 16–17, 1993, thirty-five NASCAR teams took part in an official open test at Indy. It was held as the teams returned from the second race at Michigan , the Champion Spark Plug 400 . The top 35 teams in NASCAR points received invitations. Hosting the test in August mimicked the weather conditions expected for

736-419: A full lap, and lost several laps in the process. He made it back to the pits and re-joined the race. On lap 95, Mike Chase and Dave Marcis crashed in turn 2, bringing out the caution. Under the yellow, Brett Bodine took on only two tires, which allowed him to re-enter the track with the lead. The field lined up for the restart with brothers Brett and Geoff Bodine first and second, respectively. Brett got

828-515: A golf major. A similar program to the No Bull 5 occurs in the Xfinity Series , which began in 2009 under the series' Nationwide Insurance sponsorship. At a race prior to the first race in the program will be designated the top four finishers for the first race in the bonus. Those drivers in the first race in the program are eligible for a $ 100,000 bonus. Fans will select one of those four drivers, and

920-494: A lucky fan will also win $ 100,000. The highest championship driver (as of 2011) finisher in the race, eligible for points in the Xfinity race, wins the bonus and automatically qualify's for the next event. The next three highest finishers eligible for points in the series also get a chance to race for the bonus at the next Dash4Cash race. Starting in 2015, the 30th anniversary of the million dollar cash bonus, Comcast (the new sponsor of

1012-552: A major until 2019. Following the restoration of the lineal Southern 500 as two May races in 2020 ("The Real Heroes 400" and "Toyota 500km") from the suspension of the schedule in March 2020, the lineal Southern 500 was moved to September in 2021. The Brickyard 400 was moved up a week to late July in 2007 and moved to the weekend after the Southern 500 in September for 2018 and 2019. It then moved to Independence Day weekend in 2020, in place of

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1104-458: A record in NASCAR majors. A Brinks truck led him around the victory lap, spewing bags of Winston play money . In 1998, in preparations for the 50th anniversary of NASCAR, R. J. Reynolds decided to revamp and reintroduce the million dollar award program. Several factors contributed to the change. After thirteen seasons, the Winston Million had been won only twice, and several times, no driver won even two events. R. J. Reynolds, along with NASCAR,

1196-519: A safer cigarette. In 1999, R.J. Reynolds was spun off from RJR Nabisco and subsequently sold its non-U.S. operations to Japan Tobacco. On July 15, 2014, Reynolds American (R.J. Reynolds parent company) agreed to purchase the Lorillard Tobacco Company for $ 27.4 billion and as a result, (to alleviate antitrust concerns) Winston, along with the Kool , Maverick , and Salem cigarette brands,

1288-490: A second race at the Speedway, preferably a NASCAR Winston Cup event. In March 1992, IROC was invited to test cars at the Speedway. On June 22–23, 1992, nine top NASCAR Winston Cup series teams were invited to test at Indy. Although no official announcements were made, it was in fact an unofficial compatibility test to see if stock cars would be competitive at the circuit. An estimated 10,000 spectators watched two days of history in

1380-630: Is now known as the NASCAR Cup Series . From 1975 to 2001, Winston was also the sponsor of the NHRA drag racing series , which is currently sponsored by Camping World . Winston sponsored the Ten Kate Racing team in 2005 and 2006. In countries where tobacco advertising was prohibited, the acronym "WinWin" was used instead. Winston was a sponsor of the 1982 FIFA World Cup . Sailing Winston sponsored Dennis Connor's 1993/94 Whitbread 60 in

1472-495: The Coke Zero 400 , which was held the week before the Southern 500. From 2021 to 2023, Indianapolis became a road course race. With the move, NASCAR, the media, and drivers no longer referred to the event as a Crown Jewel during the time. However, when comparing NASCAR's majors to majors in other sports ( three-year old horse racing and men's , women's and over-50 men's golf ), Indianapolis became NASCAR's major event equivalent of

1564-476: The Harvest Classic in 1916. The race featured the largest crowd in NASCAR history, and a then NASCAR record purse of $ 3.2 million. Second-year driver, 23-year-old Jeff Gordon , who once lived in nearby Pittsboro , was cheered on by the hometown crowd to a popular win. It was his second career NASCAR Winston Cup win and thrust the young Gordon, the future hall of famer , into superstardom. The race

1656-517: The Marlboro man . In 1988, he publicly denounced the tobacco industry and joined the emerging anti-smoking movement after suffering health issues related to smoking. He has spent more than 20 years working in schools as a public speaker, encouraging kids not to start smoking. In September 2015, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned ITG Brands, the makers of Winston cigarettes, that labeling

1748-595: The Philippines , Timor Leste , and Ethiopia . 1994 Brickyard 400 The 1994 Brickyard 400 was held on Saturday, August 6, 1994, at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway . The race marked the nineteenth race of the 1994 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season. It was the first NASCAR stock car race at the famous Speedway and the first race of any kind held at the track beside the Indianapolis 500 since

1840-480: The Speedway museum . Later on Tuesday, during a session of "drafting practice," a full complement of over 30 cars took to the track, to simulate race condition. John Andretti spun in turn 1, and several cars crashed. No injuries were reported, but the incident drew the ire of some of the veterans who thought some drivers were pushing too hard. ESPN covered the test, airing highlights of both days on SpeedWeek . Some of

1932-506: The U.S. Open , PGA Championship , and The Open Championship in all three divisions of golf or the Breeder's Cup Classic in horse racing where the major championship is held at a different venue each year. In this comparison, the Indianapolis round returned to the oval in 2024. The Speedway and NASCAR intend to alternate every few years between the oval and road course, comparing the round to

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2024-543: The Waldorf Astoria New York during the annual year end awards banquet two new events that would define NASCAR for years to come. The first was an invitation only, "all-star" exhibition race called The Winston (now known as the NASCAR All-Star Race ). The other announcement was that they were formally elevating the sport's four majors (sometimes referred to as the "crown jewels") into a formal Grand Slam with

2116-506: The Winston 500 . The rules were as follows: During the No Bull 5 races, the No Bull 5 eligible drivers raced with special paint jobs. The number on the roof and the rear spoiler was painted day-glow orange because many cars were painted red, and a day-glow "$ " was affixed to the passenger window along with a red dot on the windshield in races prior to 2001. Other special decals were sometimes present. This allowed fans to quickly identify and follow

2208-438: The #1 qualifying attempt. Per the NASCAR rules in 1994, a one-lap qualifying attempt was utilized. The top twenty cars in pole qualifying were locked into the starting field. The remainder of the cars could stand on their time, or make a new attempt in second-round qualifying. The first practice was held Thursday morning. Four incidents occurred, crashes by Joe Nemechek , Robert Pressley , Tim Steele , and Dale Jarrett brushed

2300-587: The Brickyard 400 was held. Kulwicki and Allison both died in aviation accidents in 1993. Geoff Bodine bought Kulwicki's team, Allison was eventually replaced by Ernie Irvan , and Bonnett was replaced by Jeff Purvis . All three of those entries qualified for the race. Popular Indianapolis 500 fixture Jim Nabors was invited to sing the national anthem, accompanied by the Indiana State University Marching Sycamores . Mary F. Hulman gave

2392-432: The Coca-Cola 600" or the "Winston Million Running of the Southern 500". From 1994 to 1996, the program was advertised as the "Winston Select Million", as R. J. Reynolds elected to promote Winston's "Select" brand of cigarettes. In the Winston Million program's first year (1985), Bill Elliott captured the million-dollar bonus, and the victory thrust him into superstardom. He dominated the season-opening Daytona 500, then won

2484-582: The Dover, Indianapolis, and Bristol bonuses, finish first overall in the Darlington race, and earn the 47 (or 48 if the driver leads the most laps) points for the win at Darlington to claim the $ 600,000 bonus. Winston (cigarette) Winston is an American brand of cigarettes , currently owned and manufactured by ITG Brands , subsidiary of Imperial Tobacco in the United States and by Japan Tobacco outside

2576-650: The Million was won again. Jeff Gordon won the season-opening Daytona 500 , but finished fifth in the Winston 500 . He had to win the Coca-Cola 600 to keep his Winston Million opportunity alive, which he did. Gordon clinched the Winston Million by winning the Southern 500 , holding off a hard-charging Jeff Burton on the final lap. The two cars touched coming around Turn 4 to take the white flag side-by-side, with Gordon holding on to win his third of four consecutive Southern 500 wins,

2668-429: The September 9, 1985 cover of Sports Illustrated . The relative ease with which Elliott had won the Winston Million led many to believe that the bonus would be awarded fairly often in subsequent seasons. This would ultimately prove untrue, as the award was difficult to win, and at times, it was difficult to even have a driver in contention to win. It would not be until 1997, the program's final year of existence, that

2760-549: The U.S. The brand is named after the town where R. J. Reynolds started his business which is Winston-Salem, North Carolina . As of 2017 , Winston has the seventh-highest U.S. market share (2 percent) of all cigarette brands, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Maxwell Report. This market share has been falling since 2003, when it peaked at 3.92 percent, although Winston has consistently been in

2852-554: The U.S. while the American version of the brand has faced steadily declining sales, dropping to sixth place by 2005 in the last national survey. The American version of Winston is also known for its more recent claim of becoming additive-free in the late 1990s. This in turn led to a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission requiring Winston to clarify subsequent advertisements that the lack of additives did not result in

Crown Jewel (NASCAR) - Misplaced Pages Continue

2944-601: The Whitbread Round the World Yacht Race. Connors sailed 2 legs of the race with Winston finishing 6th overall & 4th in the Whitbread 60 class Winston was one of the original sponsors of The Flintstones , from 1960 to 1962. In the commercials, Flintstones characters Fred Flintstone and Barney Rubble were seen promoting Winston, and every episode ended with Fred lighting a Winston for his wife Wilma while singing

3036-497: The Winston 500 at an all-time NASCAR record speed. He remarkably came back from two laps down, having lost the laps due to having to pit due to a broken oil fitting, and he subsequently made the laps up under green. After suffering mechanical problems at Charlotte, Elliott captured the million dollar bonus at Darlington, taking command after Cale Yarborough lost power steering. Elliott became known as "Million Dollar Bill" and appeared on

3128-540: The Winston branding as last used in 2003). Following a four-year legal battle against ITG Brands, which argued that the sale of Winston brand from R.J. Reynolds in 2015 meant that the history of the Winston Cup Series belonged to them, the museum closed in July 2023 as part of an injunction before permanently closing on December 18, 2023, following a brief reopening in September. Winston cigarettes were or still are sold in

3220-544: The addition of this race, it became possible to win all four majors in a season to complete a Grand Slam, although that feat has never been accomplished. The Daytona 500 and Coca-Cola 600 have held relatively constant dates since their inaugural race, with the Daytona 500 always held in February and the Coca-Cola 600 always scheduled for Memorial Day weekend. The Brickyard 400 event was established in 1994, held in early August during

3312-654: The agency shipped out in August 2015 to cigarette companies whose products were labeled "additive-free", "natural" or both. Winston had been previously settled with the FTC (when tobacco advertising was under their purview) regarding similar claims in 1999. After Winston relinquished their sponsorship of the NASCAR Cup Series in 2004, a museum honoring the Winston Cup era opened in 2005, operated independently of R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company or NASCAR themselves (but otherwise using

3404-418: The backstretch. The two ran side by side in turn four, down the main stretch, and into turn one again. Gordon finally got by, with Irvan now up to second. Wallace's chances for victory were dashed, and he slipped all the way back to 7th. With twenty laps to go, Ernie Irvan led Jeff Gordon and Brett Bodine . Gordon was battling a loose condition and decided to tuck in behind Irvan to improve his handling. As

3496-464: The bonus in the next No-Bull 5 race. For the first No-Bull 5 race, the 1998 Daytona 500, the top five finishers from the 1997 DieHard 500 were used. 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 NASCAR Crown Jewel races generally include the Daytona 500, Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, and Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway, along with the Brickyard 400 , which has been considered by many to be

3588-448: The crash, Geoff suggested Brett spun him out on purpose, attributing the move to "family problems" between the brothers. Brett later admitted he spun Geoff out on purpose, and the brothers feuded for nearly two years afterward. With Geoff Bodine out, the race came down to a battle between Jeff Gordon and Ernie Irvan , with Brett Bodine holding on to a strong top-five position. On lap 130, Geoff Brabham got high in turn 1 and hit

3680-545: The drivers, and fans, wanted a new format for the award, which allowed it to be won more often and have more drivers involved. The four established crown jewels on the circuit were experiencing worthy competition. In 1994 , the inaugural Brickyard 400 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway was held, and for several years, actually dethroned the Daytona 500 as the richest race of the season. The events at Richmond International Raceway were also fast becoming fan and driver favorites. In addition, several new venues were introduced to

3772-569: The entries and many of the front-runners utilized Goodyear. A total of twelve Hoosier-shod cars would qualify for the race, led by Geoff Bodine . In order to attract more entries, the initial Brickyard 400 was concurrently included in the NASCAR Winston West schedule. One provisional starting position would be available to the top driver in Winston West points that did not qualify on speed. The points leader in Winston West standings entering

Crown Jewel (NASCAR) - Misplaced Pages Continue

3864-557: The exception of a September race meet in 1916, no other races were held at the track through 1993. As the NASCAR Winston Cup Series began to grow in stature and popularity, speculation began to grow in the 1980s and early 1990s about the possibility of holding a race at Indy. On September 24, 1991, A. J. Foyt filmed a commercial for Craftsman tools at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. While filming in

3956-438: The fall event at Richmond . In its five-year span, which totalled twenty-five races, 125 eligible driver spots, and 124 eligible fans (one fan qualified twice, winning neither), the million dollar bonus was won thirteen times. Jeff Gordon won it a record four times. Including his 1997 Winston Million victory, Gordon won a total of $ 5 million from the bonus program. The top five finishers in each race listed qualified to race for

4048-415: The field by 0.037 seconds. Among the drivers who chose not to make a qualifying attempt in the second round session was Ben Hess, who had been injured in an accident during a practice session earlier in the day. 56-year old Charlie Glotzbach , who had entered the Indianapolis 500 in 1969–1970 (but failed to qualify in both years), also did not make an attempt. H. B. Bailey , who had drawn the first spot in

4140-422: The field on speed, but Mike Chase (166.312 mph) was awarded a special provisional for the highest entry in Winston West points standings (Chase was the Winston West points leader going into the race). Very few of the one-off entries by Indy car regulars made the field. Danny Sullivan surprised himself by placing 26th for his first (and only) career Winston Cup start. Popular Indy car owner Dick Simon who

4232-432: The finish thus: Jenkins : Years from today when 79 (the number of Indianapolis 500s run prior to this event) stock car races have been run here, we'll remember the name Jeff Gordon, winner of the inaugural Brickyard 400! Parsons : Man, oh man, oh MAN! Jenkins : Jeff is screaming on his radio back to the pit crew, "Oh my God, I did it! I did it!" After dropping to the last place early on, Dale Earnhardt charged all

4324-463: The first stock car to complete a qualifying attempt. His speed of 152.669 mph was a stock car track record for only a minute or two, and his speed proved to be the slowest of the day other than those that experienced mechanical problems. Only two drivers experienced trouble, one was Ken Schrader , who blew an engine during his attempt. Dale Earnhardt took the provisional pole with a lap of 171.726 miles per hour (276.366 km/h), but his tenure at

4416-516: The first week with a lap at 170 miles per hour (270 km/h). During the second week, Ernie Irvan turned the fastest unofficial lap at the Speedway at over 171 miles per hour (275 km/h). Rusty Wallace was close behind at 170 miles per hour (270 km/h). A. J. Foyt came out of retirement, shaking down and testing the #50 Ford. In early July, Davy Jones turned a lap at 168.659 miles per hour (271.430 km/h), but would later wreck his primary car. Chevrolet and Pontiac's teams took to

4508-863: The following countries: Iran , Canada , United States , Mexico , Chile , Peru , Argentina , Brazil , United Kingdom , Sweden , Denmark , Finland , Luxembourg , Belgium , the Netherlands , Germany , France , Switzerland , Austria , Portugal , Spain , Italy , Poland , Hungary , Iceland , Romania , Moldova , Croatia , Czech Republic , Slovakia , Slovenia , Serbia , Albania , Greece , Turkey , Armenia , Azerbaijan , Georgia , Estonia , Lithuania , Latvia , Belarus , Ukraine , Russia , Kazakhstan , Kyrgyzstan , Uzbekistan , Tunesia , South Africa , Israel , Lebanon , Jordan , Kuwait , Kosovo , Morocco , Myanmar , Vietnam , Egypt , Indonesia , Malaysia , Nepal , Norway , Cyprus , Singapore , Hong Kong , Japan , Taiwan , North Macedonia ,

4600-481: The formation of the Indy Racing League . The race featured two former Indy 500 winners ( A. J. Foyt and Danny Sullivan ). Foyt came out of retirement to participate, which would be his final Winston Cup start. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway opened in 1909, and the first Indianapolis 500 was held in 1911 . It became a tradition that the Indianapolis 500 was the only race held at the track annually. With

4692-466: The garage area, Foyt, and Speedway president Tony George decided to take Foyt's NASCAR Winston Cup Series stock car for a few laps around the track. Foyt was the first driver to do so, and later on, George himself took a few laps. The event was not planned, and had no implications, but was an unusual sight, and stirred up some mild interest and speculation for the future. In December 1991, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway board of directors voted to pursue

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4784-501: The growing incomes of African Americans (called at the time the "emerging Negro market") gave the tobacco companies what was sometimes called an "export market at home". Additionally, a new kind of media started to appear after the war when several glossy monthly magazines including Negro Digest (1942, renamed Black World ), Ebony (1945) and Negro Achievements (1947, renamed Sepia ) began to be published. These relatively expensively produced magazines were far more attractive to

4876-600: The history of the Indy 500. In 1982 , Don , Bill , and Dale Whittington all qualified for the 500. Another trio of brothers nearly did the same as Rusty and Kenny Wallace qualified, but Mike Wallace ranked only 55th. P. J. Jones , son of 1963 Indianapolis 500 winner Parnelli Jones , and the only driver entered who was a son of a former Indy 500 winner, did not complete a qualifying attempt. Future Hall of Fame drivers Davey Allison , Alan Kulwicki , and future Hall of Fame nominee Neil Bonnett had all been notably killed in

4968-418: The jump and led down the backstretch on lap 100. In turn three, Geoff nudged Brett's rear bumper, which caused Brett to become loose , and Geoff took the lead. In turn 4, however, Brett bumped Geoff in the rear bumper and spun him out in front of the entire field. Geoff hit the outside wall and collected Dale Jarrett . Other cars scrambled to avoid the crash, most of which emerged with only minor damage. After

5060-441: The laps dwindled down, Irvan and Gordon raced nose-to-tail and began to pull away from the rest of the field. Gordon slipped by to re-take the lead on lap 145, but Irvan stayed within reach. On lap 149, Irvan attempted to pass Gordon for the lead on the backstretch. Gordon stayed high in turn three, and the two went side-by-side into the turn. Exiting turn four, Gordon held off the challenge. One lap later, exiting turn two, Irvan tried

5152-409: The last car to make the field on speed. After a miserable run on Thursday, Kyle Petty found much-needed speed and placed 36th. Lake Speed (168.429 mph) and Harry Gant (168.003 mph) both failed to crack the top 40, but made the field as the provisional starters – the two highest-placed entries in NASCAR points standing not already in the race. No Winston West Series competitors made

5244-546: The lead. Coming out of turn two, and down the backstretch, Irvan's car looked unsettled. The right front tire blew, and he was forced to the pits. Gordon pulled away with Brett Bodine now in second. In the final four laps, Gordon was cheered on by the hometown crowd, but Bodine was beginning to close the gap. Gordon held off challenge and won the Inaugural Brickyard 400, his second career NASCAR Winston Cup victory. ABC Sports announcers Bob Jenkins and Benny Parsons described

5336-486: The making. On April 14, 1993, Speedway President Tony George and president of NASCAR Bill France Jr. jointly announced the inaugural Brickyard 400 would be held Saturday, August 6, 1994. A new race logo was also unveiled. Immediately, anticipation for the event grew, as many drivers contemplated one-off entries, and comparisons were already being made to NASCAR's biggest event, the Daytona 500 . ABC signed on to broadcast

5428-402: The morning practice session, bounced back with the 21st-fastest qualifying speed; a speed strong enough that he would stand on his time and ultimately qualify for the race. Second-round qualifying was held Friday August 5, 1994. The drivers that had qualified 1st–20th on Thursday were locked-in to those positions and did not have to re-qualify. The drivers that placed 21st and beyond from

5520-499: The number one cigarette sold in the world by 1966, a position it held until 1972 when Marlboro overtook the brand. In the 1980s, Winston was the most favored brand in Puerto Rico, thanks to their advertising slogan "Winston y Puerto Rico: No hay nada mejor" ( Winston and Puerto Rico: There is nothing better ). Winston then became the #2 cigarette, a position it continues to maintain today under ownership of Japan Tobacco outside of

5612-399: The outside wall. Jimmy Hensley swerved to avoid him, but Brabham spun and smacked into the side of Hensley's car. Brabham was out of the race, but Hensley limped back to the pits with damaged fenders and flat tires. During the caution, the leaders made their final scheduled pit stops. Rusty Wallace 's pit crew led by Buddy Parrott, executed a 15.9-second pit stop (considered lightning-fast at

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5704-470: The participants compared the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to Ontario Motor Speedway , which was built to closely mimic Indy's layout. Only a handful of drivers in the field had actually driven at Ontario before it closed (1980), and none of them felt they held any sort of measurable experience advantage. During the summer of 1994, private testing sessions conducted by the manufacturers were held. Ford teams tested in late June, with Sterling Marlin leading

5796-475: The pole round. Indy car and IMSA regular Geoff Brabham , attempting his first NASCAR race, surprised many by qualifying 18th. Former Indy 500 winners A. J. Foyt and Danny Sullivan , however, did not make the top twenty. Wally Dallenbach Jr. driving for Petty Enterprises , who drew 84th out of the 85 cars in line, pulled in when he felt something was wrong with the engine and ended the day with no speed. Rookie Joe Nemechek , who wrecked his primary car in

5888-435: The previous round were allowed to stand on their time from Thursday, or erase it and make a new attempt. Due to the expected length of the session, and the sensitive nature of how the track is known to react to changing weather conditions, for fairness, the qualifying draw order from the previous round was inverted for round two. NASCAR subsequently adopted this policy for all races from that day forth until two-round qualifying

5980-450: The product as "additive-free" violated federal law because the claim implied that the cigarettes were safer than other brands. The August warning letter to ITG marked the first time the FDA had used its authority under a 2009 tobacco-control law to take action against a company for making "additive-free" ("No Bull" ad campaign) claims on product packaging. It was one of three warning letters that

6072-491: The product's jingle. By the third season, however, the show's ads became more oriented towards children and Winston was replaced by Welch's . In the 1970s, Winston specifically targeted the Afro-American minority, similar to what Kool and Newport did during the time. After World War II had ended, American tobacco companies started to explore new markets to maintain their prosperity. The growth in urban migration and

6164-459: The program starting at Dover. The rules are the same, but Xfinity drivers will have a chance to qualify for the Dash 4 Cash at Charlotte. After that, that next four races are Dover, Indianapolis, Bristol, and Darlington. If a driver wins the first three cash prizes, and then wins outright Darlington, the driver's winnings in the bonus program will be augmented to one million dollars. The driver must claim

6256-508: The progress of the five eligible drivers. The only exception was the 1998 Daytona 500 where eligible drivers had silver numbers instead of the orange. In subsequent seasons, the races chosen for the No Bull 5 program varied. The Brickyard 400 was dropped after only one year, replaced by the Las Vegas 400 . Eventually the Daytona 500 was replaced with the Pepsi 400 , and the Southern 500 was replaced by

6348-409: The qualifying order Thursday was, per the inverted order, the final car to make a qualifying attempt on Friday. Bailey closed out time trials, gaining over 8 mph from his previous speed, but still fell far short of making the starting lineup. *Stood on Thursday time A trio of brothers - Geoff , Brett , and Todd Bodine made the field, a feat that had only been accomplished once in

6440-543: The race in 1994. Several thousand spectators attended, and many announcements were made. Bobby Labonte (165.624 miles per hour (266.546 km/h)) set the fastest lap on Monday, while Bill Elliott (167.467 miles per hour (269.512 km/h)) turned the fastest lap overall on Tuesday morning. On Monday, Kenny Wallace spun out and hit the inside wall. He was taken to Methodist Hospital for minor injuries. At noon on Tuesday, recently retired NASCAR legend Richard Petty took four fast laps by himself and then donated his car to

6532-473: The race live, and ESPN would cover practice and qualifying. Jimmy Spencer won the DieHard 500 at Talladega , immediately preceding the 1994 Brickyard 400. Going into the race, the top five in championship points were as follows: Championship standings following the 1994 DieHard 500 NASCAR "tire war" was notable during the 1994 season. Both Goodyear and Hoosier tires were used by entrants. Most of

6624-491: The race was Mike Chase . Going into the race, conjecture amongst fans and media contemplated the possibility of an expanded field, a special qualifying format, a three-abreast starting grid, a celebrity pace car driver, or other changes for the race. However, NASCAR officials planned on treating the Brickyard 400 as any other points-paying race, with standard rules and regulations. On June 22–23, 1992, nine top NASCAR Winston Cup series teams were invited to Indy to participate in

6716-443: The same move. This time the pass stuck, and Irvan was back in front. With ten laps to go, Gordon tucked into second place and allowed Irvan to lead. Gordon's crew was instructing him to wait until the final 2–3 laps to make another pass attempt for the win. With five laps to go, Ernie Irvan apparently ran over a piece of debris down the main stretch. He slid high going into turn one, and Jeff Gordon immediately dove underneath to take

6808-554: The schedule, all of which were offering large base purses. The new program for 1998, titled the No Bull 5 (after a Winston marketing campaign) consisted of three legs of the original Grand Slam (Daytona 500, Coca-Cola 600, Southern 500) along with the Brickyard 400. The race at Talladega used for the program, however, was switched from the spring race to the October race. As a result, that event changed sponsorship names and became referred to as

6900-486: The second-tier series), announced modifications to the five-race program, including a million dollar bonus. Unlike past years where the races were typically assigned to conflicting weekends to prevent Sprint Cup drivers from participating under pre-2011 rules, the four races are Dover, the Lilly Diabetes 250 (Indianapolis), Food City 250 (Bristol), and Darlington. As usual, the top four finishers at Charlotte participate in

6992-579: The spring Talladega race prior to the adoption of the Brickyard 400 in 1994, and does not include the Bristol Night Race. The first running of the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway in 1950 was the first NASCAR race on a large speedway. It has become known as NASCAR's "oldest superspeedway race". The Talladega event was originally known as the Alabama 500 in 1970, becoming the Winston 500 from 1971 to 1997. It has been scheduled in April or May since its inception. With

7084-410: The standings. Meanwhile, Jeff Gordon passed Mast to take over the lead. On lap 3, Danny Sullivan lost a side window, bringing out the caution for debris. Earnhardt pitted to check the damage and fell to the rear of the field. The green came back out on lap 6. On lap 10, Jimmy Spencer lost control and crashed hard in turn 3. He would become the first driver to drop out. The first half settled into

7176-499: The time between the Coca-Cola 600 and the Southern 500 . It has supplanted the spring Talladega race as a Crown Jewel. The Southern 500 was moved to November for 2004, and removed from the schedule. The linear spring race (Rebel 400) became a major from 2015 to 2020, first on Mother's Day weekend in May from 2005 to 2013, held on Saturday night. It was held in April in 2014. The lineal Rebel moved to Labor Day weekend in 2015 and served as

7268-474: The time between the initial tire tests in 1992–1993 and the running of the race. Allison was the only one of the three that had participated in one of the early tire tests, taking part in June 1992. Neil Bonnett , who entered but did not qualify for the 1979 Indianapolis 500 , announced plans to enter the 1994 Brickyard 400. However, he was fatally injured in a crash at Daytona on February 11, 1994, five months before

7360-423: The time), and he came out of the pits with the lead. Jeff Gordon and Ernie Irvan came out second and third, respectively. The top five was rounded out by Brett Bodine and Bill Elliott . By that point in the race, Dale Earnhardt had worked all the way up to seventh place. The green flag came back out with 26 laps to go. Rusty Wallace held the lead going into turn one, but Jeff Gordon passed him going down

7452-448: The tobacco advertisers than the cheap "Negro" daily newspapers of the pre-war era, with glossy pages and a far wider national distribution. The magazines meant for a purely African-American audience also meant that advertisers could produce adverts aimed at and featuring African Americans away from the eyes of white consumers. Between 1982 and 1988, David Goerlitz was the "Winston Man", appearing in 42 billboard advertisements – more than

7544-458: The top 10 cigarette brands by U.S. market share since 2001, according to data from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration 's National Household Survey on Drug Abuse. Winston was introduced in 1954 by the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company and quickly became one of the top-selling cigarette brands, using the slogan " Winston tastes good like a cigarette should ". It became

7636-418: The top was short-lived. The very next car out to qualify was Rick Mast . Mast set a new stock car lap record of 172.414 miles per hour (277.473 km/h) to secure the pole position. Jeff Gordon was one of the last cars to make an attempt, and qualified third. Geoff Bodine and Bobby Labonte round out the top five. Sixteen cars, many of them Winston West competitors, did not make a qualifying attempt during

7728-414: The track in mid-July. Danny Sullivan blew an engine. 86 cars attempted to make the inaugural Brickyard 400 which is a NASCAR record. Pole qualifying for the Inaugural Brickyard 400 was held on Thursday, August 4, 1994. A NASCAR record 86 cars entered, for 43 starting positions. A blind draw was conducted to determine the qualifying order. A total of 85 cars took part in the draw and H. B. Bailey drew

7820-660: The traditional starting command. Elmo Langley drove the Chevrolet Monte Carlo pace car, and Doyle Ford served as flagman. The flyover was performed by the 181st Fighter Group , featuring four F-16 fighter jets . All living former NASCAR Winston Cup Champions were invited to participate in a pre-race parade around the track. Besides the former champions who qualified for the race (Earnhardt, Wallace, Elliott, Waltrip, and Labonte), those in attendance included Richard Petty , Rex White , Buck Baker , Ned Jarrett , and Benny Parsons . Former Daytona 500 winner Buddy Baker

7912-416: The wall. Nemechek, Pressley, and Steele would switch to back-up cars, while Jarrett's car was not seriously damaged. The practice session was followed by a heavy thunderstorm that pelted the Speedway. The rain stopped and the track dried, allowing qualifying to start on time at 3 p.m. The entire qualifying line of 70 attempts was completed without a single incident. H. B. Bailey went into the record books as

8004-405: The way to a fifth-place finish. Rusty Wallace , who briefly led after the final round of pit stops, came home fourth. A dejected Ernie Irvan wound up a lap down in 17th place. Two weeks later, Irvan was involved in a serious crash at Michigan where he suffered a near-fatal head injury. Brett Bodine 's second place with King Racing would be the final top-five finish of his career. It was also

8096-485: Was a culmination of decades of speculation and over two years of preparation. While the event was looked on with enormous anticipation and significant media attention, the traditional nature of the Indianapolis 500 and the Speedway was a concern to ownership, some from the Indycar community, and some fans. Despite some mild complaints, the event was considered a huge success and a financial cash cow —it ultimately bankrolled

8188-403: Was abolished at the end of the 2000 season. Five drivers stood on their times from Thursday, and all five hung on to qualify for the race. Terry Labonte , who had placed 26th Thursday, was among those who elected to re-qualify, and he wound up the fastest qualifier of the day. The decision was wise as Labonte's Thursday speed would not have help up Friday. A. J. Foyt managed to qualify in 40th,

8280-399: Was also in attendance. After the final practice session Friday evening, polesitter Rick Mast , as well as Ernie Irvan and Brett Bodine , were among the teams that changed the engines in their cars. At the start, polesitter Rick Mast led Dale Earnhardt into turn one. In turn four, Earnhardt brushed the wall, which allowed Mast to lead the first lap. Earnhardt quickly began to slip in

8372-430: Was noted for never failing to qualify one of his rookie drivers at the Indy 500 fell short as his driver, NASCAR veteran Jim Sauter , ranked only 47th. After no major incidents during qualifying attempts on Thursday, Friday's qualifying saw wrecks or spins by four cars, including Daytona 500 polesitter Loy Allen Jr. Dick Trickle had a fast lap going until lightly brushing the wall coming off of turn four. He would miss

8464-525: Was sold to Imperial Tobacco for $ 7.1 billion. On June 12, 2015, Reynolds American and Lorillard completed their merger and Winston officially fell under ownership of Imperial tobacco spinoff ITG brands. Beginning in 1971, Winston was the sponsor of the highest title of the NASCAR series, known as the Winston Cup Series . R. J. Reynolds ended Winston's association with the series in 2003. The series

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