1993 First Union 400
The 1993 First Union 400 was a NASCAR Winston Cup Series racing event that took place on April 18, 1993, at North Wilkesboro Speedway in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina.[3][4] The Grand Marshall of the event was former NASCAR Cup Series driver Jim Roper. Jim was the father of Dean Roper and grandfather of Tony Roper. Both were killed in racing accidents in the early 2000s. Rick Mast would serve his 100th NASCAR Cup Series start at this event.
| Race details[1] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 7 of 30 in the 1993 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season | |||
 North Wilkesboro Speedway | |||
| Date | April 18, 1993 | ||
| Official name | First Union 400 | ||
| Location | North Wilkesboro Speedway, North Wilkesboro, North Carolina | ||
| Course |
Permanent racing facility 0.625 mi (1.005 km) | ||
| Distance | 400 laps, 266.5 mi (402.3 km) | ||
| Weather | Temperatures of 79.9 °F (26.6 °C); wind speeds of 7.02 miles per hour (11.30 km/h) | ||
| Average speed | 92.602 miles per hour (149.028 km/h) | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | King Racing | ||
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Sterling Marlin | Stavola Brothers Racing | |
| Laps | 190 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 2 | Rusty Wallace[2] | Penske Racing South | |
| Television in the United States | |||
| Network | ESPN | ||
| Announcers |
Bob Jenkins Ned Jarrett Benny Parsons | ||
Race report
Rusty Wallace managed to defeat Kyle Petty by a margin of 1.66 seconds with four cautions handed out for 38 laps; Wallace's pit crew had undergone a stringent workout routine and had emphasized more on physical fitness between the 1992 and 1993 NASCAR Winston Cup Series seasons.[3][4] Kyle Petty would get his final second place finish at this event.[3][4] The race took two hours and forty-one minutes to reach its full conclusion with vehicles going an average of 92.602 miles per hour (149.028 km/h).[3][4] Brett Bodine achieved the pole position with a speed of 117.017 miles per hour (188.321 km/h).[3][4]
The winning driver drove a Pontiac machine to the finish line.[3][4][5] Jeff Gordon would acquire a last-place finish during this racing event.[3][4][5][6] Out of the 34-car grid, only three of them would fail to finish the race due to engine issues and a one-man crash by Jeff Gordon.[3][4][5][6] Stanley Smith, Dave Marcis, Jimmy Horton, James Hylton, and Jay Hedgecok all failed to qualify for this race.[3]
Kyle Petty and Davey Allison both had a fine double save while they tapped each other racing for second late in the race. Neither driver hit the wall or anything else, nor went around. Both drivers continued and there was no caution.[3]
Rusty Wallace would retain the championship points lead after this race.[3] The winner would win $43,535 in total winnings ($77,051 when adjusted for inflation) while the last place driver would walk away with a mere $4,180 ($7,398 when adjusted for inflation).[3][4][6] Most of the entries were either Ford or Chevrolet; Pontiac only fielded six entries for the race.[5]
Qualifying
| Grid | No. | Driver | Manufacturer | Speed[7] | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 26 | Brett Bodine | Ford | 117.017 | Kenny Bernstein |
| 2 | 15 | Geoffrey Bodine | Ford | 116.677 | Bud Moore |
| 3 | 4 | Ernie Irvan | Chevrolet | 116.520 | Larry McClure |
| 4 | 25 | Ken Schrader | Chevrolet | 116.309 | Rick Hendrick |
| 5 | 27 | Hut Stricklin | Ford | 116.231 | Junior Johnson |
| 6 | 14 | Terry Labonte | Chevrolet | 116.213 | Billy Hagan |
| 7 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Chevrolet | 116.141 | Rick Hendrick |
| 8 | 8 | Sterling Marlin | Ford | 116.135 | Stavola Brothers |
| 9 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Pontiac | 116.111 | Roger Penske |
| 10 | 5 | Ricky Rudd | Chevrolet | 116.105 | Rick Hendrick |
Failed to qualify: Stanley Smith (#49), Dave Marcis (#71), Jimmy Horton (#32), James Hylton (#48), Jay Hedgecock (#78)[7]
Top 10 finishers
| Pos[3] | Grid | No. | Driver | Manufacturer | Laps | Winnings | Laps led | Points | Time/Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Pontiac | 400 | $43,535 | 120 | 180 | 2:41:59 |
| 2 | 22 | 42 | Kyle Petty | Pontiac | 400 | $29,210 | 0 | 170 | +1.66 seconds |
| 3 | 4 | 25 | Ken Schrader | Chevrolet | 400 | $40,235 | 58 | 170 | Lead lap under green flag |
| 4 | 27 | 28 | Davey Allison | Ford | 400 | $28,285 | 0 | 160 | Lead lap under green flag |
| 5 | 23 | 17 | Darrell Waltrip | Chevrolet | 400 | $25,935 | 2 | 160 | Lead lap under green flag |
| 6 | 6 | 14 | Terry Labonte | Chevrolet | 400 | $18,235 | 0 | 150 | Lead lap under green flag |
| 7 | 10 | 5 | Ricky Rudd | Chevrolet | 400 | $14,960 | 0 | 146 | Lead lap under green flag |
| 8 | 17 | 21 | Morgan Shepherd | Ford | 400 | $12,805 | 1 | 147 | Lead lap under green flag |
| 9 | 8 | 8 | Sterling Marlin | Ford | 400 | $13,880 | 190 | 148 | Lead lap under green flag |
| 10 | 15 | 11 | Bill Elliott | Ford | 398 | $18,860 | 0 | 134 | +2 laps |
Timeline
Section reference:[3]
- Start of race: Brett Bodine started the race with the pole position.
- Lap 2: Caution due to a four-car accident, ended on lap 19.
- Lap 25: Jeff Gordon's engine problem made him become the last-place finisher, Ken Schrader took over the lead from Brett Bodine.
- Lap 27: Caution due to Jeff Gordon's accident, ended on lap 36.
- Lap 54: Sterling Marlin took over the lead from Ken Schrader.
- Lap 143: Ernie Irvan took over the lead from Kenny Wallace.
- Lap 146: Sterling Marlin took over the lead from Ernie Irvan.
- Lap 199: Dick Trickle's problematic engine forced him to leave the race early.
- Lap 250: Rusty Wallace took over the lead from Sterling Marlin.
- Lap 270: Ken Schrader took over the lead from Darrell Waltrip.
- Lap 299: Rusty Wallace took over the lead from Ken Schrader.
- Lap 303: Caution due to debris on turn two, ended on lap 308.
- Lap 311: Dale Jarrett's engine stopped working, making him the final DNF of the race.
- Lap 381: Caution due to Jimmy Hensley's accident, ended on lap 384.
- Finish: Rusty Wallace was officially declared the winner of the event.
Standings after the race
| Pos | Driver | Points[3] | Differential |
|---|---|---|---|
1  |
Rusty Wallace | 1124 | 0 |
2  |
Dale Earnhardt | 1094 | -18 |
| 3 |
Davey Allison | 964 | -148 |
| 4 |
Kyle Petty | 944 | -168 |
| 5 |
Morgan Shepherd | 942 | -170 |
| 6 |
Geoffrey Bodine | 940 | -172 |
| 7 |
Mark Martin | 925 | -187 |
| 8 |
Dale Jarrett | 874 | -238 |
| 9 |
Jimmy Spencer | 859 | -253 |
| 10 |
Ernie Irvan | 853 | -259 |
References
- "Weather at the 1993 First Union 400 race". The Old Farmers' Almanac. Retrieved 2011-01-26.
- "1993 First Union 400 winner summary". Jacobs USA. Retrieved 2011-01-26.
- "1993 First Union 400 racing results". Racing Reference. Retrieved 2011-01-22.
- "1993 First Union 400 racing results (second reference)". Stat Sheet. Retrieved 2011-01-23.
- "1993 First Union 400 racing results (third reference)". Motor Racing Network. Archived from the original on 2011-10-08. Retrieved 2011-01-23.
- "1993 First Union 400 racing results (fourth reference)". Everything Stock Car. Retrieved 2011-01-26.
- "1993 First Union 400 qualifying results". Racing Reference. Retrieved 2017-03-28.
| Preceded by 1993 Food City 500 |
Winston Cup Series races 1971–2004 |
Succeeded by 1993 Hanes 500 |