The 1987 Goody's 500 was the 24th stock car race of the 1987 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season and the 39th iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, September 27, 1987, before an audience of 41,000 in Martinsville, Virginia at Martinsville Speedway, a 0.526 miles (0.847 km) permanent oval-shaped short track. The race took the scheduled 500 laps to complete.

1987 Goody's 500
Race details
Race 24 of 29 in the 1987 NASCAR Winston Cup Series
The 1987 Goody's 500 program cover, featuring Richard Petty.
The 1987 Goody's 500 program cover, featuring Richard Petty.
Date September 27, 1987
Official name 39th Annual Goody's 500
Location Ridgeway, Virginia, Martinsville Speedway
Course Permanent racing facility
0.526 mi (0.847 km)
Distance 500 laps, 263 mi (423.257 km)
Scheduled Distance 500 laps, 263 mi (423.257 km)
Average speed 76.41 miles per hour (122.97 km/h)
Attendance 41,000
Pole position
Driver Hendrick Motorsports
Time 20.759
Most laps led
Driver Dale Earnhardt Richard Childress Racing
Laps 170
Winner
No. 17 Darrell Waltrip Hendrick Motorsports
Television in the United States
Network SETN
Announcers Eli Gold, Jerry Punch
Radio in the United States
Radio Motor Racing Network

Heading into the final lap of the race, the three cars of Hendrick Motorsports' Darrell Waltrip, Richard Childress Racing's Dale Earnhardt, and Junior Johnson & Associates' Terry Labonte engaged in a battle for the victory. Heading into the final two turns of the race, Waltrip bumped into the bumper of Labonte's car, sending Labonte out of control. Labonte hit Earnhardt's car, letting Waltrip pass the two of them to take his 71st career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his only victory of the season.[1][2] To fill out the top three, the aforementioned Earnhardt and Labonte finished second and third, respectively.

Background

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The layout of Martinsville Speedway, the venue where the race was held.

Martinsville Speedway is an NASCAR-owned stock car racing track located in Henry County, in Ridgeway, Virginia, just to the south of Martinsville. At 0.526 miles (0.847 km) in length, it is the shortest track in the NASCAR Cup Series. The track was also one of the first paved oval tracks in NASCAR, being built in 1947 by H. Clay Earles. It is also the only remaining race track that has been on the NASCAR circuit from its beginning in 1948.

Entry list

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  • (R) denotes rookie driver.
# Driver Team Make Sponsor
3 Dale Earnhardt Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet Wrangler
5 Geoff Bodine Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Levi Garrett
6 Ernie Irvan U.S. Racing Chevrolet U.S. Racing
7 Alan Kulwicki AK Racing Ford Zerex
8 Bobby Hillin Jr. Stavola Brothers Racing Buick Miller American
9 Bill Elliott Melling Racing Ford Coors
11 Terry Labonte Junior Johnson & Associates Chevrolet Budweiser
12 Slick Johnson Hamby Racing Oldsmobile Hamby Racing
15 Ricky Rudd Bud Moore Engineering Ford Motorcraft Quality Parts
17 Darrell Waltrip Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Tide
18 Dale Jarrett (R) Freedlander Motorsports Chevrolet Freedlander Financial
21 Kyle Petty Wood Brothers Racing Ford Citgo
22 Bobby Allison Stavola Brothers Racing Buick Miller American
26 Morgan Shepherd King Racing Buick Quaker State
27 Rusty Wallace Blue Max Racing Pontiac Kodiak
30 Michael Waltrip Bahari Racing Chevrolet All Pro Auto Parts
33 Harry Gant Mach 1 Racing Chevrolet Skoal Bandit
35 Benny Parsons Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Folgers Decaf
43 Richard Petty Petty Enterprises Pontiac STP
44 Sterling Marlin Hagan Racing Oldsmobile Piedmont Airlines
50 Greg Sacks Dingman Brothers Racing Pontiac Valvoline
52 Jimmy Means Jimmy Means Racing Pontiac Eureka
55 Phil Parsons Jackson Bros. Motorsports Oldsmobile Skoal Classic
62 Steve Christman (R) Winkle Motorsports Pontiac AC Spark Plug
64 Trevor Boys Langley Racing Ford Sunny King Ford
67 Buddy Arrington Arrington Racing Ford Pannill Sweatshirts
70 J. D. McDuffie McDuffie Racing Pontiac Rumple Furniture
71 Dave Marcis Marcis Auto Racing Chevrolet Lifebuoy
75 Neil Bonnett RahMoc Enterprises Pontiac Valvoline
88 Bryan Baker[a] Baker–Schiff Racing Oldsmobile Crisco
90 Ken Schrader Donlavey Racing Ford Red Baron Frozen Pizza

Qualifying

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Qualifying was split into two rounds. The first round was held on Thursday, September 24, at 2:00 PM EST. Each driver had one lap to set a time. During the first round, the top 20 drivers in the round were 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, September 25, at 1:30 PM EST. As with the first round, each driver had one lap to set a time. For this specific race, positions 21-30 were decided on time,[4] 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.

Geoff Bodine, driving for Hendrick Motorsports, managed to win the pole, setting a time of 20.759 and an average speed of 91.218 miles per hour (146.801 km/h) in the first round.[5]

No drivers failed to qualify.

Full qualifying results

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Pos. # Driver Team Make Time Speed
1 5 Geoff Bodine Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 20.759 91.218
2 26 Morgan Shepherd King Racing Buick 20.837 90.877
3 11 Terry Labonte Junior Johnson & Associates Chevrolet 20.854 90.803
4 75 Neil Bonnett RahMoc Enterprises Pontiac 20.860 90.777
5 8 Bobby Hillin Jr. Stavola Brothers Racing Buick 20.880 90.690
6 21 Kyle Petty Wood Brothers Racing Ford 20.885 90.668
7 33 Harry Gant Mach 1 Racing Chevrolet 20.892 90.638
8 3 Dale Earnhardt Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 20.902 90.594
9 71 Dave Marcis Marcis Auto Racing Chevrolet 20.917 90.529
10 18 Dale Jarrett (R) Freedlander Motorsports Chevrolet 20.929 90.477
11 90 Ken Schrader Donlavey Racing Ford 20.938 90.438
12 27 Rusty Wallace Blue Max Racing Pontiac 20.942 90.421
13 9 Bill Elliott Melling Racing Ford 20.945 90.408
14 17 Darrell Waltrip Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 20.954 90.369
15 15 Ricky Rudd Bud Moore Engineering Ford 20.961 90.339
16 43 Richard Petty Petty Enterprises Pontiac 20.991 90.210
17 22 Bobby Allison Stavola Brothers Racing Buick 21.024 90.068
18 35 Benny Parsons Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 21.068 89.880
19 50 Greg Sacks Dingman Brothers Racing Pontiac 21.075 89.851
20 30 Michael Waltrip Bahari Racing Chevrolet 21.076 89.846
Failed to lock in Round 1
21 55 Phil Parsons Jackson Bros. Motorsports Oldsmobile 21.099 89.748
22 7 Alan Kulwicki AK Racing Ford 21.121 89.655
23 44 Sterling Marlin Hagan Racing Oldsmobile 21.137 89.587
24 6 Ernie Irvan U.S. Racing Chevrolet 21.197 89.333
25 67 Buddy Arrington Arrington Racing Ford 21.215 89.258
26 64 Curtis Markham Langley Racing Ford 21.225 89.216
27 70 J. D. McDuffie McDuffie Racing Pontiac 21.297 88.914
28 62 Steve Christman (R) Winkle Motorsports Pontiac 21.362 88.643
29 12 Slick Johnson Hamby Racing Oldsmobile 21.404 88.469
30 52 Jimmy Means Jimmy Means Racing Pontiac 21.416 88.420
Provisional
31 88 Buddy Baker Baker–Schiff Racing Oldsmobile - -
Official first round qualifying results
Official starting lineup

Race results

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Fin St # Driver Team Make Laps Led Status Pts Winnings
1 14 17 Darrell Waltrip Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 500 138 running 180 $43,830
2 8 3 Dale Earnhardt Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 500 170 running 180 $29,875
3 3 11 Terry Labonte Junior Johnson & Associates Chevrolet 500 119 running 170 $23,950
4 4 75 Neil Bonnett RahMoc Enterprises Pontiac 498 0 running 160 $13,005
5 2 26 Morgan Shepherd King Racing Buick 497 0 running 155 $12,335
6 22 7 Alan Kulwicki AK Racing Ford 497 0 running 150 $10,500
7 23 44 Sterling Marlin Hagan Racing Oldsmobile 496 0 running 146 $7,280
8 17 22 Bobby Allison Stavola Brothers Racing Buick 495 1 running 147 $8,550
9 6 21 Kyle Petty Wood Brothers Racing Ford 492 0 running 138 $9,000
10 10 18 Dale Jarrett (R) Freedlander Motorsports Chevrolet 492 0 running 134 $8,345
11 13 9 Bill Elliott Melling Racing Ford 491 0 running 130 $9,770
12 11 90 Ken Schrader Donlavey Racing Ford 491 0 running 127 $5,230
13 16 43 Richard Petty Petty Enterprises Pontiac 484 0 running 124 $4,720
14 7 33 Harry Gant Mach 1 Racing Chevrolet 478 0 oil pressure 121 $5,210
15 24 6 Ernie Irvan U.S. Racing Chevrolet 471 0 running 0 $4,600
16 21 55 Phil Parsons Jackson Bros. Motorsports Oldsmobile 469 0 running 115 $1,650
17 27 70 J. D. McDuffie McDuffie Racing Pontiac 458 0 running 112 $1,580
18 20 30 Michael Waltrip Bahari Racing Chevrolet 443 0 running 109 $3,745
19 28 62 Steve Christman (R) Winkle Motorsports Pontiac 426 0 running 106 $1,525
20 1 5 Geoff Bodine Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 392 71 running 108 $13,500
21 15 15 Ricky Rudd Bud Moore Engineering Ford 387 1 overheating 105 $8,800
22 5 8 Bobby Hillin Jr. Stavola Brothers Racing Buick 368 0 crash 97 $8,055
23 18 35 Benny Parsons Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 242 0 differential 94 $9,220
24 19 50 Greg Sacks Dingman Brothers Racing Pontiac 238 0 differential 91 $1,295
25 29 12 Slick Johnson Hamby Racing Oldsmobile 219 0 engine 0 $3,555
26 26 64 Curtis Markham Langley Racing Ford 203 0 overheating 0 $3,420
27 9 71 Dave Marcis Marcis Auto Racing Chevrolet 187 0 engine 82 $3,885
28 12 27 Rusty Wallace Blue Max Racing Pontiac 162 0 engine 79 $8,200
29 25 67 Buddy Arrington Arrington Racing Ford 87 0 overheating 76 $2,675
30 30 52 Jimmy Means Jimmy Means Racing Pontiac 70 0 crash 73 $2,660
31 31 88 Buddy Baker Baker–Schiff Racing Oldsmobile 39 0 brakes 70 $1,160
Official race results

Standings after the race

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Notes

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  1. ^ Bryan was unable to qualify the car in qualifying. As Bryan was a rookie, he was not allowed to start the car with an owner's points provisional. As a result, his father, Buddy Baker, replaced him for the race.[3]

References

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  1. ^ Higgins, Tom (September 28, 1987). "Wild Finish Gives Waltrip Win". The Charlotte Observer. pp. 1D, 20D. Archived from the original on November 14, 2023. Retrieved November 14, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ King, Randy (September 28, 1987). "497 dull laps and 3 Goody's". The Roanoke Times. pp. B1, B5. Archived from the original on November 14, 2023. Retrieved November 14, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ Cooper, Ray (September 26, 1987). "Brett Bodine wins Nationwise 150 pole". News & Record. pp. C2. Archived from the original on November 14, 2023. Retrieved November 14, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "NASCAR Today". The Charlotte Observer. September 24, 1987. pp. 5C. Archived from the original on November 14, 2023. Retrieved November 14, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ Higgins, Tom (September 25, 1987). "Bodine Wins Another Martinsville Pole". The Charlotte Observer. pp. 1E, 7E. Archived from the original on November 14, 2023. Retrieved November 14, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.


Previous race:
1987 Delaware 500
NASCAR Winston Cup Series
1987 season
Next race:
1987 Holly Farms 400