The 1992 Coca-Cola 600 was the 10th stock car race of the 1992 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season and the 33rd iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, May 24, 1992, in Concord, North Carolina, at Charlotte Motor Speedway, a 1.5 miles (2.4 km) permanent quad-oval. The race took the scheduled 400 laps to complete. At race's end, Richard Childress Racing driver Dale Earnhardt would manage to make a late-race pass with 54 to go for the lead to take his 53rd career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his only victory of the season.[1][2] To fill out the top three, Morgan–McClure Motorsports driver Ernie Irvan and SABCO Racing driver Kyle Petty would finish second and third, respectively.

1992 Coca-Cola 600
Race details
Race 10 of 29 in the 1992 NASCAR Winston Cup Series
The 1992 Coca-Cola 600 program cover, with artwork by NASCAR artist Sam Bass.
The 1992 Coca-Cola 600 program cover, with artwork by NASCAR artist Sam Bass.
Date May 24, 1992
Official name 33rd Annual Coca-Cola 600
Location Concord, North Carolina, Charlotte Motor Speedway
Course Permanent racing facility
1.5 mi (2.41 km)
Distance 400 laps, 600 mi (965.606 km)
Scheduled Distance 400 laps, 600 mi (965.606 km)
Average speed 132.98 miles per hour (214.01 km/h)
Pole position
Driver Junior Johnson & Associates
Time 30.773
Most laps led
Driver Kyle Petty SABCO Racing
Laps 141
Winner
No. 3 Dale Earnhardt Richard Childress Racing
Television in the United States
Network TBS
Announcers Ken Squier, Neil Bonnett
Radio in the United States
Radio Performance Racing Network

Background

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

Charlotte Motor Speedway is a motorsports complex located in Concord, North Carolina, United States 13 miles from Charlotte, North Carolina. The complex features a 1.5 miles (2.4 km) quad oval track that hosts NASCAR racing including the prestigious Coca-Cola 600 on Memorial Day weekend and the NEXTEL All-Star Challenge, as well as the UAW-GM Quality 500. The speedway was built in 1959 by Bruton Smith and is considered the home track for NASCAR with many race teams located in the Charlotte area. The track is owned and operated by Speedway Motorsports Inc. (SMI) with Marcus G. Smith (son of Bruton Smith) as track president.

Entry list

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  • (R) denotes rookie driver.
# Driver Team Make Sponsor
0 Delma Cowart H. L. Waters Racing Ford Masters Inn Economy
1 Rick Mast Precision Products Racing Oldsmobile Skoal
2 Rusty Wallace Penske Racing South Pontiac Miller Genuine Draft
3 Dale Earnhardt Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet GM Goodwrench Service Plus
4 Ernie Irvan Morgan–McClure Motorsports Chevrolet Kodak
5 Ricky Rudd Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Tide
6 Mark Martin Roush Racing Ford Valvoline
7 Alan Kulwicki AK Racing Ford Hooters
8 Dick Trickle Stavola Brothers Racing Ford Snickers
9 Dave Mader III Melling Racing Ford Melling Racing
10 Derrike Cope Whitcomb Racing Chevrolet Purolator Filters
11 Bill Elliott Junior Johnson & Associates Ford Budweiser
12 Hut Stricklin Bobby Allison Motorsports Chevrolet Raybestos
15 Geoff Bodine Bud Moore Engineering Ford Motorcraft
16 Wally Dallenbach Jr. Roush Racing Ford Keystone
17 Darrell Waltrip Darrell Waltrip Motorsports Chevrolet Western Auto
18 Dale Jarrett Joe Gibbs Racing Chevrolet Interstate Batteries
20 Joe Ruttman Moroso Racing Oldsmobile Orkin
21 Morgan Shepherd Wood Brothers Racing Ford Citgo
22 Sterling Marlin Junior Johnson & Associates Ford Maxwell House
23 Eddie Bierschwale B&B Racing Oldsmobile SplitFire
25 Ken Schrader Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Kodiak
26 Brett Bodine King Racing Ford Quaker State
27 Gary Balough Linro Motorsports Chevrolet Linro Motorsports
28 Davey Allison Robert Yates Racing Ford Texaco, Havoline
30 Michael Waltrip Bahari Racing Pontiac Pennzoil
31 Bobby Hillin Jr. Team Ireland Chevrolet Team Ireland
32 Randy Porter Porter Racing Pontiac Porter Racing
33 Harry Gant Leo Jackson Motorsports Oldsmobile Skoal Bandit
41 Greg Sacks Larry Hedrick Motorsports Chevrolet Kellogg's Frosted Flakes
42 Kyle Petty SABCO Racing Pontiac Mello Yello
43 Richard Petty Petty Enterprises Pontiac STP
48 James Hylton Hylton Motorsports Pontiac Rumple Furniture
49 Stanley Smith BS&S Motorsports Chevrolet Ameritron Batteries
52 Jimmy Means Jimmy Means Racing Pontiac Jimmy Means Racing
55 Ted Musgrave RaDiUs Motorsports Oldsmobile Jasper Engines & Transmissions
66 Jimmy Hensley (R) Cale Yarborough Motorsports Ford Phillips 66 TropArtic
68 Bobby Hamilton TriStar Motorsports Oldsmobile Country Time
71 Dave Marcis Marcis Auto Racing Chevrolet Food Lion
73 Phil Barkdoll Barkdoll Racing Oldsmobile X-1R
77 Mike Potter Balough Racing Chevrolet Kenova Trucking
83 Lake Speed Speed Racing Ford Purex
85 Mike Skinner Mansion Motorsports Chevrolet Glidden
89 Jim Sauter Mueller Brothers Racing Pontiac Evinrude
90 Charlie Glotzbach Donlavey Racing Ford Donlavey Racing
94 Terry Labonte Hagan Racing Ford Sunoco
95 Bob Schacht (R) Sadler Brothers Racing Chevrolet Glidden
98 Jimmy Spencer Travis Carter Enterprises Chevrolet Moly Black Gold

Qualifying

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Qualifying was split into two rounds. The first round was held on Wednesday, May 20, at 3:00 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 Thursday, May 21, 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,[3] 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. If needed, a past champion who did not qualify on either time or provisionals could use a champion's provisional, adding one more spot to the field.

Bill Elliott, driving for Junior Johnson & Associates, would win the pole, setting a time of 30.773 and an average speed of 175.479 miles per hour (282.406 km/h) in the first round.[4]

Six drivers would fail to qualify.

Full qualifying results

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Pos. # Driver Team Make Time Speed
1 11 Bill Elliott Junior Johnson & Associates Ford 30.773 175.479
2 42 Kyle Petty SABCO Racing Pontiac 30.795 175.353
3 5 Ricky Rudd Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 30.814 175.245
4 26 Brett Bodine King Racing Ford 30.838 175.109
5 6 Mark Martin Roush Racing Ford 30.907 174.718
6 25 Ken Schrader Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 30.952 174.464
7 2 Rusty Wallace Penske Racing South Pontiac 30.996 174.216
8 7 Alan Kulwicki AK Racing Ford 31.011 174.132
9 22 Sterling Marlin Junior Johnson & Associates Ford 31.075 173.773
10 8 Dick Trickle Stavola Brothers Racing Ford 31.132 173.455
11 4 Ernie Irvan Morgan–McClure Motorsports Chevrolet 31.182 173.177
12 43 Richard Petty Petty Enterprises Pontiac 31.236 172.877
13 3 Dale Earnhardt Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 31.243 172.839
14 94 Terry Labonte Hagan Racing Oldsmobile 31.261 172.739
15 30 Michael Waltrip Bahari Racing Pontiac 31.270 172.689
16 55 Ted Musgrave RaDiUs Motorsports Ford 31.274 172.667
17 28 Davey Allison Robert Yates Racing Ford 31.275 172.662
18 17 Darrell Waltrip Darrell Waltrip Motorsports Chevrolet 31.294 172.557
19 15 Geoff Bodine Bud Moore Engineering Ford 31.303 172.507
20 66 Jimmy Hensley (R) Cale Yarborough Motorsports Ford 31.339 172.309
Failed to lock in Round 1
21 9 Dave Mader III Melling Racing Ford 31.221 172.961
22 68 Bobby Hamilton TriStar Motorsports Oldsmobile 31.386 172.051
23 18 Dale Jarrett Joe Gibbs Racing Chevrolet 31.391 172.024
24 31 Bobby Hillin Jr. Team Ireland Chevrolet 31.411 171.914
25 21 Morgan Shepherd Wood Brothers Racing Ford 31.453 171.685
26 33 Harry Gant Leo Jackson Motorsports Oldsmobile 31.472 171.581
27 41 Greg Sacks Larry Hedrick Motorsports Chevrolet 31.527 171.282
28 12 Hut Stricklin Bobby Allison Motorsports Chevrolet 31.551 171.151
29 49 Stanley Smith BS&S Motorsports Chevrolet 31.551 171.151
30 10 Derrike Cope Whitcomb Racing Chevrolet 31.565 171.076
31 1 Rick Mast Precision Products Racing Oldsmobile 31.565 171.076
32 20 Joe Ruttman Moroso Racing Oldsmobile 31.602 170.875
33 89 Jim Sauter Mueller Brothers Racing Pontiac 31.616 170.800
34 27 Gary Balough Linro Motorsports Chevrolet 31.667 170.525
35 71 Dave Marcis Marcis Auto Racing Chevrolet 31.683 170.438
36 83 Lake Speed Speed Racing Ford 31.684 170.433
37 98 Jimmy Spencer Travis Carter Enterprises Chevrolet 31.709 170.299
38 16 Wally Dallenbach Jr. Roush Racing Ford 31.717 170.256
39 32 Randy Porter Porter Racing Pontiac 31.744 170.111
40 95 Bob Schacht (R) Sadler Brothers Racing Chevrolet 31.753 170.063
Provisionals
41 52 Jimmy Means Jimmy Means Racing Pontiac 31.941 169.062
42 90 Charlie Glotzbach Donlavey Racing Ford 33.056 163.359
Failed to qualify
43 85 Mike Skinner Mansion Motorsports Chevrolet 31.818 169.715
44 23 Eddie Bierschwale B&B Racing Oldsmobile -* -*
45 48 James Hylton Hylton Motorsports Pontiac -* -*
46 0 Delma Cowart H. L. Waters Racing Ford -* -*
47 77 Mike Potter Balough Racing Chevrolet -* -*
48 73 Phil Barkdoll Barkdoll 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 13 3 Dale Earnhardt Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 400 54 running 180 $125,100
2 11 4 Ernie Irvan Morgan–McClure Motorsports Chevrolet 400 2 running 175 $67,275
3 2 42 Kyle Petty SABCO Racing Pontiac 400 141 running 175 $60,900
4 17 28 Davey Allison Robert Yates Racing Ford 400 33 running 165 $45,750
5 26 33 Harry Gant Leo Jackson Motorsports Oldsmobile 400 0 running 155 $35,800
6 14 94 Terry Labonte Hagan Racing Oldsmobile 400 0 running 150 $27,100
7 8 7 Alan Kulwicki AK Racing Ford 400 43 running 151 $39,850
8 16 55 Ted Musgrave RaDiUs Motorsports Ford 399 0 running 142 $23,150
9 3 5 Ricky Rudd Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 398 33 running 143 $30,100
10 10 8 Dick Trickle Stavola Brothers Racing Ford 398 0 running 134 $22,800
11 20 66 Jimmy Hensley (R) Cale Yarborough Motorsports Ford 398 11 running 135 $17,250
12 23 18 Dale Jarrett Joe Gibbs Racing Chevrolet 397 1 running 132 $15,400
13 24 31 Bobby Hillin Jr. Team Ireland Chevrolet 397 0 running 124 $11,800
14 1 11 Bill Elliott Junior Johnson & Associates Ford 396 0 running 121 $57,600
15 35 71 Dave Marcis Marcis Auto Racing Chevrolet 394 0 running 118 $12,975
16 27 41 Greg Sacks Larry Hedrick Motorsports Chevrolet 390 6 running 120 $9,750
17 30 10 Derrike Cope Whitcomb Racing Chevrolet 388 0 running 112 $11,150
18 7 2 Rusty Wallace Penske Racing South Pontiac 386 38 engine 114 $18,050
19 36 83 Lake Speed Speed Racing Ford 385 0 running 106 $7,650
20 4 26 Brett Bodine King Racing Ford 378 0 running 103 $15,780
21 22 68 Bobby Hamilton TriStar Motorsports Oldsmobile 377 0 engine 100 $13,120
22 9 22 Sterling Marlin Junior Johnson & Associates Ford 364 0 running 97 $12,160
23 31 1 Rick Mast Precision Products Racing Oldsmobile 348 0 running 94 $11,450
24 39 32 Randy Porter Porter Racing Pontiac 322 0 engine 91 $6,340
25 15 30 Michael Waltrip Bahari Racing Pontiac 321 0 running 88 $10,880
26 6 25 Ken Schrader Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 309 29 accident 90 $16,845
27 37 98 Jimmy Spencer Travis Carter Enterprises Chevrolet 288 1 engine 87 $10,465
28 38 16 Wally Dallenbach Jr. Roush Racing Ford 279 0 engine 79 $5,710
29 25 21 Morgan Shepherd Wood Brothers Racing Ford 252 0 accident 76 $10,230
30 29 49 Stanley Smith BS&S Motorsports Chevrolet 248 0 no tires 73 $5,555
31 40 95 Bob Schacht (R) Sadler Brothers Racing Chevrolet 245 0 engine 70 $5,725
32 19 15 Geoff Bodine Bud Moore Engineering Ford 244 4 engine 72 $9,975
33 5 6 Mark Martin Roush Racing Ford 234 4 engine 69 $14,850
34 28 12 Hut Stricklin Bobby Allison Motorsports Chevrolet 220 0 crank 61 $9,850
35 32 20 Joe Ruttman Moroso Racing Oldsmobile 213 0 accident 58 $5,250
36 42 90 Charlie Glotzbach Donlavey Racing Ford 194 0 piston 55 $5,200
37 33 89 Jim Sauter Mueller Brothers Racing Pontiac 194 0 ignition 52 $5,165
38 18 17 Darrell Waltrip Darrell Waltrip Motorsports Chevrolet 185 0 piston 49 $14,540
39 21 9 Dave Mader III Melling Racing Ford 184 0 accident 46 $10,145
40 34 27 Gary Balough Linro Motorsports Chevrolet 131 0 accident 43 $5,100
41 12 43 Richard Petty Petty Enterprises Pontiac 115 0 accident 40 $10,600
42 41 52 Jimmy Means Jimmy Means Racing Pontiac 8 0 engine 37 $5,100
Failed to qualify
43 85 Mike Skinner Mansion Motorsports Chevrolet
44 23 Eddie Bierschwale B&B Racing Oldsmobile
45 48 James Hylton Hylton Motorsports Pontiac
46 0 Delma Cowart H. L. Waters Racing Ford
47 77 Mike Potter Balough Racing Chevrolet
48 73 Phil Barkdoll Barkdoll Racing Oldsmobile
Official race results

Standings after the race

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References

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  1. ^ Foreman Jr., Tom (May 25, 1992). "Earnhardt avoids trouble to win 600". The Tampa Tribune. p. 21. Retrieved January 28, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.  
  2. ^ Clarke, Liz (May 25, 1992). "Earnhardt's crew savors flavor of victory". Sun-News. p. 13. Retrieved January 28, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.  
  3. ^ "Race week schedule". The Charlotte Observer. May 19, 1992. p. 12. Retrieved January 28, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.  
  4. ^ Nowell, Paul (May 21, 1992). "Charlotte pole another high for Elliott". The Item. p. 25. Retrieved January 28, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.  
Previous race:
1992 Winston 500
NASCAR Winston Cup Series
1992 season
Next race:
1992 Budweiser 500