1991 NASCAR Winston Cup Series

Races

Busch Clash

1. 3–Dale Earnhardt
2. 6–Mark Martin
3. 9–Bill Elliott
4. 4–Ernie Irvan
5. 2–Rusty Wallace
6. 25–Ken Schrader
7. 42–Kyle Petty
8. 5–Ricky Rudd
9. 11–Geoff Bodine
10. 26–Brett Bodine

• After several years of mediocre competition, the race's format was slightly re-tooled. Instead of a single 20-lap sprint, the race was divided into two 10-lap segments. After the first 10-lap half, the caution was displayed, freezing the field. The field was inverted for the second 10-lap half. Prize money was awarded for finishing positions in both halves, encouraging drivers to race hard during the first segment, and not hold back or "sandbag" in order to start up front for the second half.

Gatorade 125s

1. 28–Davey Allison
2. 43–Richard Petty
3. 12–Hut Stricklin
4. 1–Rick Mast
5. 5–Ricky Rudd
6. 33–Harry Gant
7. 30–Michael Waltrip
8. 9–Bill Elliott
9. 21–Dale Jarrett
10. 11–Geoff Bodine

1. 3–Dale Earnhardt
2. 4–Ernie Irvan
3. 42–Kyle Petty
4. 2–Rusty Wallace
5. 17–Darrell Waltrip
6. 22–Sterling Marlin
7. 75–Joe Ruttman
8. 88–Buddy Baker
9. 6–Mark Martin
10. 68–Bobby Hamilton

Daytona 500 by STP

1. 4–Ernie Irvan
2. 22–Sterling Marlin
3. 75–Joe Ruttman
4. 1–Rick Mast
5. 3–Dale Earnhardt
6. 21–Dale Jarrett −1
7. 27–Bobby Hillin Jr. −1
8. 7–Alan Kulwicki −1
9. 5–Ricky Rudd −1
10. 68–Bobby Hamilton −1

• A bevy of new Pit rules were introduced at Daytona to start out the 1991 season, in response to the death of a Melling Racing rear tire changer in a pit road accident at Atlanta the previous November. The new rules changed the complexity of the race, and would be tweaked and revised over the next several races.
• Earnhardt was again a dominating factor, but for the 13th time in his career, he came away empty. After a late-race caution, Irvan led, Earnhardt was second and pole-sitter Davey Allison was third. Earnhardt and Allison battled door-to-door for three laps while Irvan inched out to a slight advantage. Finally, with three laps remaining, Allison and Earnhardt touched, sending both of them into a wild spin. The race finished under caution with Irvan scoring the most significant win of a NASCAR Winston Cup competitor's career. Sterling Marlin, in his first race with Junior Johnson, finished second followed by Joe Ruttman, Rick Mast and Earnhardt. Irvan won the first leg of the Winston Million races and qualified for the $1 million bonus. To collect the Winston bonus, he would have needed to win two of the three remaining "Crown Jewel" races, the Winston 500, Coca-Cola 600 or Southern 500, a feat which he failed to accomplish this year.

Pontiac Excitement 400

1. 3–Dale Earnhardt
2. 5–Ricky Rudd
3. 33–Harry Gant
4. 2–Rusty Wallace
5. 7–Alan Kulwicki
6. 6–Mark Martin
7. 17–Darrell Waltrip
8. 15–Morgan Shepherd −1
9. 22–Sterling Marlin −2
10. 25–Ken Schrader −2

• Fueled by his Daytona disappointment, Earnhardt rebounded with a heart-stopping car length victory over Ricky Rudd. Ironically, the door-to-door battle between the two Chevrolet drivers proved to be a prelude to the chase for the $1 million NASCAR Winston Cup points title. Earnhardt left Richmond with a 340–318 point lead over Rudd. The two drivers would remain 1–2 all season long, occasionally trading the point.

Goodwrench 500

1. 42–Kyle Petty
2. 25–Ken Schrader
3. 33–Harry Gant −1
4. 5–Ricky Rudd −1
5. 9–Bill Elliott −1
6. 4–Ernie Irvan −2
7. 30–Michael Waltrip −2
8. 3–Dale Earnhardt −3
9. 17–Darrell Waltrip −4
10. 15–Morgan Shepherd −4

• This was the first live flag to flag Winston Cup Series race televised on TNN. Both races at Rockingham, along with Dover, and the series penultimate race at Phoenix, switched from ESPN to TNN starting in 1991. This was after ESPN moved some races to tape delay at the last minute in 1990. ESPN likewise decided to drop some of the longer, less-prestigious events, in favor of freeing up their schedules in favor of other sports. This was not the first race ever on TNN, however. Previous Winston Cup races had been shown tape delayed on American Sports Cavalcade.

Motorcraft 500

1. 25–Ken Schrader
2. 9–Bill Elliott
3. 3–Dale Earnhardt
4. 15–Morgan Shepherd
5. 30–Michael Waltrip
6. 5–Ricky Rudd
7. 22–Sterling Marlin
8. 7–Alan Kulwicki* −1
9. 17–Darrell Waltrip −1
10. 2–Rusty Wallace −1

• This was the last NASCAR race in this series not to be televised. It has been slated to air on ABC but was a two-day race because of rain early in the race. The majority of the race was not televised on TV and results were only available on local news.
• It was this race where Alan Kulwicki first gained his iconic Hooters sponsorship. Hooters was initially Mark Stahl's sponsor, but after Stahl failed to qualify for Hooter's home race, Hooters moved their sponsorship to Kulwicki's unsponsored machine.

TranSouth 500

1. 5–Ricky Rudd
2. 28–Davey Allison
3. 30–Michael Waltrip
4. 6–Mark Martin −1
5. 2–Rusty Wallace −2
6. 42–Kyle Petty −2
7. 4–Ernie Irvan −2
8. 15–Morgan Shepherd −2
9. 11–Geoff Bodine −2
10. 22–Sterling Marlin −2

Valleydale Meats 500

1. 2–Rusty Wallace
2. 4–Ernie Irvan
3. 28–Davey Allison
4. 6–Mark Martin
5. 5–Ricky Rudd
6. 17–Darrell Waltrip
7. 21–Dale Jarrett
8. 98–Jimmy Spencer
9. 94–Terry Labonte
10. 15–Morgan Shepherd −2

• Sterling Marlin suffered second and third degree burns following a crash late in the race.
• After numerous complaints about the pit road procedure where cars could not pit for tires under caution, NASCAR attempted a new procedure for cautions. When the pits opened, the blue flag waved to permit the odd-numbered cars to pit first. The second lap, the even-numbered cars would then be able to pit. The blue-sticker cars lined up on the inside, the orange-sticker cars on the outside, and lapped cars to the rear on all restarts. Pit road was open for any car on green flag situations.
• ESPN moved the finish of the race on tape delay because of a rain delay lasting 1 hour and 12 minutes.

First Union 400

1. 17–Darrell Waltrip
2. 3–Dale Earnhardt
3. 98–Jimmy Spencer
4. 15–Morgan Shepherd
5. 25–Ken Schrader
6. 28–Davey Allison
7. 30–Michael Waltrip
8. 9–Bill Elliott
9. 6–Mark Martin
10. 4–Ernie Irvan

• NASCAR tinkered and modified the pit procedure one final time. The odd/even policy was abandoned. On the first lap of a caution flag after the field had lined up behind the pace car, all cars on the lead lap could pit. On the second lap of caution following the opening of pit road, all of the cars that were not on the lead lap could pit. The rule was waived if NASCAR called a "quickie caution". A new pit speed limit was implemented, and for the remainder of the 1991 season, cars would be run through pit road for tachometer readings. The use of a "second" pace car during cautions for the pit road was abandoned. The pit speed limit was in place for all situations when a car was on pit road, including green flag stops. A violation of the speed limit on entrance was subject to a 15-second holding penalty before the car exited the pit. A violation on exit was subject to a stop-and-go penalty. A violation under caution resulted in being sent to the rear of the field on the ensuing restart.
• Waltrip's victory set a modern era NASCAR record with seven different winners in the first seven races of the season. It was the overall longest such streak since 1964.
• Sterling Marlin, still recovering from burns suffered in his accident the previous week, was relieved by Charlie Glotzbach shortly after the start of the race.

Hanes 500

1. 3–Dale Earnhardt
2. 42–Kyle Petty
3. 17–Darrell Waltrip
4. 26–Brett Bodine
5. 33–Harry Gant −1
6. 98–Jimmy Spencer −1
7. 30–Michael Waltrip −1
8. 28–Davey Allison −1
9. 7–Alan Kulwicki −3
10. 12–Hut Stricklin −4

• Dale Earnhardt becomes the 9th driver to win 50+ NASCAR races.
• Ernie Irvan required relief from Dick Trickle during the race due to heat exhaustion. Trickle had started the race in the #34 Buick for owner Ken Allen, but finished last after overheating problems popped up after only 12 laps.

Winston 500

1. 33–Harry Gant
2. 17–Darrell Waltrip
3. 3–Dale Earnhardt
4. 22–Sterling Marlin
5. 30–Michael Waltrip
6. 11–Geoff Bodine
7. 25–Ken Schrader
8. 9–Bill Elliott
9. 98–Jimmy Spencer
10. 1–Rick Mast −1

• Ernie Irvan was also the center of controversy after "The Big One" on lap 71, which took out 20 cars and injured Kyle Petty, who was out until the Southern 500 in September due to a broken leg.
• During the Big One on lap 71, Mark Martin's car became airborne, lifting to its nose, but it did not flip over.
• Harry Gant won the race on a gas-mileage gamble. He out-lasted Darrell Waltrip and Dale Earnhardt, and reportedly ran out of fuel right after taking the checkered flag.
• A mild controversy stirred up after the race, where it appeared Gant was being pushed by his teammate Rick Mast on the final lap. Video footage was inconclusive, and the results were unchanged. Gant and Mast insisted they were simply drafting very closely.
• Dale Earnhardt would take over the points lead from Ricky Rudd. He would hold on to the lead for the rest of 1991.
• Footage of Kyle Petty's rehabilitation from his injury was shown during the starting lineup on the telecast of the 1992 Daytona 500 on CBS.

The Winston

1. 28–Davey Allison
2. 25–Ken Schrader
3. 17–Darrell Waltrip
4. 9–Bill Elliott
5. 4–Ernie Irvan
6. 30–Michael Waltrip
7. 2–Rusty Wallace
8. 12–Hut Stricklin
9. 33–Harry Gant
10. 3–Dale Earnhardt

Winston Open

1. 30–Michael Waltrip
2. 22–Sterling Marlin
3. 12–Hut Stricklin
4. 1–Rick Mast
5. 68–Bobby Hamilton
6. 43–Richard Petty
7. 47–Greg Sacks
8. 19–Chad Little
9. 94–Terry Labonte
10. 71–Dave Marcis

Winston Legends Race

1. 64–Elmo Langley
2. 11–Cale Yarborough
3. 99–Paul Goldsmith
4. 06–Neil Castles
5. 28–Fred Lorenzen
6. 14–Coo Coo Marlin
7. 61–Hoss Ellington
8. 90–Dick Brooks
9. 42–Marvin Panch
10. 300–Tim Flock

• The race was shortened by 10 laps due to damp conditions.

Coca-Cola 600

1. 28–Davey Allison
2. 25–Ken Schrader
3. 3–Dale Earnhardt
4. 33–Harry Gant
5. 21–Dale Jarrett
6. 12–Hut Stricklin
7. 4–Ernie Irvan −1
8. 17–Darrell Waltrip −1
9. 5–Ricky Rudd −1
10. 94–Terry Labonte −1

• During the previous week's The Winston, the #11 Junior Johnson-owned Ford was thrown out of the track. Johnson, crew chief Tim Brewer, and substitute driver Tommy Ellis were suspended for 12 weeks for the engine being larger than the legal limit of 358 cubic inches. Regular driver Geoff Bodine was injured in a practice crash for The Winston at Charlotte and was out for two races plus The Winston. All three parties appealed; Johnson and Brewer's suspensions were cut to four races, and Ellis, who drove as a late substitute, had his suspension nullified. Here, Ellis finished the race in 16th, 4 laps down. During the ban, Johnson designated his wife Flossie as the car owner and changed the number of the car to 97.
• Terry Labonte's younger brother, Bobby, attempted to qualify for his first Winston Cup race this weekend. Although he did not make this race, he would enjoy a great career like his older brother, eventually becoming Winston Cup champion in 2000. Furthermore, this was the only time Bobby Labonte ever failed to qualify for a Winston Cup race.

Budweiser 500

1. 25–Ken Schrader*
2. 3–Dale Earnhardt
3. 33–Harry Gant
4. 4–Ernie Irvan
5. 6–Mark Martin
6. 12–Hut Stricklin
7. 17–Darrell Waltrip −1
8. 15–Morgan Shepherd −2
9. 2–Rusty Wallace −2
10. 5–Ricky Rudd −3

• This race marked Ken Schrader's fourth and last victory in the Winston Cup Series. All four of his Cup Series wins came in the #25 car for Hendrick Motorsports.
• This was Michael Waltrip's first career pole position in the Winston Cup Series.

Banquet Frozen Foods 300

1. 28–Davey Allison
2. 5–Ricky Rudd
3. 2–Rusty Wallace
4. 4–Ernie Irvan
5. 25–Ken Schrader
6. 94–Terry Labonte
7. 3–Dale Earnhardt
8. 97–Geoff Bodine*
9. 6–Mark Martin
10. 30–Michael Waltrip

• A wild finish ended in controversy. Accomplished Trans-Am champion and NASCAR road course ringer Tommy Kendall was leading Mark Martin with 4 laps to go, in Felix Sabates' #42 Pontiac. Going into the turn 7 hairpin, Martin slid by on the outside, but the cars made contact, and Martin spun out. Kendall suffered a flat tire, and limped back to the pits. With 2 laps remaining, Davey Allison who had been running third took the lead. Allison led Ricky Rudd into turn 11 as the cars were anticipating seeing the white flag. Rudd's nose got inside, touched Allison's rear bumper, and Allison spun out with the white flag waving. Allison refired, and got back on to the track to hold on to second position. The next time by, Ricky Rudd was displayed the black flag and penalized 5 seconds for "dirty driving." Allison, the second car in line, was given the checkered flag and declared the winner. Rudd officially dropped back to 2nd place, with the black flag being reduced to a 5-second penalty following Allison's time of victory. After the race, Dave Marcis, a lapped car who was right behind the incident and saw it unfold, claimed that Rudd's tap was not dirty, and in his opinion was simply drivers racing hard on the final lap.
• Geoff Bodine returned after missing two races and The Winston because of an injury during a practice crash for The Winston.

Champion Spark Plug 500

1. 17–Darrell Waltrip
2. 3–Dale Earnhardt
3. 6–Mark Martin
4. 33–Harry Gant
5. 97–Geoff Bodine
6. 4–Ernie Irvan
7. 25–Ken Schrader
8. 22–Sterling Marlin
9. 15–Morgan Shepherd
10. 10–Derrike Cope

• A caution flag was thrown during the race for a chicken attempting to cross the track.
• This race was plagued by rain, even causing a red flag at one point, but it still ran to the full 500 mile distance.
• During the race, the wife of ESPN color commentator Benny Parsons, Connie, died of an illness. ESPN announcers Bob Jenkins and Ned Jarrett broke word of her death coming back from a commercial. A video exists of the satellite feed, in which Jenkins and Jarrett were informed of Connie's passing, and previewed an obituary slide that was shown after the commercial break.
• Bill Elliott, whose day ended early with a valve problem, would leave to return to his hometown of Dawsonville, Georgia, as his grandmother also died later on that same day.

Miller Genuine Draft 400

1. 28–Davey Allison
2. 12–Hut Stricklin
3. 6–Mark Martin
4. 3–Dale Earnhardt
5. 4–Ernie Irvan
6. 25–Ken Schrader
7. 17–Darrell Waltrip
8. 5–Ricky Rudd
9. 15–Morgan Shepherd –1
10. 33–Harry Gant –1

• Geoff Bodine's team reverted to the #11 following owner Junior Johnson's return from his 4-race suspension.

Pepsi 400

1. 9–Bill Elliott
2. 11–Geoff Bodine
3. 28–Davey Allison
4. 25–Ken Schrader
5. 4–Ernie Irvan
6. 30–Michael Waltrip
7. 3–Dale Earnhardt
8. 22–Sterling Marlin
9. 5–Ricky Rudd
10. 98–Jimmy Spencer

• This race is probably best known for a wild crash involving the #17 of Darrell Waltrip and the #75 of Joe Ruttman on lap 119. Sterling Marlin got loose, slid into Alan Kulwicki, and Kulwicki slid into Ruttman. Waltrip and Ruttman hooked together on the backstretch and veered into the grass, jumping over part of the infield road course. Waltrip's car landed hard on the left side, dug into the dirt and grass, and barrel rolled while Ruttman's car spun back toward the racing surface.
• This was Bill Elliott's last win for Melling Racing; he would drive for Junior Johnson beginning in 1992. It was also Elliott's only win in a car that was not red.
• This was the final race in which J. D. McDuffie would fail to qualify.
• This race was the first race Benny Parsons covered for ESPN after the loss of his wife Connie three weeks earlier.
• A bizarre sidelight emerged involving Terry Labonte. Labonte would drop out of the race after 8 laps claiming an engine vibration, but when the car was tested in the garage, the engine was working normally. By that time, however, Labonte had already left and with the team unable to find a replacement driver, it was ultimately decided that the car would not attempt to return to the race. However, more info about this came to light in a book called Behind The Wall by Richard Huff where Labonte stated that the wrong car type was brought to the track and Labonte refused to continue due to the car being so slow; it would not keep up in the draft.

Miller Genuine Draft 500

1. 2–Rusty Wallace*
2. 6–Mark Martin
3. 11–Geoff Bodine
4. 12–Hut Stricklin
5. 22–Sterling Marlin
6. 21–Dale Jarrett
7. 4–Ernie Irvan
8. 26–Brett Bodine
9. 9–Bill Elliott −1
10. 75–Joe Ruttman −1

• On lap 72, a major crash on the frontstretch happened involving twelve cars. Among those involved were polesitter Irvan, Earnhardt, and Stricklin.
• When the red flag was thrown for rain, Rusty Wallace's car was nearly out of gas. The red flag was out for over two hours before the track dried and the cars were started again under a yellow condition. However, after just running 1 lap under yellow the rain started falling again. Rusty Wallace was very close to running out of gas, so he was pushed around by Dale Earnhardt so that he wouldn't run out of gas. Once the field was given the white flag, Earnhardt backed off. Under NASCAR rules, this is legal unless it is the final scheduled lap of the race.
• This was the final race J. D. McDuffie actually finished on track in. He finished in 25th, 27 laps down to the winner.

DieHard 500

1. 3–Dale Earnhardt
2. 9–Bill Elliott
3. 6–Mark Martin
4. 5–Ricky Rudd
5. 22–Sterling Marlin
6. 2–Rusty Wallace
7. 30–Michael Waltrip
8. 21–Dale Jarrett
9. 28–Davey Allison
10. 75–Joe Ruttman

• This race featured a blowover crash for the #1 of Rick Mast after he was spun around in the tri-oval by the #20 of Buddy Baker on lap 166.

Budweiser at The Glen

1. 4–Ernie Irvan
2. 5–Ricky Rudd
3. 6–Mark Martin
4. 2–Rusty Wallace
5. 21–Dale Jarrett
6. 17–Darrell Waltrip
7. 9–Bill Elliott
8. 12–Hut Stricklin
9. 43–Richard Petty
10. 28–Davey Allison

• The race was marred by the death of veteran J. D. McDuffie in a Lap 5 crash in the Loop with the #52 of Jimmy Means. The other drivers were not informed of McDuffie's death until after the race.
• The wreck that claimed J. D. McDuffie's life resulted in a nearly 2 hour long red flag to repair the Armco barrier and remove the two wrecked race cars.
• McDuffie's crash was just one in a long series of big wrecks in the Loop-Chute area at Watkins Glen in 1991. Before this crash, Tommy Kendall had broken both legs in the IMSA Camel Continental race in June after spinning out at 180 mph and hitting the Armco head on. Multiple drivers in the Winston Cup Series and in IROC crashed in Turn 5 during the August race weekend. A bus stop chicane was added before the entrance of Turn 5 for the 1992 season to slow cars before the entrance of what is now the Carousel.
• Chip Williams, a media coordinator for NASCAR, made the first announcement of McDuffie's death, which was after the red flag period ended, in an interview with Jerry Punch of ESPN that was simulcast on Motor Racing Network.
• Last career top 10 for Richard Petty.

Champion Spark Plug 400

1. 21–Dale Jarrett*
2. 28–Davey Allison
3. 2–Rusty Wallace
4. 6–Mark Martin
5. 9–Bill Elliott
6. 33–Harry Gant
7. 4–Ernie Irvan
8. 7–Alan Kulwicki
9. 30–Michael Waltrip
10. 25–Ken Schrader −1

• This was Dale Jarrett's first career Winston Cup victory. Jarrett raced door to door to the finish line with the #28 of Davey Allison. The official margin of victory was 10 inches. The win was special to Dale's father Ned Jarrett who was in the ESPN broadcast booth for the telecast.

Bud 500

1. 7–Alan Kulwicki
2. 22–Sterling Marlin
3. 25–Ken Schrader
4. 6–Mark Martin −1
5. 5–Ricky Rudd −1
6. 15–Morgan Shepherd −2
7. 3–Dale Earnhardt −2
8. 17–Darrell Waltrip −2
9. 94–Terry Labonte −7
10. 26–Brett Bodine −7

• Jimmy Spencer led the majority of the race and appeared to be on his way to his first victory, but two late pit stop errors cost him the victory and Spencer would eventually fall to mechanical issues. During the race, Rick Wilson needed relief from Bobby Labonte after Wilson was suffering from flu-like symptoms.

Heinz Southern 500

1. 33–Harry Gant
2. 4–Ernie Irvan
3. 25–Ken Schrader
4. 10–Derrike Cope −1
5. 94–Terry Labonte −1
6. 22–Sterling Marlin −2
7. 11–Geoff Bodine −2
8. 3–Dale Earnhardt −2
9. 75–Joe Ruttman −2
10. 68–Bobby Hamilton −3

• This was Kyle Petty's first race since breaking his leg at Talladega in May.
• No driver was eligible for the Winston Million; however, three drivers going into this race were eligible for a $100,000 bonus from Winston if a driver were to win 2 out of the 4 NASCAR majors. Gant won the bonus by winning the Winston 500 and this race.

Miller Genuine Draft 400

1. 33–Harry Gant
2. 28–Davey Allison
3. 2–Rusty Wallace
4. 4–Ernie Irvan
5. 5–Ricky Rudd
6. 7–Alan Kulwicki
7. 17–Darrell Waltrip
8. 25–Ken Schrader
9. 9–Bill Elliott
10. 22–Sterling Marlin −1

• This was the 1st night race for the Winston Cup Series held at Richmond International Raceway.
• This was Harry Gant's second consecutive victory.
• Richard Petty led his lone lap of 1991; it also was the only lap he ever led on the 3/4 mile configuration of Richmond.

Peak Antifreeze 500

1. 33–Harry Gant
2. 11–Geoff Bodine −1
3. 15–Morgan Shepherd −1
4. 12–Hut Stricklin −1
5. 30–Michael Waltrip −2
6. 24–Dick Trickle −4
7. 5–Ricky Rudd −7
8. 68–Bobby Hamilton −7
9. 1–Rick Mast −7
10. 71–Dave Marcis −10

• Harry Gant's official margin of victory in this race was 1 lap, and an additional 19 seconds.
• This was Harry Gant's third consecutive victory.
• Dick Trickle's last start of 1991 ended up as his best finish of 1991.

Goody's 500

1. 33–Harry Gant*
2. 26–Brett Bodine
3. 3–Dale Earnhardt
4. 4–Ernie Irvan
5. 6–Mark Martin
6. 94–Terry Labonte
7. 2–Rusty Wallace
8. 5–Ricky Rudd
9. 25–Ken Schrader
10. 24–Jimmy Hensley

• This was Harry Gant's 4th consecutive victory, tying the modern-era record for consecutive victories. Gant more or less dominated the race but crashed on lap 377 in Turn 3. The crash damaged the right front of the #33 Skoal Bandit Oldsmobile. This incident led ESPN's race analyst Benny Parsons to discount Gant as a threat to win the race. The team repaired the car the best they could, and sent Gant back out. Gant proceeded to charge up through the field and overtook Brett Bodine for the victory with about 50 laps to go.

Tyson Holly Farms 400

1. 3–Dale Earnhardt
2. 33–Harry Gant
3. 15–Morgan Shepherd
4. 28–Davey Allison
5. 6–Mark Martin
6. 2–Rusty Wallace
7. 26–Brett Bodine
8. 25–Ken Schrader
9. 21–Dale Jarrett
10. 7–Alan Kulwicki

• Dale Earnhardt passed Harry Gant for the victory with 12 laps to go, denying Gant a 5th consecutive victory. Gant had dominated the race when with just a few laps to go an O-Ring failed to give Gant limited braking for the final few laps allowing Earnhardt to pass.
• Earnhardt's victory would be the last win for a General Motors brand until his victory in the 1992 Coca-Cola 600.
• Brett Bodine's 7th-place finish came despite having to start at the rear of the field due to an emergency pit stop prior to the green flag start when his car began leaking fluid during the pace laps.

Mello Yello 500

1. 11–Geoff Bodine
2. 28–Davey Allison
3. 7–Alan Kulwicki −1
4. 33–Harry Gant −1
5. 22–Sterling Marlin −3
6. 94–Terry Labonte −4
7. 30–Michael Waltrip −4
8. 26–Brett Bodine −4
9. 17–Darrell Waltrip −5
10. 19–Chad Little −5

• Five days before this race, Richard Petty held a press conference at his Level Cross, North Carolina race shop. Petty said that instead of retiring at the end of 1991, he would race for one more year. The 1992 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, his last as a driver, would be dubbed the "Fan Appreciation Tour". Petty denied it was a farewell tour because he "wasn't going anywhere".
• With this race and continuing into the beginning of 1992, the Ford brand would win 13 races in a row

AC Delco 500

1. 28–Davey Allison
2. 33–Harry Gant
3. 6–Mark Martin
4. 11–Geoff Bodine
5. 25–Ken Schrader −1
6. 68–Bobby Hamilton −2
7. 3–Dale Earnhardt −2
8. 22–Sterling Marlin −2
9. 42–Kyle Petty −2
10. 9–Bill Elliott −2

• This was Kyle Petty's 100th top ten finish.

Pyroil 500K

1. 28–Davey Allison
2. 17–Darrell Waltrip
3. 22–Sterling Marlin
4. 7–Alan Kulwicki
5. 2–Rusty Wallace
6. 4–Ernie Irvan
7. 98–Jimmy Spencer −1
8. 11–Geoff Bodine −1
9. 3–Dale Earnhardt −1
10. 15–Morgan Shepherd −1

• The only time that Davey Allison would score back-to-back wins in his career.

Hardee's 500

1. 6–Mark Martin
2. 4–Ernie Irvan
3. 9–Bill Elliott
4. 33–Harry Gant
5. 3–Dale Earnhardt*
6. 15–Morgan Shepherd
7. 22–Sterling Marlin −1
8. 11–Geoff Bodine −1
9. 7–Alan Kulwicki −2
10. 17–Darrell Waltrip −2

• This was the race in which Dale Earnhardt clinched his fifth Winston Cup championship. ESPN ran a comedic segment on "How to Steal a Championship" where two crew members from Davey Allison and Ricky Rudd's teams, which were second and third in points respectively, attempted to steal Earnhardt's driving uniform and helmet so Earnhardt could not start the race. Those efforts were thwarted by longtime Earnhardt crewman Chocolate Myers and Earnhardt won by merely starting the race and completing the first lap.

Full Drivers' Championship

Rookie of the Year