1991 The Winston


The 1991 edition of The Winston was a stock car racing competition that took place on May 19, 1991. Held at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina, the 70-lap race was an exhibition race in the 1991 [NASCAR Winston Cup Series]. Davey Allison of Robert Yates Racing won the pole and led all 70 caution-free laps to win the race and collect a total purse of.

Background

The 1991 All-Star Race was open to race winners from last season through the 1991 Winston 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. The format was changed where only the winning drivers and teams of the 1990 season and the 1991 season to the point were awarded exemptions. In return, the field, which would still be 20 cars, would be filled by the top finishers in the All-Star Open, a new rule where the field will be filled until the field reaches 20 cars.
Geoff Bodine was eligible for this race, but had to bow out due to an injury he sustained in a practice crash prior to the event. As a result, his eligibility was given to Tommy Ellis. Likewise, Kenny Wallace substituted for Kyle Petty, who was injured in a crash at the Winston 500. Bobby Hillin Jr., who had not won a race since 1986, made the field after his team Moroso Racing struck a deal with Blue Max Racing, which was eligible after former driver Rusty Wallace won two races in 1990.

1991 The Winston drivers and eligibility

Race winners in 1990 and 1991

Segment 1 (50 laps)

won the pole, earning him in advance. Michael Waltrip, Sterling Marlin, and Hut Stricklin made the starting grid by finishing in the top three at The Winston Open. Alan Kulwicki retired on lap 7 after his engine expired while Bobby Hillin Jr.'s day ended on lap 26 with valve issues. Segment 1 ended with Allison taking the checkered flag while leading all 50 laps.
;Race 1 results
  1. 28-Davey Allison
  2. 17-Darrell Waltrip
  3. 25-Ken Schrader
  4. 9-Bill Elliott
  5. 33-Harry Gant

    Segment 2 (20 laps)

Allison led the field on the second segment. Prior to the green flag, Ken Schrader stopped twice in the middle of the track before returning to the field. NASCAR initially gave Schrader the black flag, but rescinded it when his team explained that his safety belt suddenly came undone and he needed to buckle it back up. Morgan Shepherd was given a stop-and-go penalty after jumping the green flag, resulting in him finishing in the tail end of the lead lap. As Allison extended his lead, Schrader overtook Darrell Waltrip to advance to the second spot while Bill Elliott, Ernie Irvan, and Michael Waltrip engaged in a three-way battle for fourth. With a lead of over one second ahead of Schrader and rain beginning to hit the track, Allison crossed the finish line to win the race and, becoming the second flag-to-flag winner of The Winston after Dale Earnhardt in 1990.