1999 Checker Auto Parts/Dura Lube 500k
The 1999 Checker Auto Parts/Dura Lube 500k was the 32nd stock car race of the 1999 NASCAR Winston Cup Series and the 12th iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, November 7, 1999, before an audience of 78,000 in Avondale, Arizona at Phoenix International Raceway, a 1-mile permanent low-banked tri-oval race track. The race took the scheduled 312 laps to complete. Joe Gibbs Racing driver Tony Stewart would manage to dominate the late stages of the race to take his second career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his second victory of the season. To fill out the podium, Roush Racing driver Mark Martin and Joe Gibbs Racing driver Bobby Labonte would finish second and third, respectively.
Background
Phoenix International Raceway – also known as PIR – is a one-mile, low-banked tri-oval race track located in Avondale, Arizona. It is named after the nearby metropolitan area of Phoenix. The motorsport track opened in 1964 and currently hosts two NASCAR race weekends annually. PIR has also hosted the IndyCar Series, CART, USAC and the Rolex Sports Car Series. The raceway is currently owned and operated by International Speedway Corporation.The raceway was originally constructed with a 2.5 mi road course that ran both inside and outside of the main tri-oval. In 1991 the track was reconfigured with the current 1.51 mi interior layout. PIR has an estimated grandstand seating capacity of around 67,000. Lights were installed around the track in 2004 following the addition of a second annual NASCAR race weekend.
Entry list
denotes rookie driver.Practice
First practice
The first practice session was held on Friday, November 5, at 10:30 AM MST. The session would last for one hour. Joe Nemechek, driving for Team SABCO, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 27.245 and an average speed of.Second practice
The second practice session was held on Friday, November 5 at 12:35 PM MST. The session would last for 40 minutes. Geoff Bodine, driving for Joe Bessey Racing, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 27.203 and an average speed of.Third practice
The third practice session was held on Saturday, November 6, at 9:00 AM MST. The session would last for one hour. Tony Stewart, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 27.843 and an average speed of.Final practice
The final practice session, sometimes referred to as Happy Hour, was held on Saturday, November 6, at 11:30 AM MST. The session would last for one hour. Mark Martin, driving for Roush Racing, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 27.896 and an average speed of.Qualifying
Qualifying was split into two rounds. The first round was held on Friday, November 5, at 3:15 PM MST. Each driver would have one lap to set a time. During the first round, the top 25 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 Saturday, November 6, at 10:45 AM MST. As with the first round, each driver would have one lap to set a time. Positions 26-36 would be decided on time, while positions 37-43 would be based on provisionals. Six spots are awarded by the use of provisionals based on owner's points. The seventh is awarded to a past champion who has not otherwise qualified for the race. If no past champion needs the provisional, the next team in the owner points will be awarded a provisional.John Andretti, driving for Petty Enterprises, would win the pole, setting a time of 27.126 and an average speed of.
Mike Wallace was the only driver to fail to qualify.