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1987 Winston 500

Ninth race of the 1987 NASCAR Winston Cup Series

Ninth race of the 1987 NASCAR Winston Cup Series

The 1987 Winston 500 was the ninth stock car race of the 1987 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season and the 18th iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, May 3, 1987, before an audience of 135,000 in Lincoln, Alabama at Alabama International Motor Speedway, a 2.66 mi permanent triangle-shaped superspeedway. The race was shortened from its scheduled 188 laps to 178 due to impending darkness that was caused by a lengthy red flag for debris cleanup and catch fence repairs for an earlier accident.

By race's end, Ranier-Lundy Racing's Davey Allison had managed to dominate a majority of the race, leading 101 laps when the race was called to take his first career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his first victory of the season. To fill out the top three, Junior Johnson & Associates' Terry Labonte and Wood Brothers Racing's Kyle Petty finished second and third, respectively.

The race is considered to be one of the most influential races in terms of the advancement of auto racing safety. On the 21st lap of the race, Stavola Brothers Racing's Bobby Allison lost his engine, with pieces of his engine cutting his right rear tire at speeds of around 210 mph. The car turned backwards and went airborne, hitting the wall and tearing down a wide stretch of protective fencing to protect fans from accidents. After the car hit the fence, the car was described to have spun "round-and-round like an insane top" per The Atlanta Constitution writer Bill Robinson, collecting other cars in the accident and the accident itself injuring four spectators; none of them serious.

The nature of the crash became a source of controversy for NASCAR. In response, NASCAR implemented the mandatory restrictor plate by the start of the 1988 season, which restricted air intake to the engine, made cars considerably slower, and unintentionally ushered in the era of pack racing.

Background

Talladega Superspeedway, originally known as Alabama International Motor Superspeedway (AIMS), is a motorsports complex located north of Talladega, Alabama. It is located on the former Anniston Air Force Base in the small city of Lincoln. The track is a tri-oval and was constructed in the 1960s by the International Speedway Corporation, a business controlled by the France family. Talladega is most known for its steep banking and the unique location of the start/finish line that's located just past the exit to pit road. The track currently hosts the NASCAR series such as the NASCAR Cup Series, Xfinity Series and the Camping World Truck Series. Talladega is the longest NASCAR oval, a 2.66 mi tri-oval like the Daytona International Speedway, which also is a 2.5 mi tri-oval.

Entry list

  • (R) denotes rookie driver.
#DriverTeamMakeSponsor
1Ron BouchardEllington RacingBuickBull's-Eye Barbecue Sauce
3Dale EarnhardtRichard Childress RacingChevroletWrangler
4Rick WilsonMorgan–McClure MotorsportsOldsmobileKodak
5Geoff BodineHendrick MotorsportsChevroletLevi Garrett
6Rick KnoopU.S. RacingChevroletU.S. Racing
7Alan KulwickiAK RacingFordZerex
8Bobby Hillin Jr.Stavola Brothers RacingBuickMiller American
9Bill ElliottMelling RacingFordCoors
11Terry LabonteJunior Johnson & AssociatesChevroletBudweiser
12Slick JohnsonHamby RacingChevroletHamby Racing
15Ricky RuddBud Moore EngineeringFordMotorcraft Quality Parts
17Darrell WaltripHendrick MotorsportsChevroletTide
18Dale Jarrett **(R)**Freedlander MotorsportsChevroletFreedlander Financial
21Kyle PettyWood Brothers RacingFordCitgo
22Bobby AllisonStavola Brothers RacingBuickMiller American
26Morgan ShepherdKing RacingBuickQuaker State
27Rusty WallaceBlue Max RacingPontiacKodiak
28Davey Allison **(R)**Ranier-Lundy RacingFordTexaco, Havoline
29Cale YarboroughCale Yarborough MotorsportsOldsmobileHardee's
30Michael WaltripBahari RacingChevroletBahari Racing
33Harry GantMach 1 RacingChevroletSkoal Bandit
35Benny ParsonsHendrick MotorsportsChevroletFolgers
39Blackie WangerinWangerin RacingFordWangerin Racing
43Richard PettyPetty EnterprisesPontiacSTP
44Sterling MarlinHagan RacingOldsmobilePiedmont Airlines
50Greg SacksDingman Brothers RacingPontiacValvoline
52Jimmy MeansJimmy Means RacingPontiacIn-Fisherman
55Phil ParsonsJackson Bros. MotorsportsOldsmobileCopenhagen
62Steve Christman **(R)**Winkle MotorsportsPontiacAC Spark Plug
64Connie SaylorLangley RacingFordSunny King Ford
67Eddie BierschwaleArrington RacingFordPannill Sweatshirts
71Dave MarcisMarcis Auto RacingChevroletLifebuoy
73Phil BarkdollBarkdoll RacingChevroletHelen Rae Special
75Neil BonnettRahMoc EnterprisesPontiacValvoline
77Ken RaganRagan RacingFordSouthlake Ford
81Chet FillipFillip RacingFordWarr Valves
82Mark StahlStahl RacingFordAuto Bell Car Wash
83Lake SpeedSpeed RacingOldsmobileWynn's, Kmart
86Ronnie SandersMoss RacingFordMoss Racing
88Buddy BakerBaker–Schiff RacingOldsmobileCrisco
90Ken SchraderDonlavey RacingFordRed Baron Frozen Pizza
98Ed PimmCurb RacingBuickCP-1 Oil Booster
99Joe RuttmanBall MotorsportsChevroletBall Motorsports

Qualifying

Qualifying was split into two rounds. The first round was held on Thursday, April 30, 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, May 1, at 2:00 PM EST. As with the first round, each driver had one lap to set a time. For this specific race, positions 21-40 were decided on time, 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.

Bill Elliott, driving for Melling Racing, managed to win the pole, setting a time of 44.998 and an average speed of 212.809 mph in the first round. The lap set a new all-time record for the fastest recorded qualifying lap based on average speed; the record still stands as of December 2025.

Two drivers failed to qualify. One of the drivers who failed to qualify, Blackie Wangerin, crashed during his second-round qualifying run, crashing his only car in the process. The other driver, Ronnie Sanders, elected to stand on his time; the time was the slowest out of all drivers who ran a lap in both sessions and he did not have enough owner's points for a provisional.

Full qualifying results

Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed1234567891011121314151617181920Failed to lock in Round 12122232425262728293031323334353637383940Provisional41Failed to qualify4243[Official first round qualifying results](https://www.newspapers.com/article/florence-morning-news-winston-500/133748849/)[Official starting lineup](https://www.newspapers.com/article/bristol-herald-courier-winston-500/133799454/)
9Bill ElliottMelling RacingFord**44.998****212.809**
22Bobby AllisonStavola Brothers RacingBuick45.213211.797
28Davey Allison **(R)**Ranier-Lundy RacingFord45.468210.610
17Darrell WaltripHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet45.498210.471
3Dale EarnhardtRichard Childress RacingChevrolet45.522210.360
21Kyle PettyWood Brothers RacingFord45.525210.346
44Sterling MarlinHagan RacingOldsmobile45.558210.194
11Terry LabonteJunior Johnson & AssociatesChevrolet45.578210.101
55Phil ParsonsJackson Bros. MotorsportsOldsmobile45.608209.963
83Lake SpeedSpeed RacingOldsmobile45.608209.963
5Geoff BodineHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet45.663209.710
88Buddy BakerBaker–Schiff RacingOldsmobile45.665209.701
1Ron BouchardEllington RacingBuick45.838208.910
27Rusty WallaceBlue Max RacingPontiac45.983208.251
90Ken SchraderDonlavey RacingFord46.003208.160
8Bobby Hillin Jr.Stavola Brothers RacingBuick46.007208.142
15Ricky RuddBud Moore EngineeringFord46.008208.138
29Cale YarboroughCale Yarborough MotorsportsOldsmobile46.018208.092
26Morgan ShepherdKing RacingBuick46.076207.831
35Benny ParsonsHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet46.114207.659
75Neil BonnettRahMoc EnterprisesPontiac46.171207.403
50Greg SacksDingman Brothers RacingPontiac46.206207.246
99Joe RuttmanBall MotorsportsChevrolet46.280206.914
30Michael WaltripBahari RacingChevrolet46.300206.825
43Richard PettyPetty EnterprisesPontiac46.323206.722
33Harry GantMach 1 RacingChevrolet46.353206.589
4Rick WilsonMorgan–McClure MotorsportsOldsmobile46.446206.175
7Alan KulwickiAK RacingFord46.489205.984
77Ken RaganRagan RacingFord46.527205.816
98Ed PimmCurb RacingBuick46.635205.339
81Chet FillipFillip RacingFord46.645205.295
64Connie SaylorLangley RacingFord46.823204.515
82Mark StahlStahl RacingFord46.919204.096
67Eddie BierschwaleArrington RacingFord46.939204.009
71Dave MarcisMarcis Auto RacingChevrolet47.224202.778
12Slick JohnsonHamby RacingChevrolet47.346202.256
73Phil BarkdollBarkdoll RacingChevrolet47.480201.685
18Dale Jarrett **(R)**Freedlander MotorsportsChevrolet47.542201.422
6Rick KnoopU.S. RacingChevrolet47.561201.341
62Steve Christman **(R)**Winkle MotorsportsPontiac48.276198.359
52Jimmy MeansJimmy Means RacingPontiac--
86Ronnie SandersMoss RacingFord49.142194.864
39Blackie WangerinWangerin RacingFord--

Race results

FinSt#DriverTeamMakeLapsLedStatusPtsWinnings1234567891011121314151617181920212223242526272829303132333435363738394041Failed to qualify4243[Official race results](https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-charlotte-observer-winston-500/133748578/)
328Davey Allison **(R)**Ranier-Lundy RacingFord178101running185$71,250
811Terry LabonteJunior Johnson & AssociatesChevrolet1787running175$47,060
621Kyle PettyWood Brothers RacingFord1780running165$30,915
53Dale EarnhardtRichard Childress RacingChevrolet17810running165$31,350
168Bobby Hillin Jr.Stavola Brothers RacingBuick1780running155$25,055
1427Rusty WallaceBlue Max RacingPontiac1781running155$21,325
2175Neil BonnettRahMoc EnterprisesPontiac1782running151$16,520
1590Ken SchraderDonlavey RacingFord1784running147$17,050
1083Lake SpeedSpeed RacingOldsmobile1770running138$9,575
1926Morgan ShepherdKing RacingBuick1770running134$13,965
417Darrell WaltripHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet1770running130$7,565
2035Benny ParsonsHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet1772running132$16,315
3571Dave MarcisMarcis Auto RacingChevrolet1770running124$11,570
744Sterling MarlinHagan RacingOldsmobile1760running121$10,050
3612Slick JohnsonHamby RacingChevrolet1752running123$9,940
2543Richard PettyPetty EnterprisesPontiac1730running115$9,030
3382Mark StahlStahl RacingFord1730running112$5,395
3467Eddie BierschwaleArrington RacingFord1720running109$7,900
4062Steve Christman **(R)**Winkle MotorsportsPontiac1670running106$4,495
274Rick WilsonMorgan–McClure MotorsportsOldsmobile1650overheating103$4,845
2977Ken RaganRagan RacingFord1580crash100$4,035
19Bill ElliottMelling RacingFord15048engine102$16,685
3264Connie SaylorLangley RacingFord1340engine94$6,840
396Rick KnoopU.S. RacingChevrolet1300wheel bearing91$6,470
2430Michael WaltripBahari RacingChevrolet1250clutch88$6,460
2250Greg SacksDingman Brothers RacingPontiac1090crash0$3,545
3098Ed PimmCurb RacingBuick1031engine87$3,495
3818Dale Jarrett **(R)**Freedlander MotorsportsChevrolet960engine79$6,200
2633Harry GantMach 1 RacingChevrolet900crash76$6,130
1715Ricky RuddBud Moore EngineeringFord890crash73$11,745
955Phil ParsonsJackson Bros. MotorsportsOldsmobile840running70$3,250
1288Buddy BakerBaker–Schiff RacingOldsmobile690engine67$3,225
4152Jimmy MeansJimmy Means RacingPontiac610wheel bearing64$5,200
287Alan KulwickiAK RacingFord300engine61$6,175
3773Phil BarkdollBarkdoll RacingChevrolet270transmission583,150
2399Joe RuttmanBall MotorsportsChevrolet270transmission0$3,125
1829Cale YarboroughCale Yarborough MotorsportsOldsmobile220crash52$3,100
131Ron BouchardEllington RacingBuick220crash49$3,075
222Bobby AllisonStavola Brothers RacingBuick210crash46$11,275
115Geoff BodineHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet110engine43$10,000
3181Chet FillipFillip RacingFord30engine40$3,000
86Ronnie SandersMoss RacingFord
39Blackie WangerinWangerin RacingFord

Standings after the race

;Drivers' Championship standings

PosDriverPoints[Official driver's standings](https://www.newspapers.com/article/florence-morning-news-winston-cup-update/133797433/)
[[File:1rightarrow.png10px]]1Dale Earnhardt1,555
[[File:1rightarrow.png10px]]2Bill Elliott1,335 (-220)
[[File:1rightarrow.png10px]]3Neil Bonnett1,289 (-266)
[[File:1uparrow green.svg10px]] **1**4Terry Labonte1,253 (–302)
[[File:1downarrow red.svg10px]] **1**5Richard Petty1,220 (–335)
[[File:1uparrow green.svg10px]] **1**6Rusty Wallace1,216 (–339)
[[File:1uparrow green.svg10px]] **1**7Kyle Petty1,194 (–361)
[[File:1uparrow green.svg10px]] **1**8Ken Schrader1,175 (–380)
[[File:1downarrow red.svg10px]] **4**9Ricky Rudd1,158 (–397)
[[File:1rightarrow.png10px]]10Darrell Waltrip1,152 (–403)
  • Note: Only the first 10 positions are included for the driver standings.

References

References

  1. Ingram, Jonathan. (January 19, 2023). "How Bobby Allison's 1987 Horrific Talladega Crash Led to Birth of Restrictor Plate Races".
  2. Higgins, Tom. (May 4, 1987). "Davey Allison Takes Wreck-Delayed Race". [[The Charlotte Observer]].
  3. Webb, Donnie. (May 4, 1987). "Davey wins family affair". [[The Anniston Star]].
  4. Robinson, Bill. (May 4, 1987). "Allison walks away a survivor". [[The Atlanta Constitution]].
  5. Love, Brian. (May 4, 1987). "4 Spectators Injured In Bobby Allison's Crash". [[The Montgomery Advertiser]].
  6. King, Alanis. (February 21, 2016). "The Days When Even NASCAR Got Too Fast, And How They Changed The Sport".
  7. (April 30, 1987). "NASCAR Today". [[The Charlotte Observer]].
  8. Higgins, Tom. (May 1, 1987). "Elliott On Pole At Talladega". [[The Charlotte Observer]].
  9. Hembree, Mike. (April 19, 2023). "Fast times at Talladega: The year everyone reached 200 mph".
  10. Wickham, Pete. (May 2, 1987). "Trials show little". [[The Commercial Appeal]].
  11. Hardesty, Abe. (May 2, 1987). "Yarborough: Hot streak won't last". [[The Greenville News]].
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