1991 AC Delco 500

{{Short description|27th race of the 1991 NASCAR Winston Cup Series}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2023}}

{{Infobox NASCAR race report|Type=NASWINSTON|Official_name=27th Annual AC Delco 500|Date=October 20|Pole_Driver=Kyle Petty|Pole_Team=SABCO Racing|Announcers=Mike Joy, Buddy Baker, Neil Bonnett|Most_Driver=Harry Gant|First_Driver=Davey Allison|Most_laps=258|Most_Team=Leo Jackson Motorsports|First_Team=Robert Yates Racing|Car=28|Network=TNN|Radio=Motor Racing Network|Avg={{convert|127.292|mph|km/h}}|Attendance=57,700|Location=Rockingham, North Carolina, North Carolina Motor Speedway|Distance_km=805.257|Scheduled_km=805.257|Scheduled_mi=500.364|Scheduled_laps=492|Distance_laps=492|Course_km=1.636|Course_mi=1.017|Season_No=29|Race_No=27|Race_Name=AC Delco 500|Year=1991|Pole_Time=24.496|Distance_mi=500.364|Caption=The 1991 AC Delco 500 program cover, featuring Dale Earnhardt.|Image=1991_AC_Delco_500.jpeg}}

The 1991 AC Delco 500 was the 27th stock car race of the 1991 NASCAR Winston Cup Series and the 27th iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, October 20, 1991, before an audience of 57,700 in Rockingham, North Carolina, at North Carolina Speedway, a {{Convert|1.017|mi|km}} permanent high-banked racetrack. The race took the scheduled 492 laps to complete. In the final laps of the race, Leo Jackson Motorsports driver Harry Gant would suffer a faulty final pit-stop on lap 452, leading towards Robert Yates Racing driver Davey Allison to take the lead for the final 17 laps of the race. The victory was Allison's 12th career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his fourth victory of the season.{{Cite news |last=Higgins |first=Tom |date=October 21, 1991 |title=Allison out of Gant's reach at The Rock (Part 1) |pages=9 |work=The Charlotte Observer |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/120548150/allison-out-of-gants-reach-at-the-rock/ |access-date=March 10, 2023 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}}{{Cite news |last=Higgins |first=Tom |date=October 21, 1991 |title=Allison out of Gant's reach at The Rock (Part 2) |pages=13 |work=The Charlotte Observer |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/120548459/allison-out-of-gants-reach-at-the-rock/ |access-date=March 10, 2023 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}}{{Cite news |last=McLaurin |first=Jim |date=October 21, 1991 |title=Allison turns Gant's late pit problem into win (Part 1) |pages=17 |work=The State |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/120548789/allison-turns-gants-late-pit-problem/ |access-date=March 10, 2023 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}}{{Cite news |last=McLaurin |first=Jim |date=October 21, 1991 |title=Allison turns Gant's late pit problem into win (Part 2) |pages=23 |work=The State |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/120548808/allison-turns-gants-late-pit-problem/ |access-date=March 10, 2023 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}} To fill out the top three, the aforementioned Harry Gant and Roush Racing driver Mark Martin would finish second and third, respectively.

With a 19-point increase over competitor Ricky Rudd in the driver's championship standings, Dale Earnhardt was considered the heavy favorite to win the championship, having a 157-point lead over Rudd.{{Cite news |last=Higgins |first=Tom |date=October 21, 1991 |title=Earnhardt pads his lead |pages=13 |work=The Charlotte Observer |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/120548881/earnhardt-pads-his-lead/ |access-date=March 10, 2023 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}}