1992 Mello Yello 500

{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2023}}{{Short description|26th race of the 1992 NASCAR Winston Cup Series}}

{{Infobox NASCAR race report|Type=NASWINSTON|Date=October 11|Scheduled_km=806.281|Distance_km=806.281|Avg={{convert|153.537|mph|km/h}}|Pole_Team=AK Racing|Network=TBS|Most_Driver=Kyle Petty|Radio=Performance Racing Network|Announcers=Ken Squier, Neil Bonnett|Most_Team=SABCO Racing|First_Driver=Mark Martin|First_Team=Roush Racing|Most_laps=129|Season_No=29|Location=Concord, North Carolina, Charlotte Motor Speedway|Pole_Time=30.163|Attendance=162,500|Scheduled_mi=501|Distance_laps=334|Scheduled_laps=334|Course_km=2.41|Course_mi=1.5|Race_No=26|Official_name=33rd Annual Mello Yello 500|Car=6|Race_Name=Mello Yello 500|Year=1992|Distance_mi=501|Pole_Driver=Alan Kulwicki|Image=1992_Mello_Yello_500.jpeg|Caption=The 1992 Mello Yello 500 program cover, featuring Richard Petty. Artwork by NASCAR artist Sam Bass.}}

The 1992 Mello Yello 500 was the 26th stock car race of the 1992 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season and the 33rd iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, October 11, 1992, before an audience of 162,500 in Concord, North Carolina, at Charlotte Motor Speedway, a 1.5 miles (2.4 km) permanent quad-oval. The race took the scheduled 334 laps to complete. At race's end, Roush Racing driver Mark Martin would manage to make a late-race pass on eventual second-place finisher, owner-driver Alan Kulwicki with 32 laps to go to take his seventh career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his second and final victory of the season.{{Cite news |last=Coble |first=Dom |date=October 12, 1992 |title=Martin makes a point in Mello Yello win |pages=21 |work=Florida Today |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/118169560/martin-makes-a-point-in-mello-yello-win/ |access-date=February 7, 2023 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}}{{Cite news |last=Harris |first=Mike |date=October 12, 1992 |title=Mello Yello win thrusts Martin into points battle |pages=13 |work=The Anniston Star |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/118169876/mello-yello-win-thrusts-martin-into/ |access-date=February 7, 2023}} {{Open access}} To fill out the top three, SABCO Racing driver Kyle Petty would finish third.

With poor finishes from the top two in the driver's championship standings, those being Bill Elliott and Davey Allison, the points battle had tightened to extreme margins, with the top five in the driver's championship all being within 100 points within the leader with three races left in the season, the first time of such an occurrence in NASCAR history.{{Cite news |last=Clarke |first=Liz |date=October 12, 1992 |title=Elliott woes tighten points race |pages=14 |work=The Charlotte Observer |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/118170210/elliott-woes-tighten-points-race/ |access-date=February 7, 2023 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}}

Bobby Hillin Jr. was disqualified after the race after his car was found to have illegal engine in post-race inspection. It was the last time a disqualification was levied in the Cup Series for technical infringement until 2019, when Erik Jones was disqualified from the 2019 Federated Auto Parts 400.{{cite web |last1=Sturniolo |first1=Zack |title=Jones in tight spot after disqualification |url=https://www.poconorecord.com/story/sports/nascar/2019/09/23/jones-in-tight-spot-after/2715342007/ |website=Pocono Record |access-date=October 15, 2024 |date=September 23, 2019}} The disqualification affected the team Hillin drove for, which opted to shut down after it was unable to pay for the fines levied for the inspection failure.{{cite book|last=Howell|first=Mark D.|title=From Moonshine to Madison Avenue: A Cultural History of the NASCAR Winston Cup Series|year=1997|publisher=Bowling Green State University Popular Press|location=Bowling Green, OH|isbn=0-87972-739-X|page=26}}