1994 Hooters 500

{{Short description|31st race of the 1994 NASCAR Winston Cup Series}}

{{Infobox NASCAR race report|Type=NASWINSTON|Avg={{convert|148.982|mph|km/h}}|Radio=Performance Racing Network|Caption=The 1994 Hooters 500 program cover, with artwork by Sam Bass.|Official_name=35th Annual Hooters 500|Pole_Driver=Greg Sacks|Pole_Time=29.485|First_Team=Roush Racing|Most_Team=Roush Racing|First_Driver=Mark Martin|Most_Driver=Mark Martin|Most_laps=119|Car=6|Pole_Team=U.S. Motorsports Inc.|Date=November 12|Location=Hampton, Georgia, Atlanta Motor Speedway|Season_No=31|Race_No=31|Network=ESPN|Race_Name=Hooters 500|Year=1994|Scheduled_laps=328|Distance_laps=328|Distance_km=803.41|Scheduled_mi=499.216|Scheduled_km=803.41|Course_km=2.449|Course_mi=1.522|Distance_mi=499.216|Announcers=Bob Jenkins, Ned Jarrett, Benny Parsons|Image=1994 Hooters 500.jpeg|Attendance=100,000}}

The 1994 Hooters 500 was the 31st and final stock car race of the 1994 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season and the 35th iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, November 12, 1994, in Hampton, Georgia, at Atlanta Motor Speedway, a {{Convert|1.522|mi|km}} permanent asphalt quad-oval intermediate speedway. The race took the scheduled 328 laps to complete. At race's end, Roush Racing driver Mark Martin would manage to dominate the late stages of the race to take his 14th career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his second and final victory of the season.{{Cite news |last=Higgins |first=Tom |date=November 14, 1994 |title=Martin floors it, wins Hooters |pages=25 |work=Kenosha News |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/115144525/martin-floors-it-wins-hooters/ |access-date=December 25, 2022 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}}{{Cite news |last=Harris |first=Mike |date=November 14, 1994 |title=Martin weathers Hooters finale |pages=11 |work=The Republic |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/115144559/martin-weathers-hooters-finale/ |access-date=December 25, 2022 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}} To fill out the top three, Richard Childress Racing driver Dale Earnhardt and Butch Mock Motorsports driver Todd Bodine would finish second and third, respectively.

The race marked the final Winston Cup Series start for long-time driver Harry Gant. Gant would retire from the race due to a burnt piston, finishing 33rd.{{Cite news |last=Cain |first=Holly |date=November 14, 1994 |title=Gant ends career: 'Stick a fork in me' |pages=97 |work=The Tampa Tribune |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/115144663/gant-ends-career-stick-a-fork-in-me/ |access-date=December 25, 2022 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}}

Earnhardt dedicated his season championship to Neil Bonnett who lost his life before the first race of the season.

Background

File:Atlanta_International_Speedway.svg, the circuit where the race was held.]]

Atlanta Motor Speedway (formerly Atlanta International Raceway) is a 1.522-mile race track in Hampton, Georgia, United States, 20 miles (32 km) south of Atlanta. It has annually hosted NASCAR Winston Cup Series stock car races since its inauguration in 1960.

The venue was bought by Speedway Motorsports in 1990. In 1994, 46 condominiums were built over the northeastern side of the track. In 1997, to standardize the track with Speedway Motorsports' other two intermediate ovals, the entire track was almost completely rebuilt. The frontstretch and backstretch were swapped, and the configuration of the track was changed from oval to quad-oval, with a new official length of {{convert|1.54|mi|km|adj=on}} where before it was {{convert|1.522|mi|km|adj=on}}. The project made the track one of the fastest on the NASCAR circuit.

= Entry list =

(R) - denotes rookie driver.

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!Driver

!Team

!Make

!Sponsor

1994 Hooters 500

Background

= Entry list =

Qualifying

= Full qualifying results =

Race results

Standings after the race

References