1995 Pontiac Excitement 400
{{Short description|Third race of the 1995 NASCAR Winston Cup Series}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox NASCAR race report|Type=NASWINSTON|Race_No=3|Distance_mi=300|Year=1995|Pole_Time=21.642|Race_Name=Pontiac Excitement 400|Course_mi=0.75|Scheduled_km=482.803|Distance_km=482.803|Course_km=1.21|Distance_laps=400|Scheduled_laps=400|Scheduled_mi=300|Official_name=41st Annual Pontiac Excitement 400|Location=Richmond, Virginia, Richmond International Raceway|Avg={{convert|106.425|mph|km/h}}|Season_No=31|Date=March 5|Car=5|Radio=Motor Racing Network|Network=TBS|Announcers=Ken Squier, Ernie Irvan, Chuck Bown|Most_laps=248|First_Driver=Terry Labonte|First_Team=Hendrick Motorsports|Most_Driver=Rusty Wallace|Pole_Driver=Jeff Gordon|Pole_Team=Hendrick Motorsports|Most_Team=Penske Racing South|Caption=The 1995 Pontiac Excitement 400 program cover.|Image=1995_Pontiac_Excitement_400.jpeg|Attendance=}}
The 1995 Pontiac Excitement 400 was the third stock car race of the 1995 NASCAR Winston Cup Series and the 41st iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, March 5, 1995, in Richmond, Virginia, at Richmond International Raceway, a 0.75 miles (1.21 km) D-shaped oval. The race took the scheduled 400 laps to complete. At race's end, Hendrick Motorsports driver Terry Labonte would manage to dominate the final stages of the race to take his 15th career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his first victory of the season.{{Cite news |last=Macenka |first=Joe |date=March 6, 1995 |title=Labonte wins second straight at Richmond |pages=13 |work=Messenger-Inquirer |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/112117699/labonte-wins-second-straight-at-richmond/ |access-date=October 27, 2022 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}}{{Cite news |last=Higgins |first=Tom |date=March 6, 1995 |title=Excitement's plentiful as Labonte wins Pontiac 400 |pages=8 |work=The Daily Herald |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/112118310/excitements-plentiful-as-labonte-wins/ |access-date=October 27, 2022 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}} To fill out the top three, Richard Childress Racing driver Dale Earnhardt and Penske Racing South driver Rusty Wallace would finish second and third, respectively.
Background
File:Richmond_International_Speedway.png, the venue where the race was at.]]
Richmond International Raceway (RIR) is a 3/4-mile (1.2 km), D-shaped, asphalt race track located just outside Richmond, Virginia in Henrico County. It hosts the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and Xfinity Series. Known as "America's premier short track", it formerly hosted a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race, an IndyCar Series race, and two USAC sprint car races.
= Entry list =
- (R) denotes rookie driver.
| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%"
!# !Driver !Team !Make !Sponsor |
| 1 |
| 2
|Ford |
| 3 |
| 4 |
| 5 |
| 6
|Ford |
| 7
|Ford |
| 8
|Ford |
| 9
|Ford |Spam |
| 10
|Ford |Tide |
| 11
|Ford |
| 12
|Ford |
| 15
|Ford |
| 16
|Ford |
| 17 |
| 18 |
| 21
|Ford |
| 22
|Randy LaJoie (R) |MBNA |
| 23
|Ford |
| 24 |
| 25 |
| 26
|Ford |
| 27
|Ford |
| 28
|Ford |
| 29 |
| 30 |
| 31 |
| 32 |
| 33
|Robert Pressley (R) |
| 37
|Ford |
| 40 |
| 41
|Ricky Craven (R) |
| 42 |
| 43
|STP |
| 47
|Ford |
| 49
|Ford |
| 52
|Ford |
| 66
|Ford |
| 71 |
| 75
|Ford |
| 77
|Davy Jones (R) |Ford |
| 78
|Ford |
| 81
|Ford |
| 87 |
| 90
|Ford |
| 94
|Ford |
| 98
|Ford |RCA |
Qualifying
Qualifying was originally scheduled to be split into two rounds. The first round was scheduled to be held on Friday, March 3, at 10:30 AM EST. However, qualifying was snowed out and postponed until Saturday, March 4, at 12:00 PM EST. Qualifying was eventually combined into only one round.{{Cite news |last=Higgins |first=Tom |date=March 4, 1995 |title=Snow postpones qualifying |pages=20 |work=The Charlotte Observer |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/112119075/snow-postpones-qualifying/ |access-date=October 27, 2022 |via=Newspapers.com}} Each driver would have one lap to set a time. For this specific race, positions 1-34 would be decided on time,{{Cite news |date=March 3, 1995 |title=Pontiac Excitement 400 |pages=14 |work=The Charlotte Observer |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/112117603/pontiac-excitement-400/ |access-date=October 27, 2022 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}} 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; which is usually four.
Jeff Gordon, driving for Hendrick Motorsports, would win the pole, setting a time of 21.642 and an average speed of {{Convert|124.757|mph|km/h}}.{{Cite news |last=Higgins |first=Tom |date=March 5, 1995 |title=Qualifying deja vu: Gordon wins pole with record speed |pages=103 |work=The Charlotte Observer |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/112117578/qualifying-deja-vu-gordon-wins-pole/ |access-date=October 27, 2022}} {{Open access}}
Nine drivers would fail to qualify: Jimmy Hensley, Kenny Wallace, Billy Standridge, Jay Hedgecock, Steve Grissom, Gary Bradberry, Ben Hess, Eric Smith, and Davy Jones.
= Full qualifying results =
| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%"
!Pos. !# !Driver !Team !Make !Time !Speed |
| 1
|24 |21.642 |124.757 |
|---|
| 2
|43 |21.730 |124.252 |
| 3
|2 |Ford |21.822 |123.728 |
| 4
|16 |Ford |21.826 |123.706 |
| 5
|12 |Ford |21.854 |123.547 |
| 6
|25 |21.880 |123.400 |
| 7
|15 |Ford |21.881 |123.395 |
| 8
|4 |21.898 |123.299 |
| 9
|6 |Ford |21.904 |123.265 |
| 10
|9 |Ford |21.905 |123.260 |
| 11
|33 |Robert Pressley (R) |21.926 |123.141 |
| 12
|1 |Ford |21.934 |123.097 |
| 13
|28 |Ford |21.939 |123.069 |
| 14
|21 |Ford |21.968 |122.906 |
| 15
|11 |Ford |21.976 |122.861 |
| 16
|90 |Ford |22.047 |122.466 |
| 17
|17 |22.087 |122.244 |
| 18
|18 |22.095 |122.200 |
| 19
|42 |22.098 |122.183 |
| 20
|7 |Ford |22.130 |122.006 |
| 21
|37 |Ford |22.132 |121.995 |
| 22
|8 |Ford |22.135 |121.979 |
| 23
|23 |Ford |22.147 |121.913 |
| 24
|5 |22.158 |121.852 |
| 25
|94 |Ford |22.177 |121.748 |
| 26
|3 |22.186 |121.698 |
| 27
|40 |22.201 |121.616 |
| 28
|98 |Ford |22.215 |121.540 |
| 29
|71 |22.223 |121.496 |
| 30
|10 |Ford |22.260 |121.294 |
| 31
|41 |Ricky Craven (R) |22.261 |121.288 |
| 32
|75 |Ford |22.270 |121.239 |
| 33
|31 |22.284 |121.163 |
| 34
|87 |22.350 |120.805 |
| colspan="7" |Provisionals |
| 35
|30 | -* | -* |
| 36
|26 |Ford | -* | -* |
| 37
|22 |Randy LaJoie (R) | -* | -* |
| 38
|27 |Ford | -* | -* |
| colspan="7" |Failed to qualify |
| 39
|32 | -* | -* |
| 40
|81 |Ford | -* | -* |
| 41
|47 |Ford | -* | -* |
| 42
|78 |Ford | -* | -* |
| 43
|29 | -* | -* |
| 44
|52 |Ford | -* | -* |
| 45
|66 |Ford | -* | -* |
| 46
|49 |Ford | -* | -* |
| 47
|77 |Davy Jones (R) |Ford | -* | -* |
| colspan="7" |[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/112107621/todays-lineup/ Official starting lineup] |
Race results
| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%"
!Fin !St !# !Driver !Team !Make !Laps !Led !Status !Pts !Winnings |
| 1
|24 |5 |400 |131 |running |180 |$82,950 |
|---|
| 2
|26 |3 |400 |11 |running |175 |$57,200 |
| 3
|3 |2 |Ford |400 |248 |running |175 |$29,600 |
| 4
|6 |25 |400 |0 |running |160 |$31,100 |
| 5
|8 |4 |400 |0 |running |155 |$34,400 |
| 6
|5 |12 |Ford |400 |2 |running |155 |$23,900 |
| 7
|17 |17 |400 |0 |running |146 |$21,875 |
| 8
|9 |6 |Ford |399 |0 |running |142 |$26,075 |
| 9
|2 |43 |399 |0 |running |138 |$11,875 |
| 10
|21 |37 |Ford |399 |7 |running |139 |$13,925 |
| 11
|20 |7 |Ford |398 |0 |running |130 |$25,575 |
| 12
|7 |15 |Ford |398 |0 |running |127 |$20,175 |
| 13
|4 |16 |Ford |398 |0 |running |124 |$20,025 |
| 14
|10 |9 |Ford |397 |0 |running |121 |$10,625 |
| 15
|14 |21 |Ford |397 |0 |running |118 |$20,335 |
| 16
|25 |94 |Ford |397 |0 |running |115 |$10,400 |
| 17
|28 |98 |Ford |397 |0 |running |112 |$10,300 |
| 18
|15 |11 |Ford |397 |0 |running |109 |$23,250 |
| 19
|27 |40 |396 |0 |running |106 |$19,325 |
| 20
|29 |71 |395 |0 |running |103 |$11,700 |
| 21
|30 |10 |Ford |395 |0 |running |100 |$23,150 |
| 22
|33 |31 |395 |0 |running |97 |$10,125 |
| 23
|35 |30 |395 |0 |running |94 |$19,050 |
| 24
|23 |23 |Ford |393 |0 |running |91 |$13,825 |
| 25
|13 |28 |Ford |393 |0 |running |88 |$24,375 |
| 26
|16 |90 |Ford |393 |0 |running |85 |$9,950 |
| 27
|37 |22 |Randy LaJoie (R) |392 |0 |running |82 |$19,625 |
| 28
|36 |26 |Ford |391 |0 |running |79 |$19,000 |
| 29
|38 |27 |Ford |389 |0 |running |76 |$17,875 |
| 30
|18 |18 |388 |0 |transmission |73 |$18,345 |
| 31
|22 |8 |Ford |378 |0 |running |70 |$18,200 |
| 32
|34 |87 |375 |0 |running |67 |$9,775 |
| 33
|19 |42 |374 |0 |running |64 |$18,060 |
| 34
|12 |1 |Ford |302 |0 |engine |61 |$17,950 |
| 35
|11 |33 |Robert Pressley (R) |266 |0 |crash |58 |$18,350 |
| 36
|1 |24 |183 |1 |fuel pump |60 |$28,750 |
| 37
|32 |75 |Ford |148 |0 |crash |52 |$17,750 |
| 38
|31 |41 |Ricky Craven (R) |141 |0 |engine |49 |$12,750 |
| colspan="11" |Failed to qualify |
| 39
! rowspan="9" | |32 ! colspan="5" rowspan="9" | |
| 40
|81 |Ford |
| 41
|47 |Ford |
| 42
|78 |Ford |
| 43
|29 |
| 44
|52 |Ford |
| 45
|66 |Ford |
| 46
|49 |Ford |
| 47
|77 |Davy Jones (R) |Ford |
| colspan="11" |[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/112105792/sundays-results/ Official race results] |
References
{{Reflist}}{{NASCAR next race|Previous_race=1995 Goodwrench 500|Next_race=1995 Purolator 500|Monsteryear=1995|Series=NASCAR Winston Cup Series}}
{{NASCAR on TBS}}{{1995 Winston Cup}}
Category:1995 NASCAR Winston Cup Series
Category:NASCAR races at Richmond Raceway