1995 Purolator 500

{{Short description|Fourth race of the 1995 NASCAR Winston Cup Series}}

{{Infobox NASCAR race report|Type=NASWINSTON|Location=Hampton, Georgia, Atlanta Motor Speedway|Distance_mi=499.216|Pole_Time=29.605|Course_mi=1.522|Course_km=2.449|Scheduled_km=803.41|Distance_km=803.41|Scheduled_mi=499.216|Distance_laps=328|Scheduled_laps=328|Year=1995|Race_Name=Purolator 500|Official_name=36th Annual Purolator 500|Race_No=4|Season_No=31|Radio=Performance Racing Network|Date=March 12|Network=ABC|Announcers=Bob Jenkins, Benny Parsons|Car=3|Pole_Team=Richard Childress Racing|Most_Driver=Jeff Gordon|First_Team=Hendrick Motorsports|First_Driver=Jeff Gordon|Most_Team=Hendrick Motorsports|Most_laps=250|Pole_Driver=Dale Earnhardt|Avg={{convert|150.115|mph|km/h}}|Image=1995_Purolator_500.jpeg|Caption=The 1995 Purolator 500 program cover, featuring Bill Elliott.}}The 1995 Purolator 500 was the fourth stock car race of the 1995 NASCAR Winston Cup Series and the 36th iteration of the event. The race was held on Saturday, March 12, 1995, 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, Hendrick Motorsports driver Jeff Gordon would manage to dominate the majority of the race to take his fourth career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his second victory of the season.{{Cite news |last=Higgins |first=Tom |date=March 13, 1995 |title=Gordon holds off late charge |pages=22 |work=Kenosha News |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/115214318/gordon-holds-off-late-charge/ |access-date=December 26, 2022 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}}{{Cite news |last=Harris |first=Mike |date=March 13, 1995 |title=Mystery unsolved, but Gordon wins the Purolator 500 |pages=10 |work=The Park City Daily News |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/115214428/mystery-unsolved-but-gordon-wins-the/ |access-date=December 26, 2022 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}} To fill out the top three, Joe Gibbs Racing driver Bobby Labonte and Hendrick Motorsports driver Terry Labonte would finish second and third, respectively.

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.

class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%"

!Driver

!Team

!Make

!Sponsor

|Rick Mast

|Precision Products Racing

1995 Purolator 500

Background

= Entry list =

Qualifying

= Full qualifying results =

Race results

References