2000 Pepsi 400 presented by Meijer

{{Short description|22nd race of the 2000 NASCAR Winston Cup Series}}

{{Infobox NASCAR race report|Type=NASWINSTON|Location=Brooklyn, Michigan, Michigan International Speedway|Distance_mi=400|Pole_Time=37.667|Scheduled_km=643.737|Distance_km=643.737|Scheduled_laps=200|Distance_laps=200|Course_km=3.2|Scheduled_mi=400|Course_mi=2|Avg={{convert|132.597|mph|km/h}}|Year=2000|Date=August 20|Race_Name=Pepsi 400 presented by Meijer|Official_name=31st Annual Pepsi 400 presented by Meijer|Caption=The 2000 Pepsi 400 presented by Meijer program cover.|Radio=Motor Racing Network|Race_No=22|Season_No=34|Car=2|Most_laps=118|Pole_Team=Dale Earnhardt, Inc.|Pole_Driver=Dale Earnhardt Jr.|First_Driver=Rusty Wallace|Most_Driver=Rusty Wallace|Most_Team=Penske-Kranefuss Racing|First_Team=Penske-Kranefuss Racing|Network=NASCAR on ESPN|Announcers=Bob Jenkins, Ned Jarrett, Benny Parsons|Image=2000_Pepsi_400_presented_by_Meijer_program_cover.jpg}}

The 2000 Pepsi 400 presented by Meijer was the 22nd stock car race of the 2000 NASCAR Winston Cup Series and the 31st iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, August 20, 2000, in Brooklyn, Michigan, at Michigan International Speedway, a two-mile (3.2 km) moderate-banked D-shaped speedway. The race took the scheduled 200 laps to complete. At race's end, Penske-Kranefuss Racing driver Rusty Wallace, with the help of his crew chief, would pull away on the final restart with 18 to go to win his 52nd career NASCAR Winston Cup Series win and his third of the season.{{Cite web |last=Poole |first=David |date=August 20, 2000 |title=Wallace's day ends well - in victory lane |url=http://www.thatsracin.com/00/0820/0821michiganlede.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011215150651/http://www.thatsracin.com/00/0820/0821michiganlede.htm |archive-date=December 15, 2001 |access-date=May 19, 2022 |website=ThatsRacin |publisher=The Charlotte Observer}}{{Cite news |date=August 21, 2000 |title=Wallace easily wins Pepsi 400 |pages=25 |work=Star Tribune |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/102152053/wallace-easily-wins-pepsi-400/ |access-date=May 19, 2022 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}} To fill out the podium, Ricky Rudd of Robert Yates Racing and Bobby Labonte of Joe Gibbs Racing would finish second and third, respectively.

Background

File:Michigan_International_Speedway_track_map.png, the venue where the race was held.]]

The race was held at Michigan International Speedway, a two-mile (3.2 km) moderate-banked D-shaped speedway located in Brooklyn, Michigan. The track is used primarily for NASCAR events. It is known as a "sister track" to Texas World Speedway as MIS's oval design was a direct basis of TWS, with moderate modifications to the banking in the corners, and was used as the basis of Auto Club Speedway. The track is owned by International Speedway Corporation. Michigan International Speedway is recognized as one of motorsports' premier facilities because of its wide racing surface and high banking (by open-wheel standards; the 18-degree banking is modest by stock car standards).

= Entry list =

(R) denotes rookie driver.

class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%" !# !Driver !Team !Make !Sponsor
1 \|Steve Park \|Dale Earnhardt, Inc. \|Chevrolet \|Pennzoil
01 \|Ted Musgrave \|Team SABCO \|Chevrolet \|BellSouth
2 \|Rusty Wallace \|Penske-Kranefuss Racing \|Ford \|Miller Lite
3 \|Dale Earnhardt \|Richard Childress Racing \|Chevrolet \|GM Goodwrench Service
4 \|Bobby Hamilton \|Morgan–McClure Motorsports \|Chevrolet \|Kodak
5 \|Terry Labonte \|Hendrick Motorsports \|Chevrolet \|Frosted Flakes
6 \|Mark Martin \|Roush Racing \|Ford \|Valvoline
7 \|Michael Waltrip \|Mattei Motorsports \|Chevrolet \|NationsRent
8 \|Dale Earnhardt Jr. (R) \|Dale Earnhardt, Inc. \|Chevrolet \|Budweiser
9 \|Stacy Compton (R) \|Melling Racing \|Ford \|Kodiak
10 \|Johnny Benson Jr. \|Tyler Jet Motorsports \|Pontiac \|Aaron's, RCA
11 \|Brett Bodine \|Brett Bodine Racing \|Ford \|Ralphs
12 \|Jeremy Mayfield \|Penske-Kranefuss Racing \|Ford \|Mobil 1
13 \|Robby Gordon \|Team Menard \|Ford \|Menards, Turtle Wax
14 \|Rick Mast \|A. J. Foyt Enterprises \|Pontiac \|Conseco
16 \|Kevin Lepage \|Roush Racing \|Ford \|Family Click
17 \|Matt Kenseth (R) \|Roush Racing \|Ford \|DeWalt
18 \|Bobby Labonte \|Joe Gibbs Racing \|Pontiac \|Interstate Batteries
20 \|Tony Stewart \|Joe Gibbs Racing \|Pontiac \|The Home Depot
21 \|Elliott Sadler \|Wood Brothers Racing \|Ford \|Citgo
22 \|Ward Burton \|Bill Davis Racing \|Pontiac \|Caterpillar
24 \|Jeff Gordon \|Hendrick Motorsports \|Chevrolet \|DuPont
25 \|Jerry Nadeau \|Hendrick Motorsports \|Chevrolet \|Michael Holigan
26 \|Jimmy Spencer \|Haas-Carter Motorsports \|Ford \|Big Kmart
27 \|Mike Bliss (R) \|Eel River Racing \|Pontiac \|Viagra
28 \|Ricky Rudd \|Robert Yates Racing \|Ford \|Texaco, Havoline
31 \|Mike Skinner \|Richard Childress Racing \|Chevrolet \|Lowe's
32 \|Scott Pruett (R) \|PPI Motorsports \|Ford \|Tide
33 \|Joe Nemechek \|Andy Petree Racing \|Chevrolet \|Oakwood Homes
36 \|Ken Schrader \|MB2 Motorsports \|Pontiac \|M&M's
40 \|Sterling Marlin \|Team SABCO \|Chevrolet \|Coors Light
43 \|John Andretti \|Petty Enterprises \|Pontiac \|Cheerios
44 \|Kyle Petty \|Petty Enterprises \|Pontiac \|Hot Wheels
50 \|Ricky Craven \|Midwest Transit Racing \|Chevrolet \|Midwest Transit
55 \|Kenny Wallace \|Andy Petree Racing \|Chevrolet \|Square D, Cooper Lighting
60 \|Geoff Bodine \|Joe Bessey Racing \|Chevrolet \|Power Team
66 \|Darrell Waltrip \|Haas-Carter Motorsports \|Ford \|Route 66, Big Kmart
71 \|Kerry Earnhardt \|Marcis Auto Racing \|Chevrolet \|Realtree
75 \|Wally Dallenbach Jr. \|Galaxy Motorsports \|Ford \|RedCell, Dinner and a Movie
77 \|Robert Pressley \|Jasper Motorsports \|Ford \|Jasper Engines & Transmissions
85 \|Carl Long \|Mansion Motorsports \|Ford \|Mansion Motorsports
88 \|Dale Jarrett \|Robert Yates Racing \|Ford \|Quality Care Service, Ford Credit
90 \|Hut Stricklin \|Donlavey Racing \|Ford \|Hills Bros. Coffee
93 \|Dave Blaney (R) \|Bill Davis Racing \|Pontiac \|Amoco
94 \|Bill Elliott \|Bill Elliott Racing \|Ford \|McDonald's
95 \|David Keith \|Sadler Brothers Racing \|Ford \|The Visual Bible
96 \|Andy Houston \|PPI Motorsports \|Ford \|Ronald McDonald House Charities
97 \|Chad Little \|Roush Racing \|Ford \|John Deere
99 \|Jeff Burton \|Roush Racing \|Ford \|Exide
colspan="5" \|[https://web.archive.org/web/20000818002254/http://nascar.com/winstoncup/races00/pepsi4002/entry.html Official entry list]

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

!Driver

!Team

!Make

!Sponsor

|Steve Park

|Dale Earnhardt, Inc.