2000 UAW-GM Quality 500

{{Short description|29th race of the 2000 NASCAR Winston Cup Series}}

{{Infobox NASCAR race report|Type=NASWINSTON|Date=October 8|Scheduled_km=806.281|Distance_km=806.281|Avg={{convert|160.306|mph|km/h}}|Pole_Team=Hendrick Motorsports|Network=TBS|Most_Driver=Ricky Rudd|Radio=Performance Racing Network|Announcers=Allen Bestwick, Buddy Baker, Dick Berggren|Most_Team=Robert Yates Racing|First_Driver=Bobby Labonte|First_Team=Joe Gibbs Racing|Most_laps=98|Season_No=34|Location=Concord, North Carolina, Lowe's Motor Speedway|Pole_Time=29.101|Attendance=140,000|Scheduled_mi=501|Distance_laps=334|Scheduled_laps=334|Course_km=2.41|Course_mi=1.5|Race_No=29|Official_name=41st Annual UAW-GM Quality 500|Car=18|Race_Name=UAW-GM Quality 500|Year=2000|Distance_mi=501|Pole_Driver=Jeff Gordon|Image=2000 UAW-GM Quality 500.jpeg|Caption=The 2000 UAW-GM Quality 500 program cover, with artwork by NASCAR artist Sam Bass.}}

The 2000 UAW-GM Quality 500 was the 29th stock car race of the 2000 NASCAR Winston Cup Series and the 41st iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, October 8, 2000, before an audience of 140,000 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. In the final laps of the race, Joe Gibbs Racing's Bobby Labonte managed to make a late-race pass for the lead, assisted by a late four-tire pit stop. The victory was Labonte's 15th career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his fourth and final victory of the season.{{Cite web |last=Poole |first=David |date=October 8, 2000 |title=Labonte rolls to victory with 4 tires |url=http://www.thatsracin.com/00/1008/1009racelede.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010210041958/http://www.thatsracin.com/00/1008/1009racelede.htm |archive-date=February 10, 2001 |access-date=July 29, 2023 |website=ThatsRacin |publisher=The Charlotte Observer}}{{Cite news |last=Long |first=Dustin |date=October 9, 2000 |title=Labonte extends points lead with win |pages=C1, [https://www.newspapers.com/article/news-and-record-labonte-extends-points-l/129110226/ C4] |work=News & Record |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/news-and-record-labonte-extends-points-l/129110216/ |access-date=July 29, 2023 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}} To fill out the top three, Penske-Kranefuss Racing's Jeremy Mayfield and Robert Yates Racing's Ricky Rudd finished second and third, respectively.

Background

File:Charlotte_Motor_Speedway_diagram.svg, the venue where the race was held.]]

Charlotte Motor Speedway is a motorsports complex located in Concord, North Carolina, United States 13 miles from Charlotte, North Carolina. The complex features a 1.5 miles (2.4 km) quad oval track that hosts NASCAR racing including the prestigious Coca-Cola 600 on Memorial Day weekend and the NEXTEL All-Star Challenge, as well as the UAW-GM Quality 500. The speedway was built in 1959 by Bruton Smith and is considered the home track for NASCAR with many race teams located in the Charlotte area. The track is owned and operated by Speedway Motorsports Inc. (SMI) with Marcus G. Smith (son of Bruton Smith) as track president.

= 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 \|Kellogg's
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, The Wolf Man
14 \|Rick Mast \|A. J. Foyt Enterprises \|Pontiac \|Conseco
16 \|Kevin Lepage \|Roush Racing \|Ford \|FamilyClick.com
17 \|Matt Kenseth (R) \|Roush Racing \|Ford \|DeWalt
18 \|Bobby Labonte \|Joe Gibbs Racing \|Pontiac \|Interstate Batteries, Frankenstein
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 Halloween
40 \|Sterling Marlin \|Team SABCO \|Chevrolet \|Coors Light
43 \|John Andretti \|Petty Enterprises \|Pontiac \|Cheerios
44 \|Steve Grissom \|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 \|Dick Trickle \|Joe Bessey Racing \|Chevrolet \|Power Team
66 \|Darrell Waltrip \|Haas-Carter Motorsports \|Ford \|Route 66, Big Kmart
71 \|Kerry Earnhardt{{refn\|Earnhardt crashed the team's primary car during the second practice session of the race weekend. As a result of the crash, team owner Dave Marcis would replace Earnhardt for second-round qualifying.{{Cite web \|last=Poole \|first=David \|date=October 5, 2000 \|title=Starting first helped Stewart finish there \|url=http://www.thatsracin.com/00/1008/1006apkerry.htm \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010421030414/http://www.thatsracin.com/00/1008/1006apkerry.htm \|archive-date=April 21, 2001 \|access-date=July 29, 2023 \|website=ThatsRacin \|publisher=The Charlotte Observer}}\|name=swap\|group=N}} \|Marcis Auto Racing \|Chevrolet \|Realtree
75 \|Wally Dallenbach Jr. \|Galaxy Motorsports \|Ford \|Dinner and a Movie, RedCell
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
91 \|Larry Gunselman \|LJ Racing \|Chevrolet \|LJ Racing
93 \|Dave Blaney (R) \|Bill Davis Racing \|Pontiac \|Amoco
94 \|Bill Elliott \|Bill Elliott Racing \|Ford \|McDonald's
96 \|Andy Houston \|PPI Motorsports \|Ford \|McDonald's Happy Meal
97 \|Kurt Busch \|Roush Racing \|Ford \|John Deere
98 \|Jeff Fuller \|MacPherson Motorsports \|Ford \|MacPherson Motorsports
99 \|Jeff Burton \|Roush Racing \|Ford \|Exide
colspan="5" \|[https://web.archive.org/web/20010124121300/http://nascar.com/winstoncup/races00/uawgm500/entry.html Official entry list]

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

!Driver

!Team

!Make

!Sponsor

|Steve Park

|Dale Earnhardt, Inc.