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The 1984 Atlanta Journal 500 was a NASCAR Winston Cup Series race held November 11, 1984, at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Dale Earnhardt won his second race of the year, holding off local favorite Bill Elliott by 0.56 seconds. In the points race, Harry Gant was able to make small ground on Terry Labonte, who now led Gant by 42 points with one race to go.
| 1984 Atlanta Journal 500 | |
| General info | |
|---|---|
| Series | Winston Cup Series |
| Location | Atlanta Motor Speedway |
| Date | November 11, 1984 |
| Qualifying | |
| Pole Sitter | Bill Elliott |
| Pole Speed | 170.198 mph |
| Race Data | |
| Winner | Dale Earnhardt |
| Margin of Victory | 0.56 seconds |
| Average Speed | 134.61 mph |
| Cautions | 7 for 44 laps |
| Points Leader | Terry Labonte (+42) |
Qualifying notes[]
Bill Elliott won his eighth career pole for this race, qualifying at 170 mph. Points leader Terry Labonte qualified on the outside pole, while eventual race winner Earnhardt started twelfth.
Additional race data[]
- Leaders: 11
- Time of race: 3:42:31
- Cautions: 7 for 44 laps
- Margin of Victory: 0.56 sec
- Most Spots Improved: Sterling Marlin (+22)
- The race was delayed one week due to rain.
- Dean Combs made the last start of his career at this race.
- Bob Penrod made the only start of his career at this race.
- The race would be marred by the death of rookie driver Terry Schoonover. Driving in his second NASCAR race, Schoonover ran into the turn 2 wall and crashed into a dirt bank on the back stretch at a 45 degree angle. The dirt bank absorbed Schoonover's hit, but he would die upon arrival to the local hospital.
Results[]
| Finish | Start | No. | Name | Sponsor | Make | Laps | Laps Lead | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 | 3 | Dale Earnhardt | Wrangler Jeans | Chevrolet | 328 | 48 | running |
| 2 | 1 | 9 | Bill Elliott | Coors | Ford | 328 | 55 | running |
| 3 | 13 | 15 | Ricky Rudd | Wrangler Jeans | Ford | 328 | 0 | running |
| 4 | 17 | 55 | Benny Parsons | Copenhagen | Chevrolet | 328 | 2 | running |
| 5 | 9 | 22 | Bobby Allison | Miller High Life | Buick | 327 | 4 | running |
| 6 | 7 | 11 | Darrell Waltrip | Budweiser | Chevrolet | 327 | 2 | running |
| 7 | 20 | 1 | Lake Speed | Bull Frog Knits | Chevrolet | 327 | 0 | running |
| 8 | 15 | 43 | Richard Petty | STP | Pontiac | 327 | 0 | running |
| 9 | 31 | 95 | Sterling Marlin | Sadler Racing | Chevrolet | 326 | 0 | running |
| 10 | 19 | 75 | Dave Marcis | Rahilly & Grady | Pontiac | 325 | 15 | running |
| 11 | 4 | 28 | Cale Yarborough | Hardee's | Chevrolet | 325 | 56 | running |
| 12 | 21 | 47 | Ron Bouchard | Valvoline | Buick | 325 | 1 | running |
| 13 | 14 | 27 | Tim Richmond | Old Milwaukee | Pontiac | 324 | 0 | running |
| 14 | 24 | 98 | Morgan Shepherd | Levi Garrett | Chevrolet | 324 | 0 | running |
| 15 | 16 | 88 | Rusty Wallace (R) | Gatorade | Pontiac | 320 | 0 | running |
| 16 | 32 | 52 | Jimmy Means | Broadway Motors | Pontiac | 320 | 0 | running |
| 17 | 29 | 90 | Dick Brooks | Chameleon Sunglasses | Ford | 319 | 0 | running |
| 18 | 38 | 01 | Doug Heveron | Syracuse Classic | Chevrolet | 319 | 0 | running |
| 19 | 39 | 2 | Elliott Forbes-Robinson | Red Roof Inns | Buick | 319 | 0 | running |
| 20 | 8 | 21 | Buddy Baker | Valvoline | Ford | 317 | 0 | running |
| 21 | 18 | 12 | Neil Bonnett | Budweiser | Chevrolet | 316 | 0 | running |
| 22 | 40 | 7 | Kyle Petty | 7-Eleven | Ford | 313 | 0 | running |
| 23 | 25 | 48 | Trevor Boys | Hylton-McCaig | Chevrolet | 309 | 0 | running |
| 24 | 3 | 5 | Geoff Bodine | Northwestern Security Life | Chevrolet | 293 | 125 | engine |
| 25 | 12 | 16 | David Pearson | Chattanooga Chew | Chevrolet | 290 | 0 | engine |
| 26 | 5 | 33 | Harry Gant | Skoal Bandit | Chevrolet | 289 | 0 | engine |
| 27 | 23 | 64 | Ken Schrader | Sunny King Ford & Honda | Ford | 272 | 0 | running |
| 28 | 30 | 66 | Phil Parsons (R) | Skoal Bandit | Chevrolet | 240 | 0 | vibration |
| 29 | 27 | 03 | Eddie Bierschwale | B & B Racing | Buick | 229 | 0 | engine |
| 30 | 2 | 44 | Terry Labonte | Piedmont Airlines | Chevrolet | 205 | 19 | engine |
| 31 | 33 | 51 | Greg Sacks (R) | Sacks & Sons | Chevrolet | 177 | 0 | running |
| 32 | 6 | 84 | Jody Ridley | Cumberland Carpet Mills | Chevrolet | 157 | 2 | driveshaft |
| 33 | 11 | 8 | Bobby Hillin, Jr. | Trap Rock Industries | Chevrolet | 154 | 0 | handling |
| 34 | 36 | 42 | Terry Schoonover | Restore Auto Care Products | Chevrolet | 122 | 0 | crash |
| 35 | 28 | 4 | Joe Ruttman | Morgan-McClure | Chevrolet | 106 | 0 | engine |
| 36 | 22 | 97 | Dean Combs | Best Products | Chevrolet | 96 | 0 | engine |
| 37 | 26 | 71 | Lennie Pond | Jim Testa | Oldsmobile | 74 | 0 | crash |
| 38 | 35 | 82 | Mark Stahl | Auto Bell Car Wash | Ford | 70 | 0 | battery |
| 39 | 34 | 56 | Bob Penrod | Category Challange | Chevrolet | 55 | 0 | crash |
| 40 | 37 | 77 | Ken Ragan | McCord Gaskets | Chevrolet | 0 | 0 | crash |
Points[]
- Terry Labonte +42
- Harry Gant -42
- Bill Elliott -121
- Darrell Waltrip -174
- Dale Earnhardt -198
- Bobby Allison -404
- Ricky Rudd -538
- Neil Bonnett -686
- Ron Bouchard -783
- Geoff Bodine -784