1990 Winston Cup Series

1990 Winston Cup Series
Dale Earnhardt won his fourth Cup Series Championship.
Duration	February 18 to November 18
TV	CBS, ABC, ESPN, TBS, Pay-Per-View
Season statistics
No. of races	29
No. of teams	30 (full time) 40 (part time)
First race	Daytona 500
Last race	Atlanta Journal 500
Drivers' champion	Dale Earnhardt
Manufacturers' champion
Rookie of the Year	Rob Moroso
Most popular driver	Darrell Waltrip
Previous	1989
Next	1991

The 1990 Winston Cup Series was the 42nd season of the NASCAR Winston Cup Series. The season began with the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 18 and ended with the Atlanta Journal 500 at Atlanta International Raceway on November 18.

Dale Earnhardt began the season by dominating the Daytona 500, but on the final lap, a cut right rear tire caused Earnhardt to slow and lose the lead in turn three to Derrike Cope, who went on to win his first career Winston Cup race. The next weekend, Mark Martin would win at Richmond; however, he was penalized 46 points after NASCAR officials found a somewhat oversized carburetor spacer plate in the car. It was later admitted that the plate was not oversized and was not illegal, but the penalty ultimately played a critical role in the championship.

Earnhardt would win 9 races in the season and score 23 Top 10s. Martin would win 3 races and also score 23 Top 10s. Earnhardt led the points standings from Richmond through the Coca-Cola 600, while Mark Martin would lead the points from Sonoma through Rockingham in the fall. Earnhardt reassumed the point lead after a win at Phoenix, and held on to win his fourth Winston Cup Championship by 26 points over Mark Martin.

The season was notable for several injuries and deaths, which occurred during the season. Neil Bonnett and Darrell Waltrip were injured at Darlington and Daytona respectively and were forced to miss races. Rookie of the Year contender (and winner) Rob Moroso was killed in a highway accident after the conclusion of the Tyson Holly Farms 400. Finally, at the season finale race, an accident on pit road killed Mike Ritch, a pit crew member on Bill Elliott’s team.

It was the final season for Blue Max Racing and the final season in which Buick won a race. Derrike Cope, Brett Bodine and Ernie Irvan were first time winners.

Major Teams

Car No.	Driver	Sponsor	Make	Team
1	Terry Labonte	Skoal Classic		Precision Products Racing
2	Eddie Bierschwale (1) Rick Mast (10) Jim Bown (1) Troy Beebe (3) Charlie Glotzbach (2) Jerry O'Neil (1) D.K. Ulrich (1) Jim Sauter (1) Ron Esau (2) Ted Musgrave* (2)			U.S. Racing
3	Dale Earnhardt	GM Goodwrench		Richard Childress Racing
4	Phil Parsons (3) Ernie Irvan (26)	Kodak Film		Morgan-McClure Motorsports
5	Ricky Rudd	Levi Garrett		Hendrick Motorsports
6	Mark Martin	Folgers		Roush Racing
7	Alan Kulwicki	Zerex		AK Racing
8	Bobby Hillin Jr	Snickers		Stavola Brothers Racing
9	Bill Elliott	Coors		Melling Racing
10	Derrike Cope	Purolator		Whitcomb Racing
11	Geoff Bodine	Budweiser		Junior Johnson & Associates
12	Hut Stricklin (21) Jeff Purvis (1) Mike Alexander (7)	Raybestos Brakes		Bobby Allison Racing
15	Morgan Shepherd	Motorcraft		Bud Moore Engineering
17	Darrell Waltrip (23) Jimmy Horton (2) Sarel van der Merwe (1) Greg Sacks (3)	Tide		Hendrick Motorsports
19	Chad Little (20)	Bull's Eye Barbeque Sauce		Little Racing
20	Rob Moroso* (25) Jimmy Hensley (2) Chad Little (1) Steve Grissom (1)	Crown Petroleum		Moroso Racing
21	Neil Bonnett (5) Dale Jarrett (24)	Citgo		Wood Brothers Racing
25	Ken Schrader	Kodiak		Hendrick Motorsports
26	Brett Bodine	Quaker State		King Racing
27	Rusty Wallace	Miller Genuine Draft		Blue Max Racing
28	Davey Allison	Havoline		Robert Yates Racing
30	Michael Waltrip	Country Time / Maxwell House		Bahari Racing
33	Harry Gant (28) Phil Parsons (1)	Skoal		Leo Jackson Motorsports
42	Kyle Petty	Peak Antifreeze		SABCO Racing
43	Richard Petty	STP		Petty Enterprises
47	Jack Pennington	Kanawha Insurance		Close Racing
52	Jimmy Means	Alka Seltzer		Means Racing
57	Jimmy Spencer (26) Jim Bown (3)	Heinz		Osterlund Racing
66	Dick Trickle	TropArtic		Cale Yarborough Motorsports
70	J.D. McDuffie	Rumple Furniture		McDuffie Racing
71	Dave Marcis	Big Apple Market		Marcis Auto Racing
75	Rick Wilson	Dinner Bell Foods		RahMoc Enterprises
94	Sterling Marlin	Sunoco		Hagan Racing
98	Butch Miller (23) Rick Mast (6)	Winn Dixie		Travis Carter Enterprises

Schedule

Round	Date	Race Name	Track	TV
	February 11, 1990	Busch Clash	Daytona International Speedway	CBS
	February 15, 1990	Twin 125 Qualifiers	Daytona International Speedway	CBS
1	February 18, 1990	Daytona 500	Daytona International Speedway	CBS
2	February 25, 1990	Pontiac Excitement 400	Richmond International Raceway	TBS
3	March 4, 1990	GM Goodwrench 500	North Carolina Motor Speedway	ESPN
4	March 18, 1990	Motorcraft Quality Parts 500	Atlanta International Raceway	ABC
5	April 1, 1990	TranSouth 500	Darlington Raceway	ESPN
6	April 8, 1990	Valleydale Meats 500	Bristol International Speedway	ESPN
7	April 22, 1990	First Union 400	North Wilkesboro Speedway	ESPN
8	April 29, 1990	Hanes Activewear 500	Martinsville Speedway	ESPN
9	May 6, 1990	Winston 500	Talladega Superspeedway	ESPN
	May 20, 1990	The Winston	Charlotte Motor Speedway	ABC
10	May 27, 1990	Coca-Cola 600	Charlotte Motor Speedway	TBS
11	June 3, 1990	Budweiser 500	Dover Downs International Speedway	ESPN
12	June 10, 1990	Banquet Frozen Foods 300	Sears Point International Raceway	ESPN
13	June 17, 1990	Miller Genuine Draft 500	Pocono International Raceway	PPV
14	June 24, 1990	Miller Genuine Draft 400	Michigan International Speedway	CBS
15	July 7, 1990	Pepsi 400	Daytona International Speedway	ESPN
16	July 22, 1990	AC Spark Plug 500	Pocono International Raceway	ESPN
17	July 29, 1990	DieHard 500	Talladega Superspeedway	CBS
18	August 12, 1990	Budweiser at the Glen	Watkins Glen International	ESPN
19	August 19, 1990	Champion Spark Plug 400	Michigan International Speedway	ESPN
20	August 25, 1990	Busch 500	Bristol International Speedway	ESPN
21	September 2, 1990	Heinz Southern 500	Darlington Raceway	ESPN
22	September 9, 1990	Miller Genuine Draft 400	Richmond International Raceway	TBS
23	September 16, 1990	Peak Antifreeze 500	Dover Downs International Speedway	ESPN
24	September 23, 1990	Goody's 500	Martinsville Speedway	ESPN
25	September 30, 1990	Tyson Holly Farms 400	North Wilkesboro Speedway	ESPN
26	October 7, 1990	Mello Yello 500	Charlotte Motor Speedway	TBS
27	October 21, 1990	AC Delco 500	North Carolina Motor Speedway	ESPN
28	November 4, 1990	Checker 500	Phoenix International Raceway	ESPN
29	November 18, 1990	Atlanta Journal 500	Atlanta International Raceway	ESPN

Results

Round	Race	Pole Winner	Winner	Make	Cautions	Caution Laps	Average Speed	Number of Lead Changes
	1990 Busch Clash	Jimmy Hensley	Ken Schrader		0	0	192.308	2
	1990 Twin 125 Qualifier (Race #1)	Ken Schrader	Geoff Bodine		0	0	187.110	5
	1990 Twin 125 Qualifier (Race #2)	Dale Earnhardt	Dale Earnhardt		2	6	157.123	2
1	1990 Daytona 500	Ken Schrader	Derrike Cope		3	15	165.761	27
2	1990 Pontiac Excitement 400	Ricky Rudd	Mark Martin		12	75	92.158	18
3	1990 GM Goodwrench 500	Kyle Petty	Kyle Petty		8	36	122.864	18
4	1990 Motorcraft Quality Parts 500	Dale Earnhardt	Dale Earnhardt		3	10	156.849	21
5	1990 TranSouth 500	Geoff Bodine	Dale Earnhardt		10	51	124.073	20
6	1990 Valleydale Meats 500	Ernie Irvan	Davey Allison		13	65	87.258	11
7	1990 First Union 400	Mark Martin	Brett Bodine		10	68	83.908	6
8	1990 Hanes Activewear 500	Geoff Bodine	Geoff Bodine		10	44	77.423	12
9	1990 Winston 500	Bill Elliott	Dale Earnhardt		7	28	159.571	25
	1990 The Winston	Dale Earnhardt	Dale Earnhardt		2	0	163.001	0
10	1990 Coca-Cola 600	Ken Schrader	Rusty Wallace		11	48	137.650	15
11	1990 Budweiser 500	Dick Trickle	Derrike Cope		5	32	123.960	22
12	1990 Banquet Frozen Foods 300	Ricky Rudd	Rusty Wallace		9	24	69.245	8
13	1990 Miller Genuine Draft 500	Ernie Irvan	Harry Gant		13	44	120.600	26
14	1990 Miller Genuine Draft 400	Mark Martin	Dale Earnhardt		4	16	150.219	16
15	1990 Pepsi 400	Greg Sacks	Dale Earnhardt		4	14	160.894	15
16	1990 AC Spark Plug 500	Mark Martin	Geoff Bodine		10	35	124.070	22
17	1990 DieHard 500	Dale Earnhardt	Dale Earnhardt		2	12	174.430	23
18	1990 Budweiser at the Glen	Dale Earnhardt	Ricky Rudd		5	15	92.452	11
19	1990 Champion Spark Plug 400	Alan Kulwicki	Mark Martin		6	26	138.822	23
20	1990 Busch 500	Dale Earnhardt	Ernie Irvan		10	47	91.782	9
21	1990 Heinz Southern 500	Dale Earnhardt	Dale Earnhardt		10	51	123.141	20
22	1990 Miller Genuine Draft 400	Ernie Irvan	Dale Earnhardt		9	55	95.567	17
23	1990 Peak Antifreeze 500	Bill Elliott	Bill Elliott		6	29	125.945	11
24	1990 Goody's 500	Mark Martin	Geoff Bodine		11	57	76.386	16
25	1990 Tyson Holly Farms 400	Kyle Petty	Mark Martin		9	40	93.818	6
26	1990 Mello Yello 500	Brett Bodine	Davey Allison		6	37	137.428	14
27	1990 AC Delco 500	Ken Schrader	Alan Kulwicki		7	28	126.452	21
28	1990 Checker 500	Rusty Wallace	Dale Earnhardt		9	48	96.786	1
29	1990 Atlanta Journal 500	Rusty Wallace	Morgan Shepherd		3	34	140.911	19

Final Points Standings

Pos.	Driver	Races	Wins	Top 5s	Top 10s	Poles	Points	Difference
1	Dale Earnhardt	29	9	18	23	4	4430
2	Mark Martin	29	3	16	23	3	4404	-26
3	Geoffrey Bodine	29	3	11	19	2	4017	-413
4	Bill Elliott	29	1	12	16	2	3999	-431
5	Morgan Shepherd	29	1	7	16	0	3689	-741
6	Rusty Wallace	29	2	9	16	2	3676	-754
7	Ricky Rudd	29	1	8	15	2	3601	-829
8	Alan Kulwicki	29	1	5	13	1	3599	-831
9	Ernie Irvan	29	1	6	13	3	3593	-837
10	Ken Schrader	29	0	7	14	3	3572	-858
11	Kyle Petty	29	1	2	14	2	3501	-929
12	Brett Bodine	29	1	5	9	1	3440	-990
13	Davey Allison	29	2	5	10	0	3423	-1,007
14	Sterling Marlin	29	0	5	10	0	3387	-1,043
15	Terry Labonte	29	0	4	9	0	3371	-1,059
16	Michael Waltrip	29	0	5	10	0	3251	-1,179
17	Harry Gant	28	1	6	9	0	3182	-1,248
18	Derrike Cope	29	2	2	6	0	3140	-1,290
19	Bobby Hillin, Jr.	29	0	1	4	0	3048	-1,382
20	Darrell Waltrip	23	0	5	12	0	3013	-1,417
21	Dave Marcis	29	0	0	0	0	2944	-1,486
22	Dick Trickle	29	0	2	4	1	2863	-1,567
23	Rick Wilson	29	0	1	3	0	2666	-1,764
24	Jimmy Spencer	26	0	0	2	0	2579	-1,851
25	Dale Jarrett	24	0	1	7	0	2558	-1,872
26	Richard Petty	29	0	0	1	0	2556	-1,874
27	Butch Miller	23	0	0	1	0	2377	-2,053
28	Hut Stricklin	24	0	0	2	0	2316	-2,114
29	Jimmy Means	27	0	0	0	0	2271	-2,159
30	Rob Moroso	25	0	0	1	0	2184	-2,246
31	Rick Mast	20	0	0	1	0	1719	-2,711
32	Greg Sacks	16	0	2	4	1	1663	-2,767
33	Chad Little	18	0	0	0	0	1632	-2,798
34	Jack Pennington	14	0	0	0	0	1278	-3,152
35	Larry Pearson	9	0	0	0	0	822	-3,608
36	Jimmy Horton	9	0	0	0	0	756	-3,674
37	Mickey Gibbs	9	0	0	0	0	755	-3,675
38	Mike Alexander	7	0	0	0	0	682	-3,748
39	Phil Parsons	9	0	0	0	0	632	-3,798
40	J.D. McDuffie	8	0	0	0	0	557	-3,873
41	Buddy Baker	8	0	0	0	0	498	-3,932
42	Lake Speed	6	0	0	0	0	479	-3,951
43	Neil Bonnett	5	0	0	0	0	455	-3,975
44	Mark Stahl	5	0	0	0	0	371	-4,059
45	Bill Venturini	4	0	0	0	0	349	-4,081

Complete statistics can be found at Racing-Reference.info.

Rookie of the Year

Rookie of the Year Standings

Position	Driver	Race Wins
1	Rob Moroso	0
2	Jack Pennington	0
3	Jerry O'Neil	0

Manufacturer's Championship

With 13 wins, Chevrolet won the manufacturer's championship.

Position	Make	Points	Race Wins
1		194	13
2		194	11
3		119	3
4		104	1
5		84	1