The 2000 Winston Cup Series was the 52nd season of the NASCAR Winston Cup Series. The season began with the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 20 and ended with the NAPA 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on November 20.
Bobby Labonte was the NASCAR Winston Cup Series Champion with 4 wins and 19 Top 5's. He finished the season 5,130 points, 265 points more than runner up Dale Earnhardt. Tony Stewart won the most races in the season, but finished 6th in the standings. Rookie sensations Matt Kenseth and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. had a competitive battle for Rookie of the Year honors, and each won races in the season.
The season is notable for being future champion Matt Kenseth's first full time Cup Season, as well as the last year for track-specific TV contracts. It was the last season without Dodge participation until 2013. The season was marred by the death of Kenny Irwin, Jr. in a practice crash during the thatlook.com 300 weekend. Chip Ganassi purchased an interest in the Felix Sabates team during the season, and thus it was the last season with Felix Sabates as a sole owner of a Cup Series team. Also during the season, the #10 Tyler Jet Motorsports team merged with MB2 Motorsports, forming a two car team that existed during the last third of the season.
Due to the .com bubble in the economy, a number of races and a few race teams were sponsored by internet companies. Most of these sponsorships did not last and were replaced when the bubble burst in 2001.
Teams Competing (Full Time)[]
# - indicates a Rookie of the Year contender
(#) - indicates the number of races if the driver did not run the full season with the team.
† - indicates the #42 was renumbered to the #01 following the death of Kenny Irwin, Jr.
Schedule[]
| Round | Date | Race Name | Track | TV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 13, 2000 | Bud Shootout | Daytona International Speedway | CBS | |
| February 17, 2000 | Gatorade 125s | Daytona International Speedway | CBS | |
| 1 | February 20, 2000 | Daytona 500 # | Daytona International Speedway | CBS |
| 2 | February 27, 2000 | Dura Lube / Kmart 400 | North Carolina Speedway | TNN |
| 3 | March 5, 2000 | CarsDirect.com 400 # | Las Vegas Motor Speedway | ABC |
| 4 | March 12, 2000 | Cracker Barrel Old Country Store 500 | Atlanta Motor Speedway | ABC |
| 5 | March 19, 2000 | Mall.com 400 | Darlington Raceway | ESPN |
| 6 | March 26, 2000 | Food City 500 | Bristol Motor Speedway | ESPN |
| 7 | April 2, 2000 | DirecTV 500 | Texas Motor Speedway | CBS |
| 8 | April 9, 2000 | Goody's Body Pain 500 | Martinsville Speedway | ESPN |
| 9 | April 16, 2000 | DieHard 500 | Talladega Superspeedway | ABC |
| 10 | April 30, 2000 | NAPA Auto Parts 500 | California Speedway | ABC |
| 11 | May 6, 2000 | Pontiac Excitement 400 | Richmond International Raceway | ESPN |
| May 20, 2000 | The Winston | Lowe's Motor Speedway | TNN | |
| 12 | May 28, 2000 | Coca-Cola 600 # | Lowe's Motor Speedway | TBS |
| 13 | June 4, 2000 | MBNA Platinum 400 | Dover Downs International Speedway | TNN |
| 14 | June 11, 2000 | Kmart 400 | Michigan Speedway | CBS |
| 15 | June 19, 2000 | Pocono 500 | Pocono Raceway | TNN |
| 16 | June 25, 2000 | Save Mart / Kragen 350 | Sears Point Raceway | ESPN |
| 17 | July 1, 2000 | Pepsi 400 | Daytona International Speedway | CBS |
| 18 | July 9, 2000 | thatlook.com 300 | New Hampshire International Speedway | TNN |
| 19 | July 23, 2000 | Pennsylvania 500 | Pocono Raceway | TBS |
| 20 | August 5, 2000 | Brickyard 400 | Indianapolis Motor Speedway | ABC |
| 21 | August 13, 2000 | Global Crossing @ The Glen | Watkins Glen International | ESPN |
| 22 | August 20, 2000 | Pepsi 400 Presented by Meijer | Michigan Speedway | ESPN |
| 23 | August 26, 2000 | goracing.com 500 | Bristol Motor Speedway | ESPN |
| 24 | September 3, 2000 | Pepsi Southern 500 | Darlington Raceway | ESPN |
| 25 | September 9, 2000 | Chevrolet Monte Carlo 400 # | Richmond International Raceway | ESPN |
| 26 | September 17, 2000 | Dura Lube 300 sponsored by Kmart | New Hampshire International Speedway | TNN |
| 27 | September 24, 2000 | MBNA.com 400 | Dover Downs International Speedway | TNN |
| 28 | October 1, 2000 | NAPA Autocare 500 | Martinsville Speedway | ESPN |
| 29 | October 8, 2000 | UAW-GM Quality 500 | Lowe's Motor Speedway | TBS |
| 30 | October 15, 2000 | Winston 500 # | Talladega Superspeedway | ESPN |
| 31 | October 22, 2000 | Pop Secret Microwave Popcorn 400 | North Carolina Speedway | TNN |
| 32 | November 5, 2000 | Checker Auto Parts / Dura Lube 500k | Phoenix International Raceway | TNN |
| 33 | November 12, 2000 | Pennzoil 400 presented by Discount Auto Parts | Homestead-Miami Speedway | NBC |
| 34 | November 20, 2000 | NAPA 500 | Atlanta Motor Speedway | ESPN |
# indicates a Winston No Bull 5 Race.
Results[]
| Round | Race | Pole Winner | Winner | Make | Cautions | Caution Laps | Average Speed | Number of Lead Changes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 Bud Shootout | Mark Martin | Dale Jarrett | Ford | 0 | 0 | 182.334 | 4 | |
| 2000 Gatorade 125 (Race #1) | Dale Jarrett | Bill Elliott | Ford | 0 | 0 | 188.758 | 1 | |
| 2000 Gatorade 125 (Race #2) | Ricky Rudd | Ricky Rudd | Ford | 0 | 0 | 188.048 | 0 | |
| 1 | 2000 Daytona 500 | Dale Jarrett | Dale Jarrett | Ford | 6 | 24 | 155.669 | 9 |
| 2 | 2000 Dura Lube/Kmart 400 | Rusty Wallace | Bobby Labonte | Pontiac | 4 | 22 | 127.875 | 22 |
| 3 | 2000 CarsDirect.com 400 | Ricky Rudd | Jeff Burton | Ford | 2 | 29 | 119.982 | 13 |
| 4 | 2000 Cracker Barrel Old Country Store 500 | Dale Jarrett | Dale Earnhardt | Chevrolet | 10 | 62 | 131.759 | 30 |
| 5 | 2000 Mall.com 400 | Jeff Gordon | Ward Burton | Pontiac | 5 | 30 | 128.076 | 13 |
| 6 | 2000 Food City 500 | Steve Park | Rusty Wallace | Ford | 11 | 76 | 88.018 | 18 |
| 7 | 2000 DirecTV 500 | Terry Labonte | Dale Earnhardt, Jr. | Chevrolet | 12 | 62 | 131.152 | 29 |
| 8 | 2000 Goody's Body Pain 500 | Rusty Wallace | Mark Martin | Ford | 17 | 116 | 71.161 | 14 |
| 9 | 2000 DieHard 500 | Jeremy Mayfield | Jeff Gordon | Chevrolet | 4 | 17 | 161.157 | 27 |
| 10 | 2000 NAPA Auto Parts 500 | Mike Skinner | Jeremy Mayfield | Ford | 5 | 22 | 149.378 | 20 |
| 11 | 2000 Pontiac Excitement 400 | Rusty Wallace | Dale Earnhardt, Jr. | Chevrolet | 9 | 59 | 99.374 | 21 |
| 2000 The Winston | Bill Elliott | Dale Earnhardt, Jr | Chevrolet | 7 | 0 | 167.035 | 6 | |
| 12 | 2000 Coca-Cola 600 | Dale Earnhardt, Jr. | Matt Kenseth | Ford | 7 | 38 | 142.640 | 25 |
| 13 | 2000 MBNA Platinum 400 | Rusty Wallace | Tony Stewart | Pontiac | 10 | 58 | 109.514 | 14 |
| 14 | 2000 Kmart 400 | Bobby Labonte | Tony Stewart | Pontiac | 4 | 20 | 143.926 | 19 |
| 15 | 2000 Pocono 500 | Rusty Wallace | Jeremy Mayfield | Ford | 5 | 21 | 139.741 | 24 |
| 16 | 2000 Save Mart/Kragen 350 | Rusty Wallace | Jeff Gordon | Chevrolet | 4 | 14 | 78.789 | 10 |
| 17 | 2000 Pepsi 400 | Dale Jarrett | Jeff Burton | Ford | 5 | 23 | 148.576 | 10 |
| 18 | 2000 thatlook.com 300 | Rusty Wallace | Tony Stewart | Pontiac | 5 | 38 | 103.145 | 12 |
| 19 | 2000 Pennsylvania 500 | Tony Stewart | Rusty Wallace | Ford | 7 | 32 | 130.662 | 25 |
| 20 | 2000 Brickyard 400 | Ricky Rudd | Bobby Labonte | Pontiac | 2 | 7 | 155.912 | 9 |
| 21 | 2000 Global Crossing @ The Glen | N/A | Steve Park | Chevrolet | 5 | 12 | 91.336 | 9 |
| 22 | 2000 Pepsi 400 Presented by Meijer | Dale Earnhardt, Jr. | Rusty Wallace | Ford | 8 | 38 | 132.597 | 21 |
| 23 | 2000 goracing.com 500 | Rusty Wallace | Rusty Wallace | Ford | 13 | 85 | 85.394 | 19 |
| 24 | 2000 Pepsi Southern 500 | Jeremy Mayfield | Bobby Labonte | Pontiac | 9 | 69 | 108.273 | 22 |
| 25 | 2000 Chevrolet Monte Carlo 400 | Jeff Burton | Jeff Gordon | Chevrolet | 8 | 57 | 99.871 | 16 |
| 26 | 2000 Dura Lube 300 Sponsored by Kmart | Bobby Labonte | Jeff Burton | Ford | 7 | 42 | 102.003 | 1 |
| 27 | 2000 MBNA.com 400 | Jeremy Mayfield | Tony Stewart | Pontiac | 8 | 45 | 115.191 | 24 |
| 28 | 2000 NAPA Autocare 500 | Tony Stewart | Tony Stewart | Pontiac | 13 | 88 | 73.859 | 12 |
| 29 | 2000 UAW-GM Quality 500 | Jeff Gordon | Bobby Labonte | Pontiac | 9 | 51 | 133.630 | 46 |
| 30 | 2000 Winston 500 | Joe Nemechek | Dale Earnhardt | Chevrolet | 3 | 13 | 165.681 | 49 |
| 31 | 2000 Pop Secret Microwave Popcorn 400 | Jeremy Mayfield | Dale Jarrett | Ford | 9 | 60 | 110.418 | 23 |
| 32 | 2000 Checker Auto Parts/Dura Lube 500 | Rusty Wallace | Jeff Burton | Ford | 6 | 39 | 105.041 | 23 |
| 33 | 2000 Pennzoil 400 Presented by Discount Auto Parts | Steve Park | Tony Stewart | Pontiac | 4 | 25 | 127.480 | 15 |
| 34 | 2000 NAPA 500 | Jeff Gordon | Jerry Nadeau | Chevrolet | 8 | 44 | 141.296 | 23 |
- The CarsDirect.com 400 was shortened to 148 laps (out of a scheduled 267) due to rain.
- The Kmart 400 was shortened to 194 laps (out of a scheduled 200) due to rain.
- The thatlook.com 300 was shortened to 273 laps (out of a scheduled 300) due to rain.
- The Pepsi Southern 500 was shortened to 328 laps (out of a scheduled 367) due to rain.
Final Points Standings[]
| Pos. | Driver | Races | Wins | Top 5s | Top 10s | Poles | Points | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bobby Labonte | 34 | 4 | 19 | 24 | 2 | 5130 | |
| 2 | Dale Earnhardt | 34 | 2 | 13 | 24 | 0 | 4865 | -265 |
| 3 | Jeff Burton | 34 | 4 | 15 | 22 | 1 | 4836 | -294 |
| 4 | Dale Jarrett | 34 | 2 | 15 | 24 | 3 | 4684 | -446 |
| 5 | Ricky Rudd | 34 | 0 | 12 | 19 | 2 | 4575 | -555 |
| 6 | Tony Stewart | 34 | 6 | 12 | 23 | 2 | 4570 | -560 |
| 7 | Rusty Wallace | 34 | 4 | 12 | 20 | 9 | 4544 | -586 |
| 8 | Mark Martin | 34 | 1 | 13 | 20 | 0 | 4410 | -720 |
| 9 | Jeff Gordon | 34 | 3 | 11 | 22 | 3 | 4361 | -769 |
| 10 | Ward Burton | 34 | 1 | 4 | 17 | 0 | 4152 | -978 |
| 11 | Steve Park | 34 | 1 | 6 | 13 | 2 | 3934 | -1196 |
| 12 | Mike Skinner | 34 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 1 | 3898 | -1232 |
| 13 | Johnny Benson, Jr. | 33 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 3716 | -1414 |
| 14 | Matt Kenseth | 34 | 1 | 4 | 11 | 0 | 3711 | -1419 |
| 15 | Joe Nemechek | 34 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 1 | 3534 | -1596 |
| 16 | Dale Earnhardt, Jr. | 34 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 3516 | -1614 |
| 17 | Terry Labonte | 32 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 3433 | -1697 |
| 18 | Ken Schrader | 34 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3398 | -1732 |
| 19 | Sterling Marlin | 34 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 3363 | -1767 |
| 20 | Jerry Nadeau | 34 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 3273 | -1857 |
| 21 | Bill Elliott | 32 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 3267 | -1863 |
| 22 | Jimmy Spencer | 34 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 3188 | -1942 |
| 23 | John Andretti | 34 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3169 | -1961 |
| 24 | Jeremy Mayfield | 32 | 2 | 6 | 12 | 4 | 3156 | -1974 |
| 25 | Robert Pressley | 34 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3055 | -2075 |
| 26 | Kenny Wallace | 34 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2874 | -2256 |
| 27 | Michael Waltrip | 34 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2797 | -2333 |
| 28 | Kevin Lepage | 32 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2795 | -2335 |
| 29 | Elliott Sadler | 33 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2762 | -2368 |
| 30 | Bobby Hamilton | 34 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2715 | -2415 |
| 31 | Dave Blaney | 33 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2656 | -2474 |
| 32 | Chad Little | 27 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2634 | -2496 |
| 33 | Rick Mast | 29 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2366 | -2764 |
| 34 | Wally Dallenbach, Jr. | 30 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2344 | -2786 |
| 35 | Brett Bodine | 29 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2145 | -2985 |
| 36 | Darrell Waltrip | 29 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1981 | -3149 |
| 37 | Scott Pruett | 28 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1879 | -3251 |
| 38 | Stacy Compton | 27 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1857 | -3273 |
| 39 | Mike Bliss | 25 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1748 | -3382 |
| 40 | Ted Musgrave | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1614 | -3516 |
| 41 | Kyle Petty | 19 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1441 | -3689 |
| 42 | Kenny Irwin, Jr. | 17 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1440 | -3690 |
| 43 | Robby Gordon | 17 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1309 | -3821 |
| 44 | Ricky Craven | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1175 | -3955 |
| 45 | Geoffrey Bodine | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1039 | -4091 |
| 46 | Dave Marcis | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 723 | -4407 |
| 47 | Ed Berrier | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 628 | -4502 |
| 48 | Kurt Busch | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 613 | -4517 |
| 49 | Todd Bodine | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 456 | -4674 |
| 50 | Hut Stricklin | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 436 | -4694 |
Complete statistics can be found at Racing-Reference.info.
Rookie of the Year[]
The 2000 Rookie of the Year battle came down to two top contenders, Matt Kenseth and Dale Earnhardt, Jr.. Both drivers drove for top teams in the series and were evenly matched throughout the season. While Earnhardt, Jr had won the previous two NASCAR Busch Series championships, and won more victories in the 2000 season, Kenseth ultimately had a more consistent season, finishing ahead of Earnhardt Jr. in points and won the Raybestos Rookie of the Year title.
| Position | Driver | Points | Race Wins |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Matt Kenseth | 316 | 1 |
| 2 | Dale Earnhardt, Jr. | 274 | 2 |
| 3 | Dave Blaney | 240 | 0 |
| 4 | Scott Pruett | 221 | 0 |
| 5 | Stacy Compton | 213 | 0 |
| 6 | Mike Bliss | 207 | 0 |
| 7 | Ed Berrier | 87 | 0 |
Manufacturer Championship[]
With 14 wins, Ford won the manufacturer's championship.[2]
| Position | Make | Points | Race Wins |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ford | 234 | 14 |
| 2 | Pontiac | 213 | 12 |
| 3 | Chevrolet | 199 | 8 |
Other Season Awards[]
- Most Popular Driver: Bill Elliott (received 39% of 280,000 votes cast)
- Exide All Charged Up Award: Jeff Burton
- True Value Man-Of-The-Year Award: Dale Jarrett
- Gatorade Front Runner Award: Rusty Wallace
- Clevite Engine Builder of the Year Award: Mark Cronquist, Joe Gibbs Racing
- Tosco (76) Oil Contingency Award: Dale Earnhardt
- Tosco (76) Gasoline Contingency Award: Bobby Labonte
- Plasti-Kote Quality Finish Award: Jimmy Makar, Joe Gibbs Racing (Bobby Labonte's Crew Chief)
- DuPont Point Fund Award: Dale Jarrett
- Bud Pole Award: Rusty Wallace
- Goodyear Tire Award: Bobby Labonte
- Union-76 World Pit Crew Championship: #99 Roush Racing Ford Pit Crew, led by Frank Stoddard[2]
References:[]
- ↑ https://tobychristie.com/2000-nascar-winston-cup-series-rookie-of-the-year-standings/
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 The Official NASCAR Preview and Press Guide 2001. 2001. UMI Publications.
| NASCAR Cup Series seasons |
|---|
| 1949 |
| 1950 | 1951 | 1952 | 1953 | 1954 | 1955 | 1956 | 1957 | 1958 | 1959 |
| 1960 | 1961 | 1962 | 1963 | 1964 | 1965 | 1966 | 1967 | 1968 | 1969 |
| 1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 |
| 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 |
| 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 |
| 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 |
| 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 |
| 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |