1987 NASCAR Winston Cup Series (Start Your Engines!)

The 1987 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Season was the 39th season of professional stock car racing in the United States and the 16th modern-era cup series. The season began on February 8 and ended on November 22. This season was marred by the death of Charlie Rudolph at the Winston 500.

Team Changes
After two championships together in 1981 and 1982, Darrell Waltrip decided to move from the No. 11 Junior Johnson Chevrolet to the new No. 17 Chevrolet, a third full-time Hendrick Motorsports team.

A famous quote stemmed from this move, which crew chief Jeff Hammond describes in his book Real Men Work In the Pits went like this:

"I finally got me a thoroughbred." – Darrell Waltrip, referring to his new ride.

"I don't know about any thoroughbred. I do know we had a jackass around here who recently left." – Junior Johnson

The rest of "silly season" looked like this among full-time teams: Terry Labonte left the No. 44 Piedmont Oldsmobile owned by Billy Hagan to replace Waltrip in the No. 11. Johnson decided to disband the No. 12 Budweiser team and let go driver Neil Bonnett, who moved to the No. 75 Pontiac. Morgan Shepherd vacated the No. 75 in favor of the No. 26 Buick owned by Kenny Bernstein, driven by Joe Ruttman in 1986. Phil Parsons would replace older brother Benny in the No. 55 Oldsmobile owned by Leo and Richard Jackson. Lake Speed started out 1986 in the No. 75 RahMoc ride but was let go early in the season. Speed would form his own team for 1987 in the No. 83 Oldsmobile.

A few car number changes took place as well. Kyle Petty would continue to drive the Wood Brothers Ford, switching from No. 7 to No. 21. Alan Kulwicki took the No. 7 for his independent team. Cale Yarborough exited the No. 28 Ford team and drove his self-owned No. 29 Oldsmobile. Davey Allison would compete for Rookie Of The Year in the Harry Ranier No. 28 Ford. Michael Waltrip would continue driving for Chuck Rider but switched from the No. 23 Chevrolet to the No. 30 Chevrolet.

Drivers remaining with the same teams from 1986 would be: No. 3 Dale Earnhardt (owner: Richard Childress), No. 4 Rick Wilson (Larry McClure) No. 5 Geoffrey Bodine (Rick Hendrick), No. 8 Bobby Hillin Jr. (Stavola Brothers), No. 9 Bill Elliott ( Harry Melling), No. 15 Ricky Rudd (Bud Moore), No. 18 Tommy Ellis (Eric Freelander), No. 22 Bobby Allison (Stavola Brothers), No. 27 Rusty Wallace (Raymond Beadle), No. 33 Harry Gant (Hal Needham), No. 43 Richard Petty ( Petty Enterprises), No. 52 Jimmy Means, No. 70 J. D. McDuffie (Tom Winkle), No. 71 Dave Marcis, No. 88 Buddy Baker (Baker/Danny Schiff), No. 90 Ken Schrader (Junie Donlavey) and the part-time/independent efforts of No. 14 A. J. Foyt, No. 67 Buddy Arrington, No. 77 Ken Ragan (Marvin Ragan), No. 81 Chet Fillip (Corey Fillip) and No. 89 Jim Sauter (Mueller Brothers).

Top drivers out of a ride included Joe Ruttman.

Those who officially threw their hat in the ring for NASCAR Rookie of the Year in 1987 would be: Davey Allison, Steve Christman (No. 62 AC Delco, Tom Winkle), Rodney Combs (No. 10 DiGard) and Derrike Cope (No. 19 Stoke Racing).

Ron Bouchard, Trevor Boys, Eddie Bierschwale and a host of others would battle for the remaining open spots.

Pacific Coast Racing announced that 1987 would be the final year the "Mean Green Dodge Machine" would run in the Winston Cup Series; on April 10, two days before the Valleydale Meats 500, it was announced that Chrysler would be returning to NASCAR in 1988, and would be fielding the Chrysler LeBaron. The new #80 car, sponsored by Mopar and Nintendo, would be nicknamed "Mopar Magic" and run by former champion Sheldon Johnson Jr.'s son, Tim Johnson. Chrysler announced several weeks later that Petty Enterprises would also be switching to the Chrysler LeBaron in 1988. After The Winston, it was announced that Bahari Racing, Jackson Brothers Motorsports, Means Racing, and Donlavey Racing would also switch to Chrysler in 1988.

Busch Clash
The Busch Clash, an annual invitational event for all Busch Pole winners the previous season, was held February 8 at Daytona International Speedway. Bill Elliott drew for the pole. Alan Kulwicki was the wild card.

Results


 * 1) 17-Darrell Waltrip

I don't remember the rest of the top ten...

7-Eleven Twin 125's
The 7-Eleven Twin 125's, a pair of qualifying races for the Daytona 500, were held February 12 at Daytona International Speedway. Dennis Malone and Rusty Wallace won the poles for both races, respectively, as a result of their speeds in qualifying on February 9.

Race One: Top Ten Results


 * 1) 15-Ricky Rudd
 * 2) 11-Terry Labonte
 * 3) 22-Bobby Allison
 * 4) 88-Buddy Baker
 * 5) 28-Davey Allison
 * 6) 02-Dennis Malone
 * 7) 75-Neil Bonnett
 * 8) 29-Cale Yarborough
 * 9) 6-D.K. Ulrich
 * 10) 44-Sterling Marlin

Notes:


 * Jocko Maggiacomo DNS.
 * This race featured two flips, Phil Barkdoll and Tommy Ellis. A. J. Foyt was involved in the Ellis wreck and suffered a shoulder injury.

Race Two: Top Ten Results


 * 1) 25-Tim Richmond
 * 2) 17-Darrell Waltrip
 * 3) 43-Richard Petty
 * 4) 83-Lake Speed
 * 5) 21-Kyle Petty
 * 6) 27 Rusty Wallace
 * 7) 89-Jim Sauter
 * 8) 90-Ken Schrader
 * 9) 5-Geoffrey Bodine
 * 10) 55-Phil Parsons

Daytona 500
The 29th Running of the Daytona 500 was held on February 15. Dale Earnhardt won the pole.

Top Ten Results


 * 1) 88-Buddy Baker
 * 2) 02-Dennis Malone
 * 3) 9-Bill Elliott
 * 4) 28-Davey Allison
 * 5) 25-Tim Richmond
 * 6) 43-Richard Petty
 * 7) 55-Phil Parsons
 * 8) 30-Michael Waltrip
 * 9) 5-Geoff Bodine
 * 10) 50-Greg Sacks


 * This was Buddy Baker's first win since the 1983 Firecracker 400.
 * In his first Daytona 500, Davey Allison finished in the top five.

Goodwrench 500
The Goodwrench 500 was held March 1 at North Carolina Motor Speedway. Terry Labonte won the pole.

Top Ten Results


 * 1) 89-Jim Sauter
 * 2) 83-Lake Speed
 * 3) 9-Bill Elliott
 * 4) 15-Ricky Rudd
 * 5) 7-Alan Kulwicki
 * 6) 21-Kyle Petty
 * 7) 75-Neil Bonnett -1
 * 8) 77-Eddie Bierschwale -1
 * 9) 25-Tim Richmond -1
 * 10) 44-Sterling Marlin -1

Miller High Life 400
The Miller High Life 400 was held March 8 at Richmond Fairgrounds Raceway. Dennis Malone won the pole.

Top Ten Results


 * 1) 3-Dale Earnhardt
 * 2) 9-Bill Elliott
 * 3) 43-Richard Petty -1
 * 4) 15-Ricky Rudd -1
 * 5) 75-Neil Bonnett -1
 * 6) 27-Rusty Wallace -1
 * 7) 55-Phil Parsons -1
 * 8) 7-Alan Kulwicki -1
 * 9) 21-Kyle Petty -2
 * 10) 44-Sterling Marlin -2


 * Bobby Hillin Jr. went over on his roof when he was t-boned by Harry Gant. Fortunately, he was uninjured.

Motorcraft Quality Parts 500
The Motorcraft Quality Parts 500 was held March 15 at Atlanta International Raceway. Dennis Malone won the pole for the second week in a row.

Top Ten Results


 * 1) 02-Dennis Malone
 * 2) 11-Terry Labonte
 * 3) 43-Richard Petty
 * 4) 90-Ken Schrader
 * 5) 89-Jim Sauter
 * 6) 9-Bill Elliott
 * 7) 22-Bobby Allison
 * 8) 7-Alan Kulwicki
 * 9) 27-Rusty Wallace
 * 10) 25-Tim Richmond


 * For the second week in a row, a car was t-boned and went on its roof; in this case, Dave Marcis was hit by Dale Jarrett (making his first start with Freedlander) and went upside down.
 * Late in the going, Bill Elliott intentionally spun Dale Earnhardt under caution in retaliation for an incident the previous year, sending him into the outside wall hard, and then being rear-ended by Davey Allison. This sparked a massive brawl on pit road after the race.

TranSouth 500
The TranSouth 500 was held March 29 at Darlington Raceway. Dale Earnhardt won the pole.

Top Ten Results


 * 1) 9-Bill Elliott
 * 2) 25-Tim Richmond
 * 3) 11-Terry Labonte
 * 4) 43-Richard Petty
 * 5) 90-Ken Schrader
 * 6) 5-Geoffrey Bodine
 * 7) 21-Kyle Petty
 * 8) 17-Darrell Waltrip
 * 9) 89-Jim Sauter
 * 10) 7-Alan Kulwicki

First Union 400
The First Union 400 was held April 5 at North Wilkesboro Speedway. Dennis Malone won the pole.

Top Ten Results


 * 1) 02-Dennis Malone
 * 2) 11-Terry Labonte
 * 3) 75-Neil Bonnett
 * 4) 43-Richard Petty
 * 5) 3-Dale Earnhardt -1
 * 6) 22-Bobby Allison -1
 * 7) 7-Alan Kulwicki -1
 * 8) 71-Dave Marcis -1
 * 9) 9-Bill Elliott -1
 * 10) 88-Buddy Baker -1


 * This was the final race of DiGard Motorsports. The team's assets were sold to businessman Bob Whitcomb in 1988.
 * Several Chrysler executives were in attendance, and after seeing Malone's dominant performance, Chrysler concluded they had a way back into NASCAR, and announced a 1988 return two days before the Valleydale Meats 500.

Valleydale Meats 500
The Valleydale Meats 500 was held April 12 at Bristol International Raceway. Ernie Irvan, in his first Winston Cup Series start, won the pole, but did not start, as the car only moved a few feet before dying.

Top Ten Results


 * 1) 11-Terry Labonte
 * 2) 9-Bill Elliott
 * 3) 75-Neil Bonnett
 * 4) 02-Dennis Malone -1
 * 5) 21-Kyle Petty -1
 * 6) 10-Rodney Combs -2
 * 7) 27-Rusty Wallace -2
 * 8) 24-Grant Adcox -2
 * 9) 17-Darrell Waltrip -2
 * 10) 28-Davey Allison -2


 * This was Grant Adcox's first top-ten finish in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series since 1978.
 * This was the first time Chrysler offered any form of factory support since 1984.

Sovran Bank 500
The Sovran Banks 500 was held April 26 at Martinsville Speedway. Dennis Malone won the pole.

Top Ten Results


 * 1) 3-Dale Earnhardt
 * 2) 11-Terry Labonte
 * 3) 17-Darrell Waltrip
 * 4) 67-Buddy Arrington -1
 * 5) 27-Rusty Wallace -1
 * 6) 75-Neil Bonnett -2
 * 7) 22-Bobby Allison -2
 * 8) 21-Kyle Petty -2
 * 9) 88-Buddy Baker -2
 * 10) 5-Geoff Bodine -2

Winston 500
The Winston 500 was held May 3 at Alabama International Motor Speedway. Dennis Malone won the pole at a record speed of 212.809 mph (44.998 seconds), a record that still stands today and will likely never be broken. But the race was also remembered for a near-tragedy early when Bobby Allison flew into the fence and nearly landed in the frontstretch grandstands. Though Allison was not injured, a female fan lost an eye as a result of being struck by debris. Eventually this crash would lead to the introduction of restrictor plates in 1988, and the practice continues to this day.

Top Ten Results


 * 1) 11-Terry Labonte
 * 2) 02-Dennis Malone
 * 3) 25-Tim Richmond
 * 4) 75-Neil Bonnett
 * 5) 3-Dale Earnhardt
 * 6) 77-Eddie Bierschwale
 * 7) 17-Darrell Waltrip
 * 8) 9-Bill Elliott
 * 9) 44-Sterling Marin
 * 10) 21-Kyle Petty


 * This was the last Winston Cup race at Daytona or Talladega to be run unrestricted with normal engine configurations
 * In addition to the Allison crash, Charlie Rudolph was involved in a head-on crash into the wall on the final lap after making contact with Dave Marcis. Rudolph had to be cut from the car, and was pronounced dead on the scene; an autopsy revealed the cause of death to be a basilar skull fracture.

The Winston
The Winston, an annual invitational race for previous winners in Winston Cup, was held May 17 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Top Ten Results


 * 1) 02-Dennis Malone
 * 2) 89-Jim Sauter
 * 3) 11-Terry Labonte
 * 4) 3-Dale Earnhardt
 * 5) 9-Bill Elliott
 * 6) 15-Ricky Rudd
 * 7) 27-Rusty Wallace
 * 8) 83-Lake Speed
 * 9) 17-Darrell Waltrip
 * 10) 43-Richard Petty


 * This marked the final start of a Dodge Mirada in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series.

Coca-Cola 600
The Coca-Cola 600 was held May 24 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The No. 02 of Dennis Malone won the pole.

Top Ten Results


 * 1) 3-Dale Earnhardt
 * 2) 02-Dennis Malone
 * 3) 44-Sterling Marlin
 * 4) 77-Eddie Bierschwale
 * 5) 15-Ricky Rudd
 * 6) 11-Terry Labonte
 * 7) 28-Davey Allison
 * 8) 88-Buddy Baker
 * 9) 55-Phil Parsons
 * 10) 50-Greg Sacks


 * This marked the first start of a Dodge 600 in NASCAR competition (even though the car still called it a Mirada, as Pacific Coast Racing had had these made in bulk and had no time to make new Dodge 600 decals).
 * This was Eddie Bierschwale's first career top-five finish.