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1991 Miller Genuine Draft 500

Race details
Race 16 of 29 in the 1991 NASCAR Winston Cup Series
The 1991 Miller Genuine Draft 500 program cover, featuring Rusty Wallace. Artwork by NASCAR artist Sam Bass.
Date	July 21, 1991
Official name	19th Annual Miller Genuine Draft 500
Location	Long Pond, Pennsylvania, Pocono Raceway
Course	Permanent racing facility 2.5 mi (4.0 km)
Distance	179 laps, 447.5 mi (720.181 km)
Scheduled Distance	200 laps, 500 mi (804.672 km)
Average speed	115.459 miles per hour (185.813 km/h)
Pole position
Driver	Alan Kulwicki	AK Racing
Time	55.737
Most laps led
Driver	Ernie Irvan	Morgan-McClure Motorsports
Laps	65
Winner
No. 2	Rusty Wallace	Penske Racing South
Television in the United States
Network	ESPN
Announcers	Bob Jenkins, Benny Parsons, Ned Jarrett
Radio in the United States
Radio	Motor Racing Network

The 1991 Miller Genuine Draft 500 was the 16th stock car race of the 1991 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season and the 19th iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, July 21, 1991, in Long Pond, Pennsylvania, at Pocono Raceway, a 2.5 miles (4.0 km) triangular permanent course. The race was shortened from its scheduled 200 laps to 179 laps due to rain. In the final laps of the race, Penske Racing South driver Rusty Wallace would manage to conserve enough fuel to run until the last caution flag was given on lap 174. After the red flag was given out on lap 176, a two-hour rain delay would delay the restart. After the rain delay, NASCAR mandated that all drivers start their cars and run behind the pace car until lap 179, where NASCAR would declare the race official, handing Wallace the victory. The victory was Wallace's 20th career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his second and final victory of the season. To fill out the top three, Roush Racing driver Mark Martin and Junior Johnson & Associates driver Geoff Bodine would finish second and third, respectively.

Background

The race was held at Pocono International Raceway, which is a three-turn superspeedway located in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. The track hosts two annual NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races, as well as one Xfinity Series and Camping World Truck Series event. Until 2019, the track also hosted an IndyCar Series race.

Pocono International Raceway is one of a very few NASCAR tracks not owned by either Speedway Motorsports, Inc. or International Speedway Corporation. It is operated by the Igdalsky siblings Brandon, Nicholas, and sister Ashley, and cousins Joseph IV and Chase Mattioli, all of whom are third-generation members of the family-owned Mattco Inc, started by Joseph II and Rose Mattioli.

Outside of the NASCAR races, the track is used throughout the year by the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) and motorcycle clubs as well as racing schools and an IndyCar race. The triangular oval also has three separate infield sections of racetrack – North Course, East Course and South Course. Each of these infield sections use a separate portion of the tri-oval to complete the track. During regular non-race weekends, multiple clubs can use the track by running on different infield sections. Also some of the infield sections can be run in either direction, or multiple infield sections can be put together – such as running the North Course and the South Course and using the tri-oval to connect the two.

Entry list

• (R) denotes rookie driver.

Qualifying

Qualifying was split into two rounds. The first round was held on Friday, July 19, at 3:00 PM EST. Each driver would have one lap to set a time. During the first round, the top 15 drivers in the round would be guaranteed a starting spot in the race. If a driver was not able to guarantee a spot in the first round, they had the option to scrub their time from the first round and try and run a faster lap time in a second round qualifying run, held on Saturday, July 20, at 10:30 AM EST. As with the first round, each driver would have one lap to set a time. For this specific race, positions 16-40 would be decided on time, and depending on who needed it, a select amount of positions were given to cars who had not otherwise qualified but were high enough in owner's points; up to two provisionals were given. If needed, a past champion who did not qualify on either time or provisionals could use a champion's provisional, adding one more spot to the field.

Alan Kulwicki, driving for his own AK Racing team, would win the pole, setting a time of 55.737 and an average speed of 161.473 miles per hour (259.866 km/h) in the first round.

Three drivers would fail to qualify.

Full qualifying results

Race results

Standings after the race

Drivers' Championship standings Pos Driver Points 1 Dale Earnhardt 2,450 2 Ricky Rudd 2,310 (-140) 3 Ernie Irvan 2,295 (-155) 1 4 Davey Allison 2,250 (–200) 1 5 Ken Schrader 2,236 (–214) 2 6 Mark Martin 2,160 (–290) 1 7 Darrell Waltrip 2,136 (–314) 1 8 Harry Gant 2,085 (–365) 1 9 Sterling Marlin 1,996 (–454) 2 10 Rusty Wallace 1,971 (–479) Official driver's standings Note: Only the first 10 positions are included for the driver standings.

References

1. Higgins, Tom (July 22, 1991). "Friendly shove helps Wallace to a soggy victory (Part 1)". The Charlotte Observer. p. 13. Retrieved February 21, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
2. Higgins, Tom (July 22, 1991). "Friendly shove helps Wallace to a soggy victory (Part 2)". The Charlotte Observer. p. 15. Retrieved February 21, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
3. Owen, MIke (July 22, 1991). "Wallace overcomes several obstacles to win abbreviated Miller 500 race". Pottsville Republican. p. 12. Retrieved February 21, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
4. "NASCAR today". The Charlotte Observer. July 18, 1991. p. 27. Retrieved February 21, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
5. Higgins, Tom (July 20, 1991). "Inspection only thing to slow Kulwicki (Part 1)". The Charlotte Observer. p. 33. Retrieved February 21, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
6. Higgins, Tom (July 20, 1991). "Inspection only thing to slow Kulwicki (Part 2)". The Charlotte Observer. p. 35. Retrieved February 21, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.

• 1991 NASCAR Winston Cup Series
• NASCAR races at Pocono Raceway
• July 1991 sports events in the United States
• 1991 in sports in Pennsylvania