2000 Pop Secret Microwave Popcorn 400
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| Race details | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 31 of 34 in the 2000 NASCAR Winston Cup Series | |||
 The 2000 Pop Secret Microwave Popcorn 400 program cover, featuring Bobby Labonte and Dale Earnhardt. | |||
| Date | October 22, 2000 | ||
| Official name | 36th Annual Pop Secret Microwave Popcorn 400 | ||
| Location | Rockingham, North Carolina, North Carolina Speedway | ||
| Course | Permanent racing facility | ||
| Course length | 1.017 miles (1.636 km) | ||
| Distance | 393 laps, 399.681 mi (643.224 km) | ||
| Scheduled distance | 393 laps, 399.681 mi (643.224 km) | ||
| Average speed | 110.418 miles per hour (177.701 km/h) | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | ||
| Time | 23.269 | ||
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Jeremy Mayfield | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | |
| Laps | 169 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | |
| Television in the United States | |||
| Network | TNN | ||
| Announcers | Eli Gold, Buddy Baker, Dick Berggren | ||
| Radio in the United States | |||
| Radio | Motor Racing Network | ||
The 2000 Pop Secret Microwave Popcorn 400 was the 31st stock car race of the 2000 NASCAR Winston Cup Series and the 36th iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, October 22, 2000, in Rockingham, North Carolina, at North Carolina Speedway, a 1.017 miles (1.637 km) permanent high-banked racetrack. The race took the scheduled 393 laps to complete. In the final 43 laps of the race, Robert Yates Racing driver Dale Jarrett would manage to make a pass for the lead and defend the field to take his 24th career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his second and final victory of the season.[1][2] To fill out the top 3, Hendrick Motorsports driver Jeff Gordon and Robert Yates Racing driver Ricky Rudd would finish second and third, respectively.
Entry list
North Carolina Speedway was opened as a flat, one-mile oval on October 31, 1965. In 1969, the track was extensively reconfigured to a high-banked, D-shaped oval just over one mile in length. In 1997, North Carolina Motor Speedway merged with Penske Motorsports, and was renamed North Carolina Speedway. Shortly thereafter, the infield was reconfigured, and competition on the infield road course, mostly by the SCCA, was discontinued. Currently, the track is home to the Fast Track High Performance Driving School.[3]
- (R) denotes rookie driver.
Practice
First practice
The first practice session was held on Friday, October 20, at 10:30 AM EST. The session would last for one hour and 45 minutes.[4] Jeremy Mayfield, driving for Penske-Kranefuss Racing, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 23.223 and an average speed of 157.654 mph (253.720 km/h).[5]
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 | Jeremy Mayfield | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | 23.223 | 157.654 |
| 2 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | 23.335 | 156.897 |
| 3 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 23.357 | 156.750 |
| Full first practice results | ||||||
Second practice
The second practice session was held on Saturday, October 21, at 8:00 AM EST. The session would last for one hour and 30 minutes.[4] Tony Stewart, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 24.284 and an average speed of 150.766 mph (242.634 km/h).[6]
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 24.284 | 150.766 |
| 2 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | 24.302 | 150.654 |
| 3 | 27 | Mike Bliss (R) | Eel River Racing | Pontiac | 24.314 | 150.580 |
| Full second practice results | ||||||
Final practice
The final practice session, sometimes referred to as Happy Hour, was held on Saturday, October 21, after the preliminary 2000 Sam's Club 200 NASCAR Busch Series race. The session would last for one hour.[4] Kurt Busch, driving for Roush Racing, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 24.275 and an average speed of 150.822 mph (242.724 km/h).[7]
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 97 | Kurt Busch | Roush Racing | Ford | 24.275 | 150.822 |
| 2 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Pontiac | 24.343 | 150.401 |
| 3 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 24.368 | 150.246 |
| Full Happy Hour practice results | ||||||
