|| *Comments on the 1990 Atlanta Journal 500:* View the most recent comment <#56> | Post a comment <#post> Tweet 1. MegaRacer posted: 10.09.2004 - 11:50 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Wasn't this the race which Ricky Rudd spun in the pits and one of Bill Elliott's crew members was struck and killed? 2. je24go posted: 11.24.2004 - 10:21 pm Rate this comment: (0) (17) Kills 7 crew men 3. Anonymous posted: 02.21.2005 - 1:21 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) he killed only one man, mike ritch a crewman for bill elliot 4. Matthew Sullivan posted: 12.22.2005 - 4:05 am Rate this comment: (1) (0) Mark Martin drove a Robert Yates car Roush bought from him. It didn't help him win the title. 5. J. Kircher posted: 04.04.2006 - 4:57 pm Rate this comment: (5) (0) 1990 is another one of the years for Mark Martin when the elusive Cup title slipped away. Dale Earnhardt who won his fourth championship and first in the famous black #3. Also of note, this is before NASCAR limited the number of tests in a season. In an effort to get their first title Roush Racing brought several cars to Atlanta Motor Speedway before the finale. While they struggled throwing countless set-ups on the cars, Earnhardt and crew rolled out a car, put right side tires on the left side and vice-versa. They cut a lap or two, which of course was much faster than anyone else. They packed up and left, leaving Roush, Martin, and crew scratching their heads and eventually going to such desperate measures as to buy a rival team's car. Ah, the mind games during Cup title races! 6. Steve posted: 04.20.2006 - 10:53 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Apparently Ricky Rudd lost control of his car and spun into Bill Elliott's car, squeezing a crewman so hard his headset popped from his head. His death instigated two new procedures: green-flag pit road speed (which we still have) and that crazy odd-lap, even-lap thing that didn't last very long. On a lighter note, Steve Grissom made his Winston Cup debut, driving for the Moroso team (24th) and what was Dave Mader III's best career finish (20th) until 1992. 7. dalejrfan15 posted: 06.18.2006 - 5:49 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) highest points position for morgan shephard.YAY SHEPPY! 8. Thomas posted: 11.30.2006 - 8:52 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Mike Ritch was the right rear tire changer. He got squeezed between the rear of Rudd's car and the right rear quarter panel of Elliott's car. The rear of Rudd's car also struck the jackman's back and knocked him to the ground, but he had no serious injury. 9. Thomas posted: 11.30.2006 - 8:53 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Also, Dr. Jerry Punch assisted in the medical procedure to help the injured crewmen on pit road. 10. Steve posted: 12.11.2006 - 10:42 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) I've seen a few other races where Dr. Punch had been giving medical attention to an injured crew member, and then giving the TV audience updates on his condition. 11. myself posted: 03.15.2007 - 4:19 pm Rate this comment: (1) (8) Good job, Nascar! Gift wrap that championship for Earnhardt by stripping points from Martin! And to think....brian france wasn't even in control yet! 12. biffle16 posted: 05.09.2007 - 12:18 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Last Cup start for Jim Bown. 13. myself posted: 05.17.2007 - 3:25 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Ole' Shep would only have one career win if not for Atlanta. 14. Douche Bagolow posted: 07.20.2007 - 3:40 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) Also, the last NA$CAR start for Jack Pennington. 15. Somerandomnascarfan posted: 08.21.2007 - 3:01 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Martin lost those points from a cheating penalty early in the season. Martin even admitted it was from a bad finish in October. 16. Chris posted: 10.03.2007 - 1:30 pm Rate this comment: (9) (0) At Richmond in the 2nd race of the season, the #6 team was penalized for having a piece welded onto the carburetor instead of bolted on as the rules state. Martin kept the win, but Nascar gave him 10th place points instead of 1st place points. Mark Martin fans are always bitter about how things turned out, but the #6 team is the ones who didn't follow the rules. #1, it was a clear rules violation. What makes it odd is that Nascar actually followed its own rules. And, don't give me that crap about how that particular rules violation didn't enhance performance, thus making it Ok. A rules violation is a rules violation whether it enhances the car or not. If it didn't enhance the car, why do it anyway? #2, it was after the 2nd race of the season. Nobody knew what was going to happen the rest of the season, so claiming that Nascar stripped the title away is just a stupid thing to say. 17. SK posted: 12.23.2007 - 3:44 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) The final Winston Cup start of Rodney Combs' career. 18. Ryan W posted: 02.14.2008 - 10:06 pm Rate this comment: (2) (0) Exactly, I'm tired of people saying Earnhardt got that title handed to him. If Martin would have finished better at Phoenix he may have won. People can say what they want, but never and I mean never did Earnhardt ever win a race that got points taken away. His cars never failed inspection. If people want to go there then how about Dale blowing a tire at Daytona, that was bad luck there... 19. Mark O. posted: 04.22.2008 - 10:22 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Final race for the Blue Max Racing Team. 20. RaceFanX posted: 07.27.2008 - 11:08 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Why was Jim Sauter driving Delma Cowart's usual #0 Ford in this race? 21. DaleSrFanForever posted: 08.24.2008 - 2:16 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Dale Earnhardt championship count: 4 22. Matthew Lewis posted: 11.29.2008 - 1:53 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) To be slightly nitpicky---Greg Sacks #18 was sponsored on the hood by "Realfruit REFRESHER" (not Refreshes). For visual proof, you can see a scan I uploaded at http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i112/Mattswad/Racing%20Scans/18-RealfruitRefresher9-FatalAcciden.jpg which sadly was snapped right before the fatal pit road accident mentioned above. As for Sauter in the #0? I'm guessing that Delma Cowart was fine with getting Jim Sauter to drive his #0 for this race. Delma has always admitted that he was no "Richard Petty" or "Dale Earnhardt" behind the wheel. The team was based in GA. The sponsor was rooted in GA & needed the exposure. Sauter was without a ride. So why not? The next season, Sauter would be back in his rightfull role as driver of the #89 Mueller Bros. team! My favorite car ever! 23. Matthew Lewis posted: 11.29.2008 - 1:59 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Sorry to double post, but I am almost certain that this was the first chain of events that led to Alan Kulwicki's 1991 championship. I am almost positive that Hooters sponsored Mark Stahl at the end of 1990. I've seen a pic of him at Rockingham right before this with no Hooters decals. But I am certain I have seen them on his 1990 color scheme once if not more. So this must have been the race I was thinking of. I live in Atlanta and was there Saturday...but I was only 10 years old. Hooters was to sponsor Mark Stahl full time in 1991, but after he DNQ'ed for the 1991 spring Atlanta race, the sponsorship moved to Alan's team for a one race deal. The rest is history... 24. WillG_46 posted: 12.31.2008 - 11:29 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Actually Hooters sponsored Mark Stahl at the very beginning of 1991 and moved to Kulwicki's team for the rest of the 1991 season and his 1992 championship season. 25. SoxFan24 posted: 10.24.2009 - 10:11 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) This marked the last race that Darrell Waltrip not only drove for Hendrick Motorsports but the last race he drove for a car owner that wasn't himself untill the spring Bristol race in 1998 which he drove for DEI in the Pennzoil number one car for the injured Steve Park. Also the last race for the Levi-Garrett sponsorship for Ricky Rudd and the 5 car. The last race for the 1989 Winston Cup Championship owner Raymond Beadle as Rusty Wallace began driving for Roger Penske in 1991 26. Matthew Sullivan posted: 11.12.2009 - 7:59 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I don't think this has ever really been pointed out, but the death of Mike Ritch had to have a huge effect on Elliott and the #9 team throughout the 1991 season. His death had to cast a pall over the team through the 90/91 winter and it may have led to the struggles the entire team dealt with for the better part of the '91 campaign. 27. Walleyewacker posted: 06.08.2011 - 6:03 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Alan Kulwicki missed overtaking Rudd for 7th in the final point standings by 3 points. He really closed up on Rudd over the last three races. 28. Matthew Sullivan posted: 10.30.2011 - 8:12 pm Rate this comment: (4) (0) Martin's team choked at the end of the season. 1. They had two opportunities to make up a huge amount of points on Earnhardt at Charlotte in particular as well as Rockingham and they didn't do it. They choked at Phoenix and allowed Earnhardt and the RCR team get in their heads at the Atlanta test. 2. Earnhardt had 100 more bonus points than Martin by season's end. I believe the bonus point tally was 165 for Earnhardt and 60 for Martin. Earnhardt led 2,438 laps compared to Martin's 448 laps led during the season. Earnhardt won 9 races to Martin's 3. In reality the points shouldn't have been as close and the only reason they were was because of bad finishes at both Charlotte races, a transmission failure at Sears Point and engine problems at the first Dover race. 29. Anonymous posted: 12.03.2011 - 5:34 am Rate this comment: (2) (3) Ah yeah, cry all you want. I like Mark Martin, but he's a life long bridesmaid. Has NEVER put it all together in a single race much less a championship season(Daytona 2007??????) Choke, choke, choke. 30. UnderdogFan89 posted: 07.06.2012 - 3:21 pm Rate this comment: (3) (2) I see. So I suppose winning 40 races counts as "NEVER" putting it all together in a single race? Starting on the pole and leading all but 21 laps to win at Dover in '98 doesn't count either? Championship, maybe, not going to get into an argument there. In terms of races, however, you, good sir #29 Anonymous, have just shown your NASCAR ignorance. 31. 10andJoe posted: 09.09.2012 - 7:50 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) #18 sponsor: Realfruit Refresher 32. Chris posted: 10.22.2012 - 8:38 am Rate this comment: (0) (6) "I don't think this has ever really been pointed out, but the death of Mike Ritch had to have a huge effect on Elliott and the #9 team throughout the 1991 season. His death had to cast a pall over the team through the 90/91 winter and it may have led to the struggles the entire team dealt with for the better part of the '91 campaign." Or it could just be that they sucked and Elliott was just a mediocre driver who had 1 good year. 33. MarkMartinFan posted: 10.23.2012 - 1:23 pm Rate this comment: (0) (4) Anonymous, you're a moron. If NASCAR does what they usually do and throw a caution as soon as the wreck happens (something they've done on the last lap MANY times) Martin wins the 07 Daytona 500. To say he "choked" that away is a ridiculous statement. And UnderdogFan89 said what I would have said. To repeat him, you have shown your NASCAR ignorance. 34. Steve posted: 12.01.2012 - 6:40 pm Rate this comment: (2) (0) Chris, Bill Elliott finished in the Top 5 in points during 8 different seasons. Awesome Bill had 8 good seasons, and 6 other years (out of the 20 seasons he ran every race) when he "made the stage" for the awards banquet. His 44 wins place him 16th on the all-time winners list. Like commenter #29, you have shown your NASCAR ignorance. 35. 83andJoe posted: 09.16.2013 - 6:14 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) #29 crew chief: Doug Richert. 36. James W. McLaughlin posted: 06.30.2014 - 3:00 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Last time until 2006 that someone other than Rusty Wallace drove #2 (i.e. Ted Musgrave) 37. Michael posted: 07.23.2014 - 1:14 am Rate this comment: (6) (0) "Or it could just be that they sucked and Elliott was just a mediocre driver who had 1 good year." Right, because a mediocre driver finishes second in points three times in his career, and leads or co-leads the series in wins twice, not to mention finishing third in points in his first full season, despite winning only the last race of the season. Not to mention that Winston Million thing in 1985. Get lost, clown. 38. Ryan W posted: 09.10.2015 - 12:16 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) The championship was over at Phoenix. Everyone knew it was lights out 39. Ryan W posted: 11.28.2015 - 1:48 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Truth be known Dale could have won this race, but he didn't want to push the issue. 40. Smiff_2 posted: 10.07.2016 - 3:09 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) All these years later, I find it odd knowing that both Rudd *and* Elliott continued on in the race that day. I mean, it's somewhat common knowledge that Rich was dead on the spot from being crushed...not sure why anybody on either of the teams would even *want* to continue to race that day after that. Maybe I'm weird. 41. Anthony posted: 11.20.2016 - 2:20 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) ^ Ritch was not "dead on the spot." Dr. Jerry Punch stated during the television broadcast that he was initially still conscious while they were working on him on the ground. 42. Josh posted: 07.20.2017 - 6:10 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Stanley Smith and Tracy Leslie discontinued racing in the Talladega race when they had their pit road mishap, though. That turned out to be less severe than this one. 43. Josh posted: 08.14.2017 - 4:07 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Ted Musgrave's car in this race was a Chevrolet Lumina, not a Pontiac. 44. Jahn1234567890 posted: 08.14.2017 - 5:51 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) @43 Source? driveraverages and fantasyracingcheatsheet say Musgrave was in Pontiac at Phoenix and Atlanta. http://www.driveraverages.com/nascar/driveryear.php?drv_id=103&yr_id=1990 http://fantasyracingcheatsheet.com/nascar/races/results/1990/atlanta-motor-speedway/atlanta-journal-500/1824 http://fantasyracingcheatsheet.com/nascar/races/results/1990/phoenix-international-raceway/checker-500/1823 45. 42KylePetty42 posted: 08.17.2017 - 2:55 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Heartbreak for Kyle Petty who came into this season finale with a real chance waking out 5th in points. Blew an engine on lap 12, Finishes 41st. Drops to 11th in points 46. kup posted: 11.16.2017 - 12:48 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) UPS: universal points system. Driver's UPoints = Miles / Aver.Finish 1990 UPS _ Driver = Miles / AF 1756 _ Mark Martin 11587 / 6.6 1382 _ Dale Earnhardt 11055 / 8.0 1017 _ Bill Elliott 11187 / 11.0 943 _ Geoffrey Bodine 10746 / 11.4 782 _ Morgan Shepherd 10636 / 13.6 749 _ Darrell Waltrip 9288 / 12.4 737 _ Alan Kulwicki 10755 / 14.6 719 _ Ricky Rudd 10492 / 14.6 715 _ Ernie Irvan 10503 / 14.7 687 _ Rusty Wallace 10172 / 14.8 686 _ Brett Bodine 10978 / 16.0 681 _ Kyle Petty 10561 / 15.5 670 _ Ken Schrader 10048 / 15.0 670 _ Davey Allison 10916 / 16.3 & TOTAL: UPS! 42 years 1949-1990: Richard Petty 7 in: '63, '64, '67, '71, '72, '75, '79. Lee Petty 5 in: '50, '52, '54, '58, '59. David Pearson 4 in: '66, '68, '69, '76. Dale Earnhardt 4 in: '80, '86, '87, '89. Cale Yarborough 3 in: '74, '77, '78. Bobby Allison 3 in: '81, '82, '83. Buck Baker 2 in: '56, '57. Rex White 2 in: '60, '61. Bill Blair 1 in: '49. Fonty Flock 1 in: '51. Herb Thomas 1 in: '53. Tim Flock 1 in: '55. Joe Weatherly 1 in: '62. Ned Jarrett 1 in: '65. Bobby Isaac 1 in: '70. Benny Parsons 1 in: '73. Terry Labonte 1 in: '84. Darrell Waltrip 1 in: '85. Bill Elliott 1 in: '88. Mark Martin 1 in: '90. 47. RaceFanX posted: 05.09.2018 - 10:21 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Alan Kulwicki scores a top-10 as his #7 Ford heads into battle with sponsorship from Zerex antifreeze for the final time. Kulwicki would not pick up a new sponsor during the offseason and started 1991 without one but his next trip to Atlanta in early 1991 would see the beginning of a beautiful friendship. 48. Big Ron posted: 09.17.2018 - 7:49 am Rate this comment: (2) (1) Taking those points away for something that didin't give an advantage really didn't fall in line with the way Nascar had worked. Bill Elliot in 1985 and Dale Earnhardt in 1987 flat out dominated at times and their cars never failed any kind of inspection. The distinctive difference is Dale Sr. fans try to sell Elliott short on having "souped up" cars and act like everything Earnhardt won in was a legit car that he drove to the win. Dumbest assessment I have ever read. Earnardt's car was obviously cheated up in 1987. I like how his fan base likes to skim past that much like the 1992 season. The 1992 season that Earnhardt basically cried his way to a rules change that helped Chevy after Ford had wiped the floor with them. It's strange a few years later when the Chevy was dominate they didn't go to this same extreme. Very interesting... Also this idea that Bill's team was bad in 1991 simply because a crew member was lost is a farce. The Elliott's had a ton of stuff happen that left them with heavy hearts and I believe Ernie Elliott was going through a divorce or at least marriage problems. On top of that, Melling wasn't keeping up with the costs to keep the team competitive. This is why Bill left. Outside of an engineer running his own team, the writing was on the wall for single car teams. The only thing I will hold against Bill is he tried to start his own team when he should have took that Yates ride. You can add what Irvan and Jarrett had in wins for Yates to Bill's total and you would have an idea of how many victories he would have ended up with...but it is what it is. 49. RickyMudd posted: 01.03.2019 - 8:29 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Mark Martin's point total of 4404 would have easily won him the championship in '89, '91, or '92. It just came up a little short in 1990. Doesn't change the fact that he and his team were amazing that year. I just finished watching the race and that pit stop where Elliott's tire man Mike Rich was hit by Ricky Rudd's car made me yell with Benny Parsons even though I knew it was coming. RIP. 50. Jimnsimforever posted: 01.06.2019 - 8:52 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) @5 I don't know when they put a rule in place limiting testing days but I'm positive they had a rule in place for the 1990 season. While watching several of the races I have heard many comments, especially near the end of the season about someone not testing somewhere cause they were out or saving their testing days. Maybe someone can say exactly when the rule started but I don't remember hearing about limits when watching races from 1989, so it could've been new for 90. 51. SweetRich posted: 02.15.2020 - 7:51 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) The Commentators For The Race Were Bob Jenkins, Ned Jarrett And Benny Parsons. The Pit Road Reporters Were Jerry Punch And John Kernan. 52. Ryan posted: 05.03.2020 - 12:42 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) @48 "The distinctive difference is Dale Sr. fans try to sell Elliott short on having "souped up" cars and act like everything Earnhardt won in was a legit car that he drove to the win. Dumbest assessment I have ever read. Earnardt's car was obviously cheated up in 1987. I like how his fan base likes to skim past that much like the 1992 season. The 1992 season that Earnhardt basically cried his way to a rules change that helped Chevy after Ford had wiped the floor with them. " Wrong. There were strong allegations from opposing teams that Bill ran a lowered scale car in 1985. It wasn't just Chevy complaining either. ALL the car makes and drivers were complaining, even his Ford mates. We'll never know for sure about the lowered scale car, but where Elliott had a big advantage in 1985 was where the back end of his Ford was shaped to where the cars behind him had a hard time drafting off him. This was both noted by rivals Darrell Waltrip and Bobby Allison shortly before the World 600 in 1985. Earnhardt never drove an illegal car and he always passed inspection, well... when others didn't. He may have drove aggressive at times, but a lot of the time he and his team knew that his competition was being "aggressive" and illegal in the garage with their cars. His rivals never complained to NASCAR about any bogus "cheating" allegations in 1987 as you imply. After winning 11 of the first 22 events in 1987, Earnhardt went winless in the last seven races (finishing 2nd four times). At the end of the '87 season Elliott all of a sudden got "hot" winning three of the last four races of the season and which led into 1988. Hmmm... Earnhardt proofing. As for the end of 1991 and the start of 1992, the rules changes came because Ford was threatening to leave the sport where Earnhardt had dominated and Ford was allowed to do more with their cars. NASCAR made several rules changes that benefited Ford. Thus, Ford went on a 13-race winning streak (four races from the end of 1991 and nine at the start of 1992). GM and Earnhardt fans called this "Earnhardt proofing", much like The Masters and Augusta "Tiger Proofed" their course in 2001 after Tiger had dominated. It was only fitting that Earnhardt stopped the Ford streak by winning the Coca-Cola 600 after wearing them out enduring a LONG 170 lap green flag run at the end of the race and stopping Davey Allison's first bid to win the Winston Million. 53. BOBO83329521 posted: 07.03.2020 - 12:10 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) If 1990 were run under the 2014-16 playoff format. the final 4 would have been Dale Earnhardt, Bill Elliott, Mark Martin, and Davey Allison. Earnhardt would still have won the championship. 54. Ryan posted: 07.03.2020 - 9:18 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Ford and Martin fans as well as Earnhardt haters talk about Martin losing 46 points at the first Richmond race for having an illegal part, but "non-advantage" competitively. However, if there rules were like they are today than Martin wouldn't have received any points and wouldn't have kept the win. 55. SweetRich posted: 07.18.2020 - 11:43 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Morgan Shepherd's one and only win while competing in the #15 Ford as well as Bud Moore's first since 1987 when Ricky Rudd drove the Motorcraft machine. 56. SweetRich posted: 07.18.2020 - 11:43 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Darrell Waltrip's final race competing for Hendrick Motorsports behind the wheel of the tide ride. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *Post a comment:* Your comment may not appear immediately - all comments must be approved by the moderator. Name: Comment: