| Race details | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 16 of 34 in the 2000 NASCAR Winston Cup Series | |||
 The 2000 Save Mart/Kragen 350 program cover, featuring
Jeff Gordon. | |||
| Date | June 25, 2000 | ||
| Official name | 12th Annual Save Mart/Kragen 350 | ||
| Location | Sonoma, California, Sears Point Raceway | ||
| Course |
Permanent racing facility 1.99 mi (3.20 km) | ||
| Distance | 112 laps, 218.288 mi (351.3 km) | ||
| Scheduled Distance | 112 laps, 218.288 mi (351.3 km) | ||
| Average speed | 78.789 miles per hour (126.799 km/h) | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | ||
| Time | 1:10.652 | ||
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | |
| Laps | 43 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | |
| Television in the United States | |||
| Network | ESPN | ||
| Announcers | Bob Jenkins, Ned Jarrett, Benny Parsons | ||
| Radio in the United States | |||
| Radio | Performance Racing Network | ||
The 2000 Save Mart/Kragen 350 was the 16th stock car race of the 2000 NASCAR Winston Cup Series and the 12th iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, June 25, 2000, in Sonoma, California, at the club layout in Sears Point Raceway, a 1.99 miles (3.20 km) permanent road course layout. The race took the scheduled 112 laps to complete.
At race's end, Hendrick Motorsports driver Jeff Gordon would dominate the late stages of a chaotic race to win his 51st career NASCAR Winston Cup Series win and his first of the season. [1] [2] To fill out the podium, Sterling Marlin of Team SABCO and Mark Martin of Roush Racing would finish second and third, respectively.
Background
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Sears Point Raceway is one of two road courses to hold NASCAR races, the other being Watkins Glen International. The standard road course at Sears Point Raceway is a 12-turn course that is 2.52 miles (4.06 km) long; the track was modified in 1998, adding the Chute, which bypassed turns 5 and 6, shortening the course to 1.95 miles (3.14 km). The Chute was only used for NASCAR events such as this race, and was criticized by many drivers, who preferred the full layout. [3] In 2001, it was replaced with a 70- degree turn, 4A, bringing the track to its current dimensions of 1.99 miles (3.20 km).
Entry list
- (R) denotes rookie driver.
Practice
First practice
The first practice session was held on Friday, June 23, at 10:00 AM PST, and would last for three hours. [4] Kyle Petty of Petty Enterprises would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 1:10.921 and an average speed of 98.932 mph (159.216 km/h). [5]
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 44 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 1:10.921 | 98.932 |
| 2 | 23 | Boris Said | Spencer Motor Ventures | Ford | 1:10.988 | 98.839 |
| 3 | 13 | Robby Gordon | Team Menard | Ford | 1:11.024 | 98.789 |
| Full first practice results | ||||||
Second practice
The second practice session was held on Saturday, June 24, at 9:00 AM PST, and would last for one hour. [4] Dale Earnhardt of Richard Childress Racing would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 1:11.747 and an average speed of 97.793 mph (157.383 km/h). [6]
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | Dale Earnhardt | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 1:11.747 | 97.793 |
| 2 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | 1:11.801 | 97.720 |
| 3 | 25 | Jerry Nadeau | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 1:11.908 | 97.574 |
| Full second practice results | ||||||
Third and final practice
The third and final practice session, sometimes referred to as Happy Hour, was held on Saturday, June 24 after the preliminary NASCAR Featherlite Southwest Series race. [4] John Andretti of Petty Enterprises would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 1:12.510 and an average speed of 96.764 mph (155.727 km/h). [7]
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 1:12.510 | 96.764 |
| 2 | 32 | Scott Pruett (R) | PPI Motorsports | Ford | 1:12.530 | 96.737 |
| 3 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 1:12.799 | 96.380 |
| Full Happy Hour practice results | ||||||
Qualifying
Qualifying was split into two rounds. The first round was held on Friday, June 23, at 2:00 PM PST. each driver had one lap to set a time. During the first round, the top 25 drivers in the round were 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, June 24, at 10:45 AM PST. As with the first round, each driver had one lap to set a time. [4] Positions 26-36 were decided on time, while positions 37-43 were based on provisionals. Six spots were awarded by the use of provisionals based on owner's points. The seventh was awarded to a past champion who did not otherwise qualified for the race. If no past champion needs the provisional, the next team in the owner points was awarded a provisional. [8]
Rusty Wallace of Penske-Kranefuss Racing won the pole, setting a time of 1:10.652 and an average speed of 99.309 miles per hour (159.822 km/h) in the first round. [9]
Three drivers would fail to qualify: Rick Mast, Geoff Bodine, and R. K. Smith.
Full qualifying results
Race results
| Fin | St | # | Driver | Team | Make | Laps | Led | Status | Pts | Winnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 112 | 43 | running | 185 | $143,025 |
| 2 | 6 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 112 | 25 | running | 175 | $90,725 |
| 3 | 7 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 112 | 0 | running | 165 | $75,950 |
| 4 | 3 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 112 | 0 | running | 160 | $81,290 |
| 5 | 10 | 28 | Ricky Rudd | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 112 | 0 | running | 155 | $67,915 |
| 6 | 29 | 3 | Dale Earnhardt | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 112 | 0 | running | 150 | $65,165 |
| 7 | 18 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 112 | 0 | running | 146 | $69,665 |
| 8 | 20 | 25 | Jerry Nadeau | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 112 | 0 | running | 142 | $56,765 |
| 9 | 11 | 13 | Robby Gordon | Team Menard | Ford | 112 | 5 | running | 143 | $42,415 |
| 10 | 4 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 112 | 2 | running | 139 | $73,610 |
| 11 | 19 | 33 | Joe Nemechek | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 112 | 0 | running | 130 | $55,700 |
| 12 | 28 | 7 | Michael Waltrip | Mattei Motorsports | Chevrolet | 112 | 0 | running | 127 | $53,475 |
| 13 | 17 | 55 | Kenny Wallace | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 112 | 16 | running | 129 | $53,325 |
| 14 | 14 | 4 | Bobby Hamilton | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | 112 | 0 | running | 121 | $51,775 |
| 15 | 21 | 36 | Ken Schrader | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 112 | 0 | running | 118 | $45,775 |
| 16 | 30 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | 112 | 0 | running | 115 | $59,225 |
| 17 | 15 | 1 | Steve Park | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 112 | 0 | running | 112 | $50,200 |
| 18 | 35 | 10 | Johnny Benson Jr. | Tyler Jet Motorsports | Pontiac | 112 | 0 | running | 109 | $45,775 |
| 26 | 1 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | 112 | 11 | running | 90 | $61,500 |
| 19 | 2 | 44 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 112 | 0 | running | 106 | $50,420 |
| 20 | 13 | 31 | Mike Skinner | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 112 | 0 | running | 103 | $53,685 |
| 21 | 37 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Pontiac | 112 | 0 | running | 100 | $55,725 |
| 22 | 27 | 27 | Mike Bliss (R) | Eel River Racing | Pontiac | 112 | 0 | running | 97 | $38,665 |
| 23 | 42 | 42 | Kenny Irwin Jr. | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 112 | 0 | running | 94 | $49,030 |
| 24 | 31 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. (R) | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 112 | 0 | running | 91 | $47,550 |
| 25 | 40 | 97 | Chad Little | Roush Racing | Ford | 112 | 0 | running | 88 | $49,230 |
| 27 | 25 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 112 | 0 | running | 82 | $55,465 |
| 28 | 33 | 66 | Darrell Waltrip | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 111 | 0 | running | 79 | $40,580 |
| 29 | 43 | 93 | Dave Blaney (R) | Bill Davis Racing | Pontiac | 111 | 0 | running | 76 | $37,360 |
| 30 | 22 | 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | 110 | 0 | running | 73 | $37,820 |
| 31 | 36 | 9 | Stacy Compton (R) | Melling Racing | Ford | 110 | 0 | running | 70 | $40,950 |
| 32 | 38 | 17 | Matt Kenseth (R) | Roush Racing | Ford | 110 | 0 | running | 67 | $48,190 |
| 33 | 39 | 12 | Jeremy Mayfield | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | 110 | 0 | running | 64 | $48,170 |
| 34 | 12 | 26 | Jimmy Spencer | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 110 | 0 | running | 61 | $47,650 |
| 35 | 8 | 94 | Bill Elliott | Bill Elliott Racing | Ford | 98 | 0 | running | 58 | $45,130 |
| 36 | 34 | 90 | Brian Simo | Donlavey Racing | Ford | 95 | 0 | running | 55 | $37,110 |
| 37 | 41 | 77 | Robert Pressley | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | 91 | 0 | transmission | 52 | $37,090 |
| 38 | 32 | 21 | Elliott Sadler | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 91 | 0 | running | 49 | $45,045 |
| 39 | 9 | 32 | Scott Pruett (R) | PPI Motorsports | Ford | 67 | 10 | crash | 51 | $37,025 |
| 40 | 26 | 75 | Wally Dallenbach Jr. | Galaxy Motorsports | Ford | 44 | 0 | transmission | 43 | $37,480 |
| 41 | 24 | 16 | Kevin Lepage | Roush Racing | Ford | 40 | 0 | transmission | 40 | $44,960 |
| 42 | 23 | 23 | Boris Said | Spencer Motor Ventures | Ford | 26 | 0 | engine | 37 | $36,940 |
| 43 | 16 | 43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 15 | 0 | crash | 34 | $54,915 |
| Failed to qualify | ||||||||||
| 44 | 14 | Rick Mast | A. J. Foyt Enterprises | Pontiac | ||||||
| 45 | 60 | Geoff Bodine | Joe Bessey Racing | Chevrolet | ||||||
| 46 | 71 | R. K. Smith | Marcis Auto Racing | Chevrolet | ||||||
| Official race results | ||||||||||
Standings after the race
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Notes
References
- ^ Poole, David (June 25, 2000). "Gordon had the roadmap to victory lane". ThatsRacin. The Charlotte Observer. Archived from the original on August 17, 2000. Retrieved May 11, 2022.
-
^
"Jeff Gordon winds his way to victory at Sonoma".
The Desert Sun.
Associated Press. June 26, 2000. pp. C5. Retrieved May 11, 2022 – via
Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Passing is tough in Chute | chronicle.augusta.com". June 7, 2011. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved November 13, 2021.
- ^ a b c d "Jayski's Silly Season Site - 2000 Sonoma Race Info Page". Jayski's Silly Season Site. Archived from the original on April 26, 2001. Retrieved May 11, 2022.
- ^ "Winston Cup practice speeds". ThatsRacin. June 23, 2000. Archived from the original on August 17, 2000. Retrieved May 11, 2022.
- ^ "2000 Sonoma NASCAR Winston Cup Series Practice 2". NASCAR Online. Archived from the original on July 11, 2000. Retrieved May 11, 2022.
- ^ "Happy Hour practice speeds". ThatsRacin. June 24, 2000. Archived from the original on August 17, 2000. Retrieved May 11, 2022.
- ^ "Jayski's Silly Season Site - 2000 Provisional Start Status". Jayski's Silly Season Site. Archived from the original on November 23, 2005. Retrieved May 4, 2022.
- ^ Poole, David (June 23, 2000). "Rusty Wallace on the pole, again". That's Racin'. The Charlotte Observer. Archived from the original on August 17, 2000. Retrieved May 11, 2022.
- ^ Gardner, Tom (June 24, 2000). "Road courses bring out the specialists". That's Racin'. The Charlotte Observer. Archived from the original on May 11, 2001. Retrieved September 11, 2023.