1994 TranSouth Financial 400

The 1994 TranSouth Financial 400 was the fifth stock car race of the 1994 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season and the 38th iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, March 27, 1994, in Darlington, South Carolina, at Darlington Raceway, a 1.366 miles (2.198 km) permanent egg-shaped oval racetrack. The race took the scheduled 293 laps to complete. At race's end, Richard Childress Racing driver Dale Earnhardt would manage to dominate the majority of the race to take his 60th career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his first victory of the season.[1][2] To fill out the top three, Roush Racing driver Mark Martin and Junior Johnson driver Bill Elliott would finish in the respective positions. [3]

1994 TranSouth Financial 400
Race details
Race 5 of 31 in the 1994 NASCAR Winston Cup Series
The 1994 TranSouth Financial 400 program cover, featuring Dale Earnhardt.
The 1994 TranSouth Financial 400 program cover, featuring Dale Earnhardt.
Date March 27, 1994
Official name 38th Annual TranSouth Financial 400
Location Darlington, South Carolina, Darlington Raceway
Course Permanent racing facility
1.366 mi (2.198 km)
Distance 293 laps, 400.238 mi (644.12 km)
Scheduled Distance 293 laps, 400.238 mi (644.12 km)
Average speed 132.432 miles per hour (213.129 km/h)
Pole position
Driver Junior Johnson & Associates
Time 29.704
Most laps led
Driver Dale Earnhardt Richard Childress Racing
Laps 166
Winner
No. 3 Dale Earnhardt Richard Childress Racing
Television in the United States
Network ESPN
Announcers Bob Jenkins, Ned Jarrett, Benny Parsons
Radio in the United States
Radio Motor Racing Network

Background

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The layout of Darlington Raceway, the venue where the race was held.

Darlington Raceway is a race track built for NASCAR racing located near Darlington, South Carolina. It is nicknamed "The Lady in Black" and "The Track Too Tough to Tame" by many NASCAR fans and drivers and advertised as "A NASCAR Tradition." It is of a unique, somewhat egg-shaped design, an oval with the ends of very different configurations, a condition which supposedly arose from the proximity of one end of the track to a minnow pond the owner refused to relocate. This situation makes it very challenging for the crews to set up their cars' handling in a way that is effective at both ends.

Entry list

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  • (R) denotes rookie driver.
# Driver Team Make Sponsor
1 Rick Mast Precision Products Racing Ford Skoal
2 Rusty Wallace Penske Racing South Ford Miller Genuine Draft
02 Curtis Markham Taylor Racing Ford Children's Miracle Network Hospitals
3 Dale Earnhardt Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet GM Goodwrench Service Plus
4 Sterling Marlin Morgan–McClure Motorsports Chevrolet Kodak
5 Terry Labonte Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Kellogg's Frosted Flakes
6 Mark Martin Roush Racing Ford Valvoline
7 Geoff Bodine Geoff Bodine Racing Ford Exide
8 Jeff Burton Stavola Brothers Racing Ford Raybestos
9 Rich Bickle (R) Melling Racing Ford Melling Racing
10 Ricky Rudd Rudd Performance Motorsports Ford Tide
11 Bill Elliott Junior Johnson & Associates Ford Budweiser
12 Chuck Bown Bobby Allison Motorsports Ford Lumberton Ford
14 John Andretti (R) Hagan Racing Chevrolet Total Petroleum
15 Lake Speed Bud Moore Engineering Ford Ford Quality Care
16 Ted Musgrave Roush Racing Ford The Family Channel
17 Darrell Waltrip Darrell Waltrip Motorsports Chevrolet Western Auto
18 Dale Jarrett Joe Gibbs Racing Chevrolet Interstate Batteries
19 Loy Allen Jr. (R) TriStar Motorsports Ford Hooters
21 Morgan Shepherd Wood Brothers Racing Ford Citgo
22 Bobby Labonte Bill Davis Racing Pontiac Maxwell House
23 Hut Stricklin Travis Carter Enterprises Ford Smokin' Joe's
24 Jeff Gordon Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet DuPont
25 Ken Schrader Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Kodiak
26 Brett Bodine King Racing Ford Quaker State
27 Jimmy Spencer Junior Johnson & Associates Ford McDonald's
28 Ernie Irvan Robert Yates Racing Ford Texaco, Havoline
29 Steve Grissom Diamond Ridge Motorsports Chevrolet Diamond Ridge Motorsports
30 Michael Waltrip Bahari Racing Pontiac Pennzoil
31 Ward Burton A.G. Dillard Motorsports Chevrolet Hardee's
32 Dick Trickle Active Motorsports Chevrolet Active Trucking
33 Harry Gant Leo Jackson Motorsports Chevrolet Skoal Bandit
36 H. B. Bailey Bailey Racing Pontiac Bailey Racing
40 Bobby Hamilton SABCO Racing Pontiac Kendall
41 Joe Nemechek (R) Larry Hedrick Motorsports Chevrolet Meineke
42 Kyle Petty SABCO Racing Pontiac Mello Yello
43 Wally Dallenbach Jr. Petty Enterprises Pontiac STP
47 Billy Standridge (R) Johnson Standridge Racing Ford Johnson Standridge Racing
52 Brad Teague Jimmy Means Racing Ford NAPA Auto Parts
55 Jimmy Hensley RaDiUs Motorsports Ford Petron Plus
57 Bob Schacht Balough Racing Ford Balough Racing
59 Andy Belmont Andy Belmont Racing Ford Metal Arrester
61 Rick Carelli Chesrown Racing Chevrolet Total Petroleum
71 Dave Marcis Marcis Auto Racing Chevrolet Style Motorsports
75 Todd Bodine Butch Mock Motorsports Ford Factory Stores of America
77 Greg Sacks U.S. Motorsports Inc. Ford US Airways
84 Norm Benning Norm Benning Racing Oldsmobile 84 Lumber
90 Mike Wallace (R) Donlavey Racing Ford Heilig-Meyers
98 Derrike Cope Cale Yarborough Motorsports Ford Fingerhut

Qualifying

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Qualifying was split into two rounds. The first round was held on Friday, March 4, at 11:30 AM EST. Each driver would have one lap to set a time. During the first round, the top 20 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, March 5, at 12:15 PM EST. As with the first round, each driver would have one lap to set a time. For this specific race, positions 21-40 would be decided on time,[4] 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; which was usually two. 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.

Bill Elliott, driving for Junior Johnson & Associates, would win the pole, setting a time of 29.704 and an average speed of 165.553 miles per hour (266.432 km/h) in the first round.[5]

Eight drivers would fail to qualify.

Full qualifying results

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Pos. # Driver Team Make Time Speed
1 11 Bill Elliott Junior Johnson & Associates Ford 29.704 165.553
2 4 Sterling Marlin Morgan–McClure Motorsports Chevrolet 29.751 165.292
3 6 Mark Martin Roush Racing Ford 29.758 165.253
4 12 Chuck Bown Bobby Allison Motorsports Ford 29.798 165.031
5 26 Brett Bodine King Racing Ford 29.810 164.965
6 25 Ken Schrader Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 29.811 164.959
7 7 Geoff Bodine Geoff Bodine Racing Ford 29.863 164.672
8 2 Rusty Wallace Penske Racing South Ford 29.894 164.501
9 3 Dale Earnhardt Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 29.898 164.479
10 1 Rick Mast Precision Products Racing Ford 29.909 164.419
11 28 Ernie Irvan Robert Yates Racing Ford 29.944 164.227
12 98 Derrike Cope Cale Yarborough Motorsports Ford 29.947 164.210
13 24 Jeff Gordon Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 30.016 163.833
14 18 Dale Jarrett Joe Gibbs Racing Chevrolet 30.017 163.827
15 23 Hut Stricklin Travis Carter Enterprises Ford 30.022 163.800
16 22 Bobby Labonte Bill Davis Racing Pontiac 30.043 163.685
17 21 Morgan Shepherd Wood Brothers Racing Ford 30.046 163.669
18 14 John Andretti (R) Hagan Racing Chevrolet 30.054 163.625
19 55 Jimmy Hensley RaDiUs Motorsports Ford 30.064 163.571
20 16 Ted Musgrave Roush Racing Ford 30.083 163.468
Failed to lock in Round 1
21 33 Harry Gant Leo Jackson Motorsports Chevrolet 30.085 163.457
22 8 Jeff Burton (R) Stavola Brothers Racing Ford 30.102 163.365
23 90 Mike Wallace (R) Donlavey Racing Ford 30.103 163.359
24 5 Terry Labonte Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 30.105 163.348
25 10 Ricky Rudd Rudd Performance Motorsports Ford 30.105 163.348
26 71 Dave Marcis Marcis Auto Racing Chevrolet 30.138 163.169
27 27 Jimmy Spencer Junior Johnson & Associates Ford 30.163 163.034
28 29 Steve Grissom Diamond Ridge Motorsports Chevrolet 30.212 162.770
29 41 Joe Nemechek (R) Larry Hedrick Motorsports Chevrolet 30.235 162.646
30 30 Michael Waltrip Bahari Racing Pontiac 30.310 162.243
31 9 Rich Bickle Melling Racing Ford 30.310 162.243
32 40 Bobby Hamilton SABCO Racing Pontiac 30.335 162.110
33 42 Kyle Petty SABCO Racing Pontiac 30.337 162.099
34 52 Brad Teague Jimmy Means Racing Ford 30.340 162.083
35 15 Lake Speed Bud Moore Engineering Ford 30.349 162.035
36 17 Darrell Waltrip Darrell Waltrip Motorsports Chevrolet 30.359 161.982
37 43 Wally Dallenbach Jr. Petty Enterprises Pontiac 30.379 161.875
38 31 Ward Burton A.G. Dillard Motorsports Chevrolet 30.404 161.742
39 32 Dick Trickle Active Motorsports Chevrolet 30.448 161.508
40 77 Greg Sacks U.S. Motorsports Inc. Ford 30.530 161.074
Provisional
41 75 Todd Bodine Butch Mock Motorsports Ford -* -*
Failed to qualify
42 19 Loy Allen Jr. (R) TriStar Motorsports Ford -* -*
43 61 Rick Carelli Chesrown Racing Chevrolet -* -*
44 47 Billy Standridge (R) Johnson Standridge Racing Ford -* -*
45 02 Curtis Markham Taylor Racing Ford -* -*
46 57 Bob Schacht Balough Racing Ford -* -*
47 84 Norm Benning Norm Benning Racing Oldsmobile -* -*
48 36 H. B. Bailey Bailey Racing Pontiac -* -*
49 59 Andy Belmont Andy Belmont Racing Ford -* -*
Official first round qualifying results
Official starting lineup

Race results

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Fin St # Driver Team Make Laps Led Status Pts Winnings
1 9 3 Dale Earnhardt Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 293 166 running 185 $70,190
2 3 6 Mark Martin Roush Racing Ford 293 7 running 175 $47,835
3 1 11 Bill Elliott Junior Johnson & Associates Ford 293 5 running 170 $35,285
4 14 18 Dale Jarrett Joe Gibbs Racing Chevrolet 293 9 running 165 $27,550
5 35 15 Lake Speed Bud Moore Engineering Ford 293 0 running 155 $26,300
6 11 28 Ernie Irvan Robert Yates Racing Ford 293 24 running 155 $22,875
7 6 25 Ken Schrader Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 293 4 running 151 $18,395
8 21 33 Harry Gant Leo Jackson Motorsports Chevrolet 292 0 running 142 $17,265
9 25 10 Ricky Rudd Rudd Performance Motorsports Ford 292 0 running 138 $9,260
10 20 16 Ted Musgrave Roush Racing Ford 292 0 running 134 $18,405
11 33 42 Kyle Petty SABCO Racing Pontiac 291 0 running 130 $19,400
12 4 12 Chuck Bown Bobby Allison Motorsports Ford 291 0 running 127 $15,470
13 19 55 Jimmy Hensley RaDiUs Motorsports Ford 291 0 running 124 $11,185
14 28 29 Steve Grissom Diamond Ridge Motorsports Chevrolet 291 0 running 121 $9,280
15 30 30 Michael Waltrip Bahari Racing Pontiac 290 0 running 118 $15,025
16 12 98 Derrike Cope Cale Yarborough Motorsports Ford 290 0 running 115 $10,405
17 15 23 Hut Stricklin Travis Carter Enterprises Ford 290 0 running 112 $7,250
18 23 90 Mike Wallace (R) Donlavey Racing Ford 290 0 running 109 $10,415
19 29 41 Joe Nemechek (R) Larry Hedrick Motorsports Chevrolet 290 0 running 106 $9,670
20 22 8 Jeff Burton (R) Stavola Brothers Racing Ford 286 0 running 103 $14,040
21 38 31 Ward Burton A.G. Dillard Motorsports Chevrolet 285 0 running 100 $6,670
22 41 75 Todd Bodine Butch Mock Motorsports Ford 283 0 running 97 $9,050
23 31 9 Rich Bickle Melling Racing Ford 282 0 running 94 $6,430
24 34 52 Brad Teague Jimmy Means Racing Ford 279 0 running 91 $9,335
25 32 40 Bobby Hamilton SABCO Racing Pontiac 277 0 running 88 $12,490
26 36 17 Darrell Waltrip Darrell Waltrip Motorsports Chevrolet 274 0 running 85 $12,275
27 27 27 Jimmy Spencer Junior Johnson & Associates Ford 271 0 engine 82 $8,110
28 26 71 Dave Marcis Marcis Auto Racing Chevrolet 269 4 running 84 $7,950
29 39 32 Dick Trickle Active Motorsports Chevrolet 259 0 running 76 $5,865
30 40 77 Greg Sacks U.S. Motorsports Inc. Ford 250 3 running 78 $5,805
31 13 24 Jeff Gordon Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 236 0 engine 70 $11,745
32 17 21 Morgan Shepherd Wood Brothers Racing Ford 235 0 running 67 $15,710
33 8 2 Rusty Wallace Penske Racing South Ford 218 56 running 69 $17,850
34 2 4 Sterling Marlin Morgan–McClure Motorsports Chevrolet 197 15 engine 66 $16,765
35 24 5 Terry Labonte Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 195 0 engine 58 $15,580
36 5 26 Brett Bodine King Racing Ford 195 0 engine 55 $11,045
37 10 1 Rick Mast Precision Products Racing Ford 178 0 engine 52 $9,530
38 18 14 John Andretti (R) Hagan Racing Chevrolet 170 0 engine 49 $9,510
39 16 22 Bobby Labonte Bill Davis Racing Pontiac 138 0 crash 46 $9,480
40 7 7 Geoff Bodine Geoff Bodine Racing Ford 134 0 engine 43 $9,357
41 37 43 Wally Dallenbach Jr. Petty Enterprises Pontiac 131 0 engine 40 $5,857
Failed to qualify
42 19 Loy Allen Jr. (R) TriStar Motorsports Ford
43 61 Rick Carelli Chesrown Racing Chevrolet
44 47 Billy Standridge (R) Johnson Standridge Racing Ford
45 02 Curtis Markham Taylor Racing Ford
46 57 Bob Schacht Balough Racing Ford
47 84 Norm Benning Norm Benning Racing Oldsmobile
48 36 H. B. Bailey Bailey Racing Pontiac
49 59 Andy Belmont Andy Belmont Racing Ford
Official race results

Standings after the race

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References

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  1. ^ Harris, Mike (March 28, 1994). "Earnhardt snaps 16-race drought". The Indianapolis Star. p. 14. Retrieved November 22, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.  
  2. ^ Higgins, Tom (March 28, 1994). "Earnhardt's win not without challenge". The Charlotte Observer. p. 12. Retrieved November 22, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.  
  3. ^ "1994 TranSouth Financial 400". www.racing-reference.info.
  4. ^ "NASCAR today". The Charlotte Observer. March 24, 1996. p. 25. Retrieved November 22, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.  
  5. ^ Martin, Gerald (March 26, 1994). "Elliott takes pole, one-lap record at Darlington". The News and Observer. p. 33. Retrieved November 22, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.  
Previous race:
1994 Purolator 500
NASCAR Winston Cup Series
1994 season
Next race:
1994 Food City 500