2000 NAPA 500

Race details[1][2]
Race 34 of 34 in the2000 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season
Atlanta Motor Speedway (1997-present configuration)
Date	November 20, 2000 (2000-11-20)
Official name	NAPA 500
Location	Atlanta Motor Speedway,Hampton, Georgia
Course	Permanent racing facility
Course length	1.54 miles (2.502 km)
Distance	328 laps, 500.5 mi (813.12 km)
Weather	Cold with temperatures of 55.4 °F (13.0 °C); wind speeds of 18.1 miles per hour (29.1 km/h)
Average speed	141.296 mph (227.394 km/h)
Pole position
Driver	Jeff Gordon	Hendrick Motorsports
Time	28.537 seconds
Most laps led
Driver	Jerry Nadeau	Hendrick Motorsports
Laps	155
Winner
No. 25	Jerry Nadeau	Hendrick Motorsports
Television in the United States
Network	ESPN
Announcers	Bob Jenkins Benny Parsons Ned Jarrett

The2000 NAPA 500 was aNASCARWinston Cup Series racing event that was held on November 20, 2000, atAtlanta Motor Speedway inHampton, Georgia. It was originally scheduled for November 19 but was postponed because of rain and run on Monday. It was the 34th and final race of the 2000 NASCAR season.

Jerry Nadeau, driving the #25Michael HoliganChevrolet Monte Carlo forHendrick Motorsports, won the race. It was his first and only victory in the Winston Cup Series.^[2]

After the race, the Winston Cup was formally awarded to series championBobby Labonte, the driver of the #18Interstate BatteriesPontiac Grand Prix forJoe Gibbs Racing. Labonte had won the Winston Cup championship the previous week by finishing 4th in thePennzoil 400 atHomestead-Miami Speedway, and he followed that up with a 5th place finish in this race.^[3]

The event was the final race to be broadcast onESPN until 2007 and the last one with its broadcast team ofBob Jenkins,Benny Parsons, andNed Jarrett. Jenkins would remain at ESPN in his role as their lead voice for theIndy Racing League, while Parsons joinedNBC Sports for theirNASCAR broadcasts andTNT Sports for theirNASCAR broadcasts as well. Jarrett, meanwhile, retired from broadcasting after over twenty years covering events for ESPN and CBS.

It would also be the final race in the career ofDarrell Waltrip, who called the 2000 season his "Victory Tour" in the #66KmartFord Taurus forHaas-Carter Motorsports.

Wally Dallenbach Jr. also retired from full-time racing after the race, as he had signed to join Parsons as a booth analyst for NBC and TNT. He drove the #75Pizza Hut /TBS (American TV channel) Ford forGalaxy Motorsports in the race

Scott Pruett, who had joined the Cup Series for 2000 driving the #32TideFord Taurus forPPI Motorsports, finished what would be his only full-time season driving in NASCAR; he was released from the team after the season.

• After spending the previous seven seasons as an owner-driver,Bill Elliott ran his final race in his #94McDonald'sFord Taurus. He sold his team toRay Evernham, who promptly signed Elliott to pilot one of his twoDodge Intrepids for 2001.
• Michael Waltrip ran his last race in the #7 NationsRent Chevrolet forUltra Motorsports. He would joinDale Earnhardt, Inc. to drive the #15NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet in 2001.
• Robby Gordon ran his last race forTeam Menard in the #13Turtle Wax Ford, as the team shut down after the season.
• Bobby Hamilton ran his last race in the #4Kodak Chevrolet forMorgan-McClure Motorsports. He would move over to drive the #55Square D Chevrolet forAndy Petree Racing in 2001 replacingKenny Wallace, who would take over the #27Eel River Racing Pontiac fromMike Bliss, whose team failed to qualify for this race.
• Buckshot Jones ran his last race for his family owned team in the #00 Crown Fiber Pontiac, as he was signed byPetty Enterprises to join the team for 2001.
• Kevin Lepage attempted to qualify the #16 Familyclick.com Ford for Roush Racing but did not make the field; this would prove to be his final ride in the car and the last full-time race for the #16 until 2003.

• Bill Davis Racing, which fielded the #22 Caterpillar Pontiac forWard Burton, the #93 Amoco Ultimate Pontiac forDave Blaney, and the #23 AT&T Pontiac forScott Wimmer.
• Team SABCO, which fielded the #40 Bellsouth Chevrolet forSterling Marlin and the #01 Coors Light Chevrolet forBobby Hamilton Jr. This was also the team's last race withFelix Sabates as sole owner.
• Petty Enterprises, which fielded the #43Cheerios Pontiac forJohn Andretti and sawSteve Grissom fail to qualify the #44Hot Wheels Pontiac.
• Melling Racing attempted to qualify the #9Kodiak Ford withStacy Compton but did not make the field.

• Mark Martin's #6 Ford was running its final race withValvoline sponsorship as the team signed on to sponsorJohnny Benson Jr.'s #10 atMB2 Motorsports. The team picked up sponsorship fromPfizer for 2001, with itsViagra brand promoted (this led to Eel River Racing losing its sponsorship).
• Dale Jarrett ran his last race in the #88 withFord Credit as his primary sponsor; he would begin running withUnited Parcel Service as his sponsor the next year and would carry that sponsorship for the remainder of his racing career.
• John Deere ceased sponsoring the #97 Ford after the race. This leftKurt Busch, who had taken over the ride near the end of the season, sponsorless entering 2001, but he would eventually become identified with his new sponsorNewell Rubbermaid and itsSharpie line of writing implements.

In an unexpected final occurrence,Dale Earnhardt recorded the last top five finish of his racing career as he finished second to Nadeau. The reason this was unexpected was because ofhis death in theDaytona 500 at the beginning of the following season.

It wasn't uncommon for a NASCAR Winston Cup Series race in the 1990s to have only three to five cars on the lead lap. If someone spun, didn't hit the wall or anyone else, and could fire it up and get going, there would be no reason to wave a caution flag for multiple laps. Between 8-12 cars on the lead lap was considered to be a typical performance at a NASCAR Winston Cup Series race during the 1990s; compared to the more than 15 cars on the lead lap at short track in the current NASCAR.

Approximately 14% of the race was run under a caution flag; the average green flag run was 31 laps. Severalaccidents and oil spills caused eight caution periods for 44 laps.^[2] Three hundred and twenty-five laps were completed in 3 hours, 32 minutes and 32 seconds.Jerry Nadeau beatDale Earnhardt to the finish line by 1.338 seconds to win the race (his first and only victory in Winston Cup competition). ESPN's Bob Jenkins, calling his last Winston Cup event for ESPN, called the finish thus:

Back in March of '81, Darrell Waltrip took the checkered flag to win the very first race we televised on ESPN...and in November of 2000...Jerry Nadeau wins the final race on ESPN!

As the competitors of the race completed lap 320, Dale Earnhardt finally achieved the feat of completing 10000 laps in a single NASCAR Winston Cup Series season before his death at the2001 Daytona 500.^[2] The race was officially started shortly after 1:00 PM Eastern Standard Time and finished at approximately 4:32 PM EST.^[4]

Geoff Bodine finished last due to an engine problem on lap 11.Buckshot Jones was the lowest finisher to complete the event, finishing in 37th place, 48 laps behind the lead lap drivers.^[2]Jeremy Mayfield had a winning racecar that was forced to leave the race on lap 53 due to engine problems; this performance was typical of his 2000 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season.^[2]Darrell Waltrip finishes 34th in his final Cup start and 7 laps behind Jerry Nadeau; even though it was certainly not the "victory tour" that he had planned.^[2] For the 2001 season, Waltrip would begin working as a color commentator forFox Sports' coverage of Winston Cup racing. Waltrip's retirement also ended a rocky relationship between himself andTravis Carter Motorsports that lasted since the1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season.

According to certain fans, the final years of Waltrip's NASCAR career had involved him allowingJeff Gordon to take a leading role. Jeff Gordon was in his early career at the time. Darrell Waltrip's career with Fox Sports commenced with theBudweiser Shootout on February 11, 2001. The following week, Waltrip provided commentary for theDaytona 500 race in which thedeath of Dale Earnhardt occurred on that race's final lap..

43 drivers, all born in theUnited States of America qualified for the NAPA 500, driving eitherChevrolet,Ford orPontiac cars. 13 other drivers failed to qualify, includingDick Trickle,Hut Stricklin,Morgan Shepherd andHermie Sadler.^[2] Individual race earnings for each driver ranged from $180,550 to Jerry Nadeau ($329,665 when adjusted for inflation) to $34,982 to last-place finisher Geoff Bodine ($63,873 when adjusted for inflation). The total purse for the event was $2,336,442 ($4,266,095 when adjusted for inflation).^[5]

Notable crew chiefs who actively participated in this race includedRobin Pemberton,Jimmy Fenning,Tony Eury, Sr.,Greg Zipadelli,Donnie Wingo,Larry McReynolds,Hut Stricklin,Jeff Hammond among others.^[6]

This was the last NASCAR race of the 20th century and of the2nd millennium. While the price of gasoline and oil would remain cheap throughout the first five years of the 21st century, the constant threat of fossil fuel depletion eventually caused NASCAR to adoptelectronic fuel injection as a fuel-saving measure. Concern for the environment also caught the eye of NASCAR officials during the 21st century; they would make an attempt to reduce the carbon footprint that NASCAR elevated during the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s.^[7][8][9]

The 2000 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season was when the average NASCAR fan could see some changes in the pecking order brewing. Matt Kenseth was an excellent young contender who could compete alongside Steve Park and Dale Earnhardt Junior. Fourteen different drivers would win, which was a substantial number back then.^[10]

At least five of the drivers involved in this race are no longer living as of 2020, including Blaise Alexander,^[11][12] Dick Trickle,^[13] Dale Earnhardt,^[14] Bobby Hamilton,^[15] and John Andretti.

Section reference:^[2]

• Start of race: Jeff Gordon started the race with the pole position.
• Lap 5: Jerry Nadeau took over the lead from Jeff Gordon.
• Lap 11: Geoffrey Bodine had an engine problem, making him the last-place finisher.
• Lap 14: Caution due to Geoffrey Bodine's accident, ended on lap 17.
• Lap 18: A problematic engine forced Elliott Sadler out of the race.
• Lap 21: Caution due to oil on the track, ended on lap 26.
• Lap 27: Jeremy Mayfield took over the lead from Jerry Nadeau.
• Lap 37: Mandatory competition caution handed out by NASCAR officials, ended on lap 40.
• Lap 38: Ward Burton took over the lead from Jeremy Mayfield.
• Lap 47: Jeremy Mayfield took over the lead from Ward Burton.
• Lap 53: Jeremy Mayfield had to leave the race due to a faulty engine; causing Jerry Nadeau to take over the lead.
• Lap 54: Caution due to oil on the track, ended on lap 60.
• Lap 55: Scott Wimmer took over the lead from Jerry Nadeau.
• Lap 64: Steve Park took over the lead from Scott Wimmer.
• Lap 69: Caution due to Michael Waltrip's accident, ended on lap 74.
• Lap 82: Dale Earnhardt took over the lead from Steve Park.
• Lap 94: Jerry Nadeau took over the lead from Dale Earnhardt.
• Lap 111: Caution due to Tony Stewart's accident, ended on lap 115.
• Lap 112: Kenny Wallace took over the lead from Jerry Nadeau.
• Lap 113: Jerry Nadeau took over the lead from Kenny Wallace.
• Lap 122: Mark Martin failed to finish the race because his engine acted up.
• Lap 125: Michael Waltrip was involved in a terminal crash.
• Lap 130: Caution due to Michael Waltrip's second accident, ended on lap 135.
• Lap 195: Buckshot Jones was involved in a terminal crash.
• Lap 196: Jerry Nadeau took over the lead from Bobby Labonte.
• Lap 257: Ward Burton took over the lead from Jerry Nadeau.
• Lap 297: Jerry Nadeau took over the lead from Ward Burton.
• Lap 300: Mike Skinner took over the lead from Jerry Nadeau.
• Lap 301: Ward Burton took over the lead from Mike Skinner.
• Lap 313: Caution due to Scott Pruett spinning out of control in the backstretch, ended on lap 318.
• Lap 319: Jerry Nadeau took over the lead from Ward Burton.
• Finish: Jerry Nadeau was officially declared the winner of the event.

The race was aired live onESPN in the United States for the final time till 2007.Bob Jenkins, two-time1964 race winnerNed Jarrett and1973Cup Series championBenny Parsons called the race from the broadcast booth.Jerry Punch,Bill Weber,Ray Dunlap andJohn Kernan handled pit road for the television side.

Pos	Driver	Points[2]	Differential
1	Bobby Labonte	5,130	0
2	Dale Earnhardt	4,865	-265
3	Jeff Burton	4,841	-289
4	Dale Jarrett	4,684	-446
5	Ricky Rudd	4,575	-555
6	Tony Stewart	4,570	-560
7	Rusty Wallace	4,544	-586
8	Mark Martin	4,410	-720
9	Jeff Gordon	4,361	-769
10	Ward Burton	4,152	-978

• 2000 in sports in Georgia (U.S. state)
• 2000 NASCAR Winston Cup Series
• NASCAR races at Atlanta Motor Speedway
• November 2000 sports events in the United States

• Webarchive template wayback links
• CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown
• All articles with dead external links
• Articles with dead external links from November 2016
• Articles with permanently dead external links
• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata
• Use mdy dates from February 2025