2000 Checker Auto Parts/Dura Lube 500k
# 2000 Checker Auto Parts/Dura Lube 500k

The 2000 Checker Auto Parts/Dura Lube 500k was the 32nd stock car race of the 2000 NASCAR Winston Cup Series and the 52nd iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, November 5, 2000, in Avondale, Arizona at Phoenix International Raceway, a 1-mile (1.6 km) permanent low-banked tri-oval race track. The race took the scheduled 312 laps to complete. At race's end, Jeff Burton, driving for Roush Racing, would charge to the front on the final restart with 11 to go to win his 15th career NASCAR Winston Cup Series win and the third and final win of his season. To fill out the podium, Jeremy Mayfield, driving for Penske-Kranefuss Racing, and Steve Park, driving for Dale Earnhardt, Inc., would finish second and third, respectively.

## Background

Phoenix International Raceway – also known as PIR – is a one-mile, low-banked tri-oval race track located in Avondale, Arizona. It is named after the nearby metropolitan area of Phoenix. The motorsport track opened in 1964 and currently hosts two NASCAR race weekends annually. PIR has also hosted the IndyCar Series, CART, USAC and the Rolex Sports Car Series. The raceway is currently owned and operated by International Speedway Corporation.

The raceway was originally constructed with a 2.5 mi (4.0 km) road course that ran both inside and outside of the main tri-oval. In 1991 the track was reconfigured with the current 1.51 mi (2.43 km) interior layout. PIR has an estimated grandstand seating capacity of around 67,000. Lights were installed around the track in 2004 following the addition of a second annual NASCAR race weekend.

### Entry list

* (R) denotes rookie driver.

| # | Driver | Team | Make | Sponsor |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Steve Park | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | Pennzoil |
| 01 | Ted Musgrave | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | BellSouth |
| 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | Miller Lite |
| 02 | Ryan Newman | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | Alltel |
| 3 | Dale Earnhardt | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | GM Goodwrench Service |
| 4 | Bobby Hamilton | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | Kodak |
| 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | Kellogg's, How the Grinch Stole Christmas |
| 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | Valvoline |
| 7 | Michael Waltrip | Mattei Motorsports | Chevrolet | NationsRent |
| 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. (R) | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | Budweiser |
| 9 | Stacy Compton (R) | Melling Racing | Ford | Kodiak |
| 10 | Johnny Benson Jr. | Tyler Jet Motorsports | Pontiac | Aaron's, RCA |
| 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | Ralphs |
| 12 | Jeremy Mayfield | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | Mobil 1 |
| 13 | Robby Gordon | Team Menard | Ford | Team Menard |
| 14 | Rick Mast | A. J. Foyt Enterprises | Pontiac | Conseco |
| 16 | Kevin Lepage | Roush Racing | Ford | Family Click |
| 17 | Matt Kenseth (R) | Roush Racing | Ford | DeWalt |
| 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | Interstate Batteries |
| 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | The Home Depot |
| 21 | Elliott Sadler | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | Citgo |
| 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Pontiac | Caterpillar |
| 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | DuPont |
| 25 | Jerry Nadeau | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | Michael Holigan |
| 26 | Jimmy Spencer | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | Big Kmart |
| 27 | Mike Bliss (R) | Eel River Racing | Pontiac | Viagra |
| 28 | Ricky Rudd | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | Texaco, Havoline |
| 31 | Mike Skinner | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | Lowe's |
| 32 | Scott Pruett (R) | PPI Motorsports | Ford | Tide Give Kids the World |
| 33 | Joe Nemechek | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | Oakwood Homes |
| 36 | Ken Schrader | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | Pedigree |
| 40 | Sterling Marlin | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | Coors Light |
| 43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | Cheerios |
| 44 | Steve Grissom | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | Hot Wheels |
| 50 | Ricky Craven | Midwest Transit Racing | Chevrolet | Midwest Transit |
| 55 | Kenny Wallace | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | Square D, Cooper Lighting |
| 60 | Rich Bickle | Joe Bessey Racing | Chevrolet | Power Team |
| 66 | Darrell Waltrip | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | Route 66, Big Kmart |
| 71 | Dave Marcis | Marcis Auto Racing | Chevrolet | Realtree |
| 75 | Wally Dallenbach Jr. | Galaxy Motorsports | Ford | RedCell |
| 77 | Robert Pressley | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | Jasper Engines & Transmissions |
| 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | Quality Care Service, Ford Credit |
| 90 | Hut Stricklin | Donlavey Racing | Ford | Hills Bros. Coffee |
| 93 | Dave Blaney (R) | Bill Davis Racing | Pontiac | Amoco |
| 94 | Bill Elliott | Bill Elliott Racing | Ford | McDonald's |
| 96 | Andy Houston | PPI Motorsports | Ford | McDonald's Happy Meal |
| 97 | Kurt Busch | Roush Racing | Ford | John Deere |
| 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | Citgo Supergard |
| Official entry list |||||

## Practice

### First practice

The first practice session was held on Friday, November 3, at 10:30 AM MST. The session would last for 55 minutes. Robert Pressley, driving for Jasper Motorsports, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 27.108 and an average speed of 132.802 mph (213.724 km/h).

| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | 77 | Robert Pressley | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | 27.108 | 132.802 |
| 2 | 10 | Johnny Benson Jr. | Tyler Jet Motorsports | Pontiac | 27.120 | 132.743 |
| 3 | 33 | Joe Nemechek | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 27.175 | 132.475 |
| Full first practice results |||||||

### Second practice

The second practice session was held on Friday, November 3, at 12:35 PM MST. The session would last for 50 minutes. Johnny Benson Jr., driving for Tyler Jet Motorsports, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 27.069 and an average speed of 132.993 mph (214.031 km/h).

| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | 10 | Johnny Benson Jr. | Tyler Jet Motorsports | Pontiac | 27.069 | 132.993 |
| 2 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 27.087 | 132.905 |
| 3 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | 27.089 | 132.895 |
| Full second practice results |||||||

### Third practice

The third practice session was held on Saturday, November 4, at 8:30 AM MST. The session would last for one hour. Johnny Benson Jr., driving for Tyler Jet Motorsports, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 27.775 and an average speed of 129.613 mph (208.592 km/h).

| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | 10 | Johnny Benson Jr. | Tyler Jet Motorsports | Pontiac | 27.775 | 129.613 |
| 2 | 44 | Steve Grissom | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 27.807 | 129.464 |
| 3 | 7 | Michael Waltrip | Mattei Motorsports | Chevrolet | 27.809 | 129.454 |
| Full third practice results |||||||

### Fourth and final practice

The final practice session, sometimes referred to as Happy Hour, was held on Saturday, November 4, at 10:30 AM MST. The session would last for one hour. Ken Schrader, driving for MB2 Motorsports, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 27.069 and an average speed of 132.993 mph (214.031 km/h).

| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | 36 | Ken Schrader | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 27.729 | 129.828 |
| 2 | 10 | Johnny Benson Jr. | Tyler Jet Motorsports | Pontiac | 27.751 | 129.725 |
| 3 | 33 | Joe Nemechek | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 27.759 | 129.688 |
| Full Happy Hour practice results |||||||

## Qualifying

Qualifying was split into two rounds. The first round was held on Friday, November 3, at 2:15 PM MST. Each driver would have one lap to set a time. During the first round, the top 25 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, November 4, at 12:15 PM MST. As with the first round, each driver would have a lap to set a time. Positions 26-36 would be decided on time, while positions 37-43 would be based on provisionals. Six spots are awarded by the use of provisionals based on owner's points. The seventh is awarded to a past champion who has not otherwise qualified for the race. If no past champion needs the provisional, the next team in the owner points will be awarded a provisional.

Rusty Wallace, driving for Penske-Kranefuss Racing, would win the pole, setting a time of 26.830 and an average speed of 134.178 miles per hour (215.939 km/h).

Five drivers would fail to qualify: Stacy Compton, Steve Grissom, Robby Gordon, Dave Marcis, and Hut Stricklin.

### Full qualifying results

| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | 26.830 | 134.178 |
| 2 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | 26.845 | 134.103 |
| 3 | 77 | Robert Pressley | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | 27.011 | 133.279 |
| 4 | 10 | Johnny Benson Jr. | Tyler Jet Motorsports | Pontiac | 27.032 | 133.175 |
| 5 | 1 | Steve Park | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 27.035 | 133.161 |
| 6 | 36 | Ken Schrader | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 27.044 | 133.116 |
| 7 | 55 | Kenny Wallace | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 27.044 | 133.116 |
| 8 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 27.054 | 133.067 |
| 9 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 27.055 | 133.062 |
| 10 | 02 | Ryan Newman | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | 27.061 | 133.033 |
| 11 | 50 | Ricky Craven | Midwest Transit Racing | Chevrolet | 27.063 | 133.023 |
| 12 | 17 | Matt Kenseth (R) | Roush Racing | Ford | 27.064 | 133.018 |
| 13 | 93 | Dave Blaney (R) | Bill Davis Racing | Pontiac | 27.073 | 132.974 |
| 14 | 26 | Jimmy Spencer | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 27.107 | 132.807 |
| 15 | 27 | Mike Bliss (R) | Eel River Racing | Pontiac | 27.147 | 132.611 |
| 16 | 4 | Bobby Hamilton | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | 27.182 | 132.441 |
| 17 | 28 | Ricky Rudd | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 27.183 | 132.436 |
| 18 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. (R) | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 27.184 | 132.431 |
| 19 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Pontiac | 27.186 | 132.421 |
| 20 | 75 | Wally Dallenbach Jr. | Galaxy Motorsports | Ford | 27.211 | 132.299 |
| 21 | 32 | Scott Pruett (R) | PPI Motorsports | Ford | 27.220 | 132.256 |
| 22 | 16 | Kevin Lepage | Roush Racing | Ford | 27.223 | 132.241 |
| 23 | 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | 27.240 | 132.159 |
| 24 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 27.248 | 132.120 |
| 25 | 12 | Jeremy Mayfield | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | 27.251 | 132.105 |
| 26 | 97 | Kurt Busch | Roush Racing | Ford | 27.260 | 132.062 |
| 27 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 27.261 | 132.057 |
| 28 | 14 | Rick Mast | A. J. Foyt Enterprises | Pontiac | 27.263 | 132.047 |
| 29 | 43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 27.264 | 132.042 |
| 30 | 31 | Mike Skinner | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 27.327 | 131.738 |
| 31 | 3 | Dale Earnhardt | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 27.332 | 131.714 |
| 32 | 96 | Andy Houston | PPI Motorsports | Ford | 27.368 | 131.540 |
| 33 | 21 | Elliott Sadler | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 27.395 | 131.411 |
| 34 | 66 | Darrell Waltrip | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 27.406 | 131.358 |
| 35 | 94 | Bill Elliott | Bill Elliott Racing | Ford | 27.411 | 131.334 |
| 36 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 27.413 | 131.325 |
| Provisionals |||||||
| 37 | 20 | Tony Stewart (R) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 27.603 | 130.421 |
| 38 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 27.428 | 131.253 |
| 39 | 33 | Joe Nemechek | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 27.424 | 131.272 |
| 40 | 25 | Jerry Nadeau | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 27.476 | 131.023 |
| 41 | 01 | Ted Musgrave | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 27.423 | 131.277 |
| 42 | 7 | Michael Waltrip | Mattei Motorsports | Chevrolet | 27.644 | 130.227 |
| 43 | 60 | Rich Bickle | Joe Bessey Racing | Chevrolet | 27.462 | 131.090 |
| Failed to qualify |||||||
| 44 | 9 | Stacy Compton (R) | Melling Racing | Ford | 27.586 | 130.501 |
| 45 | 44 | Steve Grissom | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 27.803 | 129.482 |
| 46 | 13 | Robby Gordon | Team Menard | Ford | 27.945 | 128.824 |
| 47 | 71 | Dave Marcis | Marcis Auto Racing | Chevrolet | 28.133 | 127.964 |
| 48 | 90 | Hut Stricklin | Donlavey Racing | Ford | 28.446 | 126.556 |
| Official first round qualifying results |||||||
| Official starting lineup |||||||

## Race results

| Fin | St | # | Driver | Team | Make | Laps | Led | Status | Pts | Winnings |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | 2 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | 312 | 105 | running | 185 | $197,345 |
| 2 | 25 | 12 | Jeremy Mayfield | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | 312 | 46 | running | 175 | $124,925 |
| 3 | 5 | 1 | Steve Park | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 312 | 11 | running | 170 | $112,250 |
| 4 | 1 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | 312 | 86 | running | 165 | $98,860 |
| 5 | 9 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 312 | 1 | running | 160 | $100,250 |
| 6 | 8 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 312 | 12 | running | 155 | $80,400 |
| 7 | 24 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 312 | 0 | running | 146 | $81,550 |
| 8 | 13 | 93 | Dave Blaney (R) | Bill Davis Racing | Pontiac | 312 | 0 | running | 142 | $57,900 |
| 9 | 31 | 3 | Dale Earnhardt | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 312 | 1 | running | 143 | $69,300 |
| 10 | 36 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 312 | 0 | running | 134 | $86,000 |
| 11 | 30 | 31 | Mike Skinner | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 312 | 3 | running | 135 | $61,500 |
| 12 | 19 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Pontiac | 312 | 0 | running | 127 | $64,500 |
| 13 | 14 | 26 | Jimmy Spencer | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 312 | 0 | running | 124 | $59,500 |
| 14 | 37 | 20 | Tony Stewart (R) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 312 | 1 | running | 126 | $62,500 |
| 15 | 27 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 312 | 0 | running | 118 | $57,875 |
| 16 | 4 | 10 | Johnny Benson Jr. | Tyler Jet Motorsports | Pontiac | 312 | 1 | running | 120 | $46,075 |
| 17 | 38 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 312 | 0 | running | 112 | $59,075 |
| 18 | 11 | 50 | Ricky Craven | Midwest Transit Racing | Chevrolet | 312 | 0 | running | 109 | $40,850 |
| 19 | 7 | 55 | Kenny Wallace | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 312 | 0 | running | 106 | $54,150 |
| 20 | 23 | 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | 312 | 0 | running | 103 | $44,925 |
| 21 | 22 | 16 | Kevin Lepage | Roush Racing | Ford | 312 | 0 | running | 100 | $52,400 |
| 22 | 20 | 75 | Wally Dallenbach Jr. | Galaxy Motorsports | Ford | 311 | 0 | running | 97 | $44,075 |
| 23 | 40 | 25 | Jerry Nadeau | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 311 | 2 | running | 99 | $51,850 |
| 24 | 39 | 33 | Joe Nemechek | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 311 | 0 | running | 91 | $51,600 |
| 25 | 41 | 01 | Ted Musgrave | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 311 | 2 | running | 93 | $52,275 |
| 26 | 35 | 94 | Bill Elliott | Bill Elliott Racing | Ford | 311 | 0 | running | 85 | $51,150 |
| 27 | 18 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. (R) | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 311 | 0 | running | 82 | $49,625 |
| 28 | 29 | 43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 311 | 0 | running | 79 | $57,500 |
| 29 | 26 | 97 | Kurt Busch | Roush Racing | Ford | 311 | 0 | running | 76 | $50,675 |
| 30 | 33 | 21 | Elliott Sadler | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 311 | 0 | running | 73 | $51,550 |
| 31 | 3 | 77 | Robert Pressley | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | 311 | 0 | running | 70 | $42,525 |
| 32 | 42 | 7 | Michael Waltrip | Mattei Motorsports | Chevrolet | 310 | 0 | running | 67 | $50,000 |
| 33 | 34 | 66 | Darrell Waltrip | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 310 | 0 | running | 64 | $41,875 |
| 34 | 21 | 32 | Scott Pruett (R) | PPI Motorsports | Ford | 310 | 0 | running | 61 | $38,750 |
| 35 | 43 | 60 | Rich Bickle | Joe Bessey Racing | Chevrolet | 309 | 0 | running | 58 | $49,125 |
| 36 | 32 | 96 | Andy Houston | PPI Motorsports | Ford | 309 | 0 | running | 55 | $38,500 |
| 37 | 17 | 28 | Ricky Rudd | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 300 | 41 | running | 57 | $46,375 |
| 38 | 15 | 27 | Mike Bliss (R) | Eel River Racing | Pontiac | 291 | 0 | crash | 49 | $38,250 |
| 39 | 28 | 14 | Rick Mast | A. J. Foyt Enterprises | Pontiac | 282 | 0 | crash | 46 | $38,125 |
| 40 | 6 | 36 | Ken Schrader | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 260 | 0 | running | 43 | $37,975 |
| 41 | 10 | 02 | Ryan Newman | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | 176 | 0 | engine | 40 | $37,825 |
| 42 | 12 | 17 | Matt Kenseth (R) | Roush Racing | Ford | 53 | 0 | crash | 37 | $45,700 |
| 43 | 16 | 4 | Bobby Hamilton | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | 51 | 0 | crash | 34 | $45,575 |
| Failed to qualify |||||||||||
| 44 | | 9 | Stacy Compton (R) | Melling Racing | Ford | | | | | |
| 45 | | 44 | Steve Grissom | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | | | | | |
| 46 | | 13 | Robby Gordon | Team Menard | Ford | | | | | |
| 47 | | 71 | Dave Marcis | Marcis Auto Racing | Chevrolet | | | | | |
| 48 | | 90 | Hut Stricklin | Donlavey Racing | Ford | | | | | |
| Official race results |||||||||||
