1999 TranSouth Financial 400
# 1999 TranSouth Financial 400

The 1999 TranSouth Financial 400 was the fifth stock car race of the 1999 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season and the 43rd iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, March 21, 1999, before an audience of 71,000 in Darlington, South Carolina, at Darlington Raceway, a 1.366 miles (2.198 km) permanent egg-shaped oval racetrack. The race was shortened from its scheduled 293 laps to 164 due to rain. In the final laps of the race, a wreck involving five cars, including the leader at the time, Roush Racing driver Jeff Burton would occur in the midst of rain on lap 163. Despite major damage to his car, Burton would manage to keep up with pace car speed and when the race was stopped a lap later due to increasing rain, NASCAR decided to let the race end due to a lack of sunlight. The victory was Burton's seventh career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his second victory of the season. To fill out the top three, Penske-Kranefuss Racing driver Jeremy Mayfield and Hendrick Motorsports driver Jeff Gordon would finish second and third, respectively.

Future champion Matt Kenseth took over for Bobby Labonte at the second caution, and finished 10th.

## Background

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

* (R) denotes rookie driver.

| # | Driver | Team | Make | Sponsor |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 00 | Buckshot Jones (R) | Buckshot Racing | Pontiac | Crown Fiber |
| 1 | Steve Park | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | Pennzoil |
| 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | Miller Lite |
| 3 | Dale Earnhardt | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | GM Goodwrench Service Plus |
| 4 | Bobby Hamilton | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | Kodak |
| 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | Kellogg's Frosted Flakes |
| 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | Valvoline Zerex |
| 7 | Michael Waltrip | Mattei Motorsports | Chevrolet | Philips, Klaussner Furniture |
| 9 | Jerry Nadeau | Melling Racing | Ford | Cartoon Network, Dexter's Laboratory |
| 10 | Ricky Rudd | Rudd Performance Motorsports | Ford | Tide |
| 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | Paychex |
| 12 | Jeremy Mayfield | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | Mobil 1 |
| 16 | Kevin Lepage | Roush Racing | Ford | PrimeStar |
| 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | Interstate Batteries |
| 20 | Tony Stewart (R) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | The Home Depot |
| 21 | Elliott Sadler (R) | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | Citgo |
| 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Pontiac | Caterpillar |
| 23 | Jimmy Spencer | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | Winston No Bull |
| 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | DuPont |
| 25 | Wally Dallenbach Jr. | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | Budweiser |
| 26 | Johnny Benson Jr. | Roush Racing | Ford | Cheerios, Betty Crocker |
| 28 | Kenny Irwin Jr. | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | Texaco, Havoline |
| 30 | Derrike Cope | Bahari Racing | Pontiac | Bryan Foods |
| 31 | Mike Skinner | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | Lowe's |
| 33 | Ken Schrader | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | Skoal |
| 36 | Ernie Irvan | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | M&M's |
| 40 | Sterling Marlin | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | Coors Light |
| 41 | David Green | Larry Hedrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | Kodiak |
| 42 | Joe Nemechek | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | BellSouth |
| 43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | STP |
| 44 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | Hot Wheels |
| 45 | Rich Bickle | Tyler Jet Motorsports | Pontiac | 10-10-345 |
| 55 | Kenny Wallace | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | Square D |
| 58 | Ricky Craven | SBIII Motorsports | Ford | Hollywood Video |
| 60 | Geoff Bodine | Joe Bessey Racing | Chevrolet | Power Team |
| 66 | Darrell Waltrip | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | Big Kmart |
| 71 | Dave Marcis | Marcis Auto Racing | Chevrolet | Team Realtree |
| 75 | Ted Musgrave | Butch Mock Motorsports | Ford | Remington Arms |
| 77 | Robert Pressley | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | Jasper Engines & Transmissions |
| 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | Quality Care Service, Ford Credit |
| 90 | Ed Berrier | Donlavey Racing | Ford | Bryan Foods |
| 91 | Dick Trickle | LJ Racing | Chevrolet | Textilease |
| 94 | Bill Elliott | Bill Elliott Racing | Ford | McDonald's |
| 97 | Chad Little | Roush Racing | Ford | John Deere |
| 98 | Rick Mast | Cale Yarborough Motorsports | Ford | Cale Yarborough Motorsports |
| 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | Exide Batteries |
| Official entry list |||||

## Practice

### First practice

The first practice session was held on Friday, March 19, at 11:00 AM EST. The session would last for one hour and 15 minutes. Bill Elliott, driving for his own Bill Elliott Racing team, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 28.783 and an average speed of 170.850 mph (274.956 km/h).

| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | 94 | Bill Elliott | Bill Elliott Racing | Ford | 28.783 | 170.850 |
| 2 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 28.829 | 170.578 |
| 3 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 28.839 | 170.519 |
| Full first practice results |||||||

### Second practice

The second practice session was held on Friday, March 19, at 1:00 PM EST. The session would last for 55 minutes. Jeff Gordon, driving for Hendrick Motorsports, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 28.688 and an average speed of 171.416 mph (275.867 km/h).

| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 28.688 | 171.416 |
| 2 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 28.703 | 171.327 |
| 3 | 26 | Johnny Benson Jr. | Roush Racing | Ford | 28.810 | 170.690 |
| Full second practice results |||||||

### Final practice

The final practice session, sometimes referred to as Happy Hour, was held on Saturday, March 20, after the preliminary 1999 Diamond Hill Plywood 200 NASCAR Busch Series race. The session would last for one hour. Mark Martin, driving for Roush Racing, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 29.821 and an average speed of 164.904 mph (265.387 km/h).

| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 29.821 | 164.904 |
| 2 | 31 | Mike Skinner | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 29.845 | 164.771 |
| 3 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 29.878 | 164.589 |
| Full Happy Hour practice results |||||||

## Qualifying

Qualifying was split into two rounds. The first round was held on Friday, March 19, at 3:30 PM EST. 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, March 20, at 11:30 AM EST. As with the first round, each driver would have one 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.

Jeff Gordon, driving for Hendrick Motorsports, would win the pole, setting a time of 28.398 and an average speed of 173.167 miles per hour (278.685 km/h) in the first round.

Three drivers would fail to qualify.

### Full qualifying results

| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 28.398 | 173.167 |
| 2 | 26 | Johnny Benson Jr. | Roush Racing | Ford | 28.501 | 172.541 |
| 3 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 28.611 | 171.878 |
| 4 | 31 | Mike Skinner | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 28.619 | 171.830 |
| 5 | 43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 28.627 | 171.782 |
| 6 | 98 | Rick Mast | Cale Yarborough Motorsports | Ford | 28.630 | 171.764 |
| 7 | 16 | Kevin Lepage | Roush Racing | Ford | 28.630 | 171.764 |
| 8 | 94 | Bill Elliott | Bill Elliott Racing | Ford | 28.634 | 171.740 |
| 9 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | 28.651 | 171.638 |
| 10 | 20 | Tony Stewart (R) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 28.673 | 171.506 |
| 11 | 12 | Jeremy Mayfield | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | 28.686 | 171.429 |
| 12 | 42 | Joe Nemechek | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 28.686 | 171.429 |
| 13 | 7 | Michael Waltrip | Mattei Motorsports | Chevrolet | 28.693 | 171.387 |
| 14 | 28 | Kenny Irwin Jr. | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 28.704 | 171.321 |
| 15 | 21 | Elliott Sadler (R) | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 28.711 | 171.279 |
| 16 | 60 | Geoff Bodine | Joe Bessey Racing | Chevrolet | 28.717 | 171.244 |
| 17 | 4 | Bobby Hamilton | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | 28.743 | 171.089 |
| 18 | 77 | Robert Pressley | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | 28.755 | 171.017 |
| 19 | 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | 28.764 | 170.964 |
| 20 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 28.772 | 170.916 |
| 21 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 28.785 | 170.839 |
| 22 | 97 | Chad Little | Roush Racing | Ford | 28.799 | 170.756 |
| 23 | 55 | Kenny Wallace | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 28.808 | 170.703 |
| 24 | 23 | Jimmy Spencer | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 28.814 | 170.667 |
| 25 | 33 | Ken Schrader | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 28.822 | 170.620 |
| Failed to lock in Round 1 |||||||
| 26 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | 28.824 | 170.608 |
| 27 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 28.831 | 170.566 |
| 28 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Pontiac | 28.836 | 170.537 |
| 29 | 1 | Steve Park | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 28.852 | 170.442 |
| 30 | 3 | Dale Earnhardt | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 28.872 | 170.324 |
| 31 | 91 | Dick Trickle | LJ Racing | Chevrolet | 28.873 | 170.318 |
| 32 | 00 | Buckshot Jones (R) | Buckshot Racing | Pontiac | 28.931 | 169.977 |
| 33 | 9 | Jerry Nadeau | Melling Racing | Ford | 28.937 | 169.942 |
| 34 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 28.959 | 169.812 |
| 35 | 41 | David Green | Larry Hedrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 28.959 | 169.812 |
| 36 | 44 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 28.959 | 169.812 |
| Provisionals |||||||
| 37 | 36 | Ernie Irvan | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 28.979 | 169.695 |
| 38 | 25 | Wally Dallenbach Jr. | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 29.020 | 169.456 |
| 39 | 66 | Darrell Waltrip | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 29.112 | 168.920 |
| 40 | 75 | Ted Musgrave | Butch Mock Motorsports | Ford | 29.036 | 169.362 |
| 41 | 10 | Ricky Rudd | Rudd Performance Motorsports | Ford | 29.017 | 169.473 |
| 42 | 58 | Ricky Craven | SBIII Motorsports | Ford | 29.022 | 169.444 |
| 43 | 90 | Ed Berrier | Donlavey Racing | Ford | 29.622 | 166.012 |
| Failed to qualify |||||||
| 44 | 30 | Derrike Cope | Bahari Racing | Pontiac | 28.986 | 169.654 |
| 45 | 71 | Dave Marcis | Marcis Auto Racing | Chevrolet | 29.015 | 169.485 |
| 46 | 45 | Rich Bickle | Tyler Jet Motorsports | Pontiac | 29.384 | 167.356 |
| Official starting lineup |||||||

## Race results

| Fin | St | # | Driver | Team | Make | Laps | Led | Status | Pts | Winnings |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | 9 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | 164 | 59 | running | 185 | $161,900 |
| 2 | 11 | 12 | Jeremy Mayfield | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | 164 | 48 | running | 175 | $62,455 |
| 3 | 1 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 164 | 50 | running | 170 | $83,940 |
| 4 | 21 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 164 | 0 | running | 160 | $60,305 |
| 5 | 3 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 164 | 2 | running | 160 | $50,500 |
| 6 | 10 | 20 | Tony Stewart (R) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 164 | 0 | running | 150 | $44,240 |
| 7 | 17 | 4 | Bobby Hamilton | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | 164 | 0 | running | 146 | $49,245 |
| 8 | 28 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Pontiac | 164 | 0 | running | 142 | $47,640 |
| 9 | 5 | 43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 164 | 1 | running | 143 | $40,885 |
| 10 | 34 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 164 | 1 | running | 139 | $51,595 |
| 11 | 27 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 164 | 0 | running | 130 | $40,125 |
| 12 | 29 | 1 | Steve Park | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 164 | 1 | running | 132 | $36,220 |
| 13 | 6 | 98 | Rick Mast | Cale Yarborough Motorsports | Ford | 163 | 0 | running | 124 | $29,465 |
| 14 | 8 | 94 | Bill Elliott | Bill Elliott Racing | Ford | 163 | 0 | running | 121 | $35,485 |
| 15 | 18 | 77 | Robert Pressley | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | 163 | 0 | running | 118 | $30,745 |
| 16 | 20 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 163 | 0 | running | 115 | $35,060 |
| 17 | 16 | 60 | Geoff Bodine | Joe Bessey Racing | Chevrolet | 163 | 0 | running | 112 | $23,515 |
| 18 | 2 | 26 | Johnny Benson Jr. | Roush Racing | Ford | 163 | 0 | running | 109 | $34,945 |
| 19 | 12 | 42 | Joe Nemechek | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 163 | 0 | running | 106 | $33,765 |
| 20 | 24 | 23 | Jimmy Spencer | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 163 | 0 | running | 103 | $36,560 |
| 21 | 13 | 7 | Michael Waltrip | Mattei Motorsports | Chevrolet | 163 | 0 | running | 100 | $33,080 |
| 22 | 7 | 16 | Kevin Lepage | Roush Racing | Ford | 163 | 0 | running | 97 | $33,165 |
| 23 | 23 | 55 | Kenny Wallace | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 163 | 0 | running | 94 | $23,050 |
| 24 | 37 | 36 | Ernie Irvan | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 163 | 0 | running | 91 | $32,235 |
| 25 | 30 | 3 | Dale Earnhardt | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 163 | 0 | running | 88 | $37,020 |
| 26 | 31 | 91 | Dick Trickle | LJ Racing | Chevrolet | 163 | 0 | running | 85 | $25,285 |
| 27 | 41 | 10 | Ricky Rudd | Rudd Performance Motorsports | Ford | 163 | 0 | running | 82 | $31,400 |
| 28 | 22 | 97 | Chad Little | Roush Racing | Ford | 163 | 0 | running | 79 | $31,145 |
| 29 | 40 | 75 | Ted Musgrave | Butch Mock Motorsports | Ford | 163 | 2 | running | 81 | $24,240 |
| 30 | 19 | 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | 163 | 0 | running | 73 | $30,535 |
| 31 | 36 | 44 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 162 | 0 | running | 70 | $20,655 |
| 32 | 4 | 31 | Mike Skinner | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 162 | 0 | running | 67 | $27,525 |
| 33 | 26 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | 162 | 0 | running | 64 | $36,345 |
| 34 | 32 | 00 | Buckshot Jones (R) | Buckshot Racing | Pontiac | 162 | 0 | running | 61 | $20,215 |
| 35 | 14 | 28 | Kenny Irwin Jr. | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 161 | 0 | crash | 58 | $27,085 |
| 36 | 15 | 21 | Elliott Sadler (R) | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 161 | 0 | running | 55 | $26,955 |
| 37 | 42 | 58 | Ricky Craven | SBIII Motorsports | Ford | 160 | 0 | crash | 52 | $19,850 |
| 38 | 38 | 25 | Wally Dallenbach Jr. | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 159 | 0 | running | 49 | $26,725 |
| 39 | 43 | 90 | Ed Berrier | Donlavey Racing | Ford | 159 | 0 | running | 46 | $26,600 |
| 40 | 33 | 9 | Jerry Nadeau | Melling Racing | Ford | 158 | 0 | running | 43 | $19,475 |
| 41 | 39 | 66 | Darrell Waltrip | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | 141 | 0 | running | 40 | $19,350 |
| 42 | 35 | 41 | David Green | Larry Hedrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 129 | 0 | running | 37 | $19,225 |
| 43 | 25 | 33 | Ken Schrader | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 75 | 0 | running | 34 | $30,416 |
| Failed to qualify |||||||||||
| 44 | | 30 | Derrike Cope | Bahari Racing | Pontiac | | | | | |
| 45 | | 71 | Dave Marcis | Marcis Auto Racing | Chevrolet | | | | | |
| 46 | | 45 | Rich Bickle | Tyler Jet Motorsports | Pontiac | | | | | |
| Official race results |||||||||||
