Subway 400

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Subway 400
Venue North Carolina Speedway
Sponsor Subway
First race 1966
Last race 2004
Distance 399.681 miles (643.224 km)
Laps 393
Previous names Peach Blossom 500 (1966)
Carolina 500 (1967–1981, 1985)
Warner W. Hodgdon Carolina 500 (1982–1984)
Goodwrench 500 (1986–1995)
Goodwrench Service 400 (1996–1997)
GM Goodwrench Service Plus 400 (1998)
Dura Lube/Big K 400 (1999)
Dura Lube/Kmart 400 (2000)
Dura Lube 400 (2001)
Subway 400 (2002–2004)

The Subway 400 was the second race of the NASCAR Winston Cup Series season until 2004, held a week after the Daytona 500. This 400-mile (644 km) annual race was sponsored by Subway and was held at North Carolina Speedway (The Rock) since 1966. From 1966 to 1995, a 500-mile (805-km) race was held; the race was known as the Peach Blossom 500 (1966), the Carolina 500 (1967–1985), and the Goodwrench 500 (1986–1995). In 1996, the race was shortened to its current distance of 400 miles; the 400 mile race was called the Goodwrench Service 400 (1996–1997), the GM Goodwrench Service Plus 400 (1998), the Dura Lube/Big K 400 (1999), the Dura Lube/Kmart 400 (2000), the Dura Lube 400 (2001), and the Subway 400 (2002–2004).

Until the 2004 Nextel Cup season, two annual races were held at Rockingham. After the 2003 season, the fall race (the Pop Secret Microwave Popcorn 400) — which was held in November — was moved to California Speedway, to be held on the lucrative Labor Day weekend. This displaced the Mountain Dew Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway, which moved to November 2004 before being removed from the schedule completely (replaced by a second date at Texas Motor Speedway). The changes were part of the trend of less races being held in the southeast and a broader distribution across the United States. Though the spring date was not directly transferred to California, NASCAR moved up the first California race to the traditional spring Rockingham date the week after Daytona. This resulted in some criticism because teams had to travel cross-country for the second race as most spend two weeks in Daytona and are based in the Charlotte, North Carolina area. The draw for Rockingham was that teams got to stay close to home right after Daytona before traveling for the next race.

The 2004 Subway 400 had one of the closest finishes in NASCAR history. Nextel Cup rookie, Kasey Kahne, in just his second series start, lost the race to Matt Kenseth by inches at the line. The exciting finish proved to be NASCAR's last stand at Rockingham, as the race (and the track, for that matter), were removed from the schedule permanently after that.

Past winners

Year Date Driver Team Manufacturer Race Distance Race Time Average Speed
(mph)
Report
Laps Miles (km)
1966 March 13 Paul Goldsmith Ray Nichels Plymouth 500 500 (804.672) 4:59:55 100.027 Report
1967 June 18 Richard Petty Petty Enterprises Plymouth 500 500 (804.672) 4:46:35 104.682 Report
1968 June 16 Donnie Allison Banjo Matthews Ford 500 500 (804.672) 5:02:00 99.338 Report
1969 March 9 David Pearson Holman-Moody Ford 500 500 (804.672) 4:52:22 102.569 Report
1970 March 8 Richard Petty Petty Enterprises Plymouth 492 500.364 (805.257) 4:18:32 116.117 Report
1971 March 14 Richard Petty Petty Enterprises Plymouth 492 500.364 (805.257) 4:12:55 118.696 Report
1972 March 12 Bobby Isaac Nord Krauskopf Dodge 492 500.364 (805.257) 4:23:50 113.895 Report
1973 March 18 David Pearson Wood Brothers Racing Mercury 492 500.364 (805.257) 4:13:01 118.649 Report
1974 March 3 Richard Petty Petty Enterprises Dodge 443* 450.531 (725.059) 3:42:50 121.622 Report
1975 March 2 Cale Yarborough Junior Johnson & Associates Chevrolet 492 500.364 (805.257) 4:15:18 117.588 Report
1976 February 29 Richard Petty Petty Enterprises Dodge 492 500.364 (805.257) 4:24:08 113.665 Report
1977 March 13 Richard Petty Petty Enterprises Dodge 492 500.364 (805.257) 5:06:46 97.86 Report
1978 March 5 David Pearson Wood Brothers Racing Mercury 492 500.364 (805.257) 4:17:17 116.681 Report
1979 March 4 Bobby Allison Bud Moore Engineering Ford 492 500.364 (805.257) 4:06:30 122.727 Report
1980 March 9 Cale Yarborough Junior Johnson & Associates Oldsmobile 492 500.364 (805.257) 4:36:06 108.735 Report
1981 March 1 Darrell Waltrip Junior Johnson & Associates Buick 492 500.364 (805.257) 4:21:59 114.594 Report
1982 March 28 Cale Yarborough M.C. Anderson Racing Buick 492 500.364 (805.257) 4:03:27 108.992 Report
1983 March 13 Richard Petty Petty Enterprises Pontiac 492 500.364 (805.257) 4:25:30 113.055 Report
1984 March 4 Bobby Allison DiGard Motorsports Buick 492 500.364 (805.257) 4:03:55 122.931 Report
1985 March 3 Neil Bonnett Junior Johnson & Associates Chevrolet 492 500.364 (805.257) 4:21:10 114.953 Report
1986 March 2 Terry Labonte Billy Hagan Oldsmobile 492 500.364 (805.257) 4:09:10 120.488 Report
1987 March 1 Dale Earnhardt Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 492 500.364 (805.257) 4:15:23 117.556 Report
1988 March 6 Neil Bonnett RahMoc Enterprises Pontiac 492 500.364 (805.257) 4:09:51 120.159 Report
1989 March 5 Rusty Wallace Blue Max Racing Pontiac 492 500.364 (805.257) 4:20:47 115.122 Report
1990 March 4 Kyle Petty SABCO Racing Pontiac 492 500.364 (805.257) 4:04:21 122.864 Report
1991 March 3 Kyle Petty SABCO Racing Pontiac 492 500.364 (805.257) 4:01:57 124.083 Report
1992 March 1 Bill Elliott Junior Johnson & Associates Ford 492 500.364 (805.257) 3:58:02 126.125 Report
1993 February 28 Rusty Wallace Penske Racing Pontiac 492 500.364 (805.257) 4:01:10 124.486 Report
1994 February 27 Rusty Wallace Penske Racing Ford 492 500.364 (805.257) 3:59:43 125.239 Report
1995 February 26 Jeff Gordon Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 492 500.364 (805.257) 3:59:15 125.305 Report
1996 February 25 Dale Earnhardt Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 393 399.681 (643.224) 3:30:26 113.959 Report
1997 February 23 Jeff Gordon Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 393 399.681 (643.224) 3:17:35 121.371 Report
1998 February 22 Jeff Gordon Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 393 399.681 (643.224) 3:24:51 117.065 Report
1999 February 21 Mark Martin Roush Racing Ford 393 399.681 (643.224) 3:18:36 120.75 Report
2000 February 27 Bobby Labonte Joe Gibbs Racing Pontiac 393 399.681 (643.224) 3:07:32 127.875 Report
2001 February 25/26* Steve Park Dale Earnhardt, Inc. Chevrolet 393 399.681 (643.224) 3:34:21 111.877 Report
2002 February 24 Matt Kenseth Roush Racing Ford 393 399.681 (643.224) 3:27:40 115.478 Report
2003 February 23 Dale Jarrett Robert Yates Racing Ford 393 399.681 (643.224) 3:23:29 117.852 Report
2004 February 22 Matt Kenseth Roush Racing Ford 393 399.681 (643.224) 3:34:05 112.016 Report
  • 1974: Race shortened due to energy crisis.
  • 2001: Race started on Sunday but was finished on Monday due to rain.

Multiple winners (drivers)

# Wins Driver Years Won
7 Richard Petty 1967, 1970, 1971, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1983
3 David Pearson 1969, 1973, 1978
Cale Yarborough 1975, 1980, 1982
Rusty Wallace 1989, 1993, 1994
Jeff Gordon 1995, 1997, 1998
2 Bobby Allison 1979, 1984
Neil Bonnett 1985, 1988
Kyle Petty 1990, 1991
Dale Earnhardt 1987, 1996
Matt Kenseth 2002, 2004

Multiple winners (manufacturers)

# Wins Manufacturer Years Won
9 Ford 1968, 1969, 1979, 1992, 1994, 1999, 2002, 2003, 2004
8 Chevrolet 1975, 1985, 1987, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001
7 Pontiac 1983, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 2000
4 Plymouth 1966, 1967, 1970, 1971
Dodge 1972, 1974, 1976, 1977
3 Buick 1981, 1982, 1984
2 Mercury 1973, 1978
Oldsmobile 1980, 1986

Notable Races

Television broadcasters

Year Network Lap-by-lap Color commentator(s)
2004 Fox Mike Joy Darrell Waltrip
Larry McReynolds
2003
2002
2001 Fox
FX
2000 TNN Eli Gold Buddy Baker
Dick Berggren
1999 Mike Joy
1998 Eli Gold
1997
1996
1995 Mike Joy
1994 Buddy Baker
Glenn Jarrett
1993 Buddy Baker
Neil Bonnett
1992
1991
1990 ESPN Bob Jenkins Benny Parsons
Ned Jarrett
1989
1988 Ned Jarrett
1987 SETN Eli Gold Jerry Punch
1986 Dave Despain Dick Berggren
1985 Mike Joy Benny Parsons
1984
1983 ESPN Bob Jenkins Larry Nuber
1981 Eli Gold
1980 MRN TV Eli Gold
1972 ABC Keith Jackson Chris Economaki
  • The 1981 race marked the first race ever on ESPN.
  • Mike Joy filled in for Eli Gold for TNN in the 1999 Race.
  • The following a rain delay, the remainder of the 2001 race was bumped to Monday on FX.

See also

External links