Random Recap: The 1991 Pyroil 500
Welcome to Random Recaps, our new weekly feature at From The Marbles. In this space, we’ll recap a race from the past at the track the where Sprint Cup Series is racing next.
This week’s race is the 1991 Pyroil 500. Need to know how Random Recap works? Click here.
Davey Allison closed the points gap on Dale Earnhardt in the 1991 Pyroil 500, though with Earnhardt’s top 10, the Intimidator still has a strong grip on the title.
Allison led 162 of the race’s 312 laps on the way to his fifth victory of the season. The five wins are the most 30-year-old Allison has ever won in a season. He now has 13 career victories.
He entered the race needing a great finish and some trouble for Earnhardt to have a shot for the championship at next week’s race at Atlanta. He got the first part, but Earnhardt, who didn’t lead a lap, finished ninth, a lap off the pace. Just six cars finished on the lead lap.
Earnhardt’s finish means that Allison only gained 47 points and is now 156 points back. Had Earnhardt finished in front of Allison at Phoenix (or just behind him), he would have clinched the 1991 Winston Cup championship.
After qualifying 13th, Allison didn’t storm to the front of the field. He took the lead for the first time on lap 140 under caution for the crash of Bill Schmitt. He took the lead again on lap 147 after the restart and led the next 111 laps. His final pit stop was under green and after the field cycled through, Allison led the final 50 laps to beat Darrell Waltrip to the line by more than 11 seconds. Sterling Marlin, Alan Kulwicki and Rusty Wallace rounded out the top five.
Ricky Rudd finished 11th in his Rick Hendrick Tide Chevy and is third in the points standings, nine behind Allison.
(Epilogue: Allison ended up finishing 17th at Atlanta the next week while Earnhardt finished fifth to clinch his fifth title. Allison was passed by Rudd in the standings and finished third in the points. In 1992, he again won five races and again finished third in the points. Then, in 1993, he was gone.)
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Nick Bromberg is the editor of From The Marbles on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!
