April 21, 1999 6:45 AM EDT

Date: April 25, 1999 Track: Talladega Superspeedway City: Talladega, Alabama Race 9 of 34 on Winston Cup circuit

TV: ABC, 1 pm EDT

Laps: 188 
Track length: 2.66 miles
Race length: 500 miles
Banking: 33 degrees

Qualifying record: Bill Elliott, 212.809 mph, 1987
Race record: Mark Martin, 188.354 mph, 1997

DRIVERS TO WATCH

John Andretti -- Overcame a spin on lap 48 that dropped him off 
     the lead lap; powered his way to victory at Martinsville 
     last Sunday; led just the final four of the 500 laps; 
     became the sixth different winner this season and gave 
     Pontiac its first victory in 1999; improved from 20th to 
     14th in the standings; after finishes of third and fourth 
     at Talladega two years ago, he performed poorly last 
     season -- finishing 33rd in this race and 21st in the 
     Winston 500.

Jeff Burton -- Model of consistency after eight races; since 
     finishing 35th at Daytona 500, has placed in the top seven 
     in all races, including two wins; looked to be on his way 
     to a third win at Martinsville, but was passed by John 
     Andretti with four laps to go and settled for second; leads
     the Winston Cup standings by 85 points over Dale Jarrett; 
     engine failure cut short his day after 51 laps at this race
     last spring, but he improved to a 10th in the fall.

Dale Earnhardt -- Has posted just one victory in the last 100
     races, the 1998 Daytona 500; leads all drivers with seven
     wins at Talladega, five of those in the DieHard 500; the 
     last time he led a race was at Rockingham last November; 
     has just one top five -- a second at Daytona -- and three 
     other top 10s this year; has 19 top-fives among 23 top-10s 
     at this track.

Bill Elliott -- Will be looking for his first victory in this 
     race since 1987, when he set the qualifying record that 
     still stands -- 212.809 mph; the race was then known as the 
     Winston 500; leads all drivers with four poles for the 
     DieHard 500; also won the Winston race in 1985; was 
     involved in a nasty crash on lap 142 last spring, when his 
     car temporarily flipped over as flames shot from the hood; 
     appeared woozy but refused a stretcher and walked away. 

Jeff Gordon -- His lone victory at Talladega came in the 1996
     DieHard 500; was fifth and second, respectively, in last
     season's two races at Talladega; coming off a third-place
     finish at Martinsville, his third of the season; has two
     wins; currently is fourth with 1,110 points.

Dale Jarrett -- Consistent season with five top-five finishes, 
     but no victories; is second in the standings with 1,154 
     points; was third here and won the Winston 500 in October 
     for first win at Talladega in 24 starts; has three 
     restrictor-plate wins.

Bobby Labonte -- Drove to his first-ever win at Talladega from
     the pole in last spring's DieHard 500; was second to his 
     brother, Terry, the year before, but this time passed him 
     with two laps to go and held off Jimmy Spencer to the 
     finish; slipped to fifth in the standings after lower 
     finishes in the last two races; has top-10 finishes in five 
     races.

Terry Labonte -- Finished fourth and third in the two races at 
     Talladega last year; won this race in 1989 and 1997; has 20 
     top-10s and 12 top-fives here; the 1996 champion is sixth 
     in the standings; won at the Primestar 500 in Texas.

Sterling Marlin -- Won second straight race at Talladega in 
     spring of 1996; had respectable finishes of ninth and 14th 
     in 1998; always a threat on superspeedways; 13 top 10s and 
     nine top fives in 32 career starts at Talladega.

Mark Martin -- Struggled in both races at Talladega last season 
     with finishes of 23rd and 34th; won races at this track in
     1995 and 1997; set the track record at 188.354 mph in 1997;
     five top fives, including a win, put him third in points 
     with 1,115.

Darrell Waltrip -- Owns four career victories at Talladega,
     second only to Earnhardt's seven; pulled off a sweep of 
     the 1982 races, which marked his last wins here; has 14 
     top fives and 18 top 10s here in his illustrious career.

1998 Top 10 Finishers

 1. Bobby Labonte (18), Pontiac
 2. Jimmy Spencer (23), Ford
 3. Dale Jarrett (88), Ford
 4. Terry Labonte (5), Chevrolet
 5. Jeff Gordon (24), Chevrolet
 6. Ernie Irvan (36), Pontiac
 7. Kenny Wallace (81), Ford
 8. Ward Burton (22), Pontiac
 9. Sterling Marlin (40), Chevrolet
10. Randy LaJoie (50), Chevrolet

Past Champions

(Note: Race held in the fall between 1969-97)
1998  Bobby Labonte, Pontiac 163.439 mph
1997  Terry Labonte, Chevrolet, 156.601 mph
1996  Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 133.387 mph
1995  Sterling Marlin, Chevrolet, 173.188 mph
1994  Jimmy Spencer, Ford, 163.217 mph
1993  Dale Earnhardt, Chevrolet, 153.858 mph
1992  Ernie Irvan, Chevrolet, 176.309 mph
1991  Dale Earnhardt, Chevrolet, 147.383 mph
1990  Dale Earnhardt, Chevrolet, 174.430 mph  
1989  Terry Labonte, Ford, 157.354 mph
1988  Ken Schrader, Chevrolet, 154.505 mph
1987  Bill Elliot, Ford, 171.293 mph
1986  Bobby Hillin, 151.552 mph
1985  Cale Yarborough, Ford, 148.772 mph
1984  Dale Earnhardt, Chevrolet, 155.485 mph
1983  Dale Earnhardt, Ford, 170.611 mph
1982  Darrell Waltrip, Buick, 168.157 mph
1981  Ron Bouchard, Buick, 156.737 mph
1980  Neil Bonnett, Mercury, 166.894 mph
1979  Darrell Waltrip, Oldsmobile, 161.229 mph
1978  Lennie Pond, Oldsmobile, 174.700 mph
1977  Donnie Allison, Chevrolet, 162.524 mph
1976  Dave Marcis, Dodge, 157.547 mph
1975  Buddy Baker, Ford, 130.892 mph
1974  Richard Petty, 74 Dodge, 148.637 mph
1973  Dick Brooks, 72 Plymouth, 145.454 mph
1972  James Hylton, 71 Mercury, 148.728 mph
1971  Bobby Allison, 69 Mercury, 145.945 mph
1970  Pete Hamilton, 70 Plymouth, 158.517 mph
1969  Richard Brickhouse, 69 Dodge, 153.778 mph

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