The 1989 AC Spark Plug 500 was the 16th stock car race of the 1989 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season and the 17th iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, July 23, 1989, before an audience of 70,000 in Long Pond, Pennsylvania, at Pocono Raceway, a 2.5 miles (4.0 km) triangular permanent course. The race took the scheduled 200 laps to complete. In the final laps of the race, Melling Racing driver Bill Elliott would make a late-race charge, passing for the lead with six laps left in the race to take his 31st career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his second victory of the season. To fill out the top three, Blue Max Racing driver Rusty Wallace and Roush Racing driver Mark Martin would finish second and third, respectively.

Background

The race was held at Pocono International Raceway, which is a three-turn superspeedway located in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. The track hosts two annual NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races, as well as one Xfinity Series and Camping World Truck Series event. Until 2019, the track also hosted an IndyCar Series race.

Pocono International Raceway is one of a very few NASCAR tracks not owned by either Speedway Motorsports, Inc. or International Speedway Corporation. It is operated by the Igdalsky siblings Brandon, Nicholas, and sister Ashley, and cousins Joseph IV and Chase Mattioli, all of whom are third-generation members of the family-owned Mattco Inc, started by Joseph II and Rose Mattioli.

Outside of the NASCAR races, the track is used throughout the year by the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) and motorcycle clubs as well as racing schools and an IndyCar race. The triangular oval also has three separate infield sections of racetrack – North Course, East Course and South Course. Each of these infield sections use a separate portion of the tri-oval to complete the track. During regular non-race weekends, multiple clubs can use the track by running on different infield sections. Also some of the infield sections can be run in either direction, or multiple infield sections can be put together – such as running the North Course and the South Course and using the tri-oval to connect the two.

Entry list (R) denotes rookie driver.

#DriverTeamMakeSponsor2Ernie IrvanU.S. RacingPontiacKroger3Dale EarnhardtRichard Childress RacingChevroletGM Goodwrench Service Plus4Rick WilsonMorgan–McClure MotorsportsOldsmobileKodak04Bob SchachtHakes RacingFordHakes Racing5Geoff BodineHendrick MotorsportsChevroletLevi Garrett6Mark MartinRoush RacingFordStroh's Light06Terry ByersByers RacingBuickByers Racing7Alan KulwickiAK RacingFordZerex8Bobby Hillin Jr.Stavola Brothers RacingBuickMiller High Life9Bill ElliottMelling RacingFordCoors Light10Derrike CopeWhitcomb RacingPontiacPurolator11Terry LabonteJunior Johnson & AssociatesFordBudweiser13Eddie BierschwaleRosenblum RacingChevroletGenesee Brewing Company15Brett BodineBud Moore EngineeringFordMotorcraft16Larry Pearson (R)Pearson RacingBuickChattanooga Chew17Darrell WaltripHendrick MotorsportsChevroletTide21Neil BonnettWood Brothers RacingFordCitgo25Ken SchraderHendrick MotorsportsChevroletFolgers26Ricky RuddKing RacingBuickQuaker State27Rusty WallaceBlue Max RacingPontiacKodiak28Davey AllisonRobert Yates RacingFordTexaco, Havoline29Dale JarrettCale Yarborough MotorsportsPontiacHardee's30Michael WaltripBahari RacingPontiacCountry Time33Harry GantJackson Bros. MotorsportsOldsmobileSkoal Bandit38Dick JohnsonDick Johnson RacingFordRedkote Steel Tubing42Kyle PettySABCO RacingPontiacPeak Antifreeze43Richard PettyPetty EnterprisesPontiacSTP44Jim SauterGroup 44PontiacGroup 4448Greg SacksWinkle MotorsportsPontiacDinner Bell Foods52Jimmy MeansJimmy Means RacingPontiacAlka-Seltzer55Phil ParsonsJackson Bros. MotorsportsOldsmobileSkoal, Crown Central Petroleum57Hut Stricklin (R)Osterlund RacingPontiacHeinz62Joe RuttmanDouglas Smith RacingOldsmobileBaja Boats70J. D. McDuffieMcDuffie RacingPontiacRumple Furniture71Dave MarcisMarcis Auto RacingChevroletLifebuoy75Morgan ShepherdRahMoc EnterprisesPontiacValvoline80Jimmy HortonS&H RacingPontiacS&H Racing81Mike PotterWelch RacingFordO. C. Welch Ford83Lake SpeedSpeed RacingOldsmobileBull's-Eye Barbecue Sauce84Dick Trickle (R)Stavola Brothers RacingBuickMiller High Life88Jimmy Spencer (R)Baker–Schiff RacingPontiacCrisco93Charlie BakerSalmon RacingBuickSalmon Racing94Sterling MarlinHagan RacingOldsmobileSunoco99Norm BenningO'Neil RacingChevroletO'Neil Racing

Qualifying Qualifying was originally scheduled to be split into two rounds. The first round was scheduled to be held on Friday, July 21, at 3:00 PM EST. However, due to fog, the first round was cancelled, and qualifying was condensed into one round, which was held on Saturday, July 22, at 8:00 AM EST. Each driver would have one lap to set a time. For this specific race, positions 1–40 would be decided on time, and depending on who needed it, a select amount of positions were given to cars who had not otherwise qualified but were high enough in owner's points; up to two provisionals were given.

Ken Schrader, driving for Hendrick Motorsports, would win the pole, setting a time of 57.031 and an average speed of .

Four drivers would fail to qualify.

Full qualifying results Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed125Ken SchraderHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet57.031157.80925Geoff BodineHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet57.095157.63233Dale EarnhardtRichard Childress RacingChevrolet57.174157.41447Alan KulwickiAK RacingFord57.223157.279515Brett BodineRahMoc EnterprisesFord57.292157.090627Rusty WallaceBlue Max RacingPontiac57.312157.03676Mark MartinRoush RacingFord57.348156.937833Harry GantJackson Bros. MotorsportsOldsmobile57.447156.666994Sterling MarlinHagan RacingOldsmobile57.484156.565104Rick WilsonMorgan–McClure MotorsportsOldsmobile57.600156.2501142Kyle PettySABCO RacingPontiac57.652156.1091275Morgan ShepherdRahMoc EnterprisesPontiac57.675156.0471316Larry PearsonPearson RacingBuick57.680156.033149Bill ElliottMelling RacingFord57.713155.9441548Greg SacksWinkle MotorsportsPontiac57.753155.8361683Lake SpeedSpeed RacingOldsmobile57.810155.6821729Dale JarrettCale Yarborough MotorsportsPontiac57.812155.6771826Ricky RuddKing RacingBuick57.834155.6181921Neil BonnettWood Brothers RacingFord57.876155.5052010Derrike CopeWhitcomb RacingPontiac57.915155.4002188Jimmy SpencerBaker–Schiff RacingPontiac57.974155.2422211Terry LabonteJunior Johnson & AssociatesFord58.037155.0732328Davey AllisonRobert Yates RacingFord58.078154.9642417Darrell WaltripHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet58.117154.8602543Richard PettyPetty EnterprisesPontiac58.132154.8202662Joe RuttmanDouglas Smith RacingOldsmobile58.155154.759272Ernie IrvanU.S. RacingPontiac58.179154.6952830Michael WaltripBahari RacingPontiac58.279154.430298Bobby Hillin Jr.Stavola Brothers RacingBuick58.313154.3403044Jim SauterGroup 44Pontiac58.532153.7623184Dick TrickleStavola Brothers RacingBuick58.557153.6963271Dave MarcisMarcis Auto RacingChevrolet58.651153.4503380Jimmy HortonS&H RacingPontiac58.670153.4003457Hut StricklinOsterlund RacingPontiac58.743153.2103504Bob SchachtHakes RacingFord58.784153.1033655Phil ParsonsJackson Bros. MotorsportsOldsmobile58.901152.7993738Dick JohnsonDick Johnson RacingFord58.998152.5483813Eddie BierschwaleRosenblum RacingChevrolet59.085152.3233906Terry ByersByers RacingChevrolet59.110152.2594052Jimmy MeansJimmy Means RacingPontiac59.331151.691Failed to qualify4193Charlie BakerSalmon RacingBuick -* -*4270J. D. McDuffieMcDuffie RacingPontiac -* -*4381Mike PotterWelch RacingFord -* -*4499Norm BenningO'Neil RacingChevrolet -* -*Official starting lineup

Race results FinSt#DriverTeamMakeLapsLedStatusPtsWinnings1149Bill ElliottMelling RacingFord2008running180$58,4002627Rusty WallaceBlue Max RacingPontiac20068running180$46,875376Mark MartinRoush RacingFord2004running170$26,30042417Darrell WaltripHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet20019running165$23,8505833Harry GantJackson Bros. MotorsportsOldsmobile2000running155$20,35062328Davey AllisonRobert Yates RacingFord2001running155$16,2257125Ken SchraderHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet2007running151$16,05081275Morgan ShepherdRahMoc EnterprisesPontiac2000running142$13,925933Dale EarnhardtRichard Childress RacingChevrolet2003running143$14,27510515Brett BodineRahMoc EnterprisesFord2000running134$12,25011298Bobby Hillin Jr.Stavola Brothers RacingBuick20016running135$8,950123655Phil ParsonsJackson Bros. MotorsportsOldsmobile2000running127$11,207132211Terry LabonteJunior Johnson & AssociatesFord1992running129$12,850141142Kyle PettySABCO RacingPontiac19916running126$4,150152188Jimmy SpencerBaker–Schiff RacingPontiac1990running118$9,400163044Jim SauterGroup 44Pontiac1990running115$3,8501725Geoff BodineHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet19941running117$12,750181729Dale JarrettCale Yarborough MotorsportsPontiac1980running109$7,550193271Dave MarcisMarcis Auto RacingChevrolet1985running111$7,325203184Dick TrickleStavola Brothers RacingBuick1987running108$8,175213906Terry ByersByers RacingChevrolet1970running100$3,175223738Dick JohnsonDick Johnson RacingFord1960running97$3,075231921Neil BonnettWood Brothers RacingFord1953running99$6,295244052Jimmy MeansJimmy Means RacingPontiac1950running91$2,92525104Rick WilsonMorgan–McClure MotorsportsOldsmobile1920running88$6,10026272Ernie IrvanU.S. RacingPontiac1640running85$3,825273504Bob SchachtHakes RacingFord1390engine82$2,775282830Michael WaltripBahari RacingPontiac1280water pump79$6,675291683Lake SpeedSpeed RacingOldsmobile1270crash76$5,525301548Greg SacksWinkle MotorsportsPontiac1140crash73$3,425311826Ricky RuddKing RacingBuick1110engine70$9,575323813Eddie BierschwaleRosenblum RacingChevrolet830crash67$2,575333380Jimmy HortonS&H RacingPontiac710crash64$3,175342662Joe RuttmanDouglas Smith RacingOldsmobile600engine61$2,400352010Derrike CopeWhitcomb RacingPontiac560engine58$3,10036994Sterling MarlinHagan RacingOldsmobile450engine55$5,000373457Hut StricklinOsterlund RacingPontiac240engine52$2,925382543Richard PettyPetty EnterprisesPontiac220engne49$2,8753947Alan KulwickiAK RacingFord100engine46$4,825401316Larry PearsonPearson RacingBuick20oil line43$2,740Failed to qualify4193Charlie BakerSalmon RacingBuick4270J. D. McDuffieMcDuffie RacingPontiac4381Mike PotterWelch RacingFord4499Norm BenningO'Neil RacingChevroletOfficial race results

Standings after the race

Drivers' Championship standings Pos Driver Points 1 Dale Earnhardt 2,314 2 Rusty Wallace 2,227 (-87) 3 Darrell Waltrip 2,179 (-135) 1 4 Bill Elliott 2,153 (–161) 1 5 Mark Martin 2,148 (–166) 3 6 Davey Allison 2,016 (–298) 1 7 Geoff Bodine 1,996 (–318) 2 8 Sterling Marlin 1,995 (–319) 1 9 Terry Labonte 1,984 (–330) 1 10 Ken Schrader 1,971 (–343)Official driver's standings Note: Only the first 10 positions are included for the driver standings.

References