into the pole spot to start the race. It was announced that Schrader would still be eligible for the Unocal 76 Challenge, which at that point, had rolled over to $212,800. Top Ten Results 10-Derrike Cope 1-Terry Labonte 9-Bill Elliott 5-Ricky Rudd 3-Dale Earnhardt 8-Bobby Hillin Jr. 27-Rusty Wallace 30-Michael Waltrip -1 11-Geoff Bodine -1 15-Morgan Shepherd -1 Failed to qualify: 0-Delma Cowart, 13-Mike Potter, 19-Chad Little, 29-Joe Booher, 34-Charlie Glotzbach, 35-Bill Venturini, 37-Dennis Langston, 39-Blackie Wangerin, 44-Jim Sauter, 48-Trevor Boys, 59-Mark Gibson, 70-J. D. McDuffie, 72-Stan Barrett, 77-Ken Ragan, 82-Mark Stahl, 85-Bobby Gerhart, 89-Rodney Combs, 96-Phillip Duffie, 01-Mickey Gibbs Derrike Cope started off the 1990 season on a Cinderella note as he won his first ever Winston Cup race, the Daytona 500. It came when Dale Earnhardt, who had led 155 of 200 laps (at one point, leading by 25 seconds over 2nd place), ran over a piece of Rick Wilson's expired engine cutting a right rear tire in turn three on the final lap allowing Cope to shoot past for the win. Cope opted to not take a late pit stop and led briefly before relinquishing the lead in lap 196, not seeing the front again until the last lap. Two cars entered by Hendrick Motorsports (the No. 18 Hardee's Chevrolet driven by Tommy Ellis and the No. 51 Mello Yello Chevrolet driven by Bobby Hamilton) were entered for in-race footage for the 1990 film Days of Thunder. Both cars were unscored and withdrew from the race early. Pontiac Excitement 400 The Pontiac Excitement 400 was held on February 25 at Richmond International Raceway. Ricky Rudd won the pole. Top Ten Results 6-Mark Martin 3-Dale Earnhardt 5-Ricky Rudd 9-Bill Elliott 66-Dick Trickle 27-Rusty Wallace 15-Morgan Shepherd 26-Brett Bodine 57-Jimmy Spencer 25-Ken Schrader Failed to qualify: 70-J. D. McDuffie, 53-Jerry O'Neil This was possibly the coldest race in NASCAR history, with a temperature in the mid-20s and winds gusting to 41 MPH, generating a wind chill of about 5 degrees. Mark Martin won the race, only to lose 46 championship points after NASCAR officials discovered a somewhat oversized carburetor spacer plate in his car. This ultimately became a key factor in determining the 1990 championship. It was admitted later that the spacer plate was actually not oversized and not technically illegal. The part was bolted on instead of welded on, thus landing in the "gray area" of NASCAR rules.