1991 Banquet Frozen Foods 300
A late-race penalty sparked lasting debate in NASCAR.
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It is remembered for a controversial penalty against Ricky Rudd that decided the winner.
Background
Sears Point Raceway is one of two road courses used for NASCAR races, the other being Watkins Glen International. The Chute was used only for NASCAR events and drew criticism from drivers who preferred the full layout. In 2001, it was replaced by a 70-degree turn, 4A, bringing the track to its current 1.99-mile length.
Qualifying
Qualifying was split into two rounds. The first round was held on Friday, June 7, at 6:30 PM EST, with each driver getting one lap to set a time. The top 25 drivers in that round secured a starting spot. Drivers not guaranteed a spot could scrub their first-round time and attempt a faster lap in the second round on Saturday, June 8, at 1:00 PM EST, again with one lap each.
Positions 26-40 were decided by time, with additional spots given to cars high in owner's points—one for the Winston Cup Series and two extra provisionals for the Winston West Series. A past champion who did not qualify could use a champion's provisional. Four drivers failed to qualify.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: 1991 Banquet Frozen Foods 300 (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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