February 20, 2000 Daytona International Speedway Daytona Beach, Florida Race 1 of 34 on Winston Cup circuit

TV: CBS, 12:00 pm EST 

Laps: 200 
Track length: 2.5 miles 
Race length: 500 miles
Banking: 31 degrees 
Purse: $8 million 

Qualifying record: Bill Elliott, 210.364 mph, 1987 
Race record: Buddy Baker, 177.602 mph, 1980 

DRIVERS TO WATCH

Jeff Burton -- Driving in his fourth full season on the circuit;
   was race runner-up in 1997 and 1998; last year he placed 35th; 
   had a strong campaign in 1999 with six victories and 12 
   top-five finishes; ended fifth in the points standings for 
   the second consecutive year (was fourth in 1997); earned over 
   $5 million, second to Jeff Gordon; looking to pick up where he 
   left off as he closed the season with five top-eight results; 
   should be among the contenders for the Winston Cup championship.

Dale Earnhardt -- The 1998 Daytona 500 winner almost grabbed his
   second career checkered flag last year, but settled for
   runner-up to Jeff Gordon; won one of the Twin 125s last
   season for the 10th straight year; has 31 wins at Daytona, an
   all-time high; the veteran is still competitive as he showed in
   1999, when he won three races to raise his career total to 74
   (6th on the all-time list); also recorded five top-five results
   and finished seventh in the points standings; had back-surgery
   in the off-season to repair a ruptured disc in his spinal
   column; one of the fiercest competitors; was the first driver
   in series history to win the rookie of the year award and
   Winston Cup title.

Jeff Gordon -- Is the defending champion of the Daytona 500; led
   the final 11 laps holding off a late rally by Dale Earnhardt;
   the three-time NASCAR champion has 49 wins and close to $27
   million in winnings in eight years of Winston Cup racing;
   recorded seven wins, seven poles and had 19 top-five 
   finishes in 1999; will surely look to improve on his
   sixth-place points finish, which was disappointing by his
   standards.

Dale Jarrett -- The 1999 Winston Cup champion had a nearly perfect
   season with four wins in 35 starts, 24 top-fives and 29 top
   10s; had just two finishes lower than 20th, an improbable task
   to repeat this year; also had a stretch of 11 consecutive races 
   with top-six finishes; earned a series third-best $3.6 million; 
   his title came after he finished third in the overall points
   standings in 1998 and second in 1997; won the Daytona 500 in
   1993 and 1996; won the Bud Shootout and claimed the pole
   position on Saturday.

Bobby Labonte -- A solid season in 1999, concluded with a career
   best second-place finish in the points standings; made a 
   strong run at the end of the season, finishing in the top 
   three in seven of the last 10 races with the other three no 
   lower than eighth; captured five victories and five poles, 
   with a total of 23 top-five finishes; should once again be 
   among contenders for the championship.

Sterling Marlin -- Winner of the Daytona 500 in 1994 and 1995; 
   finished 16th in the overall standings in 1999 without a 
   victory; usually saves best performances for Daytona and 
   Talladega. 

Mark Martin -- A Daytona Beach resident, but has never fared 
   very well at the track or other restrictor-plate races; 
   once again was denied his first NASCAR championship; in
   the last three years, he has finished second and third
   twice in the points standings; had back surgery for a
   lumbar fusion a day after the season-ending race at
   Atlanta; has recovered and is expected to be ready for
   another grueling season; won two events and had 20
   top-five races; also claimed six victories in the Busch
   series; has won 31 races in his Winston Cup career; is
   one of the best drivers in the series and at the same
   time one of the most popular among fans and competitors. 

Ken Schrader -- Has posted 12 top-10 finishes in the last 14
   races at Daytona Speedway; was sixth last year and has
   accomplished just about everything but a win at the Daytona
   500; was a pole-sitter three straight years between 1988 
   and 1990; finished second in 1989 and third in 1996; was
   15th in the overall standings in 1999. 

Tony Stewart -- Ended an impressive season with the 1999 
   NASCAR Rookie of the Year award; won three races and
   placed a solid fourth in the points race; the 28-year-old
   already has an IRL championship and looks to do the same
   in NASCAR; also gained two poles and 10 top-fives in
   addition to his wins.

Rusty Wallace -- Perhaps the most popular driver on the circuit;
   finished eighth in this race last season after placing fifth
   in 1998; drove a better second half of the season and won at
   Bristol, Tennessee, which gave him at least one checkered
   flag in 14 consecutive seasons; in each of the last three
   years, he won just one race; finished eighth in the points
   standings, his sixth straight top 10 performance; the master
   of short tracks, but has also demonstrated ability on all
   types of tracks.

1999 Top 10

 1. Jeff Gordon (24), Chevrolet
 2. Dale Earnhardt (3), Chevrolet
 3. Kenny Irwin (28), Ford
 4. Mike Skinner (31), Chevrolet
 5. Michael Waltrip (7), Chevrolet
 6. Ken Schrader (33), Chevrolet
 7. Kyle Petty (44), Pontiac
 8. Rusty Wallace (2), Ford
 9. Chad Little (97), Ford
10. Rick Mast (98), Ford

Past Champions

1999  Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 161.551 mph
1998  Dale Earnhardt, Chevrolet, 172.712 mph
1997  Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 148.295 mph
1996  Dale Jarrett, Ford, 154.308 mph
1995  Sterling Marlin, Chevrolet, 141.710 mph
1994  Sterling Marlin, Chevrolet, 156.931 mph
1993  Dale Jarrett, Chevrolet, 154.972 mph
1992  Davey Allison, Ford, 168.256 mph
1991  Ernie Irvan, Chevrolet, 148.148 mph  
1990  Derrike Cope, Chevrolet, 165.761 mph
1989  Darrell Waltrip, Chevrolet, 148.466 mph
1988  Bobby Allison, Buick, 137.531 mph
1987  Bill Elliott, Ford, 176.263 mph
1986  Geoff Bodine, Chevrolet, 148.124 mph
1985  Bill Elliott, Ford, 172.265 mph
1984  Cale Yarborough, Chevrolet, 150.994 mph
1983  Cale Yarborough, Pontiac, 155.979 mph
1982  Bobby Allison, Buick, 153.991 mph
1981  Richard Petty, Buick, 169.651 mph
1980  Buddy Baker, Oldsmobile, 177.602 mph
1979  Richard Petty, Oldsmobile, 143.977 mph
1978  Bobby Allison, Ford, 159.730 mph
1977  Cale Yarborough, Chevrolet, 153.218 mph
1976  David Pearson, Mercury, 152.181 mph
1975  Benny Parsons, Chevrolet, 153.649 mph
1974  Richard Petty, Dodge, 140.894 mph
1973  Richard Petty, Dodge, 157.205 mph
1972  A.J. Foyt, Mercury, 161.550 mph
1971  Richard Petty, Plymouth, 144.462 mph
1970  Pete Hamilton, Plymouth, 149.601 mph
1969  LeeRoy Yarbrough, Ford, 157.950 mph
1968  Cale Yarborough, Mercury, 143.251 mph
1967  Mario Andretti, Ford, 146.926 mph
1966  Richard Petty, Plymouth, 160.627 mph
1965  Fred Lorenzen, Ford, 141.539 mph
1964  Richard Petty, Plymouth, 154.334 mph
1963  Tiny Lund, Ford, 151.566 mph
1962  Fireball Roberts, Pontiac, 152.529 mph
1961  Marvin Panch, Pontiac, 149.601 mph
1960  Junior Johnson, Chevrolet, 124.740 mph
1959  Lee Petty, Oldsmobile, 135.521 mph