Earnhardt Winner When Elliott’s Tank Goes Dry on Final Lap

Bill Elliott’s Ford ran out of gas with less than one lap remaining Sunday, allowing defending champion Dale Earnhardt to pass him in Turn 4 and take a 1.23-second victory in the TranSouth 500 at Darlington, S.C.

It was Earnhardt’s third win in five races this season. He was driving a Chevrolet. Finishing third was Richard Petty in a Pontiac. Sterling Marlin placed fourth in an Oldsmobile, and Ken Schrader, who also ran out of gas on the final lap while third, was fifth in a Ford. Earnhardt earned $52,985.

With 10 laps remaining in the 367-lap event on the 1.366-mile Darlington Raceway track, Earnhardt had about a half-lap lead over Elliott and Schrader. But Earnhardt had to pit for fuel, and when he returned to the track after the 4.3-second pit stop, he was third, six seconds behind leader Elliott.

“The fuel gauge went down as I went down the back straightaway, and I told them I was coming in,” Earnhardt said. “I was running the car pretty hard.”

Dan Elliott, Bill’s brother, said, “We had more to lose than gain (if we pitted for fuel), so we went for it.”

There were 27 lead changes among 11 drivers in the event slowed by 10 caution flags for 70 laps. Earnhardt led eight times for 230 laps and averaged 122.540 m.p.h.