The Bank of America 500 is a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race that is hosted annually at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina, United States. The race is usually held in the month of October, and is 500 miles long. Prior to 1966, the race was a 400-mile event.

Television history

The race was shown on TBS from at least the mid-1980s to 2000. From 2002 to 2006, it was shown on NBC, and since 2007, it has been on ABC. The 2001 race was scheduled for NBC, but was moved to TNT just 30 minutes before the start because it conflicted with the decision to invade Afghanistan by allied governments including the United States and the United Kingdom.

The 2002 race was also known for beginning a practice where, if a race broadcast on a network was running long and ran into prime-time hours, the broadcast would not switch to cable, as was the case in the past, and stayed with network television, a procedure which has since been retracted by ESPN.

From Sunday to Saturday

The day that the race is held was changed following the 2002 running. Due to good ratings in primetime during the event (resulting in part from a three-hour rain delay before the race), track officials moved the 2003 race from Sunday afternoon to Saturday night, where it has been ever since. In 2005, the start was delayed by the finish to the Notre Dame-Southern California college football game which ran late. While the game was in its final minutes, NBC, the broadcaster of both events, had the race engines start and the pace laps proceed. As the pace car pulled off the track to pit road to start the race, NBC had just switched coverage from the game to the race, and the broadcast began as the field took the green flag.

Past winners

Bank of America 500

• 2008 TBA
• 2007 Jeff Gordon
• 2006 Kasey Kahne

UAW-GM Quality 500

• 2005 Jimmie Johnson (race extended to 336 laps and 504 miles due to green-white-checker finish)
• 2004 Jimmie Johnson
• 2003 Tony Stewart
• 2002 Jamie McMurray
• 2001 Sterling Marlin
• 2000 Bobby Labonte
• 1999 Jeff Gordon
• 1998 Mark Martin
• 1997 Dale Jarrett
• 1996 Terry Labonte
• 1995 Mark Martin

Mello Yello 500

• 1994 Dale Jarrett
• 1993 Ernie Irvan
• 1992 Mark Martin
• 1991 Geoff Bodine
• 1990 Davey Allison

All Pro Auto Parts 500

• 1989 Ken Schrader

Oakwood Homes 500

• 1988 Rusty Wallace
• 1987 Bill Elliott
• 1986 Dale Earnhardt

Miller High Life 500

• 1985 Cale Yarborough
• 1984 Bill Elliott
• 1983 Richard Petty

National 500

• 1982 Harry Gant
• 1981 Darrell Waltrip
• 1980 Dale Earnhardt

NAPA National 500

• 1979 Cale Yarborough
• 1978 Bobby Allison
• 1977 Benny Parsons

National 500

• 1976 Donnie Allison
• 1975 Richard Petty
• 1974 David Pearson
• 1973 Cale Yarborough
• 1972 Bobby Allison
• 1971 Bobby Allison
• 1970 LeeRoy Yarbrough
• 1969 Donnie Allison
• 1968 Richard Petty
• 1967 Buddy Baker
• 1966 LeeRoy Yarbrough

National 400

• 1965 Fred Lorenzen
• 1964 Fred Lorenzen
• 1963 Junior Johnson
• 1962 Junior Johnson
• 1961 Joe Weatherly
• 1960 Speedy Thompson

External links

• Crittenden Automotive Library: Mello Yello 500