1992 NASCAR Winston Cup Series

none

The 1992 NASCAR Winston Cup Series was the 44th season of professional stock car racing in the United States and the 21st modern era Cup season. The season began on February 9, 1992, and ended on November 15, 1992. Independent owner/driver Alan Kulwicki of AK Racing won the Winston Cup championship. The Generation 4 car was introduced this season, when body panels were removed, teams spent hours in a wind tunnel to gain aerodynamics, the led shot was replaced by the led ingot, the fuel mileage was cut for the drivers to lead more laps, and the bumpers, nose, and tail were composed to mullet fiber glass. The 1992 season was considered one of the most dramatic and emotional years in NASCAR. The seven time champion, and "King of stock car racing," Richard Petty retired from the sport at the season's end, concluding a year long "Fan Appreciation Tour." Petty appeared across the country for autographs and diecast cars were made of his No. 43 car for all 29 of the races he appeared in. The season also saw the quiet debut of a future champion Jeff Gordon, who was planning to move up after two seasons in the Busch Series. Gordon debuted his now iconic No. 24 DuPont "Rainbow Warrior" Chevrolet at the final race of the year. The season long championship battle narrowed down to six drivers, the most ever going into the final race of the season. Davey Allison won the season opening Daytona 500, and despite a roller coaster season, remained first, or near the top of the standings all season. Bill Elliott and Kulwicki experienced more consistent results, placing them comfortably near the top. Harry Gant, Mark Martin and Kyle Petty were also factors during the season. Two time defending champion Dale Earnhardt, however, suffered a dismal season, winning only one race, dropping out several times, and finished outside the top ten at season's end, for just the second time in his Cup career. The season's climax occurred at the final race of the season, the Hooters 500 at Atlanta. Six drivers entered the race with a mathematical chance at winning the Winston Cup championship. Davey Allison led the charge, but ultimately fell short when he was involved in an accident. The race and the championship came down to a two man battle between Bill Elliott and Alan Kulwicki. Elliott won the race, while Kulwicki finished second. Kulwicki led 103 laps during the race (compared to 102 by Elliott), clinched the 5 bonus points for leading the most laps, and won the Winston Cup title. Tragically, only months later, both Kulwicki and Allison would be killed in separate aviation crashes. The 1992 season was also the final year of Oldsmobile as a manufacturer in the series. The 1992 season was also the first Manufacturers' championship for Ford since 1969. Ford swept the top three in points snapping GM's streak of 16 straight manufacturers' championships (between Chevrolet and Buick).

ManufacturerTeamDriverCrew chief Chevrolet Darrell Waltrip Motorsports17 Darrell Waltrip Jeff Hammond Jake Elder Hendrick Motorsports 5 Ricky Rudd Gary DeHart 25 Ken Schrader Richard Broome Ken Howes Joe Gibbs Racing 18 Dale Jarrett Jimmy MakarLarry Hedrick Motorsports41 Greg Sacks Dennis Conner Dave Marcis Hut Stricklin Marcis Auto Racing71 Dave Marcis Bob Marcis Jim Sauter Morgan McClure Motorsports 4 Ernie Irvan Tony Glover Richard Childress Racing 3 Dale Earnhardt Kirk Shelmerdine Whitcomb Racing 10 Derrike Cope Doug Williams Barry Dodson Ford AK Racing 7 Alan Kulwicki Paul Andrews Bud Moore Engineering 15 Geoff Bodine Donnie WingoCale Yarborough Motorsports66 Chad Little Bobby Hillin Jr. Jimmy Hensley (R) Junior Johnson & Associates 11 Bill Elliott Tim Brewer 22 Sterling Marlin Mike Beam King Racing 26 Brett Bodine Donnie Richeson RaDiUs Motorsports 55 Ted Musgrave James Ince Robert Yates Racing 28 Davey Allison Larry McReynolds Roush Racing 6 Mark Martin Steve Hmiel 16 Wally Dallenbach Jr. Steve Lloyd Stavola Brothers Racing 8 Rick Wilson Ken Wilson Dick Trickle Wood Brothers Racing 21 Morgan Shepherd Leonard Wood Oldsmobile Hagan Racing 94 Terry Labonte Dewey Livengood Leo Jackson Motorsports 33 Harry Gant Andy Petree Precision Products Racing 1 Rick Mast Richard JacksonTri Star Motorsports 68 Bobby Hamilton Pontiac Bahari Racing 30 Michael Waltrip Bill Ingle Doug Hewitt Penske Racing 2 Rusty Wallace Eddie Dickerson Buddy Parrott Petty Enterprises 43 Richard Petty Robbie Loomis SABCO Racing 42 Kyle Petty Robin PembertonPontiac Ford Means Racing52 Jimmy Means Brad Teague Tommy Kendall Scott Sharp Scott Gaylord Chevrolet Ford Bobby Allison Motorsports12Hut Stricklin Jimmy FennigJeff Purvis Jimmy Spencer

ManufacturerTeamRace driverCrew chiefRound(s)BuickAdele Emerson44Jack SellersBalough Racing77Mike Potter Chevrolet Active Motorsports32Jimmy HortonDavid Ifft Ball Motorsports 99 Brad Teague B&B Racing 14 A. J. Foyt BS&S Motorsports 49 Stanley SmithPhilippe Lopez Chesrown Racing37Rick CarelliDavid Ifft Close Racing 47 Buddy Baker Diamond Ridge RacingJohn KrebsBob RahillyEd Ferree45Ed FerreeFolsom Racing13 Dave Mader III Bob Schacht Stan Fox Hendrick Motorsports 24 Jeff Gordon Ray Evernham Mansion Motorsports13Mike Skinner Mueller Brothers Racing 89 Jim Sauter Phoenix RacingJeff PurvisScribner RacingRick ScribnerCliff Duvall Team Ireland 31 Bobby Hillin Jr. Tony Price Doug Hewitt Travis Carter Enterprises 98 Jimmy Spencer Venturini Motorports35Bill VenturiniSpeed Racing83Lake Speed Ford Barkdoll Racing 73 Bill Schmitt Cicci Racing34Todd BodineJeff Davis Racing44Jeff DavisRod PoolDonlavey Racing90 Dorsey SchroederJunie Donlavey Charlie Glotzbach Kerry Teague Hut Stricklin Pancho Carter Bobby Hillin Jr. 91 Kerry Teague Gray Racing 62 Ben Hess H. L. Waters Motorsports 0 Delma Cowart Junior Johnson & Associates 97 Hut Stricklin Melling Racing9 Phil ParsonsGene Roberts Dorsey Schroeder Dave Mader III Chad Little Bill Schmitt Pat Rissi Racing 59 Andy Belmont TTC Motorsports Inc.45Rich Bickle50Hershel McGriffMoroso Racing20 Jimmy Spencer Oldsmobile Mike Wallace Joe Ruttman B&B Racing14A. J. FoytTex Powell 23 Eddie BierschwaleDon Bierschwale Barkdoll Racing 73 Phil Barkdoll Close Racing 47 Buddy Baker David Ifft Collins Racing 97 Mark Gibson KT Motorsports 03 Kerry Teague Pontiac 88 Racing 88 Joe Booher Bailey Racing36H. B. BaileyClay Young50Clay Young Gilliland Racing 24 Butch Gilliland Rusty Wallace Racing Kenny Wallace Means Racing53 John McFadden Graham Taylor 77 Mike Potter Porter RacingRandy Porter Pontiac Chevrolet Hylton Motorsports 48 James Hylton Chevrolet Ford Linro Motorsports27Gary BaloughBob SchachtJeff McClure

No. Race Title Track DateBusch ClashDaytona International Speedway, Daytona BeachFebruary 9Gatorade Twin 125 QualifiersFebruary 131Daytona 500February 162GM Goodwrench 500North Carolina Motor Speedway, RockinghamMarch 13Pontiac Excitement 400Richmond International Raceway, RichmondMarch 84Motorcraft Quality Parts 500Atlanta Motor Speedway, HamptonMarch 155TranSouth 500Darlington Raceway, DarlingtonMarch 296Food City 500Bristol International Raceway, BristolApril 57First Union 400North Wilkesboro Speedway, North WilkesboroApril 128Hanes 500Martinsville Speedway, RidgewayApril 269Winston 500Talladega Superspeedway, TalladegaMay 3Winston OpenCharlotte Motor Speedway, ConcordMay 16The Winston10Coca Cola 600May 2411Budweiser 500Dover Downs International Speedway, DoverMay 3112Save Mart 300KSears Point Raceway, SonomaJune 713Champion Spark Plug 500Pocono International Raceway, Long PondJune 1414Miller Genuine Draft 400Michigan International Speedway, BrooklynJune 2115Pepsi 400Daytona International Speedway, Daytona BeachJuly 416Miller Genuine Draft 500Pocono International Raceway, Long PondJuly 1917DieHard 500Talladega Superspeedway, TalladegaJuly 2618Budweiser at The GlenWatkins Glen International, Watkins GlenAugust 919Champion Spark Plug 400Michigan International Speedway, BrooklynAugust 1620Bud 500Bristol International Raceway, BristolAugust 2921Mountain Dew Southern 500Darlington Raceway, DarlingtonSeptember 622Miller Genuine Draft 400Richmond International Raceway, RichmondSeptember 1223Peak Antifreeze 500Dover Downs International Speedway, DoverSeptember 2024Goody's 500Martinsville Speedway, RidgewaySeptember 2825Tyson/Holly Farms 400North Wilkesboro Speedway, North WilkesboroOctober 526Mello Yello 500Charlotte Motor Speedway, ConcordOctober 1127AC Delco 500North Carolina Motor Speedway, RockinghamOctober 2528Pyroil 500KPhoenix International Raceway, PhoenixNovember 129Hooters 500Atlanta Motor Speedway, HamptonNovember 15

No. RacePole positionMost laps ledWinning driverBusch ClashBrett BodineGeoff BodineGeoff BodineFordGatorade Twin 125 #1Sterling MarlinDale EarnhardtDale EarnhardtChevroletGatorade Twin 125 #2Bill ElliottBill ElliottBill ElliottFord1Daytona 500Sterling MarlinDavey AllisonDavey AllisonFord2GM Goodwrench 500Kyle PettyBill ElliottBill ElliottFord3Pontiac Excitement 400Bill ElliottBill ElliottBill ElliottFord4Motorcraft Quality Parts 500Mark MartinDavey AllisonBill ElliottFord5TranSouth 500Sterling MarlinDavey AllisonBill ElliottFord6Food City 500Alan KulwickiAlan KulwickiAlan KulwickiFord7First Union 400Alan KulwickiAlan KulwickiDavey AllisonFord8Hanes 500Darrell WaltripAlan KulwickiMark MartinFord9Winston 500Ernie IrvanDavey AllisonDavey AllisonFordWinston OpenBrett BodineSterling MarlinMichael WaltripPontiacThe WinstonDavey AllisonDavey AllisonDavey AllisonFord10Coca Cola 600Bill ElliottKyle PettyDale EarnhardtChevrolet11Budweiser 500Brett BodineDarrell WaltripHarry GantOldsmobile12Save Mart 300KRicky RuddBill ElliottErnie IrvanChevrolet13Champion Spark Plug 500Ken SchraderAlan KulwickiAlan KulwickiFord14Miller Genuine Draft 400Davey AllisonDavey AllisonDavey AllisonFord15Pepsi 400Sterling MarlinErnie IrvanErnie IrvanChevrolet16Miller Genuine Draft 500Davey AllisonDavey AllisonDarrell WaltripChevrolet17DieHard 500Sterling MarlinRicky RuddErnie IrvanChevrolet18Budweiser at The GlenDale EarnhardtErnie Irvan Kyle PettyKyle PettyPontiac19Champion Spark Plug 400Alan KulwickiBill ElliottHarry GantOldsmobile20Bud 500Ernie IrvanDarrell WaltripDarrell WaltripChevrolet21Mountain Dew Southern 500Sterling MarlinHarry GantDarrell WaltripChevrolet22Miller Genuine Draft 400Ernie IrvanRusty WallaceRusty WallacePontiac23Peak AntiFreeze 500Alan KulwickiBill ElliottRicky RuddChevrolet24Goody's 500Kyle PettyRusty WallaceGeoff BodineFord25Tyson Holly Farms 400Alan KulwickiGeoff BodineGeoff BodineFord26Mello Yello 500Alan KulwickiKyle PettyMark MartinFord27AC Delco 500Kyle PettyKyle PettyKyle PettyPontiac28Pyroil 500KRusty WallaceRusty WallaceDavey AllisonFord29Hooters 500Rick MastAlan KulwickiBill ElliottFord

The Busch Clash, an exhibition event for all 1991 Busch Pole winners, and one "wild card" (from the fastest second round qualifiers from 1991) consisted of a 15 car field. The event was held Saturday, February 9 at Daytona International Speedway, a slight change from previous seasons, which usually saw the race held on Sunday. The move was made at the request of CBS, who wanted the additional time on Sunday for their coverage of the 1992 Winter Olympics. Brett Bodine drew the pole. Top five finishers Pos. Car # Driver Team Laps 115Geoff BodineBud Moore Engineering20 2 4Ernie IrvanMorgan McClure Motorsports20 36Mark Martin Roush Racing20 428Davey Allison Robert Yates Racing20 5 7Alan KulwickiAK Racing20
The race consisted of two 10 lap "sprint" segments, separated by a competition yellow, during which the field would be inverted. Sterling Marlin won the first 10 lap segment, and Geoff Bodine won the second 10 lap segment, to claim the overall victory. Except for the 2 lap competition yellow, the race otherwise was completed caution free.

Sterling Marlin won the pole for the Daytona 500 during time trials on Sunday, February 9. His Junior Johnson teammate Bill Elliott qualified second to take the "outside pole." The Gatorade 125 mile qualifying races for the Daytona 500 were held Thursday, February 13 at Daytona International Speedway. Sterling Marlin and Bill Elliott started first in each of the races, respectively. Gatorade Twin 125sTop ten finishers – race oneTop ten finishers – race two Pos. Car # Driver Team Laps Pos. Car # Driver Team Laps 1 3Dale EarnhardtRichard Childress Racing50 111Bill ElliottJunior Johnson & Associates50 26Mark Martin Roush Racing50 221Morgan ShepherdWood Brothers Racing50 3 4Ernie IrvanMorgan McClure Motorsports50 328Davey Allison Robert Yates Racing50 441Greg SacksLarry Hedrick Motorsports50 45Ricky RuddHendrick Motorsports50 533Harry Gant Leo Jackson Motorsports50 530Michael Waltrip Bahari Racing50 61Rick Mast Precision Products Racing50 617Darrell WaltripDarrell Waltrip Motorsports50 7 25Ken SchraderHendrick Motorsports50 766Chad LittleCale Yarborough Motorsports50 82Rusty Wallace Penske Racing50 815Geoff BodineBud Moore Engineering50 99Phil ParsonsMelling Racing50 926Brett Bodine King Racing50 1003Kerry TeagueKerry Teague Racing50 10 10Derrike CopeWhitcomb Racing50
During the second race, a crash on lap 4 took out several cars, including Alan Kulwicki, Terry Labonte and A. J. Foyt. Richard Petty also wrecked out on lap 8. All four would qualify for the Daytona 500 based on speed or by provisional.

The Daytona 500 by STP was held on February 16 at Daytona International Speedway. Sterling Marlin won the pole. Top ten finishers Pos. Car # Driver Team Laps 128Davey Allison Robert Yates Racing200 221Morgan ShepherdWood Brothers Racing200 315Geoff BodineBud Moore Engineering200 4 7Alan KulwickiAK Racing200 575Dick TrickleRahMoc Enterprises200 6 42Kyle PettySABCO Racing200 794Terry LabonteHagan Racing199 855Ted Musgrave RaDiUs Racing199 9 3Dale EarnhardtRichard Childress Racing199 109Phil ParsonsMelling Racing199
Junior Johnson's stablemates, Bill Elliott and Sterling Marlin, controlled the front row, qualifying 1st–2nd, and leading 58 of the first 91 laps. On lap 92, Elliott, Marlin, and Ernie Irvan went three wide coming out of turn two. Marlin, sandwiched in the middle, bounced off both his teammate and Irvan, and all three lost control in front of the entire field, triggering the "Big One". In all, 14 cars were eliminated from the event. Richard Petty, in his final Daytona 500, was among the cars spinning to the infield grass, but he was not heavily damaged, and was able to continue. Davey Allison and Morgan Shepherd were among the few cars who slipped by unscathed. Allison led 95 of the final 100 laps to claim his first Daytona 500 victory, following in the footsteps of his father Bobby. Shepherd was a surprise second, while Geoff Bodine was third. Michael Waltrip also notably slipped by unscathed, but engine trouble late in the race took him out of contention. Alan Kulwicki started 41st after a crash in the Twin 125s qualifying race. He was running in the top ten when the "Big One" occurred. He spun out into the grass, but did not suffer any significant damage. He returned to the track and ran as high as second. In the closing laps, he was running third, just ahead of Geoff Bodine. On the final lap, while Allison and Shepherd were battling for the lead, Bodine got by Kulwicki down the backstretch and into turn three. Bodine snatched third, and Kulwicki came home fourth. This would be the final Daytona 500 start for both Richard Petty and A. J. Foyt. Three weeks removed from leading Washington to victory in Super Bowl XXVI; Joe Gibbs made his debut as a car owner, with his car finishing 36th after being collected in the aforementioned "Big One" on lap 92.

The Pontiac Excitement 400 was held March 8 at Richmond International Raceway. Bill Elliott won the pole. Top ten finishers Pos. Car # Driver Team Laps 111Bill ElliottJunior Johnson & Associates400 2 7Alan KulwickiAK Racing400 333Harry Gant Leo Jackson Motorsports400 428Davey Allison Robert Yates Racing400 517Darrell WaltripDarrell Waltrip Motorsports400 65Ricky RuddHendrick Motorsports400 7 22Sterling MarlinJunior Johnson & Associates399 894Terry LabonteHagan Racing399 912Hut StricklinBobby Allison Motorsports399 1021Morgan ShepherdWood Brothers Racing399
Bill Elliott won his second consecutive race. Elliott was pushed to the limit by Alan Kulwicki, who made a late charge and nearly pulled off a last lap pass. The two raced clean on the final lap, and Elliott nipped Kulwicki at the finish line by 18 inches. It was just Elliott's second career win on a short track. Points leader Davey Allison finished 4th. This was Bill Elliott's final win at a short track. He dominated by leading 348 of the 400 laps (87%), but beat Alan Kulwicki by only 18 inches. Davey Allison now led the points standings over Harry Gant by 63 points, and Bill Elliott by 68. Bill Elliott broke a streak of 25 rollovers, and claimed the Unocal 76 Challenge of $197,600 — the second highest total awarded in the history of the program.

The Winston Open, a last chance race to qualify for The Winston, was held on May 16, 1992, at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Brett Bodine win the pole. Top five finishers Pos. Car # Driver Team Laps130Michael WaltripBahari Racing50212Hut StricklinBobby Allison Motorsports50341Greg SacksLarry Hedrick Motorsports5048Dick TrickleStavola Brothers Racing50566Jimmy HensleyCale Yarborough Motorsports50

The 1992 edition of The Winston, took place on May 16, 1992. Davey Allison won the pole.

The Coca Cola 600 was held Sunday, May 24 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The #11 of Bill Elliott won the pole. Top ten finishers Pos. Car # Driver Team Laps 1 3Dale EarnhardtRichard Childress Racing400 2 4Ernie IrvanMorgan McClure Motorsports400 3 42Kyle PettySABCO Racing400 428Davey Allison Robert Yates Racing400 533Harry Gant Leo Jackson Motorsports400 694Terry LabonteHagan Racing400 7 7Alan KulwickiAK Racing400 855Ted Musgrave RaDiUs Racing399 95Ricky RuddHendrick Motorsports398 108Dick TrickleStavola Brothers Racing398

All eyes focused on Allison, as he was recovering from his injuries the previous weekend during The Winston. Allison spent two days in the hospital, nursing a broken collarbone, re injured ribs, and bruises covering 60% of his body. After winning at Daytona and Talladega, Allison was eligible for the Winston Million if he was victorious at Charlotte. Allison had won the Coca Cola 600 in 1991, and Charlotte was considered Robert Yates's best track. In the late stages, Kyle Petty and Ernie Irvan battled for 1st 2nd. Dale Earnhardt was running third, about 3 seconds behind. After the final round of pit stops (laps 345 346), Dale Earnhardt moved in front of both Kyle Petty and Ernie Irvan to post his first and only win of 1992. Allison finished fourth in his bid for the $1 million bonus. Allison still had one more chance to win the Winston Million, later in the season at Darlington. This was the first victory of the season for GM, as all races up to this point have been won by Fords. The Coca Cola 600 would be Dale Earnhardt's lone victory of 1992 (with the exception of the Gatorade 125 qualifier at Daytona). Approaching his final green flag pit stop, Earnhardt trailed by 3 seconds, but emerged with a 1.5 second lead, prompting several of his competitors to believe that Earnhardt broke the 55 mph pit road speed limit while exiting. No penalty was assessed. This would be the final Coca Cola 600 scheduled to run during the daytime. Starting in 1993, the race was moved to a late afternoon/night race. Davey Allison led 33 laps after starting 17th. Polesitter Bill Elliott failed to lead any laps (Ricky Rudd led the first lap from 3rd) en route to a 14th place finish, 4 laps down. Elliott was now 111 points behind, closely followed by Harry Gant, Alan Kulwicki, and Dale Earnhardt. Jimmy Spencer finished 27th in this in what would be the last race for Travis Carter Enterprises until the 1994 Daytona 500.

On the way home from Michigan, on June 22–23, nine top NASCAR Winston Cup series teams were invited to Indianapolis to participate in a Goodyear tire test. Although no official announcements were made, it was in fact an unofficial feasibility test to see if stock cars would be competitive at the circuit (see 1994 Brickyard 400). An estimated 10,000 spectators watched a rather exciting two days of history in the making. A. J. Foyt took a few laps around the track in Dale Earnhardt's car on the second day. ESPN covered the test. Top speeds Pos (Speed rank) Car # (Car number) Driver Car Make Entrant Speed111Bill ElliottFordJunior Johnson & Associates168.76724Ernie IrvanChevroletMorgan McClure Motorsports167.81732Rusty WallacePontiacPenske Racing166.704442Kyle PettyPontiacSABCO Racing166.19955Ricky RuddChevroletHendrick Motorsports165.001617Darrell WaltripChevroletDarrell Waltrip Motorsports164.56773Dale EarnhardtChevroletRichard Childress Racing163.19486Mark MartinFordRoush Racing162.34693A. J. FoytChevroletRichard Childress Racing161.4521028Davey AllisonFordRobert Yates Racing161.261

The Bud 500 was held Saturday night, August 29 at Bristol International Raceway. The #4 of Ernie Irvan won the pole. Top ten finishers Pos. Car # Driver Team Laps 117Darrell WaltripDarrell Waltrip Motorsports500 2 3Dale EarnhardtRichard Childress Racing500 3 25Ken SchraderHendrick Motorsports500 4 42Kyle PettySABCO Racing500 5 7Alan KulwickiAK Racing499 611Bill ElliottJunior Johnson & Associates499 766Jimmy HensleyCale Yarborough Motorsports499 85Ricky RuddHendrick Motorsports499 926Brett Bodine King Racing499 102Rusty Wallace Penske Racing498

This was the first race at Bristol after the track was re surfaced with concrete. Darrell Waltrip, the winningest driver in history at Bristol, won for the 12th (and final) time at the popular track. Waltrip out dueled Dale Earnhardt and Ken Schrader in one of the most exciting races of the season. Davey Allison was running fifth when he lost control and hit the wall. After extensive repairs, Allison rejoined the race, only to crash into the inside wall on the frontstretch. He dropped out and finished 30th. Elliott was steady with a sixth place finish. Darrell Waltrip won this race four days after the birth of his second daughter, Sarah. On lap 8 polesitter Ernie Irvan spun on the backstretch and backed into the pit wall after leading the first 7 laps. He lost more than 100 laps and eventually parked the car after completing 285 laps, finishing a disappointing 28th. Among the points contenders, Bill Elliott had the cleanest day, finishing 6th. Harry Gant, Mark Martin, and Davey Allison all dropped out from crashes. Kyle Petty and Alan Kulwicki received minor damage in separate incidents, but both continued and posted top 5 finishes. Bill Elliott gained significant ground, stretching his lead to 109 points over Davey Allison.

The Mountain Dew Southern 500 was held September 6 at Darlington Raceway. The #22 of Sterling Marlin won the pole position. This race was shortened to 298 laps of 367 due to rain. Top ten finishers Pos. Car # Driver Team Laps 117Darrell WaltripDarrell Waltrip Motorsports298 26Mark Martin Roush Racing298 3 11Bill ElliottJunior Johnson & Associates298 426Brett BodineKing Racing298 528Davey Allison Robert Yates Racing298 618Dale JarrettJoe Gibbs Racing298 7 42Kyle PettySABCO Racing298 8 7Alan KulwickiAK Racing298 92Rusty Wallace Penske Racing298 105Ricky RuddHendrick Motorsports297

The attention largely focused on Davey Allison, who was eligible for the Winston Million, and could also claim a Career Grand Slam by winning all four majors in his career. Cloudy skies and rain were in the forecast, but the race started on time and cruised well beyond the halfway point before rain entered the area. As the race progressed, Allison ran in the top three most of the day, and was in contention for victory, and the coveted Winston Million bonus. Allison's biggest challenges, however, were impending rain, and hard charging Mark Martin. Allison pitted first on lap 286 of the 367 lap event. Martin, pitting on the backstretch, came in on lap 289. Just moments later on lap 295, the skies opened and the rain that had threatened all day finally came. Darrell Waltrip, Bill Elliott, and Brett Bodine were among a handful of drivers who had not yet pitted. When the red flag was displayed on lap 298, Waltrip was scored as the leader, having taken the lead on lap 293. Shortly thereafter, the race was called and Waltrip was declared the winner. It was Waltrip's second consecutive win, but more importantly, his first Southern 500 victory, making him the fourth driver to finish off the Career Grand Slam. Martin was second, with points contender Elliott coming home a surprising third. Allison was shuffled back to 5th. A dejected Allison lost his chance at the Winston Million, however he did win the $100,000 bonus from Winston for winning two out of four crown jewel races. Allison also lost ground to Elliott in the season standings. Elliott now led by 119 points over Allison. Alan Kulwicki was still in striking distance at 161 points behind. Larry McReynolds wrote in his 2002 autobiography, The Big Picture: My Life from Pit Road to the Broadcast Booth about the pit miscue for Allison. He sent a crew member to the NASCAR hauler to look at the weather radar (teams looked at the radar from NASCAR's hauler, unlike modern pit boxes with a connection to the radar), and the crew member gave McReynolds the call to pit the car on lap 286. According to the book, the crew member said "Green means good," with McReynolds responding, "Green means rain." This incident heavily influenced McReynolds when he went to broadcasting, even making an appearance on The Weather Channel after going to broadcasting in 2001. In the thick of the 1992 election season, Bill Clinton was the grand marshal for this race. This was Darrell Waltrip's 84th and final Winston Cup victory. Final time in his career as well that Darrell Waltrip would win multiple races in a season. First time since 1983 (and final time in his career) that Darrell Waltrip won back to back races in a season. Dale Earnhardt would once again be plagued with mechanical issues, this time problems with the clutch early. The clutch would be fixed; but Earnhardt would finish in 29th place, 57 laps down and the lowest finishing car still running in the race.

The Miller Genuine Draft 400 was held Saturday night, September 12 at Richmond International Raceway. The #4 of Ernie Irvan won the pole. Top ten finishers Pos. Car # Driver Team Laps 12Rusty Wallace Penske Racing400 26Mark Martin Roush Racing400 317Darrell WaltripDarrell Waltrip Motorsports400 4 3Dale EarnhardtRichard Childress Racing400 515Geoff BodineBud Moore Engineering400 65Ricky RuddHendrick Motorsports400 721Morgan ShepherdWood Brothers Racing400 833Harry Gant Leo Jackson Motorsports400 9 25Ken SchraderHendrick Motorsports400 1055Ted Musgrave RaDiUs Racing400

Rusty Wallace was driving for newly acquired crew chief Buddy Parrott. Wallace led the final 139 laps and beat Mark Martin by 3.59 seconds for the win. Darrell Waltrip's hot streak ended at two wins, but he followed it up here with a third place finish. Points leader Bill Elliott struggled home 14th a lap down, Alan Kulwicki finished 15th, while Davey Allison spun twice and finished 19th. Elliott's points grew to 124 over Allison, and 164 over Kulwicki.

The Peak Antifreeze 500 was held September 20 at Dover Downs International Speedway. The #7 of Alan Kulwicki won the pole. Top ten finishers Pos. Car # Driver Team Laps 15Ricky RuddHendrick Motorsports500 2 11Bill ElliottJunior Johnson & Associates500 3 42Kyle PettySABCO Racing500 428Davey Allison Robert Yates Racing499 521Morgan ShepherdWood Brothers Racing498 633Harry Gant Leo Jackson Motorsports497 794Terry LabonteHagan Racing496 855Ted Musgrave RaDiUs Racing496 9 10Derrike CopeWhitcomb Racing495 1068Bobby Hamilton Tri Star Motorsports495

Points leader Bill Elliott returned to his dominating ways, but late pit stop strategy cost him the victory. While battling Ricky Rudd for the lead, Elliott pitted first, taking on four tires and fuel. Rudd pitted for fuel only, and came out of the pits with a 9 second lead over Elliott. Rudd held on to beat Elliott to the finish line by 0.5 seconds, his only victory of the season. Ricky Rudd's victory kept his streak alive of consecutive seasons with at least one victory – extending it to ten. Bill Elliott led the most laps and extended his point lead over Davey Allison to 154 points, the highest margin of the season. Harry Gant was third, 239 points behind Elliott. Polesitter Alan Kulwicki crashed out of the race on lap 91, finishing 34th and leaving him 278 points out of the lead with six races left.

The Goody's 500 was held Monday, September 28 at Martinsville Speedway. Kyle Petty won the pole. Rain delayed the race from Sunday until Monday. Top ten finishers Pos. Car # Driver Team Laps 115Geoff BodineBud Moore Engineering500 22Rusty Wallace Penske Racing500 326Brett BodineKing Racing500 4 42Kyle PettySABCO Racing500 5 7Alan KulwickiAK Racing500 68Dick TrickleStavola Brothers Racing500 7 22Sterling MarlinJunior Johnson & Associates500 86Mark Martin Roush Racing499 91Rick Mast Precision Products Racing499 105Ricky RuddHendrick Motorsports499

The previous day's rain left the infield very soggy. Spirited battles throughout the field were the order of the day as the cold and humidity led to slick racing conditions. Geoff Bodine emerged through the constant melees to his first win for owner Bud Moore. Kyle Petty, who finished 4th, actually got stuck in the mud and lost 2 laps at one point. Bill Elliott finished 30th as a result of engine failure after 158 laps. Davey Allison ran in the top 5 until his brakes failed in the final 50 laps; he finished 4 laps down in 16th, ultimately not gaining much but reducing Elliott's lead to 112 points. Dale Earnhardt would finish in last place for the third time this season; and like the Pepsi 400 and DieHard 500 the cause was the same, as like Bill Elliott, Earnhardt's exit was due to a blown engine.

The Tyson Holly Farms 400 was held Monday, October 5 at North Wilkesboro Speedway. The #7 of Alan Kulwicki won the pole. This race was postponed to Monday as a result of rain (the second week in a row that this occurred). Top ten finishers Pos. Car # Driver Team Laps 115Geoff BodineBud Moore Engineering400 26Mark Martin Roush Racing400 3 42Kyle PettySABCO Racing399 42Rusty Wallace Penske Racing399 5 22Sterling MarlinJunior Johnson & Associates399 6 4Ernie IrvanMorgan McClure Motorsports399 726Brett BodineKing Racing398 894Terry LabonteHagan Racing398 917Darrell WaltripDarrell Waltrip Motorsports397 1018Dale JarrettJoe Gibbs Racing397

In a complete contrast from the previous week, the result was the same. Geoff Bodine recorded his second consecutive win, but in the caution and incident free Holly Farms 400. Bodine led the final 144 laps and lapped everyone except runner up Mark Martin. He lapped Winston Cup points leader Bill Elliott eight times under green. Bodine's victory, in the Ford car, clinched the first manufacturer's championship for Ford Motor Co. since 1969; it was also the first time a brand other than a General Motors product won the manufacturer's title since Dodge won it in 1975. Due to the race running caution free (very strange for a short track), only 2 cars finished on the lead lap. However, Geoff Bodine won by only 5.3 seconds. As of 2018, this would be the last time ever that a NASCAR short track event race would go flag to flag green (or caution free). In 2017, NASCAR would make a 3 stages format for every race of the season, and at a certain lap at the end of each stage, they would throw the caution flag, thus making it that a race can no longer go flag to flag green (or caution free). Bill Elliott stubbed his toe again with another poor finish. He was 8 laps down in 26th at Junior Johnson's home track. Davey Allison was 3 laps down in 11th, and he continued to gain on Elliott as he sat 67 points behind with 4 races to go.

The Mello Yello 500 was held October 11 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Alan Kulwicki won the pole. Top ten finishers Pos. Car # Driver Team Laps 16Mark Martin Roush Racing334 2 7Alan KulwickiAK Racing334 342Kyle PettySABCO Racing334 412Jimmy SpencerBobby Allison Motorsports334 55Ricky RuddHendrick Motorsports334 6 4Ernie IrvanMorgan McClure Motorsports334 7 25Ken SchraderHendrick Motorsports334 833Harry Gant Leo Jackson Motorsports334 98Dick TrickleStavola Brothers Racing333 1015Geoff BodineBud Moore Engineering333

Mark Martin charged past mid race dominator Kyle Petty in the late stages, then held off Kulwicki in the final 50 laps to post what he called "the most important victory of his career." Martin led 107 laps en route to his second win of the season, which suddenly vaulted him back in contention for the 1992 Winston Cup title. The #31 Team Ireland Chevrolet of Bobby Hillin Jr. was disqualified due to illegal cylinder heads after finishing 15th. As a result, the team withdrew from the series in an attempt to avoid being drawn into disrepute. It would the last time a Cup driver was disqualified for illegal parts until NASCAR introduced a new disqualification policy for technical inspection failures in 2019. Bill Elliott's sway bar broke after 310 laps, leaving Bill with a 30th place finish. Junior Johnson entered a third car driven by Hut Stricklin, who retired the car when Elliott had his problem. Stricklin's 31st place finish saved Elliott 3 points. Davey Allison didn't have a great day, either; he was 5 laps down in 19th. Last career pole for Alan Kulwicki. Kulwicki would finish 2nd despite breaking a gearbox that forced him to finish the race in 4th gear. Kulwicki would use a similar strategy following a gearbox failure at the 1992 Hooters 500 at the end of the season. Winston Cup points standings (after 26 of 29 races) Pos. Driver Points Difference1Bill Elliott 3653 Leader2Davey Allison 3614 393Alan Kulwicki 3606 474Mark Martin 3562 915Harry Gant 3555 986Kyle Petty 3539 1147Ricky Rudd 3409 2448Darrell Waltrip 3303 3509Ernie Irvan 3263 39010Terry Labonte 3261 392

The AC Delco 500 was held October 25 at North Carolina Speedway. Kyle Petty won the pole. Top ten finishers Pos. Car # Driver Team Laps 1 42Kyle PettySABCO Racing 492 2 4Ernie IrvanMorgan McClure Motorsports492 35Ricky Rudd Hendrick Motorsports491 4 11Bill ElliottJunior Johnson & Associates491 5 22Sterling MarlinJunior Johnson & Associates491 633Harry Gant Leo Jackson Motorsports491 726Brett BodineKing Racing491 8 3Dale EarnhardtRichard Childress Racing490 994Terry LabonteHagan Racing490 1028Davey Allison Robert Yates Racing490

In the most dominating performance of the season, Kyle Petty continued his sensational second half of 1992 with a convincing AC Delco 500 win. Petty led all but eight of the 492 laps in his father's final race in North Carolina. He only relinquished the lead during green flag pit stops. The outcome was never in doubt, so the attention moved to the points battle, which marched into Rockingham with six drivers in contention. After Petty's Victory Lane celebration, those six still remained in the title picture, with Elliott leading by 70 over Allison, 85 over Kulwicki, 94 over Petty and 113 over Gant. Kyle Petty led 484 of 492 laps. Mark Martin (before he crashed) and Bill Elliott led 3 laps each, and Ernie Irvan led 2 during green flag pit stops. As a result of the domination and only 2 cautions in a 500 mile (805 km) race, only 2 cars finished on the lead lap. Despite the green flag look of the race, Petty beat Irvan by just under a second. Only time in his career that Kyle Petty won multiple races in a season. Bill Elliott finally had a good finish after 3 successive finishes of 26th or worse. For this race and the following week's Pyroil 500K, TNN had a promotion as part of their encouraging viewers to vote in the 1992 elections, where viewers could call a 1 800 number and respond which of the drivers contending for the 1992 Winston Cup championship would win. Winston Cup points standings (after 27 of 29 races) Pos. Driver Points Difference1Bill Elliott 3818 Leader2Davey Allison 3748 703Alan Kulwicki 3733 854Kyle Petty 3724 945Harry Gant 3705 1136Mark Martin 3640 1787Ricky Rudd 3574 2448Ernie Irvan 3303 380

The Pyroil 500K was held November 1 at Phoenix International Raceway. The #2 of Rusty Wallace won the pole. Top ten finishers Pos. Car # Driver Team Laps 1 28Davey Allison Robert Yates Racing 312 2 6Mark Martin Roush Racing 312 3 17Darrell WaltripDarrell Waltrip Motorsports 312 4 7Alan KulwickiAK Racing 312 5 12Jimmy SpencerBobby Allison Motorsports 312 6 25Ken SchraderHendrick Motorsports 312 7 10Derrike CopeWhitcomb Racing 312 8 68Bobby HamiltonTri Star Motorsports 312 9 22Sterling MarlinJunior Johnson & Associates 311 10 3Dale EarnhardtRichard Childress Racing 311

Smoke billowed from Elliott's Budweiser Ford, signaling an opportunity for the rest of the Winston Cup contenders. Allison and Kulwicki took full advantage. While Elliott's car suffered from a cracked cylinder head and overheating problems, which relegated him to a 31st place finish, Allison patiently made his way to the front and won his second consecutive Pyroil 500. The emotional victory — Allison's first since the Pocono accident (and penultimate), vaulted him back into the points lead. Kulwicki ran strong all day and finished fourth, also moving him past Elliott in the point standings. Heading into the season's final event at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Allison led Kulwicki by 30 points, Elliott by 40, Gant by 97, Petty by 98 and Martin by 113. It was the first time in the sport's history that six drivers were still in contention heading into the final event. Rusty Wallace led 161 laps but had to go to the garage area (finishing 28th); during his stay a reporter for TNN asked him a question and Wallace caustically grabbed his microphone into the cockpit to answer. Last race without Jeff Gordon in the field until the 2016 Daytona 500. Final time in his career as well that Davey Allison would win multiple races in a season. To mark Richard Petty's penultimate race, both of the cars sponsored by Skoal tobacco; Harry Gant's #33 Skoal Bandit Oldsmobile and Rick Mast's #1 Skoal Classic Oldsmobile sported "Thanks King Richard" messages on their quarterpanels and decklid. Winston Cup points standings (after 28 of 29 races) Pos. Driver Points Difference1Davey Allison 3928 Leader2Alan Kulwicki 3898 303Bill Elliott 3888 404Harry Gant 3831 975Kyle Petty 3830 986Mark Martin 3815 113

The Hooters 500 was held November 15 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Rick Mast won the pole. Top ten finishers Pos. Car # Driver Team Laps 1 11Bill ElliottJunior Johnson & Associates 328 27Alan KulwickiAK Racing 328 315Geoff BodineBud Moore Engineering 328 412Jimmy SpencerBobby Allison Motorsports 328 594Terry LabonteHagan Racing 328 62Rusty WallacePenske Racing 328 722Sterling MarlinJunior Johnson & Associates 327 866Jimmy HensleyCale Yarborough Motorsports 326 955Ted MusgraveRaDiUs Racing 3261018Dale JarrettJoe Gibbs Racing 326

In what is largely considered one of the greatest NASCAR races of all time, six drivers entered the race with a mathematical chance to win the Winston Cup (Bill Elliott, Alan Kulwicki, Davey Allison, Kyle Petty, Harry Gant and Mark Martin). The race was the highly publicized final career start for 7 time NASCAR champion Richard Petty and, quietly, the first career start for future champion Jeff Gordon. Davey Allison had to finish 6th or better to automatically clinch the championship. Rick Mast won his first career Winston Cup pole, but crashed out on lap 2 with Brett Bodine and did not lead any laps. Both cars hit the wall in turn one; Bodine spun to the apron and was hammered at full speed by a surprised Hut Stricklin. On lap 95, a multi car crash ensued that collected Richard Petty. The crash knocked the oil cooler off the car and dumped oil on the King's engine, causing it to erupt in flames. Petty rolled to a stop next to a fire truck, which quickly extinguished the flames, but his return to the race looked very doubtful. Championship contenders Mark Martin and Kyle Petty dropped out with engine trouble while Harry Gant faded and was not a factor in the second half. On lap 254, Davey Allison's fate was sealed. While running 6th — good enough to clinch the title — and charging to the front, suddenly disaster struck. Ernie Irvan had a tire going down, lost control and spun directly in front of Rusty Wallace and Allison. Wallace dodged the spinning Irvan, but Allison was not so lucky. Irvan pancaked the wall and bounced off into Allison. Allison spun into the inside pit wall, and damaged the tirerod. His car still had power, and tried desperately to get his car rolling, but to no avail. The crash effectively ended his run at the championship and winning the race. Elliott and Kulwicki were left to battle for the title. Allison would eventually return to the track but several laps down. Elliott and Kulwicki ran 1st 2nd for most of the second half, swapping the lead on several occasions. It became evident that the driver who led the most laps (receiving the 5 bonus points for leading the most laps) would clinch the championship. After the final gas and go pit stops, Kulwicki had led 103 laps. Elliott took over the lead, with Kulwicki settling into a comfortable second. Elliott led the rest of the way, his fifth victory of the season, bringing his laps led total to 102 laps, one short of Kulwicki's total — giving the 5 bonus points to Kulwicki. Elliott won the Hooters 500, but Kulwicki's second place finish allowed him to claim the 1992 NASCAR Winston Cup championship by a scant 10 points, the third narrowest margin in the sport's history (after 2011, in which Tony Stewart and Carl Edwards finished tied, the title going to Stewart by virtue of more wins in the season, and Kurt Busch's 8 point margin over Jimmie Johnson in 2004). This would be the final time in his career that Bill Elliott would pull off the season sweep at a track. Meanwhile, the STP crew patched Richard Petty's car back together and "The King" rejoined the field with two laps to go and was running at the finish in his final race to receive the checkered flag. Jeff Gordon started 21st and finished in 31st in his Winston Cup debut. This was the first race without Bobby Labonte until the 2013 Quaker State 400. Jeff Gordon made every start from this race to the 2015 Ford Ecoboost 400. He would go on to win 93 races, four championships,and three Daytona 500s. Gordon made 797 consecutive starts, the most of every other driver.

(key) Bold  Pole position awarded by time. Italics  Pole position set by owner's points standings. * Most laps led. Pos Driver DAY CAR RCH ATL DAR BRI NWS MAR TAL CLT DOV SON POC MCH DAY POC TAL WGL MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR NWS CLT CAR PHX ATL Points 1 Alan Kulwicki 4 31 2 7 18 1* 7* 16* 6 7 12 14 1* 3 30 3 25 7 14 8 8 15 34 5 12 2 12 4 2* 4078 2 Bill Elliott 27 1* 1* 1 1 20 20 10 2 14 13 5* 3 10 5 13 5 14 3* 6 3 14 2* 30 26 30 4 31 1 4068 3 Davey Allison 1* 2 4 4* 4* 28 1 26 1* 4 11 28 5 1* 10 33* 3 20 5 30 5 19 4 16 11 19 10 1 27 4015 4 Harry Gant 12 3 3 2 2 29 5 5 24 5 1 17 23 7 23 2 17 18 1 26 16* 8 6 19 13 8 6 14 13 3955 5 Kyle Petty 6 29 20 8 27 19 28 18 10 3* 29 12 6 4 14 7 6 1* 6 4 7 12 3 4 3 3* 1* 19 16 3945 6 Mark Martin 29 5 30 13 3 15 16 1 8 33 24 3 2 6 8 6 20 4 9 25 2 2 19 8 2 1 30 2 32 3887 7 Ricky Rudd 40 28 6 12 5 6 3 23 26 9 6 4 36 5 7 4 4* 13 36 8 10 6 1 10 15 5 3 30 25 3735 8 Terry Labonte 7 7 8 9 9 4 9 4 36 6 21 2 10 38 21 16 18 8 23 31 14 13 7 11 8 12 9 16 5 3674 9 Darrell Waltrip 26 10 5 39 24 25 15 3 29 38 5* 8 13 2 13 1 23 12 2 1* 1 3 20 15 9 34 22 3 23 3659 10 Sterling Marlin 35 15 7 17 22 32 8 2 4 22 14 16 7 32 2 11 2 16 7 15 28 21 33 7 5 16 5 9 7 3603 11 Ernie Irvan 28 11 15 25 26 24 13 25 5 2 4 1 19 30 1* 37 1 3* 4 28 25 11 11 27 6 6 2 34 29 3580 12 Dale Earnhardt 9 24 11 3 10 18 6 9 3 1 2 6 28 9 40 23 40 9 16 2 29 4 21 31 19 14 8 10 26 3574 13 Rusty Wallace 31 26 17 15 11 9 2 31 11 18 3 7 24 37 9 18 11 6 21 10 9 1* 16 2* 4 37 21 28* 6 3556 14 Morgan Shepherd 2 13 10 10 13 7 12 6 9 29 10 29 25 12 19 15 13 2 10 13 31 7 5 21 17 13 13 38 11 3549 15 Brett Bodine 41 8 33 20 6 11 10 8 16 20 30 15 8 19 12 8 10 10 12 9 4 18 22 3 7 28 7 12 40 3491 16 Geoff Bodine 3 14 16 6 8 12 4 32 13 32 17 10 14 11 4 30 38 27 40 11 19 5 14 1 1* 10 35 39 3 3437 17 Ken Schrader 37 5 14 41 12 3 22 7 23 26 23 9 4 13 6 12 9 21 11 3 13 9 30 13 23 7 32 6 36 3404 18 Ted Musgrave 8 17 25 19 15 14 19 20 21 8 16 22 33 8 16 5 12 11 25 22 30 10 8 12 14 11 29 24 9 3315 19 Dale Jarrett 36 37 13 11 21 2 17 28 7 12 27 39 22 24 3 10 21 15 8 17 6 25 12 23 10 24 15 20 10 3251 20 Dick Trickle 5 36 22 5 7 5 11 17 19 10 9 26 29 20 35 9 28 24 19 23 27 20 27 6 18 9 16 40 37 3097 21 Derrike Cope 34 19 19 14 16 10 14 22 12 17 33 18 12 22 34 19 22 34 33 12 12 35 9 20 22 17 14 7 15 3033 22 Rick Mast 13 12 18 22 17 30 23 14 17 23 32 11 30 28 17 24 26 32 13 29 23 28 24 9 21 35 17 17 28 2830 23 Michael Waltrip 18 4 34 28 14 17 29 27 38 25 15 20 15 27 27 26 7 35 22 14 35 33 17 29 16 23 20 11 14 2825 24 Wally Dallenbach Jr. 15 21 24 27 30 22 30 19 14 28 34 25 27 18 11 32 14 5 20 19 24 23 31 14 24 20 23 12 38 2799 25 Bobby Hamilton 32 18 31 24 23 26 27 13 20 21 18 34 17 31 33 22 24 22 15 21 21 32 10 28 31 15 19 8 12 2787 26 Richard Petty 16 16 21 16 32 27 31 29 15 41 20 21 16 15 36 20 15 28 18 16 20 16 28 18 27 27 25 22 35 2731 27 Hut Stricklin 24 9 9 29 29 8 18 11 22 34 7 27 31 35 18 21 16 36 24 27 11 30 15 24 30 31 15 41 2689 28 Jimmy Hensley (R) 15 25 11 8 30 9 29 15 14 31 26 29 7 15 17 13 17 25 18 18 21 8 2410 29 Dave Marcis 20 39 28 30 25 31 24 24 27 15 25 23 18 36 32 31 29 17 32 32 18 24 26 25 28 39 38 35 22 2348 30 Greg Sacks 14 34 32 31 28 13 21 12 35 16 19 43 11 14 26 29 19 31 41 33 1759 31 Chad Little 39 22 23 23 33 23 26 37 21 24 17 8 17 34 27 29 33 24 17 1669 32 Jimmy Means DNQ 33 35 38 20 32 30 34 42 31 35 23 39 39 32 39 24 22 29 23 DNQ DNQ 38 26 21 1531 33 Jimmy Spencer DNQ 20 12 37 36 DNQ 26 DNQ 32 27 DNQ 20 4 11 5 4 1284 34 Bobby Hillin Jr. 38 21 DNQ 25 28 13 17 25 25 QL 23 26 17 40 30 1135 35 Stanley Smith 22 32 27 32 DNQ 33 30 40 22 27 35 34 36 32 39 959 36 Mike Potter 30 DNQ 31 DNQ DNQ 28 20 33 27 33 30 DNQ 33 DNQ 25 DNQ 39 DNQ 806 37 Jim Sauter DNQ 37 39 18 36 26 18 22 29 21 729 38 Lake Speed DNQ 34 DNQ 19 36 34 26 26 36 18 18 726 39 Jimmy Horton 26 DNQ 22 34 26 34 38 31 DNQ 34 24 660 40 Bob Schacht 42 42 19 30 31 38 30 22 33 611 41 Charlie Glotzbach 26 18 37 36 16 20 30 592 42 James Hylton DNQ 39 DNQ DNQ DNQ 26 25 DNQ 40 DNQ 39 DNQ 37 DNQ 35 DNQ DNQ DNQ 476 43 Andy Belmont (R) DNQ 38 DNQ 37 40 34 31 28 39 DNQ 32 467 44 Jeff Purvis 27 22 32 26 32 36 453 45 Dave Mader III (R) DNQ QL 34 16 DNQ 21 18 39 436 46 Jerry O'Neil 36 21 35 25 DNQ 29 37 DNQ 429 47 Eddie Bierschwale DNQ 40 DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ 38 28 19 277 48 Buddy Baker 11 36 DNQ 31 DNQ 255 49 Rich Bickle DNQ 20 25 34 252 50 Mike Wallace DNQ 33 27 20 249 51 Jerry Hill 27 35 38 38 238 52 John McFadden 40 37 40 38 40 230 53 Phil Parsons 10 30 207 54 Delma Cowart 25 35 DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ 37 DNQ 198 55 Phil Barkdoll 17 DNQ DNQ 28 191 56 Bill Sedgwick 19 27 188 57 Bobby Gerhart 32 37 34 180 58 Brad Teague DNQ 21 29 176 59 Mike Skinner DNQ 23 DNQ DNQ DNQ 41 DNQ 28 DNQ 173 60 John Krebs 31 23 164 61 Dorsey Schroeder 19 35 164 62 Randy Porter DNQ 24 DNQ DNQ 33 155 63 Bill Schmitt 24 33 155 64 Ron Hornaday Jr. 32 25 155 65 Butch Gilliland 38 29 125 66 Tommy Kendall 13 124 67 Kerry Teague 33 38 DNQ 113 68 Stan Fox 36 37 107 69 Scott Sharp 19 106 70 A. J. Foyt 21 100 71 Graham Taylor 40 36 98 72 Rick Scribner 36 41 95 73 Rick Wilson 23 94 74 Rick Carelli 37 42 89 75 Randy Baker 25 DNQ 88 76 Jeff Davis 26 85 77 Ed Ferree 29 DNQ 76 78 Jeff Fuller 29 DNQ 76 79 Dave Blaney 31 DNQ 70 80 Jeff Gordon 31 70 81 Jeff McClure 31 70 82 Pancho Carter 32 67 83 R. K. Smith 33 64 84 T. W. Taylor 35 DNQ 58 85 Joe Ruttman 35 58 86 Mike Chase 35 58 87 Todd Bodine 37 52 88 Scott Gaylord 37 52 89 Denny Wilson 38 49 90 Mark Thompson DNQ 39 46 91 D. K. Ulrich 39 46 92 Clay Young DNQ DNQ 39 DNQ 46 93 Gary Balough 40 43 94 Jack Sellers 40 43 95 H. B. Bailey 41 DNQ 40 96 Irv Hoerr 41 40 97 Hershel McGriff 42 37 98 Joe Booher DNQ 99 Mark Gibson DNQ 100 Ben Hess DNQ Wth 101 Kenny Wallace DNQ 102 Bobby Woods DNQ 103 Wayne Jacks DNQ DNQ 104 Bill Venturini DNQ DNQ 105 Tom Rotsell DNQ 106 Chuck Bown DNQ 107 Mark Stahl DNQ 108 Rich Woodland Jr. DNQ 109 Dave Pletcher Wth Pos Driver DAY CAR RCH ATL DAR BRI NWS MAR TAL CLT DOV SON POC MCH DAY POC TAL WGL MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR NWS CLT CAR PHX ATL Points

Dale Earnhardt and Rusty Wallace both failed to finish in the top 10 in points for 1992. Earnhardt, who was the defending Winston Cup champion for the last 2 years (1990 and 1991), tried to join Cale Yarborough by winning 3 championships in a row, but he had a very disappointing season. He only scored one win, and he finished 12th in points. Wallace had a very disappointing season as well. He too scored only one win, and he finished 13th in points. The next season however, both Earnhardt and Wallace rebounded, and they finished 1st and 2nd in the standings. Earnhardt would win his 6th championship that year with 6 wins, and Wallace would finish 2nd with 10 wins. Earnhardt would win the championship by 80 points over Wallace. Two cars numbered 24 were fielded during the season; Butch Gilliland used the number in a car owned by himself at Phoenix and Jeff Gordon drove the number 24 in his first race car with Hendrick Motorsports. The 1993 Winston Cup Series Media Guide shows that Butch Gilliland also fielded the #24 Aneheim Elect. Gear Pontiac in the Sonoma race in June 1992 finishing 38th after starting 36th. However, as the Phoenix and Sonoma races were declared combination races with the Winston West Series would run joint races together, Gilliland was registered with the West Series, a developmental series since 2003. This was the final year in NASCAR for the Oldsmobile brand.

Jimmy Hensley, driving Cale Yarborough's #66 Ford, was named Rookie of the Year after posting four top ten finishes in 22 starts. Veteran Chad Little drove the car in the first six races, but was replaced by Bobby Hillin Jr. at North Wilkesboro and by Hensley in the following race at Martinsville. Hensley had previously never started more than 4 Winston Cup races in a season (doing so in 1984 and in 1991). Bob Schacht, Andy Belmont, and Dave Mader III were also declared for the award, but did not run enough races to compete for the award.