|| *Comments on the 1989 Goodwrench 500:* View the most recent comment <#26> | Post a comment <#post> Tweet 1. CBCMikeyfan posted: 06.04.2006 - 2:21 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Why did Dick Trickle start driving the 84 car in this race and for the rest of the season? Did Mike Alexander get hurt? 2. Darrell posted: 08.07.2006 - 9:38 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) Yep. I think it was Nashville where it happened. 3. Dan posted: 03.24.2007 - 5:51 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Mike would have been a star if not for his injury! He did a great job subbing for Bobby in 1988. 4. The Real Thomas posted: 07.09.2008 - 10:02 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Mike Alexander broke his collar bone and had some other injuries from a crash during the Snowball Derby at Pensacola, FL. He never really recovered. 5. AnonymousEFR posted: 05.27.2011 - 7:06 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) After breaking his wrist at a practice wreck at Daytona, Bill Elliott got a relief driver and the relief driver drove the car to 19th place. Not sure who it was for sure. I think it was Jody Ridley. If it was, nice midfield run for Jody, who hadn't stepped in a Cup car in a few years. Mike Alexander? Yeah. My grandpa met him once. He said though he's not the best NASCAR driver, he's likely the nicest guy you could ever find. And that's what counts! LOL. 6. Jason posted: 12.09.2011 - 8:07 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I am pretty sure it would be Ridley...He did run Daytona. 7. Chris posted: 12.29.2012 - 5:19 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Ridley did sub for Elliott, just rewatched this race.. They lost two laps due to not being able to change tires during the driver swap. 8. Matthew Lewis posted: 03.04.2015 - 11:33 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Were there NO DNQ's for this race?! 9. RaceFanX posted: 12.31.2016 - 11:13 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Mark Martin rallies back from his Daytona issues and gets his first top-5 of the 1989 season. He'd do even better when the Cup tour returned in the fall. 10. RaceFanX posted: 07.14.2017 - 10:57 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "Plop plop, fizz fizz." Jimmy Means's DNQed at Daytona so this race marked the first points-paying appearance for his #52 Pontiac in the baby blue colors of new sponsor Alka-Seltzer. 11. RaceFanX posted: 11.05.2017 - 7:00 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Rusty Wallace wins his second straight race at Rockingham. This victory was the first of six for him and the Blue Max #27 Kodiak Pontiac team on the way to the 1989 championship. 12. saltsburgtrojanfan posted: 11.08.2017 - 7:23 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Caution 1: green/yellow start Caution 2: #23 spun turn 1 Caution 3: #27,75 accident turn 1 Caution 4: #40,71,83 accident turn 3 Caution 5: #7 spun turn 3 Caution 6: #26,33 accident backstretch Caution 7: #29 spun turn 2 Caution 8: debris Caution 9: #20 spun turn 4 Caution 10: #43 spun turn 1 To the back: #28 Davey Allison-missed drivers meeting 13. Darrell posted: 01.05.2018 - 10:35 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Driver Change: #84 Mike Alexander, who was the original entrant and did practice the Miller High Life car before surrendering it to Dick Trickle for this race and the balance of the season. 14. Gray Gaulding's Distant Cousin posted: 05.17.2018 - 2:34 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) TO THE BACK #34 Rodney Combs Unkown NASCAR's Policy at the time was that if you had to Start at the back that would be your new starting sport. COmbs qualified 20th but for some reason started at the back. 15. Jimnsimforever posted: 12.16.2018 - 1:02 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) @14 Watching the broadcast of this race right now. As the race was getting started under green/yellow they went to the pit reporter who explaining how Davey Allison quailified 17th but had to go to the back of the field because he missed the drivers meeting. He said Allison would still be listed as starting 17th though. Rodney Combs they didn't give an explanation of why he had to go to the back or even mention it, but he did and was listed as starting in the back of the field. Strange, anyone know why both went to the back of the field but one was listed in their original spot and the other was listed as starting at the back? About the Mike Alexander situation: They did an interview with him while the race was under green/yellow in the pits. He did get injured in December. He actually ran the race at the Daytona 500. He also practiced but had to take a provisional to get in this race. According to him in this interview, he reinjured his shoulder in the Daytona 500 and that is what caused him to have to hand the car over to Dick Trickle for this race. At this time though, he expected to be able to get back in the car soon. 16. Jimnsimforever posted: 12.16.2018 - 4:21 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Found out the reason for Rodney Combs having to start at the back of the field. He crashed the car and had to go to a backup. They mention it at the midpoint of the race broadcast. 17. anonymous posted: 04.19.2020 - 8:57 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) The #9 of Elliott & Ridley was an older Ford. 18. BOBO83329521 posted: 04.24.2020 - 7:53 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Two of the four dominant cars spun out on lap 371 after the 26 of leader Ricky Rudd made an aggressive move after Dale Sr. blocked him trying to stay on the lead lap. Rudd would stay in the race and continue to contend in the top 5 with still one of the best cars on track, while the 33 of dominant driver Harry Gant had to go to the garage to replace a radiator after the incident. Both of the two drivers who led laps after this incident were involved in some sort of crash during the race, Rusty Wallace getting collected in a crash with Morgan Shepherd and Alan Kulwicki getting spun out after contact with all 3 of Mark Martin, Harry Gant, and Rusty, Gant's contact spelling the end of Kulwicki and sending him for a spin. 19. BOBO83329521 posted: 04.24.2020 - 8:46 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Continuation of #18 That is, until Ricky Rudd, while running a lap down, lost his brakes and had a crazy moment while his pit crew literally had to stop his car for him! This race ended in a great 3 car battle for the win between Rusty, Dale Sr., and Alan Kulwicki... oh wait, Dave Mader had to spin late and hand it to the 27, Rusty was just unstoppable on restarts. 20. Rich posted: 12.27.2020 - 7:32 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Bob Jenkins, Ned Jarrett and Benny Parsons were the commentators. Dr. Jerry Punch and Jack Arute were the pit road reporters. 21. ThomasNester posted: 12.27.2020 - 12:49 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Ben Hess and Ken Bouchard are both shown as qualifying 28th. No one is 29th. 22. possum posted: 12.27.2020 - 6:26 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) @21 - it is possible they both qualified 28th. That used to happen occasionally (most often at Bristol) since the timing wasn't as precise as it is today. Obviously they didn't both start 28th, so the page should be updated if the correct starting order can be found (if I remember correctly, when two cars post the same time the one which went out first gets the lower starting position). 23. Mile501 posted: 12.27.2020 - 8:14 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) @21 - According to the video from this race (using the link on this page), Bouchard started 28th while Hess started 29th. 24. TTaylor944 posted: 12.27.2020 - 8:15 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) @22 Unless the rules were changed in the early 90's, as far as I can remember tiebreakers have always gone to the car higher in owner points. 25. ThomasNester posted: 12.27.2020 - 10:13 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Thank you #23, just found video and confirmed what you said 26. NEPAracefan posted: 03.05.2021 - 7:28 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Is it me or was Elliott's car extremely "unique" for this race? I know he clearly ran a 1988 Thunderbird at the Spring Bristol race and Sears Point in 1989. With that said, the Thunderbird they ran at Rockingham on 3/5/89 looks like it's some sort of 1988/89 hybrid. Really strange looking imo.... ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *Post a comment:* Your comment may not appear immediately - all comments must be approved by the moderator. Name: Comment: