Ricky Rudd outdueled Terry Labonte over the final 23 laps to win the NASCAR Western 500 at Riverside International Raceway before a crowd of 50,000. Rudd, in registering hisfirst victory of the season, took the lead on the 96th of 119 laps when Labonte made his last pit stop.
Darrell Waltrip, who finished seventh in the race, wrapped up his third season championship after an $8 part failed Bill Elliott in the battle for the Winston Cup championship. On the sixth lap around the 2.62-mile, nine-turn road circuit, a pin in the transmission of Elliott's car snapped, leaving him without first and second gears.
Elliott, who entered the race trailing Waltrip by 20 points, saw his chance for his first season title evaporate when it took his crew nearly 30 minutes and 23 laps to replace the inexpensive pin and the shift lever.
1 Ricky Rudd
2 Terry Labonte
3 Neil Bonnett
4 Harry Gant
5 Dale Earnhardt
6 Geoff Bodine
7 Darrell Waltrip
8 Richard Petty
9 Lake Speed
10 Ron Bouchard
11 Glen Steurer
12 Jim Robinson
13 Bobby Hillin
14 Ruben Garcia
15 Bill Schmit
16 Jim Bown
17 Bobby Allison
18 Dave Marcis
19 Derrike Cope
20 Jimmy means
21 Greg Sacks
22 Buddy Arrington
23 Ken schrader
24 Bill Osbourne
25 J.D. McDuffie
26 Hershel McGriff
27 Kyle Petty
28 Clark Dwyer
29 Blair Aiken
30 John Soures
31 Bill Elliott
32 Eddie Bierschwale
33 Phil Parsons
34 Scott Autrey
35 Buddy Baker
36 Rusty Wallace
37 Tim Richmond
38 Bud Hickey
39 Rick McCray
40 Trevor boys
41 Ron Esau
Time Of Race: 2 hours, 58 minutes, 3 seconds
Average Speed : 105.065 mph
Margin Of Victory: 11.26 seconds