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Chevrolet Monte Carlo 400, Richmond, VA - With 10 races remaining in the 2000 season, Bobby Labonte held a 111-point lead over defending champion Dale Jarrett. When the circuit headed to Richmond, VA, Labonte showed just how much fate and destiny seemed to be on his side. While Jeff Gordon won his third race of the season, Labonte had problems, suffering a broken power steering belt that could have seriously reduced his point lead. Instead, Jarrett also had problems, getting in an early wreck that stuck him with a 31st-place finish. Jarrett's misfortune, coupled with Dale Earnhardt's runnerup finish, allowed Earnhardt to climb from third to second in points. Though Earnhardt gained 47 points on Labonte, Jarrett's failure allowed Labonte to pad his lead to 158 points with nine races left.
Dura Lube 300, Loudon, NH - No matter how hard the competition tried, they continued to have trouble gaining ground on Labonte. Jeff Burton led every lap of the Dura Lube 300 at New Hampshire International Speedway, allowing him to leap ahead of both Dale Jarrett and Dale Earnhardt in the points race. But with his runnerup finish, Bobby Labonte still added to his point lead. With eight races left, Labonte led Burton by 168 points while Dale Jarrett dropped to 174 behind. Earnhardt, meanwhile, fell from second to fourth, 201 points back, with a disappointing 12th-place finish.
MBNA.com 400, Dover, DE - On a day when his teammate, Tony Stewart, dominated the race at Dover Downs, Labonte continued to pull away in the points race. A week after moving to second in points, Jeff Burton saw his championship hopes nearly vanish when a blown tire sent him into the wall on lap 186, saddling him with a 36th-place finish and his second DNF of the season. Dale Jarrett, who finished 31st, also had problems while Dale Earnhardt struggled to a 17th-place finish. Labonte, meanwhile, took a commanding lead with another solid top-five finish. His fifth-place effort allowed him to build a 249-point lead with just seven races remaining.
NAPA Autocare 500, Martinsville, VA - Bobby Labonte is not known for his short track prowess, so he was more than happy to leave Martinsville Speedway with a respectable 10th-place finish. Though Dale Earnhardt, Jeff Burton and Dale Jarrett all finished ahead of him, the damage to Labonte's championship hopes was minimal. Earnhardt, who finished second to winner Tony Stewart, hung onto second, trimming Labonte's lead to 213 points. Burton, who finished third, climbed to third, 227 points back, while Jarrett's sixth-place finish left him 251 behind. Stewart, who won his second straight race, was locked in a tight battle with Ricky Rudd for fifth in points, holding the position by 15 points.
UAW-GM Quality 500, Charlotte, NC - At one of his favorite race tracks, Bobby Labonte continued to pull away in the title chase, opening a 252 point lead over Jeff Burton with his fourth win of the season. Labonte's victory over Jeremy Mayfield allowed him to add 39 points to his lead. Jeff Burton moved back to second with a sixth-place finish while Earnhardt slid back to third by finishing 11th. Jarrett, meanwhile, saw his hopes for a second straight championship practically end when he was involved in an accident on lap 158. With a 40th-place finish, Jarrett fell 388 points behind Labonte with just five races remaining.
Winston 500, Talladega, AL - With his dramatic come-from-behind victory at Talladega, Dale Earnhardt fought his way back into the points race, making it a two-way battle for the title. Earnhardt, who rallied from sixteenth to victory in the final six laps, gained 42 points on Labonte, who finished 12th. Jeff Burton, who was second a week earlier, fell further behind, struggling to a 29th-place finish, leaving him 308 points behind Labonte. Jarrett's deficit, meanwhile, slipped to 402 points, leaving him in jeopardy of losing fourth to teammate Ricky Rudd.
Pop Secret Microwave Popcorn 400, Rockingham, NC - Though he was practically out of the points race, Dale Jarrett didn't give up, gaining 72 points on Bobby Labonte with his victory at Rockingham. Dale Earnhardt, meanwhile, chipped away at Labonte's lead, struggling to a 17th-place finish, but gaining nine points when Labonte lost a lap and finished 20th. Jeff Burton also gained significant ground, finishing sixth to gain 57 points on Labonte. He trailed by 251 with three races left.
Checker Auto Parts/Dura Lube 500, Phoenix, AZ - Jeff Burton's only hope of winning the championship was to win each of the final three races. He took a step in that direction at Phoenix, winning his fourth race of the season. Bobby Labonte, however, minimized the damage, scoring his 22nd top-five finish of the season. His fifth-place finish left him 218 points ahead of Dale Earnhardt, who finished ninth, and giving him a chance to clinch the title at Homestead-Miami Speedway the following week. Though Burton remained mathematically in the hunt, he was still 226 behind, making it impossible to catch Labonte.
Pennzoil 400, Homestead, FL - Bobby Labonte couldn't have picked a better day to celebrate his first NASCAR Winston Cup championship. On a day when teammate Tony Stewart won his series-leading sixth race of the season, Labonte cruised to a fourth-place finish, clinching the title when he left Homestead with a 261-point lead over Jeff Burton. With both Burton and Dale Earnhardt struggling, Labonte's job looked easy. Burton finished 11th while Earnhardt struggled to his third subpar finish in five races, winding up 20th.
NAPA 500, Hampton, GA - With the championship decided, championship contenders could finally race all out. And that they did. While Jerry Nadeau won his first NASCAR Winston Cup race, Dale Earnhardt finished strong, collecting a runnerup finish at Atlanta Motor Speedway. With Jeff Burton finishing 12th, Earnhardt wound up second in points, leaving Burton third and Dale Jarrett fourht. Labonte's final margin over the seven-time champion was 265 while Burton finished 294 back. Jarrett ended up 446 out of first. Tony Stewart, who finished 38th after being involved in an accident, slipped to sixth in points, allowing Ricky Rudd to finish fifth, 555 out of first. Rounding out the top 10 were Rusty Wallace, Mark Martin, Jeff Gordon and Ward Burton.
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