User:GeoffEighinger/1987 NASCAR Winston Cup Series

The 1987 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Season began February 8 and ended November 22. Dale Earnhardt of RCR Enterprises won the championship for the third time. This was Dale Earnhardt's last season with Wrangler Jeans sponsoring his blue and yellow car; beginning next year, he would drive a black and silver Chevy sponsored by GM Goodwrench.

Key Changes

 * After a championship together in 1985 and 2nd place finish in 1986, Darrell Waltrip moved from the Junior Johnson #11 Budweiser Chevrolet to the new #17 Tide Chevrolet, a third full-time Rick Hendrick-owned team.
 * Terry Labonte left the Billy Hagan #44 Piedmont Airlines Oldsmobile replace Waltrip in the #11.
 * Johnson decided to disband the #12 Budweiser team and let go driver Neil Bonnett, who moved to the RahMoc Enterprises #75 Valvoline Pontiac.
 * Morgan Shepherd vacated the #75 in favor of the #26 Quaker State Buick owned by Kenny Bernstein, which was driven by Joe Ruttman in 1986.
 * Phil Parsons replaced older brother Benny Parsons in the #55 Copenhagen Oldsmobile owned by Leo and Richard Jackson.
 * Lake Speed started out 1986 in the #75 RahMoc ride but was let go early in the season. With sponsorship from Wynn's, Speed put together his own team for 1987 in the #83 Oldsmobile in a part-time effort.
 * Valvoline sponsored the new #50 Dingman Brothers Pontiac, featuring Greg Sacks behind the wheel in a part-time effort.
 * A few car number changes took place as well. Kyle Petty continued to drive the Wood Brothers Ford, switching from #7 to #21.
 * Alan Kulwicki switched from #35 to #7 for his independent Ford team, with sponsorship from Zerex.
 * Cale Yarborough exited the Harry Ranier #28 Ford team but took sponsor Hardee's with him to his self-owned #29 Oldsmobile.
 * Davey Allison was hired to drive the #28 Ford, still looking for a sponsor to open the season.
 * Michael Waltrip continued driving for Chuck Rider but switched from the #23 Hawaiian Punch Chevrolet to the #30 Chevrolet with various sponsors.
 * On January 8, 1986 Tim Richmond announced that he would miss the first half of 1987 due to double pneumonia (which he would later reveal to be AIDS). Benny Parsons would take over for him in the Hendrick-owned #35 Folgers Chevrolet.

Rookie Of The Year
Those who officially threw their hat in the ring for Rookie Of The Year in 1987 were: Davey Allison, Steve Christman (#62 AC Delco, Tom Winkle), Rodney Combs (#10 DiGard) and Derrike Cope (#19 Stoke Racing).

Teams
Below is a chart representing teams who started 10 or more races in 1987.