Dale Earnhardt, knowing that he had to be near perfect to win the championship, went out, won the race and led the most laps by far (268; Bill Elliott was second with 17 laps led). However, it was not enough to overcome Jeff Gordon.
Jeff Gordon came into the race only having to finish 41st or better to win the championship. As a result, he took it easy during the race (at one point, the team did a pit stop with Ray Evernham (Gordon's crew chief) serving as a tire changer. Gordon clinched the championship by leading a lap during a round of green flag pit stops. Gordon finished 14 laps down in 32nd, but it was enough to earn the championship.
Hendrick Motorsports entered a 4th car just for this race just in case the unforeseen were to hit Gordon's car. If problems were to befall Gordon's car, the car would immediately pull off the track and retire from the race. This was the #58 Chevrolet with "Racing for a Reason" on the quarterpanels. Racing for a Reason referred to finding a cure for leukemia, a disease that owner Rick Hendrick had been diagnosed with. The team had originally hired Jimmy Horton to drive the car in the race. Horton qualified the car in 34th, but was unable to race it due to serious injuries suffered in a terrible crash in the ARCA Bondo Mar-Hyde Series support race the day before the NAPA 500. Jeff Purvis was then hired to sub for Horton in the #58 and drove the car to a 26th place finish, 8 laps down.
