The 1990 Pontiac Excitement 400 was the second stock car race of the 1990 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season and the 36th iteration of the event.

After the race, Martin's car was found to have an illegal carburetor spacer, with the spacer being half an inch wider than the maximum allowance of 2 inches (5.1 cm) NASCAR had set according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

In response, NASCAR officials decided to fine Martin USD$40,000 (adjusted for inflation, USD$93,286), the largest fine ever levied in NASCAR history up to that point, along with 46 driver's championship points.

[5][6] The punishment was considered extremely harsh and severe by NASCAR media along with Martin's team, in which Martin said in an interview with The Charlotte Observer "It's like running a stop sign when nothing's coming, but a policeman catches you... you shouldn't get a ticket for it, but you broke the law and you have to pay for it.

Ricky Rudd, driving for Hendrick Motorsports, would win the pole, setting a time of 22.572 and an average speed of 119.617 miles per hour (192.505 km/h) in the first round.