1998 Dura Lube/Kmart 500
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| Race details | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 31 of 33 in the 1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Series | |||
 The 1998 Dura Lube/Kmart 500 program cover. | |||
| Date | October 25, 1998 | ||
| Official name | 11th Annual Dura Lube/Kmart 500 | ||
| Location | Avondale, Arizona, Phoenix International Raceway | ||
| Course | Permanent racing facility | ||
| Course length | 1.6 km (1 miles) | ||
| Distance | 257 laps, 257 mi (413.601 km) | ||
| Scheduled distance | 312 laps, 312 mi (502.115 km) | ||
| Average speed | 108.211 miles per hour (174.149 km/h) | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Andy Petree Racing | ||
| Time | 27.432 | ||
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Rusty Wallace | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | |
| Laps | 196 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | |
| Television in the United States | |||
| Network | TNN | ||
| Announcers | Eli Gold, Buddy Baker, Dick Berggren | ||
| Radio in the United States | |||
| Radio | Motor Racing Network | ||
The 1998 Dura Lube/Kmart 500 was the 31st stock car race of the 1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season and the 11th iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, October 25, 1998, in Avondale, Arizona at Phoenix International Raceway, a 1-mile (1.6 km) permanent low-banked tri-oval race track. The race was shortened from its scheduled 312 laps to 257 laps due to inclement weather. At race's end, Penske-Kranefuss Racing driver Rusty Wallace would dominate the race when the race was stopped to take his 48th career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his only victory of the season.[1][2] To fill out the podium, Roush Racing driver Mark Martin and Richard Childress Racing driver Dale Earnhardt would finish second and third, respectively.
Entry list
Phoenix International Raceway – also known as PIR – is a one-mile, low-banked tri-oval race track located in Avondale, Arizona. It is named after the nearby metropolitan area of Phoenix. The motorsport track opened in 1964 and currently hosts two NASCAR race weekends annually. PIR has also hosted the IndyCar Series, CART, USAC and the Rolex Sports Car Series. The raceway is currently owned and operated by International Speedway Corporation.
The raceway was originally constructed with a 2.5 mi (4.0 km) road course that ran both inside and outside of the main tri-oval. In 1991 the track was reconfigured with the current 1.51 mi (2.43 km) interior layout. PIR has an estimated grandstand seating capacity of around 67,000. Lights were installed around the track in 2004 following the addition of a second annual NASCAR race weekend.
- (R) denotes rookie driver.
Practice
First practice
The first practice session was held on Friday, October 23, at 1:30 PM EST. The session would last for one hour and 25 minutes.[3] Ken Schrader, driving for Andy Petree Racing, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 27.757 and an average speed of 129.697 miles per hour (208.727 km/h).[4]
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 33 | Ken Schrader | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 27.757 | 129.697 |
| 2 | 75 | Rick Mast | Butch Mock Motorsports | Ford | 27.760 | 129.683 |
| 3 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 27.863 | 129.204 |
| Full first practice results | ||||||
Second practice
The second practice session was held on Friday, October 23, at 3:35 PM EST. The session would last for 45 minutes.[3] Ken Schrader, driving for Andy Petree Racing, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 27.604 and an average speed of 130.416 miles per hour (209.884 km/h).[5]
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 33 | Ken Schrader | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 27.604 | 130.416 |
| 2 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 27.785 | 129.566 |
| 3 | 98 | Rich Bickle | Cale Yarborough Motorsports | Ford | 27.814 | 129.431 |
| Full second practice results | ||||||
Final practice
The final practice session, sometimes referred to as Happy Hour, was held on Saturday, October 24, after the preliminary 1998 GM Goodwrench Service/AC Delco 300. The session would last for one hour.[3] Kyle Petty, driving for Petty Enterprises, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 28.437 and an average speed of 126.596 miles per hour (203.737 km/h).[6]
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 44 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 28.437 | 126.596 |
| 2 | 4 | Bobby Hamilton | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | 28.441 | 126.578 |
| 3 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Pontiac | 28.447 | 126.551 |
| Full Happy Hour practice results | ||||||
