1998 NAPA Autocare 500
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| Race details | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 27 of 33 in the 1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Series | |||
 The 1998 NAPA Autocare 500 program cover. | |||
| Date | September 27, 1998 | ||
| Official name | 50th Annual NAPA Autocare 500 | ||
| Location | Ridgeway, Virginia, Martinsville Speedway | ||
| Course | Permanent racing facility | ||
| Course length | 0.847 km (0.526 miles) | ||
| Distance | 500 laps, 263 mi (423.257 km) | ||
| Scheduled distance | 500 laps, 263 mi (423.257 km) | ||
| Average speed | 73.35 miles per hour (118.05 km/h) | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | MB2 Motorsports | ||
| Time | 20.229 | ||
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Sterling Marlin | Team SABCO | |
| Laps | 231 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 10 | Ricky Rudd | Rudd Performance Motorsports | |
| Television in the United States | |||
| Network | ESPN | ||
| Announcers | Bob Jenkins, Ned Jarrett, Benny Parsons | ||
| Radio in the United States | |||
| Radio | Motor Racing Network | ||
The 1998 NAPA Autocare 500 was the 27th stock car race of the 1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season and the 50th iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, September 27, 1998, in Martinsville, Virginia at Martinsville Speedway, a 0.526 miles (0.847 km) permanent oval-shaped short track. The race took the scheduled 500 laps to complete. Battling immense heat, Rudd Performance Motorsports driver Ricky Rudd would manage to dominate the late stages of the race to take his 20th career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his only victory of the season.[1][2] To fill out the podium, Hendrick Motorsports driver Jeff Gordon and Roush Racing driver Mark Martin would finish second and third, respectively.
Entry list
Martinsville Speedway is a NASCAR-owned stock car racing track located in Henry County, in Ridgeway, Virginia, just to the south of Martinsville. At 0.526 miles (0.847 km) in length, it is the shortest track in the NASCAR Cup Series. The track was also one of the first paved oval tracks in NASCAR, being built in 1947 by H. Clay Earles. It is also the only remaining race track that has been on the NASCAR circuit from its beginning in 1948.
- (R) denotes rookie driver.
Practice
First practice
The first practice session was held on Friday, September 25, at 11:00 AM EST.[3] Jeff Burton, driving for Roush Racing, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 20.239 and an average speed of 93.562 miles per hour (150.573 km/h).[4]
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | 20.239 | 93.562 |
| 2 | 36 | Ernie Irvan | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 20.264 | 93.447 |
| 3 | 44 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 20.290 | 93.327 |
| Full first practice results | ||||||
Final practice
The final practice session, sometimes referred to as Happy Hour, was held on Saturday, September 26, after the preliminary 1998 NAPA 250.[3] Mark Martin, driving for Roush Racing, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 20.561 and an average speed of 92.097 miles per hour (148.216 km/h).[5]
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 20.561 | 92.097 |
| 2 | 43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 20.578 | 92.021 |
| 3 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | 20.581 | 92.007 |
| Full Happy Hour practice results | ||||||
