1998 Save Mart/Kragen 350
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| Race details | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 16 of 33 in the 1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Series | |||
 The 1998 Save Mart/Kragen 350 program cover, featuring Jeff Gordon. | |||
| Date | June 28, 1998 | ||
| Official name | 10th Annual Save Mart/Kragen 350 | ||
| Location | Sonoma, California, Sears Point Raceway | ||
| Course | Permanent racing facility | ||
| Course length | 3.137 km (1.949 miles) | ||
| Distance | 112 laps, 218.288 mi (351.3 km) | ||
| Scheduled distance | 112 laps, 218.288 mi (351.3 km) | ||
| Average speed | 72.387 miles per hour (116.496 km/h) | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Hendrick Motorsports | ||
| Time | 1:11.080 | ||
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | |
| Laps | 48 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | |
| Television in the United States | |||
| Network | ESPN | ||
| Announcers | Bob Jenkins, Ned Jarrett, Benny Parsons | ||
| Radio in the United States | |||
| Radio | Performance Racing Network | ||
The 1998 Save Mart/Kragen 350 was the 16th stock car race of the 1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season and the 10th iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, June 28, 1998, in Sonoma, California, at the club layout in Sears Point Raceway, a 1.949 miles (3.137 km) permanent road course layout. The race took the scheduled 112 laps to complete. Hendrick Motorsports driver Jeff Gordon would lead a charge from 20th to the lead within the closing laps of the race to take his 33rd career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his fourth of the season.[1][2] To fill out the podium, Morgan–McClure Motorsports driver Bobby Hamilton and Petty Enterprises driver John Andretti would finish second and third, respectively.
Entry list
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Sears Point Raceway is one of two road courses to hold NASCAR races, the other being Watkins Glen International. The standard road course at Sears Point Raceway is a 12-turn course that is 2.52 miles (4.06 km) long;[3] the track was modified in 1998, adding the Chute, which bypassed turns 5 and 6, shortening the course to 1.95 miles (3.14 km). The Chute was only used for NASCAR events such as this race, and was criticized by many drivers, who preferred the full layout.[4] In 2001, it was replaced with a 70-degree turn, 4A, bringing the track to its current dimensions of 1.99 miles (3.20 km).[5]
- (R) denotes rookie driver.
Practice
First practice
The first practice session was held on Friday, June 23, at 10:00 AM PST. The session would last for three hours.[8] Jeff Gordon, driving for Hendrick Motorsports, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 1:11.209 and an average speed of 98.532 mph (158.572 km/h).[9]
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 1:11.209 | 98.532 |
| 2 | 46 | Tommy Kendall | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 1:11.556 | 98.055 |
| 3 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 1:11.624 | 97.962 |
| Full first practice results | ||||||
Final practice
The final practice session, sometimes referred to as Happy Hour, was held on Saturday, June 24, at 8:00 AM PST. The session would last for one hour and 15 minutes.[8] Jerry Nadeau, driving for Elliott-Marino Racing, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 1:12.230 and an average speed of 97.140 mph (156.332 km/h).[10]
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 13 | Jerry Nadeau (R) | Elliott-Marino Racing | Ford | 1:12.230 | 97.140 |
| 2 | 3 | Dale Earnhardt | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 1:12.377 | 96.942 |
| 3 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 1:12.567 | 96.689 |
| Full Happy Hour practice results | ||||||
