1998 Winston 500
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Race details | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 29 of 33 in the 1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Series | |||
 The 1998 Winston 500 program cover, featuring Terry Labonte. | |||
| Date | October 11, 1998 | ||
| Official name | 30th Annual Winston 500 | ||
| Location | Lincoln, Alabama, Talladega Superspeedway | ||
| Course | Permanent racing facility | ||
| Course length | 4.28 km (2.66 miles) | ||
| Distance | 188 laps, 500.08 mi (804.8 km) | ||
| Scheduled distance | 188 laps, 500.08 mi (804.8 km) | ||
| Average speed | 159.318 miles per hour (256.397 km/h) | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Andy Petree Racing | ||
| Time | 48.819 | ||
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Mike Skinner | Richard Childress Racing | |
| Laps | 74 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | |
| 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 Winston 500 was the 29th stock car race of the 1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season, the last of five races of that year's Winston No Bull 5, and the 29th iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, October 11, 1998, in Lincoln, Alabama at Talladega Superspeedway, a 2.66 miles (4.28 km) permanent triangle-shaped superspeedway. The race took the scheduled 188 laps to complete. In the last 13 laps of the race, Robert Yates Racing driver Dale Jarrett would manage to defend the field to take his 18th career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory, his third and final victory of the season, and a US$1,000,000 (adjusted for inflation, US$1,929,155) bonus for claiming the Winston No Bull 5 bonus.[1][2] To fill out the top three, Jeff Gordon and Terry Labonte, both driving for Hendrick Motorsports, would finish second and third, respectively.
Entry list
Talladega Superspeedway, originally known as Alabama International Motor Superspeedway (AIMS), is a motorsports complex located north of Talladega, Alabama. It is located on the former Anniston Air Force Base in the small city of Lincoln. The track is a tri-oval and was constructed in the 1960s by the International Speedway Corporation, a business controlled by the France family. Talladega is most known for its steep banking and the unique location of the start/finish line that's located just past the exit to pit road. The track currently hosts the NASCAR series such as the NASCAR Cup Series, Xfinity Series and the Camping World Truck Series. Talladega is the longest NASCAR oval with a length of 2.66-mile-long (4.28 km) tri-oval like the Daytona International Speedway, which also is a 2.5-mile-long (4 km) tri-oval.
- (R) denotes rookie driver.
- (W) denotes driver in the Winston No Bull 5.
Practice
First practice
The first practice session was held on Friday, October 8, at 11:00 AM EST. The session would last for two hours and 30 minutes.[3] Bobby Labonte, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 48.920 and an average speed of 195.748 miles per hour (315.026 km/h).[4]
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 48.920 | 195.748 |
| 2 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 49.032 | 195.301 |
| 3 | 12 | Jeremy Mayfield (W) | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | 49.157 | 194.804 |
| Full first practice results | ||||||
Final practice
The final practice session, sometimes referred to as Happy Hour, was held on Saturday, October 9, after the preliminary 1998 Winn Dixie ARCA 300. The session would last for one hour.[3] Sterling Marlin, driving for Team SABCO, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 48.783 and an average speed of 196.298 miles per hour (315.911 km/h).[5]
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 48.783 | 196.298 |
| 2 | 9 | Jerry Nadeau (R) | Melling Racing | Ford | 48.942 | 195.660 |
| 3 | 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | 48.965 | 195.568 |
| Full Happy Hour practice results | ||||||
