The 1988 Daytona 500 was the first stock car race of the 1988 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season and the 30th iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, February 14, 1988, before an audience of 135,000 in Daytona Beach, Florida at Daytona International Speedway, a 2.5 miles (4.0 km) permanent triangular-shaped superspeedway. The race took the scheduled 200 laps to complete. In the final laps of the race, Stavola Brothers Racing's Bobby Allison managed to fend off his son, Ranier-Lundy Racing's Davey Allison to the finish to take his 85th and final career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory, his only victory of the season, and his third Daytona 500 victory. Jackson Bros. Motorsports' Phil Parsons rounded out the top three.
Background
Daytona International Speedway is one of three superspeedways to hold NASCAR races, the other two being Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway. The standard track at Daytona International Speedway is a four-turn superspeedway that is 2.5 miles (4.0 km) long. The track's turns are banked at 31 degrees, while the front stretch, the location of the finish line, is banked at 18 degrees.
Entry list
(R) denotes rookie driver.
#DriverTeamMakeSponsor0Rodney CombsInglass RacingOldsmobileInglass Racing0Delma CowartH. L. Waters RacingOldsmobileHeyward Grooms Construction1Dale JarrettEllington RacingBuickPort-A-Lube01Mickey GibbsGibbs RacingFordGibbs–West Tractor2Ernie Irvan (R)U.S. RacingChevroletKroger, Pepsi02Joe BooherBooher RacingPontiacBooher Racing3Dale EarnhardtRichard Childress RacingChevroletGM Goodwrench03Dave Pletcher Sr.Weaver RacingFordJ. C. Weaver4Rick WilsonMorgan–McClure MotorsportsOldsmobileKodak5Geoff BodineHendrick MotorsportsChevroletLevi Garrett6Mark MartinRoush RacingFordStroh's Light7Alan KulwickiAK RacingFordZerex07Larry MoyerStark RacingPontiacJust Say No!, Hooters8Bobby Hillin Jr.Stavola Brothers RacingBuickMiller High Life9Bill ElliottMelling RacingFordCoors Brewing Company10Ken Bouchard (R)Whitcomb RacingFordWhitcomb Racing11Terry LabonteJunior Johnson & AssociatesChevroletBudweiser12Bobby AllisonStavola Brothers RacingBuickMiller High Life14A. J. FoytA. J. Foyt RacingOldsmobileCopenhagen15Brett BodineBud Moore EngineeringFordCrisco17Darrell WaltripHendrick MotorsportsChevroletTide18Sarel van der MerweHendrick MotorsportsChevroletSuperflo21Kyle PettyWood Brothers RacingFordCitgo22Steve MooreHamby RacingChevroletHamby Racing23Eddie BierschwaleB&B RacingChevroletWayne Paging24Bobby CoyleGray RacingChevroletGray Racing25Ken SchraderHendrick MotorsportsChevroletFolgers26Ricky RuddKing RacingBuickQuaker State27Rusty WallaceBlue Max RacingPontiacKodiak28Davey AllisonRanier-Lundy RacingFordTexaco, Havoline29Cale YarboroughCale Yarborough MotorsportsOldsmobileHardee's30Michael WaltripBahari RacingPontiacCountry Time31Brad TeagueBob Clark MotorsportsOldsmobileSlender You Figure Salons33Harry GantMach 1 RacingChevroletSkoal Bandit34Donnie AllisonAAG RacingOldsmobileAllen's Associated Glass39Blackie WangerinWangerin RacingFordWangerin Racing43Richard PettyPetty EnterprisesPontiacSTP44Sterling MarlinHagan RacingOldsmobilePiedmont Airlines48Tony SpanosHylton MotorsportsChevroletHylton Motorsports49Mike PorterHylton MotorsportsChevroletHylton Motorsports50Greg SacksDingman Brothers RacingPontiacDingman Brothers Racing52Jimmy MeansJimmy Means RacingChevroletEureka54Ronnie SandersGray RacingChevroletPhoenix Construction55Phil ParsonsJackson Bros. MotorsportsOldsmobileSkoal, Crown Central Petroleum56Joey SonntagSonntag RacingChevroletSonntag Racing57Bobby WawakWawak RacingChevroletNelson Contracting59Mark GibsonGibson RacingPontiacGibson Racing63Jocko MaggiacomoLinro MotorsportsChevroletLinro Motorsports64Mike PotterPotter RacingChevroletEagle Engines67Buddy ArringtonArrington RacingFordPannill Sweatshirts68Derrike CopeTesta RacingFordPurolator70J. D. McDuffieMcDuffie RacingPontiacRumple Furniture71Dave MarcisMarcis Auto RacingChevroletLifebuoy72Charlie RudolphRudolph RacingPontiacRudolph Racing73Phil BarkdollBarkdoll RacingFordHelen Rae Special74John LinvilleWawak RacingChevroletNelson Contracting75Neil BonnettRahMoc EnterprisesPontiacValvoline77Ken RaganRagan RacingFordBob Beard Ford80Jimmy Horton (R)S&H RacingFordS&H Racing82Mark StahlStahl RacingFordAuto Bell Car Wash83Lake SpeedSpeed RacingOldsmobileWynn's, Kmart85Bobby GerhartBobby Gerhart RacingChevroletJ. Omar Landis Enterprises86Rick JeffreyJeffrey RacingChevroletSlenderizers88Buddy BakerBaker–Schiff RacingOldsmobileRed Baron Frozen Pizza89Jim SauterMueller Brothers RacingPontiacEvinrude Outboard Motors90Benny ParsonsDonlavey RacingFordBull's-Eye Barbecue Sauce92Ralph JonesLC RacingFordLC Racing95Trevor BoysSadler Brothers RacingChevroletSadler Brothers Racing97Morgan ShepherdWinkle MotorsportsBuickAC Spark Plug98Ed PimmCurb RacingBuickSunoco99Connie SaylorBall MotorsportsChevroletBall Motorsports
Qualifying Qualifying was set by the 1988 Twin 125 Qualifiers. The top two positions were set by qualifying speeds held for the Twin 125 Qualifiers held on Saturday, February 6, with the top two qualifiers in the session earning the top two positions for the Daytona 500. The rest of the starting was set in the Twin 125 Qualifiers, held on Thursday, February 11, during two races. The top 14 finishers in the first race, excluding the pole position winner, set the inside row from rows two to 15, and the top 14 finishers in the second race, excluding the outside pole position winner, set the outside row from rows two to 15. The remaining non-qualifiers set positions 31-40 based on qualifying speeds from the first qualifying session held on Saturday. If needed, up to two extra provisionals were given to teams high enough in the previous season's owner's standings that did not qualify for the race by either qualifying speed or from the Twin 125 Qualifiers.
Ken Schrader, driving for Hendrick Motorsports, managed to win the pole, setting a time of 46.434 and an average speed of in Saturday's session.
27 drivers failed to qualify.
Full qualifying results Pos.#DriverTeamMakeReason125Ken SchraderHendrick MotorsportsChevroletQualified on pole228Davey AllisonRanier-Lundy RacingFordQualified on outside pole312Bobby AllisonStavola Brothers RacingBuickFirst in Twin 125 #1417Darrell WaltripHendrick MotorsportsChevroletFirst in Twin 125 #2527Rusty WallaceBlue Max RacingPontiacSecond in Twin 125 #163Dale EarnhardtRichard Childress RacingChevroletSecond in Twin 125 #2750Greg SacksDingman Brothers RacingPontiacFourth in Twin 125 #1811Terry LabonteJunior Johnson & AssociatesChevroletFourth in Twin 125 #298Bobby Hillin Jr.Stavola Brothers RacingBuickFifth in Twin 125 #11083Lake SpeedSpeed RacingOldsmobileFifth in Twin 125 #21197Morgan ShepherdWinkle MotorsportsBuickSixth in Twin 125 #11244Sterling MarlinHagan RacingOldsmobileSixth in Twin 125 #2134Rick WilsonMorgan–McClure MotorsportsOldsmobileSeventh in Twin 125 #11475Neil BonnettRahMoc EnterprisesPontiacSeventh in Twin 125 #2155Geoff BodineHendrick MotorsportsChevroletEighth in Twin 125 #1167Alan KulwickiAK RacingFordEighth in Twin 125 #21714A. J. FoytA. J. Foyt RacingOldsmobileNinth in Twin 125 #11888Buddy BakerBaker–Schiff RacingOldsmobileNinth in Twin 125 #21955Phil ParsonsJackson Bros. MotorsportsOldsmobileTenth in Twin 125 #12033Harry GantMach 1 RacingChevroletTenth in Twin 125 #22121Kyle PettyWood Brothers RacingFord11th in Twin 125 #12268Derrike CopeTesta RacingFord11th in Twin 125 #22323Eddie BierschwaleB&B RacingOldsmobile12th in Twin 125 #12489Michael WaltripMueller Brothers RacingPontiac12th in Twin 125 #22573Phil BarkdollBarkdoll RacingFord13th in Twin 125 #12686Rick JeffreyJeffrey RacingChevrolet13th in Twin 125 #22726Ricky RuddKing RacingBuick14th in Twin 125 #12895Trevor BoysSadler Brothers RacingChevrolet14th in Twin 125 #22971Dave MarcisMarcis Auto RacingChevrolet15th in Twin 125 #13099Connie SaylorBall MotorsportsChevrolet15th in Twin 125 #2319Bill ElliottMelling RacingFordSpeed provisional (192.234)3229Cale YarboroughCale Yarborough MotorsportsOldsmobileSpeed provisional (189.701)3331Brad TeagueBob Clark MotorsportsOldsmobileSpeed provisional (189.390)3443Richard PettyPetty EnterprisesPontiacSpeed provisional (187.931)3522Steve MooreHamby RacingChevroletSpeed provisional (187.825)361Dale JarrettEllington RacingBuickSpeed provisional (187.739)3752Jimmy MeansJimmy Means RacingChevroletSpeed provisional (188.454)386Mark MartinRoush RacingFordSpeed provisional (188.107)3992Ralph JonesLC RacingFordSpeed provisional (187.837)4098Ed PimmCurb RacingBuickSpeed provisional (187.656)4115Brett BodineBud Moore EngineeringFordOwner's points provisional4290Benny ParsonsDonlavey RacingFordOwner's points provisionalFailed to qualify or withdrew4367Buddy ArringtonArrington RacingFord19th in Duel #14456Joey SonntagSonntag RacingChevrolet16th in Duel #24501Mickey GibbsGibbs RacingFord20th in Duel #14630Michael WaltripBahari RacingPontiac17th in Duel #24734Donnie AllisonAAG RacingOldsmobile21st in Duel #14810Ken Bouchard (R)Whitcomb RacingFord18th in Duel #24963Jocko MaggiacomoLinro MotorsportsChevrolet22nd in Duel #15039Blackie WangerinWangerin RacingFord19th in Duel #25124Bobby CoyleGray RacingChevrolet23rd in Duel #15207Larry MoyerStark RacingPontiac20th in Duel #25348Tony SpanosHylton MotorsportsBuick25th in Duel #15402Joe BooherBooher RacingPontiac21st in Duel #25564Mike PotterPotter RacingChevrolet26th in Duel #15618Sarel van der MerweHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet25th in Duel #25782Mark StahlStahl RacingFord27th in Duel #15854Ronnie SandersGray RacingChevrolet26th in Duel #2592Ernie Irvan (R)U.S. RacingChevrolet28th in Duel #16077Ken RaganRagan RacingFord27th in Duel #26180Jimmy Horton (R)S&H RacingFord29th in Duel #16270J. D. McDuffieMcDuffie RacingPontiac31st in Duel #26374John LinvilleWawak RacingChevrolet31st in Duel #1640Delma CowartH. L. Waters RacingOldsmobile32nd in Duel #26559Mark GibsonGibson RacingPontiac32nd in Duel #16685Bobby GerhartBobby Gerhart RacingChevrolet33rd in Duel #26749Mike PorterHylton MotorsportsChevrolet33rd in Duel #16803Dave Pletcher Sr.Weaver RacingFord34th in Duel #16957Bobby WawakWawak RacingChevrolet35th in Duel #1WD0Rodney CombsInglass RacingOldsmobileLack of backup carWD72Charlie RudolphRudolph RacingPontiacLack of backup carOfficial Twin 125 Qualifiers resultsOfficial starting lineup
Race results