The 1998 Texas 500 was the seventh stock car race of the 1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season and the second iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, April 5, 1998, in Fort Worth, Texas at Texas Motor Speedway, a 1.5 miles (2.4 km) permanent tri-oval shaped racetrack. The race took the scheduled 334 laps to complete. In the closing laps of the race, Roush Racing driver Mark Martin would manage to fend off teammate Chad Little to take his 24th career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his second victory of the season. To fill out the podium, Little and Jasper Motorsports driver Robert Pressley would finish second and third, respectively.
Background
Texas Motor Speedway is a speedway located in the northernmost portion of Fort Worth, Texas. The track measures 1.5 miles (2.4 km) around and is banked 24 degrees in the turns, and is of the oval design, where the front straightaway juts outward slightly. The track is owned by Speedway Motorsports.
Entry list
(R) denotes rookie driver.
#DriverTeamMake1Darrell WaltripDale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet2Rusty WallacePenske-Kranefuss RacingFord3Dale EarnhardtRichard Childress RacingChevrolet4Bobby HamiltonMorgan–McClure MotorsportsChevrolet5Terry LabonteHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet6Mark MartinRoush RacingFord7Geoff BodineMattei MotorsportsFord8Hut StricklinStavola Brothers RacingChevrolet9Lake SpeedMelling RacingFord10Ricky RuddRudd Performance MotorsportsFord11Brett BodineBrett Bodine RacingFord12Jeremy MayfieldPenske-Kranefuss RacingFord13Jerry Nadeau (R)Elliott-Marino RacingFord16Ted MusgraveRoush RacingFord18Bobby LabonteJoe Gibbs RacingPontiac21Michael WaltripWood Brothers RacingFord22Ward BurtonBill Davis RacingPontiac23Jimmy SpencerHaas-Carter MotorsportsFord24Jeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet26Johnny Benson Jr.Roush RacingFord28Kenny Irwin Jr. (R)Robert Yates RacingFord30Derrike CopeBahari RacingPontiac31Mike SkinnerRichard Childress RacingChevrolet33Ken SchraderAndy Petree RacingChevrolet35Todd BodineISM RacingPontiac36Ernie IrvanMB2 MotorsportsPontiac40Sterling MarlinTeam SABCOChevrolet41Steve GrissomLarry Hedrick MotorsportsChevrolet42Joe NemechekTeam SABCOChevrolet43John AndrettiPetty EnterprisesPontiac44Kyle PettyPetty EnterprisesPontiac46Wally Dallenbach Jr.Team SABCOChevrolet47Billy StandridgeStandridge MotorsportsChevrolet50Randy LaJoieHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet71Dave MarcisMarcis Auto RacingChevrolet75Rick MastButch Mock MotorsportsFord77Robert PressleyJasper MotorsportsFord78Gary BradberryTriad MotorsportsFord81Kenny WallaceFILMAR RacingFord88Dale JarrettRobert Yates RacingFord90Dick TrickleDonlavey RacingFord91Kevin Lepage (R)LJ RacingChevrolet94Bill ElliottElliott-Marino RacingFord95Andy HillenburgSadler Brothers RacingChevrolet96David GreenAmerican Equipment RacingChevrolet97Chad LittleRoush RacingFord98Greg SacksCale Yarborough MotorsportsFord99Jeff BurtonRoush RacingFord
Practice Originally, four practice sessions were scheduled to be held, with two on Thursday, April 2, one on Friday, April 3, and one on Saturday, April 4. However, due to complaints about poor track conditions on Saturday that had occurred throughout pre-race, the final practice session was cancelled. Drivers had reported major bumps in the exit of turn 4, along with major seepage throughout the racetrack since the opening of the track in 1997.
First practice The first practice session was held on the afternoon of Thursday, April 2. Jeremy Mayfield, driving for Penske-Kranefuss Racing, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 29.652 and an average speed of . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed112Jeremy MayfieldPenske-Kranefuss RacingFord29.652182.113223Jimmy SpencerHaas-Carter MotorsportsFord29.708181.76936Mark MartinRoush RacingFord29.732181.622Full first practice results
Second practice The third practice session was held on the evening of Thursday, April 2. Jeremy Mayfield, driving for Penske-Kranefuss Racing, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 29.298 and an average speed of . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed112Jeremy MayfieldPenske-Kranefuss RacingFord29.298184.313243John AndrettiPetty EnterprisesPontiac29.439183.43036Mark MartinRoush RacingFord29.468183.250Full second practice results
Final practice The planned third, but eventual final practice session was held on the morning of Friday, April 3. Joe Nemechek, driving for Team SABCO, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 29.298 and an average speed of . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed142Joe NemechekTeam SABCOChevrolet29.183185.039288Dale JarrettRobert Yates RacingFord29.282184.41436Mark MartinRoush RacingFord29.310184.237Full Happy Hour practice results
Cancelled Happy Hour practice and complaints While a practice session was scheduled to be run on Saturday, April 4, numerous factors throughout the race weekend would eventually lead to the cancellation of the Happy Hour practice. Two major issues would plague the weekend; first, in response to the track surfacing issues in the 1997 race, turn four was repaved. However, the repavement would lead to a major bump on the exit of turn 4. Many drivers would complain to then-Texas Motor Speedway president Eddie Gossage about the bump, saying that the transition on the exit of turn 4 should be less severe. However, in response, Gossage would say that the turn was a unique corner of the speedway, comparing the turn to turn 4 at Darlington Raceway, saying "I understand where the Winston Cup drivers are coming from, but this is what we've got. A couple of drivers have said we need to move the wall in Turn 4. They've been saying that for 48 years at Darlington. Darlington should not move the wall back because that's what makes it quaint. Turn 4 is tricky. That's just the way it is.'' The second problem was water seepage problems in every turn but turn 2 due to heavy winter rains within the local area of the speedway, which would eventually lead to postponements of qualifying and practice sessions.
Driver reactions throughout the weekend were mostly negative of the track. Robert Yates Racing driver Dale Jarrett would call for multiple-groove racing, saying that "The biggest thing here is that we need more than the one groove we have, and it would make for better racing. Right now it's just going to be a follow-the-leader type deal. If a guy gets out on the outside, he's going to get passed by a lot of cars. Long-time driver Darrell Waltrip would report that while every racetrack had "something wrong with them", that Texas Motor Speedway was new and that "when you build a racetrack new, you're supposed to eliminate all that. There's no reason here not to do what needs to be done." Most drivers would report that they had felt that their cars had been too loose throughout the weekend, leading to a surplus of wrecks during practice and qualifying. Some drivers felt that the problems had been blown out of proportion, with Jeff Burton saying "It definitely has been blown out of proportion. There's too much fuss about it. What we need more than anything else is to work a second groove up higher. Once we do that, I think you will hear a lot fewer complaints."
Then-Texas Motor Speedway president Eddie Gossage would face harsh criticism for a lack of safety improvements since the inaugural race, the 1997 Interstate Batteries 500 and for trying to turn the complaints into a marketing scheme, with Gossage and Speedway Motorsports CEO Bruton Smith selling "Shut Up and Race" t-shirts at track souvenir stands for US$18 (adjusted for inflation$, ). In response, Gossage said that the new slogan for shirts would be to "Shut Up and Fix It" and that the track would look into fixing the bump in turn 4 along with fixing the turn 1 seepage issues.
Qualifying Qualifying was scheduled to be split into two rounds. Qualifying had run on Friday, April 3; however, after seven drivers made qualifying runs, due to complaints from drivers throughout race weekend, qualifying was eventually postponed to Saturday, April 4 with only one round. The seven drivers were forced to stand on their times on Friday.
The continuation of qualifying was held on Saturday, April 4, at 9:15 AM CST. Each driver would have one lap to set a time. Jeremy Mayfield, driving for Penske-Kranefuss Racing, would win the pole, setting a time of 29.047 and an average speed of .
During qualifying, numerous drivers would crash. Derrike Cope would suffer a crash in turn 4, causing him to miss a race and several broken ribs. Then, Lake Speed would crash also, but would make the race on a provisional.
Five drivers would fail to qualify: Todd Bodine, Jerry Nadeau, Andy Hillenburg, Billy Standridge, and Derrike Cope.
Full qualifying results Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed112Jeremy MayfieldPenske-Kranefuss RacingFord29.047185.906242Joe NemechekTeam SABCOChevrolet29.209184.875322Ward BurtonBill Davis RacingPontiac29.211184.862428Kenny Irwin Jr. (R)Robert Yates RacingFord29.249184.622597Chad LittleRoush RacingFord29.272184.47762Rusty WallacePenske-Kranefuss RacingFord29.296184.32676Mark MartinRoush RacingFord29.317184.193877Robert PressleyJasper MotorsportsFord29.318184.187996David GreenAmerican Equipment RacingChevrolet29.323184.1561078Gary BradberryTriad MotorsportsFord29.325184.1431118Bobby LabonteJoe Gibbs RacingPontiac29.350183.9861231Mike SkinnerRichard Childress RacingChevrolet29.378183.8111388Dale JarrettRobert Yates RacingFord29.384183.7731475Rick MastButch Mock MotorsportsFord29.395183.7051543John AndrettiPetty EnterprisesPontiac29.399183.6801691Kevin Lepage (R)LJ RacingChevrolet29.423183.5301724Jeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet29.450183.3621811Brett BodineBrett Bodine RacingFord29.456183.3241936Ernie IrvanMB2 MotorsportsPontiac29.478183.1872010Ricky RuddRudd Performance MotorsportsFord29.493183.0942140Sterling MarlinTeam SABCOChevrolet29.500183.0512246Wally Dallenbach Jr.Team SABCOChevrolet29.513182.9702399Jeff BurtonRoush RacingFord29.534182.8402450Randy LaJoieHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet29.534182.840254Bobby HamiltonMorgan–McClure MotorsportsChevrolet29.558182.6922644Kyle PettyPetty EnterprisesPontiac29.560182.6792726Johnny Benson Jr.Roush RacingFord29.571182.6112898Greg SacksCale Yarborough MotorsportsFord29.591182.488297Geoff BodineMattei MotorsportsFord29.602182.4203016Ted MusgraveRoush RacingFord29.616182.3343181Kenny WallaceFILMAR RacingFord29.684181.9163233Ken SchraderAndy Petree RacingChevrolet29.688181.892338Hut StricklinStavola Brothers RacingChevrolet29.700181.818343Dale EarnhardtRichard Childress RacingChevrolet29.718181.708351Darrell WaltripDale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet29.776181.3543671Dave MarcisMarcis Auto RacingChevrolet29.830181.026Provisionals375Terry LabonteHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet -* -*3894Bill ElliottElliott-Marino RacingFord -* -*3923Jimmy SpencerTravis Carter EnterprisesFord -* -*4021Michael WaltripWood Brothers RacingFord -* -*4190Dick TrickleDonlavey RacingFord -* -*4241Steve GrissomLarry Hedrick MotorsportsChevrolet -* -*439Lake SpeedMelling RacingFord -* -*Failed to qualify4435Todd BodineISM RacingPontiac29.962180.2284513Jerry Nadeau (R)Elliott-Marino RacingFord30.072179.5694695Andy HillenburgSadler Brothers RacingChevrolet30.416177.5384747Billy StandridgeStandridge MotorsportsChevrolet30.445177.3694830Derrike CopeBahari RacingPontiac - -Official qualifying results *Time not available.
Race results