The 1998 Pennsylvania 500 was the 18th stock car race of the 1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season and the 26th iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, July 26, 1998, in Long Pond, Pennsylvania, at Pocono Raceway, a 2.5 miles (4.0 km) triangular permanent course. The race took the scheduled 200 laps to complete. At race's end, Hendrick Motorsports driver Jeff Gordon would dominate the majority of the race to take his 34th career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his fifth victory of the season. To fill out the podium, Mark Martin and Jeff Burton, both drivers for Roush Racing, would finish second and third, respectively.

Background

The race was held at Pocono Raceway, which is a three-turn superspeedway located in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. Pocono Raceway is one of a very few NASCAR tracks not owned by either Speedway Motorsports or NASCAR. It is operated by the Igdalsky siblings Brandon, Nicholas, and sister Ashley, and cousins Joseph IV and Chase Mattioli, all of whom are third-generation members of the family-owned Mattco Inc, started by Joseph II and Rose Mattioli.

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 MotorsportsFord9Jerry Nadeau (R)Melling 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 RacingChevrolet35Jimmy HortonISM RacingPontiac36Ernie IrvanMB2 MotorsportsPontiac40Sterling MarlinTeam SABCOChevrolet41Steve GrissomLarry Hedrick MotorsportsChevrolet42Joe NemechekTeam SABCOChevrolet43John AndrettiPetty EnterprisesPontiac44Kyle PettyPetty EnterprisesPontiac46Jeff GreenTeam SABCOChevrolet50Ricky CravenHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet71Dave MarcisMarcis Auto RacingChevrolet75Rick MastButch Mock MotorsportsFord77Robert PressleyJasper MotorsportsFord78Gary BradberryTriad MotorsportsFord79Randy MacDonaldT.R.I.X. RacingChevrolet81Kenny WallaceFILMAR RacingFord88Dale JarrettRobert Yates RacingFord90Dick TrickleDonlavey RacingFord91Morgan ShepherdLJ RacingChevrolet94Bill ElliottElliott-Marino RacingFord96Hut StricklinAmerican Equipment RacingChevrolet97Chad LittleRoush RacingFord98Rich BickleCale Yarborough MotorsportsFord99Jeff BurtonRoush RacingFord

Practice

First practice The first practice session was held on Friday, July 24, at 10:35 AM EST. The session would last for one hour and 25 minutes. Ward Burton, driving for Bill Davis Racing, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 53.956 and an average speed of . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed122Ward BurtonBill Davis RacingPontiac53.956166.80926Mark MartinRoush RacingFord54.049166.516312Jeremy MayfieldPenske-Kranefuss RacingFord54.172166.137Full first practice results

Second practice The second practice session was held on Saturday, July 25, at 9:30 AM EST. The session would last for one hour and 30 minutes. Mark Martin, driving for Roush Racing, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 53.637 and an average speed of . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed16Mark MartinRoush RacingFord53.637167.79522Rusty WallacePenske-Kranefuss RacingFord53.699167.601310Ricky RuddRudd Performance MotorsportsFord53.704167.585Full second practice results

Final practice The final practice session, sometimes referred to as Happy Hour, was held on Saturday, July 25. The session would last for one hour. Jeff Gordon, driving for Hendrick Motorsports, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 54.285 and an average speed of . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed124Jeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet54.285165.792222Ward BurtonBill Davis RacingPontiac54.288165.78232Rusty WallacePenske-Kranefuss RacingFord54.316165.697Full Happy Hour practice results

Qualifying Qualifying was split into two rounds. The first round was held on Friday, July 24, at 3:00 PM EST. Each driver would have one lap to set a time. During the first round, the top 25 drivers in the round would be guaranteed a starting spot in the race. If a driver was not able to guarantee a spot in the first round, they had the option to scrub their time from the first round and try and run a faster lap time in a second round qualifying run, held on Saturday, July 25, at 11:30 AM EST. As with the first round, each driver would have one lap to set a time. On January 24, 1998, NASCAR would announce that the amount of provisionals given would be increased from last season. Positions 26-36 would be decided on time, while positions 37-43 would be based on provisionals. Six spots are awarded by the use of provisionals based on owner's points. The seventh is awarded to a past champion who has not otherwise qualified for the race. If no past champion needs the provisional, the next team in the owner points will be awarded a provisional.

Ward Burton, driving for Bill Davis Racing, would win the pole, setting a time of 53.316 and an average speed of .

Three drivers would fail to qualify: Randy MacDonald, Gary Bradberry, and Jimmy Horton.

Full qualifying results Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed122Ward BurtonBill Davis RacingPontiac53.316168.805224Jeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet53.492168.24932Rusty WallacePenske-Kranefuss RacingFord53.592167.936418Bobby LabonteJoe Gibbs RacingPontiac53.623167.838542Joe NemechekTeam SABCOChevrolet53.640167.78566Mark MartinRoush RacingFord53.668167.698791Morgan ShepherdLJ RacingChevrolet53.706167.579881Kenny WallaceFILMAR RacingFord53.763167.40193Dale EarnhardtRichard Childress RacingChevrolet53.790167.3171021Michael WaltripWood Brothers RacingFord53.814167.2431188Dale JarrettRobert Yates RacingFord53.816167.2371216Ted MusgraveRoush RacingFord53.861167.0971310Ricky RuddRudd Performance MotorsportsFord53.867167.0781428Kenny Irwin Jr. (R)Robert Yates RacingFord53.930166.8831546Jeff GreenTeam SABCOChevrolet53.932166.8771636Ernie IrvanMB2 MotorsportsPontiac53.942166.8461733Ken SchraderAndy Petree RacingChevrolet53.986166.7101843John AndrettiPetty EnterprisesPontiac53.990166.6981999Jeff BurtonRoush RacingFord54.010166.6362041Steve GrissomLarry Hedrick MotorsportsChevrolet54.038166.5492123Jimmy SpencerTravis Carter EnterprisesFord54.047166.522225Terry LabonteHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet54.053166.5032397Chad LittleRoush RacingFord54.080166.4202450Ricky CravenHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet54.084166.4082571Dave MarcisMarcis Auto RacingChevrolet54.111166.3252690Dick TrickleDonlavey RacingFord54.039166.546271Darrell WaltripDale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet54.112166.3222831Mike SkinnerRichard Childress RacingChevrolet54.129166.2692912Jeremy MayfieldPenske-Kranefuss RacingFord54.143166.2263075Rick MastButch Mock MotorsportsFord54.152166.1993140Sterling MarlinTeam SABCOChevrolet54.162166.1683296Hut StricklinAmerican Equipment RacingChevrolet54.173166.1343394Bill ElliottElliott-Marino RacingFord54.208166.027349Jerry Nadeau (R)Melling RacingFord54.229165.9633544Kyle PettyPetty EnterprisesPontiac54.286165.7893626Johnny Benson Jr.Roush RacingFord54.311165.712Provisionals374Bobby HamiltonMorgan–McClure MotorsportsChevrolet -* -*3811Brett BodineBrett Bodine RacingFord -* -*3977Robert PressleyJasper MotorsportsFord -* -*407Geoff BodineMattei MotorsportsFord -* -*4130Derrike CopeBahari RacingPontiac -* -*4213Wally Dallenbach Jr.Elliott-Marino RacingFord -* -*4398Rich BickleCale Yarborough MotorsportsFord -* -*Failed to qualify4479Randy MacDonaldT.R.I.X. RacingChevrolet55.252162.8904578Gary BradberryTriad MotorsportsFord54.913163.8964635Jimmy HortonISM RacingPontiac55.708161.557Official qualifying results *Time not available.

Race results FinSt#DriverTeamMakeLapsLedStatusPtsWinnings1224Jeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet200164running185$162,770266Mark MartinRoush RacingFord2002running175$89,22031999Jeff BurtonRoush RacingFord2001running170$73,1704418Bobby LabonteJoe Gibbs RacingPontiac2000running160$75,54551188Dale JarrettRobert Yates RacingFord2000running155$63,815632Rusty WallacePenske-Kranefuss RacingFord2003running155$49,990793Dale EarnhardtRichard Childress RacingChevrolet20014running151$49,89081733Ken SchraderAndy Petree RacingChevrolet2000running142$52,29091636Ernie IrvanMB2 MotorsportsPontiac2000running138$42,390101021Michael WaltripWood Brothers RacingFord2001running139$47,440113140Sterling MarlinTeam SABCOChevrolet2000running130$33,890121843John AndrettiPetty EnterprisesPontiac2000running127$44,74013271Darrell WaltripDale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet2000running124$30,89014407Geoff BodineMattei MotorsportsFord2000running121$39,090151216Ted MusgraveRoush RacingFord2000running118$39,015162397Chad LittleRoush RacingFord2000running115$29,66517542Joe NemechekTeam SABCOChevrolet2000running112$36,065182912Jeremy MayfieldPenske-Kranefuss RacingFord2000running109$35,765192123Jimmy SpencerTravis Carter EnterprisesFord1990running106$37,71520374Bobby HamiltonMorgan–McClure MotorsportsChevrolet1990running103$41,740213544Kyle PettyPetty EnterprisesPontiac1990running100$34,865221428Kenny Irwin Jr. (R)Robert Yates RacingFord1990running97$41,165234130Derrike CopeBahari RacingPontiac1990running94$34,340241546Jeff GreenTeam SABCOChevrolet1980running91$23,715254213Wally Dallenbach Jr.Elliott-Marino RacingFord1980running88$26,89026349Jerry Nadeau (R)Melling RacingFord1980running85$26,640273296Hut StricklinAmerican Equipment RacingChevrolet1980running82$26,890284398Rich BickleCale Yarborough MotorsportsFord1970running79$30,140292690Dick TrickleDonlavey RacingFord1960running76$33,465302831Mike SkinnerRichard Childress RacingChevrolet1950running73$25,81531225Terry LabonteHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet1920running70$38,685323977Robert PressleyJasper MotorsportsFord1800running67$25,015333626Johnny Benson Jr.Roush RacingFord1750running64$29,31534122Ward BurtonBill Davis RacingPontiac17115crash66$36,81535881Kenny WallaceFILMAR RacingFord1680valve58$21,490363394Bill ElliottElliott-Marino RacingFord1660crash55$28,390373075Rick MastButch Mock MotorsportsFord1650running52$21,300383811Brett BodineBrett Bodine RacingFord1530running49$28,150392041Steve GrissomLarry Hedrick MotorsportsChevrolet1510engine46$28,12540791Morgan ShepherdLJ RacingChevrolet1430rear end43$21,100412450Ricky CravenHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet1420running40$28,075421310Ricky RuddRudd Performance MotorsportsFord1360radiator37$37,450432571Dave MarcisMarcis Auto RacingChevrolet1100crash34$21,025Official race results

References