The 1988 Miller High Life 500 was the 13th stock car race of the 1988 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season and the seventh iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, June 19, 1988, before an audience of 96,000 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 Geoff Bodine would manage to run the final 42 laps of the race on one tank of fuel to take his sixth career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his only victory of the season. To fill out the top three, Bahari Racing driver Michael Waltrip and Blue Max Racing driver Rusty Wallace would finish second and third, respectively.

On the first lap of the race, a crash involving Stavola Brothers Racing driver Bobby Allison and Linro Motorsports driver Jocko Maggiacomo would occur in the second turn of the speedway. Allison, who had cut a tire before the start of the race, would spin in the second turn while trying to nurse his car to pit road. Maggiacomo, who had started behind Allison, was unable to avoid the spinning Allison and t-boned Allison's car on the driver's side. As a result, Allison would suffer a broken left leg and a cerebral concussion. Allison would eventually recover from his physical injuries, but was left with amnesia after the incident. Maggiacomo, who suffered a fractured left ankle, would retire after the 1988 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season after suffering from PTSD from hitting Allison.

Background

The race was held at Pocono International Raceway, which is a three-turn superspeedway located in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. The track hosts two annual NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races, as well as one Xfinity Series and Camping World Truck Series event. Until 2019, the track also hosted an IndyCar Series race.

Pocono International Raceway is one of a very few NASCAR tracks not owned by either Speedway Motorsports, Inc. or International Speedway Corporation. 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.

Outside of the NASCAR races, the track is used throughout the year by the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) and motorcycle clubs as well as racing schools and an IndyCar race. The triangular oval also has three separate infield sections of racetrack – North Course, East Course and South Course. Each of these infield sections use a separate portion of the tri-oval to complete the track. During regular non-race weekends, multiple clubs can use the track by running on different infield sections. Also some of the infield sections can be run in either direction, or multiple infield sections can be put together – such as running the North Course and the South Course and using the tri-oval to connect the two.

Entry list

(R) denotes rookie driver.

#DriverTeamMakeSponsor2Ernie Irvan (R)U.S. RacingChevroletKroger3Dale EarnhardtRichard Childress RacingChevroletGM Goodwrench Service4Rick WilsonMorgan–McClure MotorsportsOldsmobileKodak5Geoff BodineHendrick MotorsportsChevroletLevi Garrett6Mark MartinRoush RacingFordStroh Light7Alan KulwickiAK RacingFordZerex8Bobby Hillin Jr.Stavola Brothers RacingBuickMiller High Life9Bill ElliottMelling RacingFordCoors Light10Ken Bouchard (R)Whitcomb RacingFordWhitcomb Racing11Terry LabonteJunior Johnson & AssociatesChevroletBudweiser12Bobby AllisonStavola Brothers RacingBuickMiller High Life15Brett BodineBud Moore EngineeringFordCrisco16Bob SchachtChilson RacingFordEd Learn Ford17Darrell WaltripHendrick MotorsportsChevroletTide21Kyle PettyWood Brothers RacingFordCitgo22Steve MooreHamby RacingChevroletHamby Racing23Eddie BierschwaleB&B RacingOldsmobileWayne Paging25Ken SchraderHendrick MotorsportsChevroletFolgers26Ricky RuddKing RacingBuickQuaker State27Rusty WallaceBlue Max RacingPontiacKodiak28Davey AllisonRanier-Lundy RacingFordHavoline29Dale JarrettCale Yarborough MotorsportsOldsmobileHardee's30Michael WaltripBahari RacingPontiacCountry Time31Joe RuttmanBob Clark MotorsportsOldsmobileSlender You Figure Salons33Morgan ShepherdMach 1 RacingChevroletSkoal Bandit43Richard PettyPetty EnterprisesPontiacSTP44Sterling MarlinHagan RacingOldsmobilePiedmont Airlines52Jimmy MeansJimmy Means RacingPontiacEureka55Phil ParsonsJackson Bros. MotorsportsOldsmobileCrown, Skoal Classic63Jocko MaggiacomoLinro MotorsportsChevroletLinro Motorsports64Mike PotterPotter RacingChevroletBullfrog Knits67Buddy ArringtonArrington RacingFordPannill Sweatshirts68Derrike CopeTesta RacingFordPurolator Filters70J. D. McDuffieMcDuffie RacingPontiacRumple Furniture71Dave MarcisMarcis Auto RacingChevroletLifebuoy75Neil BonnettRahMoc EnterprisesPontiacValvoline80Jimmy Horton (R)S&H RacingFordS&H Racing83Lake SpeedSpeed RacingOldsmobileWynn's, Kmart85Bobby GerhartBobby Gerhart RacingChevroletJames Chevrolet88Buddy BakerBaker-Schiff RacingOldsmobileRed Baron Frozen Pizza90Benny ParsonsDonlavey RacingFordBull's-Eye Barbecue Sauce97Rodney CombsWinkle MotorsportsBuickAC Spark Plug98Brad Noffsinger (R)Curb RacingBuickSunoco

Qualifying Qualifying was split into two rounds. The first round was held on Friday, June 17, at 3:00p.m. EST. Each driver would have one lap to set a time. During the first round, the top 15 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, June 18, at 10:30a.m. EST. As with the first round, each driver would have one lap to set a time. For this specific race, positions 16-40 would be decided on time, and depending on who needed it, a select amount of positions were given to cars who had not otherwise qualified but were high enough in owner's points; up to two provisionals were given.

Alan Kulwicki, driving for his own AK Racing team, would win the pole, setting a time of 56.673 and an average speed of in the first round.

Three drivers would fail to qualify.

Full qualifying results Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed17Alan KulwickiAK RacingFord56.673158.806225Ken SchraderHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet56.870158.25635Geoff BodineHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet56.908158.15049Bill ElliottMelling RacingFord57.344156.948511Terry LabonteJunior Johnson & AssociatesChevrolet57.376156.860628Davey AllisonRanier-Lundy RacingFord57.626156.180775Neil BonnettRahMoc EnterprisesPontiac57.654156.10484Rick WilsonMorgan–McClure MotorsportsOldsmobile57.695155.993917Darrell WaltripHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet57.711155.9491026Ricky RuddKing RacingBuick57.735155.8851155Phil ParsonsJackson Bros. MotorsportsOldsmobile57.737155.8791283Lake SpeedSpeed RacingOldsmobile57.816155.6661343Richard PettyPetty EnterprisesPontiac57.835155.6151421Kyle PettyWood Brothers RacingFord57.905155.427156Mark MartinRoush RacingFord57.933155.352Failed to lock in Round 11615Brett BodineBud Moore EngineeringFord57.688156.0121727Rusty WallaceBlue Max RacingPontiac57.984155.215183Dale EarnhardtRichard Childress RacingChevrolet57.990155.1991933Morgan ShepherdMach 1 RacingChevrolet58.040155.0652029Dale JarrettCale Yarborough MotorsportsOldsmobile58.063155.0042144Sterling MarlinHagan RacingOldsmobile58.177154.700228Bobby Hillin Jr.Stavola Brothers RacingBuick58.211154.6102390Benny ParsonsDonlavey RacingFord58.303154.366242Ernie Irvan (R)U.S. RacingChevrolet58.457153.9592588Buddy BakerBaker–Schiff RacingOldsmobile58.535153.7542697Rodney CombsWinkle MotorsportsBuick58.623153.5232731Joe RuttmanBob Clark MotorsportsOldsmobile58.624153.5212812Bobby AllisonStavola Brothers RacingBuick58.663153.4192910Ken Bouchard (R)Whitcomb RacingFord58.668153.4063030Michael WaltripBahari RacingPontiac58.693153.3403198Brad Noffsinger (R)Curb RacingBuick58.704153.3123280Jimmy Horton (R)S&H RacingFord58.752153.1863371Dave MarcisMarcis Auto RacingChevrolet58.930152.7243468Derrike CopeTesta RacingFord59.033152.4573523Eddie BierschwaleB&B RacingOldsmobile59.171152.1023652Jimmy MeansJimmy Means RacingPontiac59.185152.0663716Bob SchachtChilson RacingFord59.588151.0373863Jocko MaggiacomoLinro MotorsportsChevrolet59.620150.9563967Buddy ArringtonArrington RacingFord59.666150.8404085Bobby GerhartBobby Gerhart RacingChevrolet1:00.140149.651Failed to qualify4170J. D. McDuffieMcDuffie RacingPontiac -* -*4264Mike PotterPotter RacingChevrolet -* -*4322Steve MooreHamby RacingChevrolet -* -*Official first round qualifying resultsOfficial starting lineup

Race results FinSt#DriverTeamMakeLapsLedStatusPtsWinnings135Geoff BodineHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet20090running185$51,20023030Michael WaltripBahari RacingPontiac2001running175$31,10031727Rusty WallaceBlue Max RacingPontiac20023running170$26,5004156Mark MartinRoush RacingFord2006running165$15,0805628Davey AllisonRanier-Lundy RacingFord2000running155$20,9256917Darrell WaltripHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet2000running150$13,62572588Buddy BakerBaker–Schiff RacingOldsmobile2000running146$11,60081155Phil ParsonsJackson Bros. MotorsportsOldsmobile2003running147$9,7009225Ken SchraderHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet20068running143$13,4801049Bill ElliottMelling RacingFord2000running134$15,46011775Neil BonnettRahMoc EnterprisesPontiac1990running130$11,490121421Kyle PettyWood Brothers RacingFord1990running127$11,270132029Dale JarrettCale Yarborough MotorsportsOldsmobile1990running124$5,950142910Ken Bouchard (R)Whitcomb RacingFord1990running121$4,55015228Bobby Hillin Jr.Stavola Brothers RacingBuick1990running118$7,875161933Morgan ShepherdMach 1 RacingChevrolet1980running115$7,060172731Joe RuttmanBob Clark MotorsportsOldsmobile1970running112$4,655183280Jimmy Horton (R)S&H RacingFord1960running109$3,500193198Brad Noffsinger (R)Curb RacingBuick1960running106$3,115203652Jimmy MeansJimmy Means RacingPontiac1940running103$6,635213967Buddy ArringtonArrington RacingFord1920running0$4,880224085Bobby GerhartBobby Gerhart RacingChevrolet1900running97$2,775231283Lake SpeedSpeed RacingOldsmobile1870running94$3,670243468Derrike CopeTesta RacingFord1870running91$6,1902584Rick WilsonMorgan–McClure MotorsportsOldsmobile1480running88$3,510261343Richard PettyPetty EnterprisesPontiac1479crash90$5,2552717Alan KulwickiAK RacingFord1270engine82$7,650282144Sterling MarlinHagan RacingOldsmobile1180engine79$5,070293523Eddie BierschwaleB&B RacingOldsmobile1110camshaft76$2,340301026Ricky RuddKing RacingBuick1050engine73$4,935312390Benny ParsonsDonlavey RacingFord1000crash70$4,85532511Terry LabonteJunior Johnson & AssociatesChevrolet980engine67$9,17533183Dale EarnhardtRichard Childress RacingChevrolet930engine64$13,045342697Rodney CombsWinkle MotorsportsBuick540engine61$2,030351615Brett BodineBud Moore EngineeringFord270engine58$12,075363716Bob SchachtChilson RacingFord220engine55$1,92037242Ernie Irvan (R)U.S. RacingChevrolet120crash52$1,865383371Dave MarcisMarcis Auto RacingChevrolet110engine49$4,435392812Bobby AllisonStavola Brothers RacingBuick00crash46$9,805403863Jocko MaggiacomoLinro MotorsportsChevrolet00crash43$1,750Failed to qualify4170J. D. McDuffieMcDuffie RacingPontiac4264Mike PotterPotter RacingChevrolet4322Steve MooreHamby RacingChevroletOfficial race results

Standings after the race

Drivers' Championship standings Pos Driver Points 1 Rusty Wallace 1,960 2 Dale Earnhardt 1,850 (-110) 1 3 Bill Elliott 1,820 (-140) 1 4 Terry Labonte 1,769 (–191) 5 Sterling Marlin 1,756 (–204) 1 6 Ken Schrader 1,674 (–286) 2 7 Geoff Bodine 1,659 (–301) 2 8 Bobby Allison 1,654 (–306) 1 9 Phil Parsons 1,616 (–344) 2 10 Bobby Hillin Jr. 1,596 (–364)Official driver's standings Note: Only the first 10 positions are included for the driver standings.

References