# 1998 NAPA Autocare 500

The 1998 NAPA Autocare 500 was the 27th stock car race of the 1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season and the 50th iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, September 27, 1998, in Martinsville, Virginia at Martinsville Speedway, a 0.526 miles (0.847 km) permanent oval-shaped short track. The race took the scheduled 500 laps to complete. Battling immense heat, Rudd Performance Motorsports driver Ricky Rudd would manage to dominate the late stages of the race to take his 20th career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his only victory of the season. To fill out the podium, Hendrick Motorsports driver Jeff Gordon and Roush Racing driver Mark Martin would finish second and third, respectively.

## Background

Martinsville Speedway is a NASCAR-owned stock car racing track located in Henry County, in Ridgeway, Virginia, just to the south of Martinsville. At 0.526 miles (0.847 km) in length, it is the shortest track in the NASCAR Cup Series. The track was also one of the first paved oval tracks in NASCAR, being built in 1947 by H. Clay Earles. It is also the only remaining race track that has been on the NASCAR circuit from its beginning in 1948.

### Entry list

* (R) denotes rookie driver.
| # | Driver | Team | Make | Sponsor |
| 1 | Steve Park (R) | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | Pennzoil |
| 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | Miller Lite |
| 3 | Dale Earnhardt | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | GM Goodwrench Service Plus |
| 4 | Bobby Hamilton | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | Kodak |
| 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | Kellogg's Frosted Flakes |
| 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | Valvoline |
| 7 | Geoff Bodine | Mattei Motorsports | Ford | Philips |
| 9 | Jerry Nadeau (R) | Melling Racing | Ford | Cartoon Network, Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island |
| 10 | Ricky Rudd | Rudd Performance Motorsports | Ford | Tide |
| 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | Paychex |
| 12 | Jeremy Mayfield | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | Mobil 1 |
| 13 | Dennis Setzer | Elliott-Marino Racing | Ford | FirstPlus Financial Group |
| 16 | Kevin Lepage (R) | Roush Racing | Ford | PrimeStar |
| 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | Interstate Batteries |
| 21 | Michael Waltrip | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | Citgo |
| 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Pontiac | MBNA |
| 23 | Jimmy Spencer | Travis Carter Enterprises | Ford | Winston No Bull |
| 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | DuPont |
| 26 | Johnny Benson Jr. | Roush Racing | Ford | Cheerios, Pop Secret |
| 28 | Kenny Irwin Jr. (R) | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | Texaco, Havoline |
| 30 | Derrike Cope | Bahari Racing | Pontiac | Gumout |
| 31 | Mike Skinner | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | Lowe's |
| 33 | Ken Schrader | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | Skoal |
| 35 | Darrell Waltrip | Tyler Jet Motorsports | Pontiac | Tabasco |
| 36 | Ernie Irvan | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | Skittles |
| 40 | Sterling Marlin | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | Coors Light |
| 41 | David Green | Larry Hedrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | Kodiak |
| 42 | Joe Nemechek | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | BellSouth |
| 43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | STP |
| 44 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | Hot Wheels |
| 46 | Jeff Green | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | The Money Store |
| 50 | Wally Dallenbach Jr. | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | Budweiser |
| 71 | Dave Marcis | Marcis Auto Racing | Chevrolet | Team Realtree Camouflage |
| 75 | Rick Mast | Butch Mock Motorsports | Ford | Remington Arms |
| 77 | Ted Musgrave | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | Jasper Engines & Transmissions |
| 78 | Gary Bradberry | Triad Motorsports | Ford | Pilot Travel Centers |
| 79 | Ken Bouchard | T.R.I.X. Racing | Chevrolet | T.R.I.X. Racing |
| 81 | Kenny Wallace | FILMAR Racing | Ford | Square D |
| 85 | Randy MacDonald | Mansion Motorsports | Ford | Mansion Motorsports |
| 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | Quality Care Service, Ford Credit |
| 90 | Dick Trickle | Donlavey Racing | Ford | Heilig-Meyers |
| 91 | Todd Bodine | LJ Racing | Chevrolet | Larry's Homes |
| 94 | Bill Elliott | Elliott-Marino Racing | Ford | Get Back with Big Mac |
| 96 | Mike Bliss | American Equipment Racing | Chevrolet | Caterpillar |
| 97 | Chad Little | Roush Racing | Ford | John Deere |
| 98 | Rich Bickle | Cale Yarborough Motorsports | Ford | Thorn Apple Valley |
| 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | Exide Batteries |

## Practice
### First practice

The first practice session was held on Friday, September 25, at 11:00 AM EST. Jeff Burton, driving for Roush Racing, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 20.239 and an average speed of 93.562 miles per hour (150.573 km/h).
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | 20.239 | 93.562 |
| 2 | 36 | Ernie Irvan | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 20.264 | 93.447 |
| 3 | 44 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 20.290 | 93.327 |
| Full first practice results |||||||

### Final practice

The final practice session, sometimes referred to as Happy Hour, was held on Saturday, September 26, after the preliminary 1998 NAPA 250. Mark Martin, driving for Roush Racing, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 20.561 and an average speed of 92.097 miles per hour (148.216 km/h).
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 20.561 | 92.097 |
| 2 | 43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 20.578 | 92.021 |
| 3 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | 20.581 | 92.007 |
| Full Happy Hour practice results |||||||

## Qualifying

Qualifying was split into two rounds. The first round was held on Friday, September 25, 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, September 26, at 11:45 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.
Ernie Irvan, driving for MB2 Motorsports, would win the pole, setting a time of 20.229 and an average speed of 93.608 miles per hour (150.647 km/h).
Four drivers would fail to qualify: David Green, Gary Bradberry, Ken Bouchard, and Randy MacDonald.

### Full qualifying results

| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 36 | Ernie Irvan | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 20.229 | 93.608 |
| 2 | 10 | Ricky Rudd | Rudd Performance Motorsports | Ford | 20.236 | 93.576 |
| 3 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 20.250 | 93.511 |
| 4 | 98 | Rich Bickle | Cale Yarborough Motorsports | Ford | 20.260 | 93.465 |
| 5 | 50 | Wally Dallenbach Jr. | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 20.288 | 93.336 |
| 6 | 46 | Jeff Green | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 20.289 | 93.331 |
| 7 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 20.299 | 93.285 |
| 8 | 43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 20.312 | 93.226 |
| 9 | 77 | Ted Musgrave | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | 20.344 | 93.079 |
| 10 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 20.360 | 93.006 |
| 11 | 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | 20.362 | 92.997 |
| 12 | 91 | Todd Bodine | LJ Racing | Chevrolet | 20.370 | 92.960 |
| 13 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 20.377 | 92.928 |
| 14 | 13 | Dennis Setzer | Elliott-Marino Racing | Ford | 20.383 | 92.901 |
| 15 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Pontiac | 20.384 | 92.896 |
| 16 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | 20.407 | 92.792 |
| 17 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | 20.417 | 92.746 |
| 18 | 33 | Ken Schrader | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 20.426 | 92.705 |
| 19 | 4 | Bobby Hamilton | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | 20.428 | 92.696 |
| 20 | 94 | Bill Elliott | Elliott-Marino Racing | Ford | 20.431 | 92.683 |
| 21 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 20.433 | 92.674 |
| 22 | 42 | Joe Nemechek | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 20.433 | 92.674 |
| 23 | 31 | Mike Skinner | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 20.439 | 92.646 |
| 24 | 26 | Johnny Benson Jr. | Roush Racing | Ford | 20.446 | 92.615 |
| 25 | 96 | Mike Bliss | American Equipment Racing | Chevrolet | 20.452 | 92.588 |
| 26 | 81 | Kenny Wallace | FILMAR Racing | Ford | 20.437 | 92.655 |
| 27 | 21 | Michael Waltrip | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 20.466 | 92.524 |
| 28 | 7 | Geoff Bodine | Mattei Motorsports | Ford | 20.469 | 92.511 |
| 29 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 20.472 | 92.497 |
| 30 | 35 | Darrell Waltrip | Tyler Jet Motorsports | Pontiac | 20.491 | 92.411 |
| 31 | 97 | Chad Little | Roush Racing | Ford | 20.495 | 92.393 |
| 32 | 12 | Jeremy Mayfield | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | 20.516 | 92.299 |
| 33 | 3 | Dale Earnhardt | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 20.525 | 92.258 |
| 34 | 90 | Dick Trickle | Donlavey Racing | Ford | 20.538 | 92.200 |
| 35 | 16 | Kevin Lepage (R) | Roush Racing | Ford | 20.541 | 92.186 |
| 36 | 44 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 20.554 | 92.128 |
| Provisionals |||||||
| 37 | 23 | Jimmy Spencer | Travis Carter Enterprises | Ford | -* | -* |
| 38 | 1 | Steve Park (R) | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | -* | -* |
| 39 | 28 | Kenny Irwin Jr. (R) | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | -* | -* |
| 40 | 9 | Jerry Nadeau (R) | Melling Racing | Ford | -* | -* |
| 41 | 75 | Rick Mast | Butch Mock Motorsports | Ford | -* | -* |
| 42 | 30 | Derrike Cope | Bahari Racing | Pontiac | -* | -* |
| 43 | 71 | Dave Marcis | Marcis Auto Racing | Chevrolet | -* | -* |
| Failed to qualify |||||||
| 44 | 41 | David Green | Larry Hedrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 20.572 | 92.047 |
| 45 | 78 | Gary Bradberry | Triad Motorsports | Ford | 20.678 | 91.576 |
| 46 | 79 | Ken Bouchard | T.R.I.X. Racing | Chevrolet | 20.746 | 91.275 |
| 47 | 85 | Randy MacDonald | Mansion Motorsports | Ford | 20.810 | 90.995 |
| Official qualifying results |||||||

## Race results

| Fin | St | # | Driver | Team | Make | Laps | Led | Status | Pts | Winnings |
| 1 | 2 | 10 | Ricky Rudd | Rudd Performance Motorsports | Ford | 500 | 198 | running | 180 | $102,575 |
| 2 | 3 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 500 | 0 | running | 170 | $73,525 |
| 3 | 13 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 500 | 0 | running | 165 | $56,875 |
| 4 | 4 | 98 | Rich Bickle | Cale Yarborough Motorsports | Ford | 500 | 0 | running | 160 | $54,525 |
| 5 | 16 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | 500 | 16 | running | 160 | $46,925 |
| 6 | 29 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 500 | 0 | running | 150 | $45,525 |
| 7 | 20 | 94 | Bill Elliott | Elliott-Marino Racing | Ford | 500 | 0 | running | 146 | $37,675 |
| 8 | 1 | 36 | Ernie Irvan | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 499 | 14 | running | 147 | $46,100 |
| 9 | 24 | 26 | Johnny Benson Jr. | Roush Racing | Ford | 499 | 0 | running | 138 | $35,400 |
| 10 | 21 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 499 | 0 | running | 134 | $44,000 |
| 11 | 15 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Pontiac | 499 | 0 | running | 130 | $32,435 |
| 12 | 12 | 91 | Todd Bodine | LJ Racing | Chevrolet | 499 | 0 | running | 127 | $28,000 |
| 13 | 18 | 33 | Ken Schrader | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 499 | 0 | running | 124 | $32,650 |
| 14 | 19 | 4 | Bobby Hamilton | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | 498 | 0 | running | 121 | $35,250 |
| 15 | 9 | 77 | Ted Musgrave | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | 498 | 0 | running | 118 | $27,000 |
| 16 | 23 | 31 | Mike Skinner | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 498 | 0 | running | 115 | $23,950 |
| 17 | 35 | 16 | Kevin Lepage (R) | Roush Racing | Ford | 498 | 0 | running | 112 | $33,550 |
| 18 | 7 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 496 | 231 | running | 119 | $32,755 |
| 19 | 37 | 23 | Jimmy Spencer | Travis Carter Enterprises | Ford | 496 | 0 | running | 106 | $29,500 |
| 20 | 27 | 21 | Michael Waltrip | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 495 | 0 | running | 103 | $30,850 |
| 21 | 30 | 35 | Darrell Waltrip | Tyler Jet Motorsports | Pontiac | 495 | 0 | running | 100 | $18,100 |
| 22 | 33 | 3 | Dale Earnhardt | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 495 | 0 | running | 97 | $32,950 |
| 23 | 32 | 12 | Jeremy Mayfield | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | 495 | 0 | running | 94 | $28,100 |
| 24 | 38 | 1 | Steve Park (R) | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 491 | 0 | running | 91 | $20,850 |
| 25 | 25 | 96 | Mike Bliss | American Equipment Racing | Chevrolet | 491 | 0 | running | 88 | $17,500 |
| 26 | 43 | 71 | Dave Marcis | Marcis Auto Racing | Chevrolet | 489 | 0 | running | 85 | $17,350 |
| 27 | 39 | 28 | Kenny Irwin Jr. (R) | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 487 | 0 | running | 82 | $32,200 |
| 28 | 17 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | 486 | 0 | running | 79 | $32,050 |
| 29 | 36 | 44 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 486 | 0 | running | 76 | $27,000 |
| 30 | 42 | 30 | Derrike Cope | Bahari Racing | Pontiac | 483 | 0 | running | 73 | $26,750 |
| 31 | 6 | 46 | Jeff Green | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 479 | 0 | running | 70 | $19,600 |
| 32 | 5 | 50 | Wally Dallenbach Jr. | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 474 | 0 | running | 67 | $26,275 |
| 33 | 34 | 90 | Dick Trickle | Donlavey Racing | Ford | 462 | 0 | running | 64 | $23,350 |
| 34 | 11 | 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | 453 | 0 | running | 61 | $23,225 |
| 35 | 40 | 9 | Jerry Nadeau (R) | Melling Racing | Ford | 451 | 0 | running | 58 | $16,100 |
| 36 | 31 | 97 | Chad Little | Roush Racing | Ford | 449 | 0 | running | 55 | $16,025 |
| 37 | 8 | 43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 419 | 41 | running | 57 | $33,400 |
| 38 | 14 | 13 | Dennis Setzer | Elliott-Marino Racing | Ford | 417 | 0 | running | 49 | $15,750 |
| 39 | 28 | 7 | Geoff Bodine | Mattei Motorsports | Ford | 387 | 0 | engine | 46 | $22,650 |
| 40 | 22 | 42 | Joe Nemechek | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 360 | 0 | engine | 43 | $22,550 |
| 41 | 41 | 75 | Rick Mast | Butch Mock Motorsports | Ford | 341 | 0 | engine | 40 | $15,450 |
| 42 | 10 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 299 | 0 | camshaft | 37 | $32,350 |
| 43 | 26 | 81 | Kenny Wallace | FILMAR Racing | Ford | 150 | 0 | overheating | 34 | $15,750 |
| Failed to qualify |||||||||||
| 44 | | 41 | David Green | Larry Hedrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | | | | | |
| 45 | | 78 | Gary Bradberry | Triad Motorsports | Ford | | | | | |
| 46 | | 79 | Ken Bouchard | T.R.I.X. Racing | Chevrolet | | | | | |
| 47 | | 85 | Randy MacDonald | Mansion Motorsports | Ford | | | | | |
| Official race results |||||||||||