# 1998 DieHard 500

The 1998 DieHard 500 was the ninth stock car race of the 1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season and the 29th iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, April 26, 1998, in Lincoln, Alabama at Talladega Superspeedway, a 2.66 miles (4.28 km) permanent triangle-shaped superspeedway. The race took the scheduled 188 laps to complete. In the final laps of the race, Joe Gibbs Racing driver Bobby Labonte would make a pass on Terry Labonte with two to go and fend off the field to take his seventh career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his second and final victory of the season. To fill out the podium, Travis Carter Enterprises driver Jimmy Spencer and Robert Yates Racing driver Dale Jarrett would finish second and third, respectively.

## Background

Talladega Superspeedway, originally known as Alabama International Motor Superspeedway (AIMS), is a motorsports complex located north of Talladega, Alabama. It is located on the former Anniston Air Force Base in the small city of Lincoln. The track is a tri-oval and was constructed in the 1960s by the International Speedway Corporation, a business controlled by the France family. Talladega is most known for its steep banking and the unique location of the start/finish line that's located just past the exit to pit road. The track currently hosts the NASCAR series such as the NASCAR Cup Series, Xfinity Series, and Camping World Truck Series. Talladega is the longest NASCAR oval with a length of 2.66-mile-long (4.28 km) tri-oval like the Daytona International Speedway, which also is a 2.5-mile-long (4 km) tri-oval.

### Entry list

* (R) denotes rookie driver.
| # | Driver | Team | Make | Sponsor |
| 1 | Darrell Waltrip | 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 |
| 07 | Dan Pardus | Midwest Transit Racing | Chevrolet | Midwest Transit |
| 8 | Hut Stricklin | Stavola Brothers Racing | Chevrolet | Circuit City |
| 9 | Lake Speed | Melling Racing | Ford | Cartoon Network, The Huckleberry Hound Show |
| 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 | Jerry Nadeau (R) | Elliott-Marino Racing | Ford | FirstPlus Financial Group |
| 16 | Ted Musgrave | 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 | Haas-Carter Motorsports | 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 |
| 29 | Jeff Green | Diamond Ridge Motorsports | Chevrolet | Team Monte Carlo, Tasmanian Devil |
| 30 | Derrike Cope | Bahari Racing | Pontiac | Gumout |
| 31 | Morgan Shepherd | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | Lowe's |
| 33 | Ken Schrader | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | Skoal |
| 35 | Todd Bodine | ISM Racing | Pontiac | Tabasco |
| 36 | Ernie Irvan | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | Skittles |
| 40 | Sterling Marlin | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | Coors Light |
| 41 | Steve Grissom | Larry Hedrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | Kodiak |
| 42 | Joe Nemechek | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | BellSouth, The Real Yellow Pages |
| 43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | STP |
| 44 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | Hot Wheels |
| 46 | Wally Dallenbach Jr. | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | First Union |
| 47 | Billy Standridge | Standridge Motorsports | Ford | Philips |
| 50 | Randy LaJoie | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | Budweiser |
| 60 | Matt Kenseth | Roush Racing | Ford | Peterbilt |
| 71 | Dave Marcis | Marcis Auto Racing | Chevrolet | Team Realtree Camouflage |
| 75 | Rick Mast | Butch Mock Motorsports | Ford | Remington Arms Camo |
| 77 | Robert Pressley | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | Jasper Engines & Transmissions |
| 78 | Gary Bradberry | Triad Motorsports | Ford | Pilot Travel Centers |
| 81 | Kenny Wallace | FILMAR Racing | Ford | Square D |
| 85 | Bob Strait | Mansion Motorsports | Chevrolet | Mansion Motorsports |
| 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | Quality Care Service, Ford Credit |
| 89 | Dennis Setzer | Elliott-Marino Racing | Ford | Get McRib! |
| 90 | Dick Trickle | Donlavey Racing | Ford | Heilig-Meyers |
| 91 | Kevin Lepage (R) | LJ Racing | Chevrolet | Dare County Tourism, Barrier Island Station |
| 94 | Bill Elliott | Elliott-Marino Racing | Ford | McDonald's |
| 96 | David Green | American Equipment Racing | Chevrolet | Caterpillar |
| 97 | Chad Little | Roush Racing | Ford | John Deere |
| 98 | Greg Sacks | 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 the afternoon of Friday, April 24. Bobby Labonte, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 49.136 and an average speed of 194.888 miles per hour (313.642 km/h).
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 49.136 | 194.888 |
| 2 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 49.189 | 194.678 |
| 3 | 3 | Dale Earnhardt | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 49.308 | 194.208 |
| Full first practice results |||||||

### Second practice

The second practice session was held on the morning of Saturday, April 25. Derrike Cope, driving for Bahari Racing, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 49.156 and an average speed of 194.808 miles per hour (313.513 km/h).
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 30 | Derrike Cope | Bahari Racing | Pontiac | 49.156 | 194.808 |
| 2 | 44 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 49.243 | 194.464 |
| 3 | 13 | Jerry Nadeau (R) | Elliott-Marino Racing | Ford | 49.246 | 194.452 |
| Full second practice results |||||||

### Final practice

The final practice session, sometimes referred to as Happy Hour, was held on the afternoon of Saturday, April 25. Kenny Irwin Jr., driving for Robert Yates Racing, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 49.048 and an average speed of 195.237 miles per hour (314.203 km/h).
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 28 | Kenny Irwin Jr. (R) | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 49.048 | 195.237 |
| 2 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 49.089 | 195.074 |
| 3 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 49.112 | 194.983 |
| Full Happy Hour practice results |||||||

## Qualifying

Qualifying was split into two rounds. The first round was held on Friday, April 24, at 3:00 PM CST. 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, April 24, at 5:00 PM 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.
Bobby Labonte, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, would win the pole, setting a time of 48.925 and an average speed of 195.728 miles per hour (314.994 km/h).
Nine drivers would fail to qualify: Todd Bodine, Jeff Green, Hut Stricklin, Matt Kenseth, Rich Bickle, Dan Pardus, Gary Bradberry, Geoff Bodine, and Bob Strait.

### Full qualifying results

| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 48.925 | 195.728 |
| 2 | 3 | Dale Earnhardt | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 49.059 | 195.194 |
| 3 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 49.246 | 194.452 |
| 4 | 33 | Ken Schrader | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 49.259 | 194.401 |
| 5 | 31 | Morgan Shepherd | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 49.330 | 194.121 |
| 6 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 49.404 | 193.830 |
| 7 | 30 | Derrike Cope | Bahari Racing | Pontiac | 49.430 | 193.729 |
| 8 | 9 | Lake Speed | Melling Racing | Ford | 49.457 | 193.623 |
| 9 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 49.492 | 193.486 |
| 10 | 50 | Randy LaJoie | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 49.590 | 193.103 |
| 11 | 42 | Joe Nemechek | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 49.614 | 193.010 |
| 12 | 13 | Jerry Nadeau (R) | Elliott-Marino Racing | Ford | 49.622 | 192.979 |
| 13 | 10 | Ricky Rudd | Rudd Performance Motorsports | Ford | 49.641 | 192.905 |
| 14 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 49.688 | 192.723 |
| 15 | 43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 49.767 | 192.417 |
| 16 | 90 | Dick Trickle | Donlavey Racing | Ford | 49.773 | 192.393 |
| 17 | 94 | Bill Elliott | Elliott-Marino Racing | Ford | 49.781 | 192.363 |
| 18 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | 49.815 | 192.231 |
| 19 | 36 | Ernie Irvan | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 49.819 | 192.216 |
| 20 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Pontiac | 49.929 | 191.792 |
| 21 | 46 | Wally Dallenbach Jr. | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 49.946 | 191.727 |
| 22 | 23 | Jimmy Spencer | Travis Carter Enterprises | Ford | 49.951 | 191.708 |
| 23 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | 49.960 | 191.673 |
| 24 | 1 | Darrell Waltrip | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 49.978 | 191.604 |
| 25 | 28 | Kenny Irwin Jr. (R) | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 49.985 | 191.577 |
| 26 | 89 | Dennis Setzer | Elliott-Marino Racing | Ford | 49.789 | 192.332 |
| 27 | 96 | David Green | American Equipment Racing | Chevrolet | 49.811 | 192.247 |
| 28 | 71 | Dave Marcis | Marcis Auto Racing | Chevrolet | 49.915 | 191.846 |
| 29 | 91 | Kevin Lepage (R) | LJ Racing | Chevrolet | 49.942 | 191.742 |
| 30 | 4 | Bobby Hamilton | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | 49.990 | 191.558 |
| 31 | 47 | Billy Standridge | Standridge Motorsports | Ford | 50.025 | 191.424 |
| 32 | 44 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 50.032 | 191.398 |
| 33 | 21 | Michael Waltrip | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 50.051 | 191.325 |
| 34 | 97 | Chad Little | Roush Racing | Ford | 50.079 | 191.218 |
| 35 | 81 | Kenny Wallace | FILMAR Racing | Ford | 50.091 | 191.172 |
| 36 | 75 | Rick Mast | Butch Mock Motorsports | Ford | 50.098 | 191.145 |
| Provisionals |||||||
| 37 | 12 | Jeremy Mayfield | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | -* | -* |
| 38 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | -* | -* |
| 39 | 26 | Johnny Benson Jr. | Roush Racing | Ford | -* | -* |
| 40 | 16 | Ted Musgrave | Roush Racing | Ford | -* | -* |
| 41 | 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | -* | -* |
| 42 | 41 | Steve Grissom | Larry Hedrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | -* | -* |
| 43 | 77 | Robert Pressley | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | -* | -* |
| Failed to qualify |||||||
| 44 | 35 | Todd Bodine | ISM Racing | Pontiac | 50.222 | 190.673 |
| 45 | 29 | Jeff Green | Diamond Ridge Motorsports | Chevrolet | 50.237 | 190.616 |
| 46 | 8 | Hut Stricklin | Stavola Brothers Racing | Chevrolet | 50.260 | 190.529 |
| 47 | 60 | Matt Kenseth | Roush Racing | Ford | 50.278 | 190.461 |
| 48 | 98 | Rich Bickle | Cale Yarborough Motorsports | Ford | 50.340 | 190.226 |
| 49 | 07 | Dan Pardus | Midwest Transit Racing | Chevrolet | 50.352 | 190.181 |
| 50 | 78 | Gary Bradberry | Triad Motorsports | Ford | 50.549 | 189.440 |
| 51 | 7 | Geoff Bodine | Mattei Motorsports | Ford | 50.655 | 189.044 |
| 52 | 85 | Bob Strait | Mansion Motorsports | Chevrolet | - | - |
| Official qualifying results |||||||

## Race results

| Fin | St | # | Driver | Team | Make | Laps | Led | Status | Pts | Winnings |
| 1 | 1 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 188 | 60 | running | 180 | $141,870 |
| 2 | 22 | 23 | Jimmy Spencer | Travis Carter Enterprises | Ford | 188 | 0 | running | 170 | $97,920 |
| 3 | 9 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 188 | 8 | running | 170 | $82,370 |
| 4 | 3 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 188 | 88 | running | 170 | $85,520 |
| 5 | 6 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 188 | 3 | running | 160 | $74,490 |
| 6 | 19 | 36 | Ernie Irvan | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 188 | 0 | running | 150 | $52,080 |
| 7 | 35 | 81 | Kenny Wallace | FILMAR Racing | Ford | 188 | 0 | running | 146 | $45,830 |
| 8 | 20 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Pontiac | 188 | 0 | running | 142 | $46,630 |
| 9 | 14 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 188 | 13 | running | 143 | $37,230 |
| 10 | 10 | 50 | Randy LaJoie | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 188 | 0 | running | 134 | $48,580 |
| 11 | 41 | 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | 188 | 1 | running | 135 | $44,675 |
| 12 | 23 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | 188 | 0 | running | 127 | $44,295 |
| 13 | 37 | 12 | Jeremy Mayfield | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | 188 | 0 | running | 124 | $39,615 |
| 14 | 29 | 91 | Kevin Lepage (R) | LJ Racing | Chevrolet | 187 | 0 | running | 121 | $30,785 |
| 15 | 24 | 1 | Darrell Waltrip | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 187 | 0 | running | 118 | $28,555 |
| 16 | 42 | 41 | Steve Grissom | Larry Hedrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 187 | 0 | running | 115 | $39,065 |
| 17 | 27 | 96 | David Green | American Equipment Racing | Chevrolet | 187 | 0 | running | 112 | $30,400 |
| 18 | 36 | 75 | Rick Mast | Butch Mock Motorsports | Ford | 186 | 0 | running | 109 | $29,710 |
| 19 | 26 | 89 | Dennis Setzer | Elliott-Marino Racing | Ford | 186 | 0 | running | 106 | $26,620 |
| 20 | 16 | 90 | Dick Trickle | Donlavey Racing | Ford | 185 | 0 | running | 103 | $37,810 |
| 21 | 33 | 21 | Michael Waltrip | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 184 | 3 | running | 105 | $36,570 |
| 22 | 7 | 30 | Derrike Cope | Bahari Racing | Pontiac | 182 | 0 | running | 97 | $35,300 |
| 23 | 38 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 180 | 0 | running | 94 | $41,990 |
| 24 | 13 | 10 | Ricky Rudd | Rudd Performance Motorsports | Ford | 179 | 0 | running | 91 | $40,985 |
| 25 | 8 | 9 | Lake Speed | Melling Racing | Ford | 178 | 0 | running | 88 | $34,580 |
| 26 | 21 | 46 | Wally Dallenbach Jr. | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 176 | 0 | running | 85 | $27,300 |
| 27 | 28 | 71 | Dave Marcis | Marcis Auto Racing | Chevrolet | 176 | 0 | running | 82 | $24,045 |
| 28 | 31 | 47 | Billy Standridge | Standridge Motorsports | Ford | 172 | 0 | running | 79 | $23,890 |
| 29 | 4 | 33 | Ken Schrader | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 157 | 0 | crash | 76 | $33,835 |
| 30 | 30 | 4 | Bobby Hamilton | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | 153 | 0 | handling | 73 | $38,580 |
| 31 | 43 | 77 | Robert Pressley | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | 152 | 0 | running | 70 | $33,725 |
| 32 | 11 | 42 | Joe Nemechek | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 150 | 0 | crash | 67 | $32,770 |
| 33 | 15 | 43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 150 | 0 | crash | 64 | $38,140 |
| 34 | 34 | 97 | Chad Little | Roush Racing | Ford | 145 | 0 | crash | 61 | $23,210 |
| 35 | 5 | 31 | Morgan Shepherd | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 145 | 0 | crash | 58 | $22,955 |
| 36 | 2 | 3 | Dale Earnhardt | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 144 | 10 | crash | 60 | $38,250 |
| 37 | 12 | 13 | Jerry Nadeau (R) | Elliott-Marino Racing | Ford | 144 | 0 | crash | 52 | $22,586 |
| 38 | 32 | 44 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 142 | 0 | crash | 49 | $29,350 |
| 39 | 17 | 94 | Bill Elliott | Elliott-Marino Racing | Ford | 141 | 2 | crash | 51 | $31,850 |
| 40 | 25 | 28 | Kenny Irwin Jr. (R) | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 128 | 0 | engine | 43 | $37,250 |
| 41 | 39 | 26 | Johnny Benson Jr. | Roush Racing | Ford | 127 | 0 | engine | 40 | $29,050 |
| 42 | 40 | 16 | Ted Musgrave | Roush Racing | Ford | 110 | 0 | engine | 37 | $28,950 |
| 43 | 18 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | 51 | 0 | engine | 34 | $38,450 |
| Failed to qualify |||||||||||
| 44 | | 35 | Todd Bodine | ISM Racing | Pontiac | | | | | |
| 45 | | 29 | Jeff Green | Diamond Ridge Motorsports | Chevrolet | | | | | |
| 46 | | 8 | Hut Stricklin | Stavola Brothers Racing | Chevrolet | | | | | |
| 47 | | 60 | Matt Kenseth | Roush Racing | Ford | | | | | |
| 48 | | 98 | Rich Bickle | Cale Yarborough Motorsports | Ford | | | | | |
| 49 | | 07 | Dan Pardus | Midwest Transit Racing | Chevrolet | | | | | |
| 50 | | 78 | Gary Bradberry | Triad Motorsports | Ford | | | | | |
| 51 | | 7 | Geoff Bodine | Mattei Motorsports | Ford | | | | | |
| 52 | | 85 | Bob Strait | Mansion Motorsports | Chevrolet | | | | | |
| Official race results |||||||||||

## Media
### Television

The race was moved from ESPN as it would air the fall race at Talladega. It aired live on ABC in the United States. Bob Jenkins and 1973 Cup Series champion Benny Parsons called the race from the broadcast booth. Jerry Punch, Bill Weber and Jack Arute handled pit road for the television side.
ABC :
| Booth announcers | Booth announcers | Pit reporters |
| Lap-by-lap | Color-commentators | Pit reporters |
| Bob Jenkins | Benny Parsons | Jerry Punch Bill Weber Jack Arute |