# 1998 Farm Aid on CMT 300

The 1998 Farm Aid on CMT 300 was the 23rd stock car race of the 1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season and the second iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, August 30, 1998, in Loudon, New Hampshire, at New Hampshire International Speedway, a 1.058-mile (1.703 km) permanent, oval-shaped, low-banked racetrack. The race took the scheduled 300 laps to complete. At race's end, Hendrick Motorsports driver Jeff Gordon would manage to dominate the final laps of the race to take his 38th career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his eighth victory of the season. To fill out the podium, Roush Racing driver Mark Martin and Petty Enterprises driver John Andretti would finish second and third, respectively.

## Background

New Hampshire International Speedway is a 1.058-mile (1.703 km) oval speedway located in Loudon, New Hampshire which has hosted NASCAR racing annually since the early 1990s, as well as an IndyCar weekend and the oldest motorcycle race in North America, the Loudon Classic. Nicknamed "The Magic Mile", the speedway is often converted into a 1.6-mile (2.6 km) road course, which includes much of the oval. The track was originally the site of Bryar Motorsports Park before being purchased and redeveloped by Bob Bahre. The track is currently one of eight major NASCAR tracks owned and operated by Speedway Motorsports.

### Entry list

* (R) denotes rookie driver.
| # | Driver | Team | Make | Sponsor |
| 00 | Buckshot Jones | Stavola Brothers Racing | Chevrolet | Realtree Extra |
| 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 |
| 07 | Dan Pardus | Midwest Transit Racing | Chevrolet | Midwest Transit |
| 9 | Jerry Nadeau (R) | Melling Racing | Ford | Cartoon Network "Happy Birthday NASCAR!" |
| 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 Platinum |
| 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 | Steve Grissom | 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 | TNN Inside Outdoors, Realtree |
| 75 | Rick Mast | Butch Mock Motorsports | Ford | Remington Arms |
| 77 | Robert Pressley | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | Jasper Engines & Transmissions |
| 79 | Ken Bouchard | T.R.I.X. Racing | Chevrolet | T.R.I.X. Racing, NUCAR Connection |
| 81 | Kenny Wallace | FILMAR Racing | Ford | Square D |
| 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | Quality Care Service, Ford Credit |
| 90 | Dick Trickle | Donlavey Racing | Ford | Heilig-Meyers |
| 91 | Morgan Shepherd | LJ Racing | Chevrolet | LJ Racing |
| 94 | Bill Elliott | Elliott-Marino Racing | Ford | McDonald's |
| 96 | Ron Fellows | 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, August 28, at 2:00 PM EST. The session would last for one hour. Jeremy Mayfield, driving for Penske-Kranefuss Racing, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 29.815 and an average speed of 127.748 mph (205.590 km/h).
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 12 | Jeremy Mayfield | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | 29.815 | 127.748 |
| 2 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 29.853 | 127.585 |
| 3 | 33 | Ken Schrader | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 29.900 | 127.385 |
| Full first practice results |||||||

## Qualifying

Qualifying was split into two rounds. The first round was held on Friday, August 28, at 4:00 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, August 29, at 11:00 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.
Jeff Gordon, driving for Hendrick Motorsports, would win the pole, setting a time of 29.518 and an average speed of 129.033 miles per hour (207.658 km/h).
Three drivers would fail to qualify: Derrike Cope, Buckshot Jones, and Dan Pardus.

### Full qualifying results

| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 29.518 | 129.033 |
| 2 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 29.664 | 128.398 |
| 3 | 33 | Ken Schrader | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 29.707 | 128.212 |
| 4 | 81 | Kenny Wallace | FILMAR Racing | Ford | 29.714 | 128.182 |
| 5 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 29.738 | 128.079 |
| 6 | 12 | Jeremy Mayfield | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | 29.756 | 128.001 |
| 7 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 29.813 | 127.756 |
| 8 | 75 | Rick Mast | Butch Mock Motorsports | Ford | 29.814 | 127.752 |
| 9 | 43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 29.839 | 127.645 |
| 10 | 4 | Bobby Hamilton | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | 29.859 | 127.560 |
| 11 | 28 | Kenny Irwin Jr. (R) | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 29.875 | 127.491 |
| 12 | 31 | Mike Skinner | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 29.908 | 127.351 |
| 13 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 29.967 | 127.100 |
| 14 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | 29.969 | 127.091 |
| 15 | 41 | Steve Grissom | Larry Hedrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 29.971 | 127.083 |
| 16 | 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | 29.976 | 127.062 |
| 17 | 23 | Jimmy Spencer | Travis Carter Enterprises | Ford | 29.982 | 127.036 |
| 18 | 3 | Dale Earnhardt | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 29.990 | 127.002 |
| 19 | 36 | Ernie Irvan | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 30.010 | 126.918 |
| 20 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Pontiac | 30.013 | 126.905 |
| 21 | 46 | Jeff Green | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 30.021 | 126.871 |
| 22 | 94 | Bill Elliott | Elliott-Marino Racing | Ford | 30.041 | 126.787 |
| 23 | 44 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 30.054 | 126.732 |
| 24 | 77 | Robert Pressley | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | 30.064 | 126.690 |
| 25 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | 30.067 | 126.677 |
| 26 | 9 | Jerry Nadeau (R) | Melling Racing | Ford | 29.864 | 127.538 |
| 27 | 97 | Chad Little | Roush Racing | Ford | 29.865 | 127.534 |
| 28 | 90 | Dick Trickle | Donlavey Racing | Ford | 29.866 | 127.530 |
| 29 | 21 | Michael Waltrip | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 29.873 | 127.500 |
| 30 | 91 | Morgan Shepherd | LJ Racing | Chevrolet | 29.900 | 127.385 |
| 31 | 7 | Geoff Bodine | Mattei Motorsports | Ford | 29.976 | 127.062 |
| 32 | 42 | Joe Nemechek | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 30.003 | 126.947 |
| 33 | 16 | Kevin Lepage | Roush Racing | Ford | 30.011 | 126.913 |
| 34 | 13 | Dennis Setzer | Elliott-Marino Racing | Ford | 30.022 | 126.867 |
| 35 | 10 | Ricky Rudd | Rudd Performance Motorsports | Ford | 30.105 | 126.517 |
| 36 | 50 | Wally Dallenbach Jr. | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 30.145 | 126.349 |
| Provisionals |||||||
| 37 | 40 | Sterling Marlin (R) | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | -* | -* |
| 38 | 26 | Johnny Benson Jr. | Roush Racing | Ford | -* | -* |
| 39 | 1 | Steve Park (R) | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | -* | -* |
| 40 | 98 | Rich Bickle | Cale Yarborough Motorsports | Ford | -* | -* |
| 41 | 96 | Ron Fellows | American Equipment Racing | Chevrolet | -* | -* |
| 42 | 71 | Dave Marcis | Marcis Auto Racing | Chevrolet | -* | -* |
| Champion's Provisional |||||||
| 43 | 35 | Darrell Waltrip | Tyler Jet Motorsports | Pontiac | -* | -* |
| Failed to qualify |||||||
| 44 | 30 | Derrike Cope | Bahari Racing | Pontiac | 30.274 | 125.811 |
| 45 | 00 | Buckshot Jones | Stavola Brothers Racing | Chevrolet | 30.548 | 124.682 |
| 46 | 07 | Dan Pardus | Midwest Transit Racing | Chevrolet | - | - |
| WD | 79 | Ken Bouchard | T.R.I.X. Racing | Chevrolet | - | - |
| Official qualifying results |||||||

## Race results

| Fin | St | # | Driver | Team | Make | Laps | Led | Status | Pts | Winnings |
| 1 | 1 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 300 | 68 | running | 180 | $205,400 |
| 2 | 5 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 300 | 193 | running | 180 | $119,750 |
| 3 | 9 | 43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 300 | 0 | running | 165 | $87,300 |
| 4 | 7 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 300 | 2 | running | 165 | $78,875 |
| 5 | 25 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | 300 | 0 | running | 155 | $66,700 |
| 6 | 4 | 81 | Kenny Wallace | FILMAR Racing | Ford | 300 | 30 | running | 155 | $52,900 |
| 7 | 2 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 300 | 1 | running | 151 | $57,350 |
| 8 | 14 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | 300 | 0 | running | 142 | $51,350 |
| 9 | 18 | 3 | Dale Earnhardt | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 300 | 0 | running | 138 | $50,550 |
| 10 | 35 | 10 | Ricky Rudd | Rudd Performance Motorsports | Ford | 300 | 0 | running | 134 | $59,500 |
| 11 | 11 | 28 | Kenny Irwin Jr. (R) | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 300 | 0 | running | 130 | $51,350 |
| 12 | 24 | 77 | Robert Pressley | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | 300 | 0 | running | 127 | $39,650 |
| 13 | 17 | 23 | Jimmy Spencer | Travis Carter Enterprises | Ford | 300 | 0 | running | 124 | $44,900 |
| 14 | 27 | 97 | Chad Little | Roush Racing | Ford | 300 | 1 | running | 126 | $36,650 |
| 15 | 12 | 31 | Mike Skinner | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 300 | 0 | running | 118 | $37,600 |
| 16 | 33 | 16 | Kevin Lepage | Roush Racing | Ford | 300 | 0 | running | 115 | $42,550 |
| 17 | 37 | 40 | Sterling Marlin (R) | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 300 | 0 | running | 112 | $34,525 |
| 18 | 32 | 42 | Joe Nemechek | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 300 | 0 | running | 109 | $40,825 |
| 19 | 28 | 90 | Dick Trickle | Donlavey Racing | Ford | 300 | 0 | running | 106 | $40,425 |
| 20 | 6 | 12 | Jeremy Mayfield | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | 299 | 0 | running | 103 | $41,225 |
| 21 | 38 | 26 | Johnny Benson Jr. | Roush Racing | Ford | 299 | 0 | running | 100 | $40,850 |
| 22 | 8 | 75 | Rick Mast | Butch Mock Motorsports | Ford | 299 | 0 | running | 97 | $32,500 |
| 23 | 31 | 7 | Geoff Bodine | Mattei Motorsports | Ford | 299 | 0 | running | 94 | $40,100 |
| 24 | 34 | 13 | Dennis Setzer | Elliott-Marino Racing | Ford | 299 | 0 | running | 91 | $28,600 |
| 25 | 15 | 41 | Steve Grissom | Larry Hedrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 299 | 0 | running | 88 | $38,700 |
| 26 | 30 | 91 | Morgan Shepherd | LJ Racing | Chevrolet | 299 | 0 | running | 85 | $32,000 |
| 27 | 29 | 21 | Michael Waltrip | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 299 | 0 | running | 82 | $38,075 |
| 28 | 19 | 36 | Ernie Irvan | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 298 | 0 | running | 79 | $37,775 |
| 29 | 26 | 9 | Jerry Nadeau (R) | Melling Racing | Ford | 298 | 0 | running | 76 | $31,575 |
| 30 | 16 | 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | 298 | 0 | running | 73 | $36,875 |
| 31 | 20 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Pontiac | 298 | 0 | running | 70 | $34,175 |
| 32 | 43 | 35 | Darrell Waltrip | Tyler Jet Motorsports | Pontiac | 297 | 0 | running | 67 | $26,975 |
| 33 | 23 | 44 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 295 | 0 | running | 64 | $33,775 |
| 34 | 10 | 4 | Bobby Hamilton | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | 293 | 0 | running | 61 | $41,575 |
| 35 | 42 | 71 | Dave Marcis | Marcis Auto Racing | Chevrolet | 286 | 2 | running | 63 | $26,375 |
| 36 | 41 | 96 | Ron Fellows | American Equipment Racing | Chevrolet | 286 | 0 | running | 55 | $26,175 |
| 37 | 22 | 94 | Bill Elliott | Elliott-Marino Racing | Ford | 254 | 0 | running | 52 | $32,975 |
| 38 | 21 | 46 | Jeff Green | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 252 | 0 | crash | 49 | $25,625 |
| 39 | 13 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 249 | 2 | engine | 51 | $41,625 |
| 40 | 40 | 98 | Rich Bickle | Cale Yarborough Motorsports | Ford | 232 | 0 | crash | 43 | $32,625 |
| 41 | 39 | 1 | Steve Park (R) | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 218 | 0 | running | 40 | $25,625 |
| 42 | 3 | 33 | Ken Schrader | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 175 | 1 | crash | 42 | $36,625 |
| 43 | 36 | 50 | Wally Dallenbach Jr. | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 169 | 0 | engine | 34 | $36,625 |
| Failed to qualify |||||||||||
| 44 | | 30 | Derrike Cope | Bahari Racing | Pontiac | | | | | |
| 45 | | 00 | Buckshot Jones | Stavola Brothers Racing | Chevrolet | | | | | |
| 46 | | 07 | Dan Pardus | Midwest Transit Racing | Chevrolet | | | | | |
| WD | | 79 | Ken Bouchard | T.R.I.X. Racing | Chevrolet | | | | | |
| Official race results |||||||||||