# 1988 Busch 500

The 1988 Busch 500 was the 20th stock car race of the 1988 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season and the 28th iteration of the event. The race was held on Saturday, August 27, 1988, before an audience of 54,000 in Bristol, Tennessee, at Bristol International Speedway, a 0.533 miles (0.858 km) permanent oval-shaped racetrack. The race took the scheduled 500 laps to complete. At race's end, Richard Childress Racing's Dale Earnhardt managed to dominate the late stages of the race, leading the final 110 laps to take his 34th career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his third and final victory of the season. To fill out the top three, Melling Racing's Bill Elliott and Hendrick Motorsports's Geoff Bodine would finish second and third, respectively.

## Background

The Bristol Motor Speedway, formerly known as Bristol International Raceway and Bristol Raceway, is a NASCAR short track venue located in Bristol, Tennessee. Constructed in 1960, it held its first NASCAR race on July 30, 1961. Despite its short length, Bristol is among the most popular tracks on the NASCAR schedule because of its distinct features, which include extraordinarily steep banking, an all concrete surface, two pit roads, and stadium-like seating. It has also been named one of the loudest NASCAR tracks.

### Entry list

* (R) denotes rookie driver.
| # | Driver | Team | Make | Sponsor |
| 2 | Ernie Irvan (R) | U.S. Racing | Chevrolet | Kroger |
| 3 | Dale Earnhardt | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | GM Goodwrench Service |
| 4 | Rick Wilson | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Oldsmobile | Kodak |
| 5 | Geoff Bodine | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | Levi Garrett |
| 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | Stroh Light |
| 7 | Alan Kulwicki | AK Racing | Ford | Zerex |
| 8 | Bobby Hillin Jr. | Stavola Brothers Racing | Buick | Miller High Life |
| 9 | Bill Elliott | Melling Racing | Ford | Coors Light |
| 10 | Ken Bouchard (R) | Whitcomb Racing | Ford | Whitcomb Racing |
| 11 | Terry Labonte | Junior Johnson & Associates | Chevrolet | Budweiser |
| 12 | Mike Alexander | Stavola Brothers Racing | Buick | Miller High Life |
| 15 | Brett Bodine | Bud Moore Engineering | Ford | Crisco |
| 17 | Darrell Waltrip | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | Tide |
| 20 | Dave Mader III | Bahre Racing | Pontiac | Bahre Racing |
| 21 | Kyle Petty | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | Citgo |
| 25 | Ken Schrader | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | Folgers |
| 26 | Ricky Rudd | King Racing | Buick | Quaker State |
| 27 | Rusty Wallace | Blue Max Racing | Pontiac | Kodiak |
| 28 | Davey Allison | Ranier-Lundy Racing | Ford | Havoline |
| 29 | Dale Jarrett | Cale Yarborough Motorsports | Oldsmobile | Hardee's |
| 30 | Michael Waltrip | Bahari Racing | Pontiac | Country Time |
| 31 | Butch Miller | Bob Clark Motorsports | Oldsmobile | Slender You Figure Salons |
| 32 | Lee Faulk | Bob Clark Motorsports | Oldsmobile | Slender You Figure Salons |
| 33 | Harry Gant | Mach 1 Racing | Chevrolet | Skoal Bandit |
| 41 | Ronnie Thomas | Ronnie Thomas Racing | Chevrolet | Everride Radiator |
| 43 | Richard Petty | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | STP |
| 44 | Sterling Marlin | Hagan Racing | Oldsmobile | Piedmont Airlines |
| 52 | Jimmy Means | Jimmy Means Racing | Pontiac | Eureka |
| 55 | Phil Parsons | Jackson Bros. Motorsports | Oldsmobile | Crown Central Petroleum, Skoal Classic |
| 57 | Morgan Shepherd | Osterlund Racing | Buick | Heinz Ketchup |
| 67 | Ron Esau | Arrington Racing | Ford | Pannill Sweatshirts |
| 68 | Derrike Cope | Testa Racing | Ford | Purolator Filters |
| 70 | J. D. McDuffie | McDuffie Racing | Pontiac | Rumple Furniture |
| 71 | Dave Marcis | Marcis Auto Racing | Chevrolet | Lifebuoy |
| 75 | Neil Bonnett | RahMoc Enterprises | Pontiac | Valvoline |
| 83 | Lake Speed | Speed Racing | Oldsmobile | Wynn's, Kmart |
| 88 | Rick Mast | Baker-Schiff Racing | Oldsmobile | Red Baron Frozen Pizza |
| 90 | Tommy Ellis | Donlavey Racing | Ford | Sunny King Ford |
| 97 | Rodney Combs | Winkle Motorsports | Buick | AC Spark Plug |
| 98 | Brad Noffsinger (R) | Curb Racing | Buick | Sunoco |

## Qualifying

Qualifying was split into two rounds. The first round was held on Friday, August 26, at 7:35 PM 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, August 27, at 1:00 PM EST. As with the first round, each driver would have one lap to set a time. For this specific race, positions 15-30 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 on time 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 16.415 and an average speed of 116.893 miles per hour (188.121 km/h) in the first round.
Eight drivers would fail to qualify.

### Full qualifying results

| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 7 | Alan Kulwicki | AK Racing | Ford | 16.415 | 116.893 |
| 2 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 16.454 | 116.616 |
| 3 | 5 | Geoff Bodine | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 16.574 | 115.772 |
| 4 | 17 | Darrell Waltrip | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 16.630 | 115.382 |
| 5 | 3 | Dale Earnhardt | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 16.676 | 115.064 |
| 6 | 9 | Bill Elliott | Melling Racing | Ford | 16.723 | 114.740 |
| 7 | 33 | Harry Gant | Mach 1 Racing | Chevrolet | 16.785 | 114.316 |
| 8 | 4 | Rick Wilson | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Oldsmobile | 16.818 | 114.092 |
| 9 | 25 | Ken Schrader | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 16.819 | 114.085 |
| 10 | 11 | Terry Labonte | Junior Johnson & Associates | Chevrolet | 16.839 | 113.950 |
| 11 | 28 | Davey Allison | Ranier-Lundy Racing | Ford | 16.865 | 113.774 |
| 12 | 31 | Butch Miller | Bob Clark Motorsports | Oldsmobile | 16.883 | 113.653 |
| 13 | 44 | Sterling Marlin | Hagan Racing | Oldsmobile | 16.905 | 113.505 |
| 14 | 68 | Derrike Cope | Testa Racing | Ford | 16.922 | 113.391 |
| 15 | 29 | Dale Jarrett | Cale Yarborough Motorsports | Oldsmobile | 16.930 | 113.337 |
| Failed to lock in Round 1 |||||||
| 16 | 15 | Brett Bodine | Bud Moore Engineering | Ford | 16.931 | 113.331 |
| 17 | 27 | Rusty Wallace | Blue Max Racing | Pontiac | 16.953 | 113.184 |
| 18 | 71 | Dave Marcis | Marcis Auto Racing | Chevrolet | 16.964 | 113.110 |
| 19 | 26 | Ricky Rudd | King Racing | Buick | 16.967 | 113.090 |
| 20 | 43 | Richard Petty | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 16.987 | 112.957 |
| 21 | 2 | Ernie Irvan (R) | U.S. Racing | Pontiac | 16.991 | 112.930 |
| 22 | 21 | Kyle Petty | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 17.003 | 112.851 |
| 23 | 55 | Phil Parsons | Jackson Bros. Motorsports | Oldsmobile | 17.016 | 112.764 |
| 24 | 83 | Lake Speed | Speed Racing | Oldsmobile | 17.016 | 112.764 |
| 25 | 88 | Rick Mast | Baker–Schiff Racing | Oldsmobile | 17.017 | 112.758 |
| 26 | 12 | Mike Alexander | Stavola Brothers Racing | Buick | 17.030 | 112.672 |
| 27 | 20 | Dave Mader III | Bahre Racing | Pontiac | 17.062 | 112.460 |
| 28 | 97 | Rodney Combs | Winkle Motorsports | Buick | 17.066 | 112.434 |
| 29 | 75 | Neil Bonnett | RahMoc Enterprises | Pontiac | 17.068 | 112.421 |
| 30 | 98 | Brad Noffsinger (R) | Curb Racing | Buick | 17.084 | 112.316 |
| Provisionals |||||||
| 31 | 8 | Bobby Hillin Jr. | Stavola Brothers Racing | Buick | -* | -* |
| 32 | 30 | Michael Waltrip | Bahari Racing | Pontiac | -* | -* |
| Failed to qualify |||||||
| 33 | 57 | Morgan Shepherd | Osterlund Racing | Buick | -* | -* |
| 34 | 52 | Jimmy Means | Jimmy Means Racing | Pontiac | -* | -* |
| 35 | 90 | Tommy Ellis | Donlavey Racing | Ford | -* | -* |
| 36 | 10 | Ken Bouchard (R) | Whitcomb Racing | Ford | -* | -* |
| 37 | 41 | Ronnie Thomas | Ronnie Thomas Racing | Chevrolet | -* | -* |
| 38 | 32 | Lee Faulk | Bob Clark Motorsports | Oldsmobile | -* | -* |
| 39 | 70 | J. D. McDuffie | McDuffie Racing | Pontiac | -* | -* |
| 40 | 67 | Ron Esau | Arrington Racing | Ford | -* | -* |
| Official first round qualifying results |||||||
| Official starting lineup |||||||

## Race results

| Fin | St | # | Driver | Team | Make | Laps | Led | Status | Pts | Winnings |
| 1 | 5 | 3 | Dale Earnhardt | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 500 | 220 | running | 185 | $48,500 |
| 2 | 6 | 9 | Bill Elliott | Melling Racing | Ford | 500 | 3 | running | 175 | $29,150 |
| 3 | 3 | 5 | Geoff Bodine | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 499 | 15 | running | 170 | $17,475 |
| 4 | 11 | 28 | Davey Allison | Ranier-Lundy Racing | Ford | 499 | 17 | running | 165 | $16,775 |
| 5 | 1 | 7 | Alan Kulwicki | AK Racing | Ford | 499 | 21 | running | 160 | $16,410 |
| 6 | 7 | 33 | Harry Gant | Mach 1 Racing | Chevrolet | 497 | 24 | running | 155 | $7,525 |
| 7 | 4 | 17 | Darrell Waltrip | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 497 | 3 | running | 151 | $9,300 |
| 8 | 20 | 43 | Richard Petty | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 497 | 0 | running | 142 | $6,300 |
| 9 | 17 | 27 | Rusty Wallace | Blue Max Racing | Pontiac | 493 | 0 | running | 138 | $10,800 |
| 10 | 31 | 8 | Bobby Hillin Jr. | Stavola Brothers Racing | Buick | 492 | 0 | running | 134 | $9,050 |
| 11 | 28 | 97 | Rodney Combs | Winkle Motorsports | Buick | 489 | 0 | running | 130 | $2,450 |
| 12 | 13 | 44 | Sterling Marlin | Hagan Racing | Oldsmobile | 481 | 0 | running | 127 | $5,350 |
| 13 | 22 | 21 | Kyle Petty | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 479 | 65 | running | 129 | $7,950 |
| 14 | 29 | 75 | Neil Bonnett | RahMoc Enterprises | Pontiac | 476 | 0 | running | 121 | $7,850 |
| 15 | 21 | 2 | Ernie Irvan (R) | U.S. Racing | Pontiac | 452 | 0 | running | 118 | $3,450 |
| 16 | 19 | 26 | Ricky Rudd | King Racing | Buick | 451 | 10 | engine | 120 | $4,850 |
| 17 | 12 | 31 | Butch Miller | Bob Clark Motorsports | Oldsmobile | 438 | 0 | engine | 0 | $3,175 |
| 18 | 26 | 12 | Mike Alexander | Stavola Brothers Racing | Buick | 428 | 0 | running | 109 | $7,525 |
| 19 | 23 | 55 | Phil Parsons | Jackson Bros. Motorsports | Oldsmobile | 417 | 0 | overheating | 106 | $4,475 |
| 20 | 24 | 83 | Lake Speed | Speed Racing | Oldsmobile | 391 | 66 | running | 108 | $3,425 |
| 21 | 9 | 25 | Ken Schrader | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 388 | 0 | running | 100 | $6,835 |
| 22 | 10 | 11 | Terry Labonte | Junior Johnson & Associates | Chevrolet | 331 | 17 | engine | 102 | $7,305 |
| 23 | 8 | 4 | Rick Wilson | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Oldsmobile | 285 | 0 | crash | 94 | $2,435 |
| 24 | 27 | 20 | Dave Mader III | Bahre Racing | Pontiac | 271 | 0 | engine | 91 | $1,565 |
| 25 | 16 | 15 | Brett Bodine | Bud Moore Engineering | Ford | 252 | 0 | crash | 88 | $8,945 |
| 26 | 15 | 29 | Dale Jarrett | Cale Yarborough Motorsports | Oldsmobile | 207 | 0 | crash | 85 | $2,325 |
| 27 | 2 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 207 | 37 | crash | 87 | $3,480 |
| 28 | 25 | 88 | Rick Mast | Baker–Schiff Racing | Oldsmobile | 207 | 2 | crash | 0 | $3,660 |
| 29 | 18 | 71 | Dave Marcis | Marcis Auto Racing | Chevrolet | 142 | 0 | crash | 76 | $3,615 |
| 30 | 14 | 68 | Derrike Cope | Testa Racing | Ford | 93 | 0 | overheating | 73 | $3,550 |
| 31 | 32 | 30 | Michael Waltrip | Bahari Racing | Pontiac | 54 | 0 | engine | 70 | $2,950 |
| 32 | 30 | 98 | Brad Noffsinger (R) | Curb Racing | Buick | 1 | 0 | crash | 67 | $1,700 |
| Failed to qualify |||||||||||
| 33 | | 57 | Morgan Shepherd | Osterlund Racing | Buick | | | | | |
| 34 | | 52 | Jimmy Means | Jimmy Means Racing | Pontiac | | | | | |
| 35 | | 90 | Tommy Ellis | Donlavey Racing | Ford | | | | | |
| 36 | | 10 | Ken Bouchard (R) | Whitcomb Racing | Ford | | | | | |
| 37 | | 41 | Ronnie Thomas | Ronnie Thomas Racing | Chevrolet | | | | | |
| 38 | | 32 | Lee Faulk | Bob Clark Motorsports | Oldsmobile | | | | | |
| 39 | | 70 | J. D. McDuffie | McDuffie Racing | Pontiac | | | | | |
| 40 | | 67 | Ron Esau | Arrington Racing | Ford | | | | | |
| Official race results |||||||||||

## Standings after the race

| | Pos | Driver | Points |
| 1 | 1 | Bill Elliott | 3,027 |
| 1 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | 3,011 (-16) |
| | 3 | Dale Earnhardt | 2,901 (-126) |
| | 4 | Ken Schrader | 2,702 (–325) |
| | 5 | Terry Labonte | 2,654 (–373) |
| | 6 | Geoff Bodine | 2,640 (–387) |
| | 7 | Sterling Marlin | 2,544 (–483) |
| | 8 | Phil Parsons | 2,511 (–516) |
| | 9 | Darrell Waltrip | 2,504 (–523) |
| | 10 | Bobby Hillin Jr. | 2,369 (–658) |
| Official driver's standings ||||