# 1988 Talladega DieHard 500

The 1988 Talladega DieHard 500 was the 17th stock car race of the 1988 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season and the 20th iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, July 31, 1988, before an audience of 80,000 in Lincoln, Alabama at Alabama International Motor Speedway, a 2.66 miles (4.28 km) permanent triangle-shaped superspeedway. The race took the scheduled 188 laps to complete. On the final lap of the race, Hendrick Motorsports driver Ken Schrader would manage to make a pass for the lead coming out of the track's second turn, holding onto the lead for the rest of the lap to take the victory. The victory was Schrader's first career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his only victory of the season. To fill out the top three, Hendrick Motorsports driver Geoff Bodine and Richard Childress Racing driver Dale Earnhardt 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 the Camping World Truck Series. Talladega is the longest NASCAR oval, a 2.66-mile-long (4.28 km) tri-oval like the Daytona International Speedway, which also is a 2.5-mile-long (4.0 km) tri-oval.

### Entry list

* (R) denotes rookie driver.
| # | Driver | Team | Make | Sponsor |
| 0 | Delma Cowart | H. L. Waters Racing | Chevrolet | Heywood Grooms Construction |
| 1 | Dale Jarrett | Ellington Racing | Buick | Port-A-Lube, Bud Light |
| 01 | Mickey Gibbs | Gibbs Racing | Ford | Gibbs–West Tractor |
| 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 |
| 07 | Larry Moyer | Stark Racing | Pontiac | Hooters, Just Say No! |
| 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 |
| 14 | A. J. Foyt | A. J. Foyt Racing | Oldsmobile | Copenhagen |
| 15 | Brett Bodine | Bud Moore Engineering | Ford | Crisco |
| 17 | Darrell Waltrip | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | Tide |
| 21 | Kyle Petty | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | Citgo |
| 23 | Eddie Bierschwale | B&B Racing | Oldsmobile | Wayne Paging |
| 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 | Cale Yarborough | Cale Yarborough Motorsports | Oldsmobile | Hardee's |
| 30 | Michael Waltrip | Bahari Racing | Pontiac | Country Time |
| 31 | Joe Ruttman | Bob Clark Motorsports | Oldsmobile | Slender You Figure Salons |
| 32 | Philip Duffie | Duffie Racing | Buick | Bob Beard Buick |
| 33 | Harry Gant | Mach 1 Racing | Chevrolet | Skoal Bandit |
| 43 | Richard Petty | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | STP |
| 44 | Sterling Marlin | Hagan Racing | Oldsmobile | Piedmont Airlines |
| 50 | Greg Sacks | Dingman Brothers Racing | Pontiac | Dingman Brothers Racing |
| 52 | Jimmy Means | Jimmy Means Racing | Pontiac | Eureka |
| 55 | Phil Parsons | Jackson Bros. Motorsports | Oldsmobile | Crown Central Petroleum, Skoal |
| 59 | Mark Gibson | Gibson Racing | Pontiac | Gibson Racing |
| 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 |
| 73 | Phil Barkdoll | Barkdoll Racing | Ford | Helen Rae Special |
| 75 | Morgan Shepherd | RahMoc Enterprises | Pontiac | Valvoline |
| 76 | Hut Stricklin | Jaehne Motorsports | Pontiac | Jaehne Motorsports |
| 77 | Ken Ragan | Ragan Racing | Ford | Circle Bar Truck Stop, Bob Beard Ford |
| 83 | Lake Speed | Speed Racing | Oldsmobile | Wynn's, Kmart |
| 86 | Rick Jeffrey | Jeffrey Racing | Chevrolet | Slenderizers |
| 88 | Buddy Baker | Baker-Schiff Racing | Oldsmobile | Red Baron Frozen Pizza |
| 90 | Benny Parsons | Donlavey Racing | Ford | Bull's-Eye Barbecue Sauce |
| 95 | Slick Johnson | Sadler Brothers Racing | Chevrolet | Sadler Brothers Racing |
| 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 Thursday, July 28, at 2:00 PM EST. Each driver would have one lap to set a time. During the first round, the top 20 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 Friday, July 29, at 2:00 PM EST. As with the first round, each driver would have one lap to set a time. For this specific race, positions 21-40 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 were given.
Darrell Waltrip, driving for Hendrick Motorsports, would win the pole, setting a time of 48.789 and an average speed of 196.274 miles per hour (315.872 km/h) in the first round.
Eight drivers would fail to qualify.

### Full qualifying results

| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 17 | Darrell Waltrip | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 48.789 | 196.274 |
| 2 | 44 | Sterling Marlin | Hagan Racing | Oldsmobile | 49.275 | 194.338 |
| 3 | 28 | Davey Allison | Ranier-Lundy Racing | Ford | 49.309 | 194.204 |
| 4 | 5 | Geoff Bodine | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 49.362 | 193.995 |
| 5 | 75 | Morgan Shepherd | RahMoc Enterprises | Pontiac | 49.376 | 193.940 |
| 6 | 3 | Dale Earnhardt | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 49.475 | 193.552 |
| 7 | 25 | Ken Schrader | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 49.531 | 193.333 |
| 8 | 9 | Bill Elliott | Melling Racing | Ford | 49.684 | 192.738 |
| 9 | 26 | Ricky Rudd | King Racing | Buick | 49.691 | 192.711 |
| 10 | 50 | Greg Sacks | Dingman Brothers Racing | Pontiac | 49.692 | 192.707 |
| 11 | 8 | Bobby Hillin Jr. | Stavola Brothers Racing | Buick | 49.771 | 192.401 |
| 12 | 55 | Phil Parsons | Jackson Bros. Motorsports | Oldsmobile | 49.796 | 192.305 |
| 13 | 21 | Kyle Petty | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 49.881 | 191.977 |
| 14 | 88 | Buddy Baker | Baker–Schiff Racing | Oldsmobile | 49.927 | 191.800 |
| 15 | 12 | Mike Alexander | Stavola Brothers Racing | Buick | 49.969 | 191.639 |
| 16 | 29 | Cale Yarborough | Cale Yarborough Motorsports | Oldsmobile | 49.982 | 191.589 |
| 17 | 14 | A. J. Foyt | A. J. Foyt Racing | Oldsmobile | 50.041 | 191.363 |
| 18 | 33 | Harry Gant | Mach 1 Racing | Chevrolet | 50.052 | 191.321 |
| 19 | 01 | Mickey Gibbs | Gibbs Racing | Ford | 50.120 | 191.061 |
| 20 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 50.218 | 190.689 |
| Failed to lock in Round 1 |||||||
| 21 | 11 | Terry Labonte | Junior Johnson & Associates | Chevrolet | 50.146 | 190.962 |
| 22 | 27 | Rusty Wallace | Blue Max Racing | Pontiac | 50.340 | 190.226 |
| 23 | 52 | Jimmy Means | Jimmy Means Racing | Pontiac | 50.351 | 190.185 |
| 24 | 23 | Eddie Bierschwale | B&B Racing | Oldsmobile | 50.454 | 189.797 |
| 25 | 4 | Rick Wilson | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Oldsmobile | 50.500 | 189.624 |
| 26 | 1 | Dale Jarrett | Ellington Racing | Buick | 50.500 | 189.624 |
| 27 | 30 | Michael Waltrip | Bahari Racing | Pontiac | 50.568 | 189.369 |
| 28 | 97 | Rodney Combs | Winkle Motorsports | Buick | 50.604 | 189.234 |
| 29 | 67 | Ron Esau | Arrington Racing | Chevrolet | 50.611 | 189.208 |
| 30 | 83 | Lake Speed | Speed Racing | Oldsmobile | 50.701 | 188.872 |
| 31 | 2 | Ernie Irvan (R) | U.S. Racing | Chevrolet | 50.702 | 188.868 |
| 32 | 7 | Alan Kulwicki | Mach 1 Racing | Ford | 50.713 | 188.827 |
| 33 | 15 | Brett Bodine | Bud Moore Engineering | Ford | 50.768 | 188.623 |
| 34 | 43 | Richard Petty | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 50.832 | 188.385 |
| 35 | 31 | Joe Ruttman | Bob Clark Motorsports | Oldsmobile | 50.919 | 188.063 |
| 36 | 77 | Ken Ragan | Ragan Racing | Ford | 50.937 | 187.997 |
| 37 | 71 | Dave Marcis | Marcis Auto Racing | Chevrolet | 50.943 | 187.975 |
| 38 | 73 | Phil Barkdoll | Barkdoll Racing | Chevrolet | 50.971 | 187.872 |
| 39 | 10 | Ken Bouchard (R) | Whitcomb Racing | Ford | 51.094 | 187.419 |
| 40 | 98 | Brad Noffsinger (R) | Curb Racing | Buick | 51.124 | 187.309 |
| Provisionals |||||||
| 41 | 90 | Benny Parsons | Donlavey Racing | Ford | 52.355 | 182.905 |
| 42 | 68 | Derrike Cope | Testa Racing | Ford | 52.181 | 183.515 |
| Failed to qualify |||||||
| 43 | 07 | Larry Moyer | Stark Racing | Pontiac | 51.133 | 187.276 |
| 44 | 95 | Slick Johnson | Sadler Brothers Racing | Chevrolet | 51.210 | 186.995 |
| 45 | 86 | Rick Jeffrey | Jeffrey Racing | Chevrolet | 51.443 | 186.148 |
| 46 | 0 | Delma Cowart | H. L. Waters Racing | Chevrolet | 51.452 | 186.115 |
| 47 | 76 | Hut Stricklin | Jaehne Motorsports | Pontiac | 51.626 | 185.488 |
| 48 | 59 | Mark Gibson | Gibson Racing | Pontiac | 52.029 | 184.051 |
| 49 | 32 | Philip Duffie | Duffie Racing | Buick | - | - |
| 50 | 70 | J. D. McDuffie | McDuffie Racing | Pontiac | - | - |
| Official first round qualifying results |||||||
| Official starting lineup |||||||

## Race results

| Fin | St | # | Driver | Team | Make | Laps | Led | Status | Pts | Winnings |
| 1 | 7 | 25 | Ken Schrader | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 188 | 8 | running | 180 | $67,920 |
| 2 | 4 | 5 | Geoff Bodine | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 188 | 0 | running | 170 | $39,915 |
| 3 | 6 | 3 | Dale Earnhardt | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 188 | 37 | running | 170 | $37,775 |
| 4 | 25 | 4 | Rick Wilson | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Oldsmobile | 188 | 0 | running | 160 | $20,075 |
| 5 | 22 | 27 | Rusty Wallace | Blue Max Racing | Pontiac | 188 | 0 | running | 155 | $23,215 |
| 6 | 2 | 44 | Sterling Marlin | Hagan Racing | Oldsmobile | 188 | 0 | running | 150 | $14,800 |
| 7 | 20 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 188 | 0 | running | 146 | $10,675 |
| 8 | 8 | 9 | Bill Elliott | Melling Racing | Ford | 188 | 1 | running | 147 | $16,220 |
| 9 | 16 | 29 | Cale Yarborough | Cale Yarborough Motorsports | Oldsmobile | 188 | 5 | running | 143 | $8,520 |
| 10 | 14 | 88 | Buddy Baker | Baker–Schiff Racing | Oldsmobile | 188 | 1 | running | 139 | $11,370 |
| 11 | 12 | 55 | Phil Parsons | Jackson Bros. Motorsports | Oldsmobile | 188 | 3 | running | 135 | $9,440 |
| 12 | 17 | 14 | A. J. Foyt | A. J. Foyt Racing | Oldsmobile | 188 | 3 | running | 132 | $5,470 |
| 13 | 30 | 83 | Lake Speed | Speed Racing | Oldsmobile | 188 | 1 | running | 129 | $6,650 |
| 14 | 21 | 11 | Terry Labonte | Junior Johnson & Associates | Chevrolet | 188 | 0 | running | 121 | $12,680 |
| 15 | 13 | 21 | Kyle Petty | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 188 | 0 | running | 118 | $12,175 |
| 16 | 18 | 33 | Harry Gant | Mach 1 Racing | Chevrolet | 188 | 0 | running | 115 | $7,865 |
| 17 | 11 | 8 | Bobby Hillin Jr. | Stavola Brothers Racing | Buick | 188 | 0 | running | 112 | $7,505 |
| 18 | 37 | 71 | Dave Marcis | Marcis Auto Racing | Chevrolet | 188 | 1 | running | 114 | $7,395 |
| 19 | 32 | 7 | Alan Kulwicki | Mach 1 Racing | Ford | 188 | 0 | running | 106 | $7,110 |
| 20 | 27 | 30 | Michael Waltrip | Bahari Racing | Pontiac | 187 | 0 | running | 103 | $7,505 |
| 21 | 34 | 43 | Richard Petty | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 187 | 0 | running | 100 | $6,635 |
| 22 | 40 | 98 | Brad Noffsinger (R) | Curb Racing | Buick | 187 | 0 | running | 97 | $4,725 |
| 23 | 23 | 52 | Jimmy Means | Jimmy Means Racing | Pontiac | 187 | 1 | running | 99 | $6,365 |
| 24 | 42 | 68 | Derrike Cope | Testa Racing | Ford | 187 | 0 | running | 91 | $6,230 |
| 25 | 15 | 12 | Mike Alexander | Stavola Brothers Racing | Buick | 186 | 0 | running | 88 | $10,520 |
| 26 | 38 | 73 | Phil Barkdoll | Barkdoll Racing | Chevrolet | 186 | 0 | running | 85 | $3,355 |
| 27 | 41 | 90 | Benny Parsons | Donlavey Racing | Ford | 186 | 0 | running | 82 | $5,935 |
| 28 | 33 | 15 | Brett Bodine | Bud Moore Engineering | Ford | 185 | 0 | running | 79 | $11,825 |
| 29 | 28 | 97 | Rodney Combs | Winkle Motorsports | Buick | 184 | 0 | running | 76 | $3,165 |
| 30 | 36 | 77 | Ken Ragan | Ragan Racing | Ford | 176 | 0 | running | 73 | $3,105 |
| 31 | 24 | 23 | Eddie Bierschwale | B&B Racing | Oldsmobile | 175 | 0 | running | 70 | $3,045 |
| 32 | 31 | 2 | Ernie Irvan (R) | U.S. Racing | Chevrolet | 165 | 0 | running | 67 | $3,235 |
| 33 | 1 | 17 | Darrell Waltrip | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 162 | 123 | engine | 74 | $32,675 |
| 34 | 19 | 01 | Mickey Gibbs | Gibbs Racing | Ford | 160 | 2 | clutch | 66 | $3,955 |
| 35 | 39 | 10 | Ken Bouchard (R) | Whitcomb Racing | Ford | 148 | 0 | oil pan | 58 | $2,790 |
| 36 | 29 | 67 | Ron Esau | Arrington Racing | Chevrolet | 141 | 0 | fan blade | | $4,755 |
| 37 | 26 | 1 | Dale Jarrett | Ellington Racing | Buick | 141 | 1 | engine | 57 | $2,795 |
| 38 | 10 | 50 | Greg Sacks | Dingman Brothers Racing | Pontiac | 133 | 0 | engine | 49 | $2,630 |
| 39 | 3 | 28 | Davey Allison | Ranier-Lundy Racing | Ford | 88 | 1 | engine | 51 | $12,270 |
| 40 | 5 | 75 | Morgan Shepherd | RahMoc Enterprises | Pontiac | 67 | 0 | crash | 43 | $9,560 |
| 41 | 9 | 26 | Ricky Rudd | King Racing | Buick | 45 | 0 | engine | 40 | $5,135 |
| 42 | 35 | 31 | Joe Ruttman | Bob Clark Motorsports | Oldsmobile | 33 | 0 | engine | 37 | $3,110 |
| Failed to qualify |||||||||||
| 43 | | 07 | Larry Moyer | Stark Racing | Pontiac | | | | | |
| 44 | | 95 | Slick Johnson | Sadler Brothers Racing | Chevrolet | | | | | |
| 45 | | 86 | Rick Jeffrey | Jeffrey Racing | Chevrolet | | | | | |
| 46 | | 0 | Delma Cowart | H. L. Waters Racing | Chevrolet | | | | | |
| 47 | | 76 | Hut Stricklin | Jaehne Motorsports | Pontiac | | | | | |
| 48 | | 59 | Mark Gibson | Gibson Racing | Pontiac | | | | | |
| 49 | | 32 | Philip Duffie | Duffie Racing | Buick | | | | | |
| 50 | | 70 | J. D. McDuffie | McDuffie Racing | Pontiac | | | | | |
| Official race results |||||||||||

## Standings after the race

| | Pos | Driver | Points |
| | 1 | Rusty Wallace | 2,518 |
| | 2 | Bill Elliott | 2,507 (-11) |
| | 3 | Dale Earnhardt | 2,485 (-33) |
| 1 | 4 | Ken Schrader | 2,331 (–187) |
| 1 | 5 | Terry Labonte | 2,309 (–209) |
| | 6 | Geoff Bodine | 2,264 (–254) |
| 2 | 7 | Sterling Marlin | 2,145 (–373) |
| | 8 | Phil Parsons | 2,137 (–381) |
| 2 | 9 | Darrell Waltrip | 2,128 (–390) |
| | 10 | Bobby Hillin Jr. | 2,059 (–459) |
| Official driver's standings ||||