1998 Dinoco 400

The 1998 Dinoco 400 is best known for Jeff Gorvette winning his 3rd Piston Cup after a great year winning 13 races. Dale Carrett finished 2nd that race. It's also known for Gerald Leadfoot holding his fastest lap record. Gerald has finished 3rd. Murray Clutchburn came 4th, and WJ Lights was right behind him in 5th.

The King was 6th, Crusty Rotor was 7th, Terry Carbonte was 8th, Chick Hicks was 9th, and Eugene Carbureski was 10th.

## TeleBio

Network: CBS

Announcers: Bob Cutlass, Ned Carrett

Song played: Moog SSB and Strip Weathers is The King

## Transcript

### Finish

Bob: Here is the checkered flag! Jeff Gorvette wins his 3rd Piston Cup Championship!

Ned: AND THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY PISTON CUP!

Jeff: ARE YOU KIDDING ME!? 50TH ANNIVERSARY PISTON CUP BABY!!! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

Ray Reverham: YOU'RE THE MAN, JEFF! YOU'RE THE MAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jeff: THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A GOOD SEASON AS THIS! I HOPE 1999 IS GOOD TOO!

Ray: Yeah, maybe you'll win a 2nd Daytona 500!

Jeff: I hope so!

Bob: Jeff Gorvette will do his traditional burnout to celebrate for winning the 50th Piston Cup Season.

(Moog SSB plays)

(Jeff Gorvette does his burn out)

Ned: What a finish for Gorvette. That is incredible.

Bob: Jeff drives to victory lane to congratulate his 13th win in 1998 tied with The King, Strip Weathers in 1975.

(CBS shows clips from Piston Cup races between 1948 and 1998 and plays Strip Weathers is The King)

Bob: The Piston Cup Racing Series has gone through many events since 1948. Over the past 50 years, they were different competitors and Generations. The Hudson Hornet won the Piston Cup 3 times in a row from 1951 to 1953 but got a career-ending crash in the 1954 Fireball Beach 350 where he got pushed by Sammy Studebaker, turned over multiple times, and was taken to the hospital. Lee Weathers became the champion that year earning $40,000. Lee also won the Piston Cup in 1958 and 1959. Lee's son Strip also best known as The King became the first second-generation racecar in 1959. Lee later got his career ending crash in the 1961 Jacksonvile 350 caused by LeRoy Heming sending him of the track. After that, The King used lessons from his father throughout the early and mid 1960s onward. He won 7 Piston Cups in 1964, 1967, 1971, 1972, 1974, 1975, and 1979 and seven Daytona 500s in 1964, 1966, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1979, and 1981. The infamous 1979 race was known for Donnie Carllison and 3 time Piston Cup champion Cale Yarblowgh's infamous fistfight. Bobby Carllison was also involved in the big fistfight trying to get his brother out. The Intimidator, Dale Earnhardt then came to win 6 Piston Cups in 1980, 1984, 1986, 1987, 1993, and 1994. After winning the 1984 Firecracker 400, The King's career was declining. He was going to retire after the 1992 Season, but Tex Dinoco convinced him to race in 1993, so The King kept racing, and would later won the 1993 Pocono 400. Between 1995 and now, The King has won 5 races, 2 of them were in 1997. Jeff Gorvette now has 3 Piston Cups in 1995, 1997 and just now in 1998. Can Jeff win his 4th Piston Cup next year in 1999? I'm Bob Cutlass, the CBS host, along with my broadcasting partner, Ned Carrett. Stay tuned for the 1999 Season with the Florida 500 here on CBS Sports. See ya in '99!

(TV credits, Moog SSB plays)

(meanwhile in victory lane)

John Clutchburn: What an effort, you were a rocket ship in these last 10 laps!

Jeff: Well, I mean... I tell you what, Ray Reverham and these rainbow warriors were incredible tonight and all year long, man! What an incredible year! I know I've said this a million times but I cannot believe this! They really put a lot of effort into me into coming here in the Motor Speedway of the South! We were so determined to run well and to end this championship by running well all the way to the finish! I don't think we ever expected to get quite what we got out of these last few races, but a lot of effort goes into what these races are all about and my team deserves the credit for everything this year! Hendrick Motorsports, want to say hi to Rick and Lyndon! Everybody at home, man we miss you! Can't wait to have you next year and we're gonna do it again I hope, but well. I think God certainly blessed us tonight with getting this race in! And every single one on this team, my goodness. That thing was incredible!

John Clutchburn: Jeff, right behind you is the 50th anniversary Piston Cup and I got to believe that signifies that Piston Cup jinx is history!

Jeff: Well, you know I learned a bit when we came to test with Lightyear tires! We learned a lot on the car and of course you got all that spoiler and air. Dang, it certainly helps! You know what we need and what we were lacking I believe it was just downforce. Those guys earlier in the year and here last year had us covered on downforce. And I tell you one thing. I would have never been able to make that pass on Dale Carrett there at the end if we hadn't had the new air damage spoiler rule becuase you just... it's so hard get up to a guy let alone and get underneath him. I gotta take the hat off to Carrett too, cause I love racing with Dale Carrett, Murray Clutchburn, and the guys we run away for the championship this year and last year and it was a lot of run running with Carrett. And I really didn't give up but I didn't think I was gonna get by him cause he was so tough. I do wanna say one quick thanks to everybody at DuPont Automotive Finishes. They've been with us ever since my debut and for now 3 Piston Cups in five full time seasons. It's an awesome relationship and we gotta thank them for what they did to us! It's awesome!

## Results

1. Jeff Gorvette
2. Murray Clutchburn
3. Dale Carrett
4. Rusty Wallace
5. Billy Oilchanger
6. Chick Hicks
7. Dale Earnhardt
8. Crusty Rotor
9. Ponchy Wipeout
10. Gerald Leadfoot
11. Ken Schrader
12. Rowley Boltstrike
13. Haul Inngas
14. Eugene Carburaski
15. Alloy Wilson
16. Michael Cartrip
17. Bill Racelott
18. Ernie Swervan
19. Ernie Gearson
20. Jonathan Melter
21. Klint Shiftright
22. Darrell Cartrip
23. Thomas Tanrev
24. Floyd Mulvihill
25. Slider Petrolski
26. Larry Smith
27. Don Alternations
28. Greg Candyman
29. Ruby Oaks
30. Dash Rallyman
31. Greg Candyman
32. Buck Schooner
33. Claude Scruggs
34. Ryan Thunderbolt Jr
35. Misti Motorkrass
36. Rusty Cornfuel
37. James Cleanair
38. Manny Flywheel
39. Ryan Shields (engine)
40. Kevin Racingtire (engine)
41. W.J Lights (engine)
42. Johnny Blamer (crashed)
43. Chuck Armstrong (engine)